Fujica ST801
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| Second version ST801 With non-standard 55mm/1.4 Revuenon Auto lens image by Kimmo Kulovesi (Image rights) |
The Fujica ST801 is a manual SLR 35mm film camera made by Fuji between 1972 and 1978. It was the first 35mm SLR to use viewfinder LEDs, replacing the traditional centre-the-needle meter display with a centre-the-indicator-light system. This electronic light metering system was developed to eliminate mechanical failure, and needle deviation caused by shocks.
Feature summary
- M42 mount. Fuji created a modification to the standard 42mm screw mount, adding a very small tab on the back of the aperture ring to communicate with the body's light meter and enable open-aperture metering.[1] Unfortunately, M42 Fujinon lenses are sometimes found to have had their aperture coupling tab filed off. While unmodified Fujinons do fit many other M42-mount camera bodies, some lens flanges or lens adapters are wide enough in diameter that the aperture tab interferes with screwing in the lens fully.
- TTL average light meter, with LEDs
- Open-aperture metering using silicon photocells, more sensitive and faster-responding than CdS cells
- Shutter speeds up to 1/2000 s
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Very bright viewfinder (probably brightest finder on an M42 body, save the Bessaflex)
- Light meter uses 7 LEDs which are visible in adverse light conditions, and indicate approximately 3 stops of over- and under-exposure. Fractional stops are indicated by adjacent pairs of LEDs being illuminated.
- Open-aperture metering when used with matching Fujinon M42 lenses[2]
- Very compact for its time.
Cons
- Stop-down metering has to be used with non-Fujinon lenses[2]
- Only 1/60th sec flash synchronisation
Gallery
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| First version Body only image by Joel Emberson (Image rights) |
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| Second version Black body with Chinon lens image by Paulo Moreira (Image rights) |
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| image by Yumi Abe (Image rights) |
Notes
- ↑ A similar M42 mount modification had premiered on the short-lived Olympus FTL.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 M42 adapters with the Fujica-ST-specific aperture coupling were offered in both the Tamron Adaptall and Vivitar TX systems of interchangeable lens mounts.
Links
- Fujica ST801 Manual at Mike Bukus Orphan Cameras
- Fujica ST801 at Sylvain Halgand's www.collection-appareils.fr (in French)
- Fujica ST801 (archived) from John Bear's Beautycameras.com
