Canon Photura/Epoca/Autoboy Jet

Canon Photura image by Casual Camera Collector (Image rights)

The Canon Photura is an oddly-shaped 1990 model from Canon's very successful Sure Shot range. It is shaped more like a video camera. This 35mm film camera was known as the Epoca in Europe and Autoboy Jet in Japan. It has a 35-105mm zoom lens, and a powerful built-in flash. While not a true SLR, this was Canon's answer to the "bridge camera" market segment that competitors such as the Chinon Genesis had launched in the late 1980s.

In 1992, Canon introduced a follow-up model - the Photura 135 - which came with a 38-135mm lens.

Specifications

• 3-point Smart autofocus with near-infrared beam. Prefocus enabled.
• 35-105mm f/2.8-6.6 (10 elements in 9 groups) with power zoom lever.
• Shutter speeds: 2s-1/250s.
• Film speed range: ISO 25-3200 (with DX Encoding).
• Power: One 6V 2CR5 lithium battery.
• Dimensions: 100×74×156mm.
• Weight: 645g (with battery).

Links

• Canon Photura user manual at Manualslib
• Photura/Epoca/Autoboy Jet in the Canon Camera Museum.
• Canon Epoca in Sylvain Halgand's collection (in French).

A look inside the business end of the Canon Epoca image by Raúl Sá Dantas (Image rights)