Asahiflex

Lore & Background

Asahi Optical introduced its first 35 mm camera in 1952. Unlike most Japanese manufacturers, Asahi did not copy a German rangefinder; instead, it copied the Praktiflex, a 1939 design from the German Democratic Republic. Designers Nobuyuki Yoshida and Ryohei Suzuki believed in the superiority of the SLR. However, company information states the Asahiflex I is based on Mr. Matsumoto’s Kochmann Reflex-Korelle, a pre-war 6x6 roll film camera.

The Asahiflex I had a non-interchangeable waist-level viewfinder, a direct optical viewfinder for eye-level use, and a non-returning mirror (the mirror returned only after winding the film). Shutter speeds ranged from 1⁄20 to 1⁄500 with T and B settings. The standard lens was a Takumar 50 mm f/3.5. The IA added X- and F-sync for flashbulbs.

The Asahiflex IIB (1954) introduced the quick-return mirror, but it was not the world's first in a pentaprism SLR—the IIB actually used a waist-level finder. It had shutter speeds from B and 1⁄25 to 1⁄500. In the US, it was sold through Sears as the Tower 22. The final model, the IIA, added slow speeds (1 second, 1⁄10, 1⁄5, 1⁄2) and was sold as the Tower 23.

Reader's Guide

The Asahiflex series holds a foundational place in camera history as the first Japanese 35 mm single-lens reflex camera, marking a deliberate departure from the rangefinder designs that dominated the Japanese market. Its significance lies not only in being first but in introducing the quick-return mirror with the Asahiflex IIB in 1954, a critical innovation that eliminated the prolonged viewfinder blackout of earlier SLRs. This made the SLR practical for action photography and paved the way for the SLR's eventual dominance over the rangefinder. The series also established the Takumar lens line and the M37 screw mount, which evolved into the M42 mount used by Pentax and many others. The Asahiflex directly led to the Asahi Pentax in 1957, which added an integral pentaprism and whose name became the corporate identity. The Asahiflex thus represents the birth of a major camera lineage and a key step in the evolution of the SLR.

Did You Know?

• The Asahiflex I was the first Japanese 35 mm single-lens reflex camera.
• The Asahiflex IIB introduced the quick-return mirror, but it used a waist-level finder, not a pentaprism.
• The Asahiflex I did not have a returning mirror; the photographer had to wind the film to reset it.
• The Asahiflex IIA and IIB were sold in the United States through Sears as the Tower 23 and Tower 22, respectively.