Camera Has a Side Rail

Of all the rangefinder models there are only three cameras with this set of characteristics.

The three possibilities are:

  • No Model designation on Body
  • Maximum Shutter speed 1/1000th
  • Has Slow Speed Dial
  • Maximum Slow Speed is 1/25th
  • Slow Speed Dial has no lock
  • Camera has a Side Rail
Model Date   Model Date   Model Date
Canon 1950 Jul 1950   Canon IV Apr 1951   Canon IV S Dec 1951

Seventh Question:

How is the Canon name written?

Over the years Canon has changed its name several times. In September of 1947 the company became the Canon Camera Company, Ltd. and again in early 1951 changed the name again to Canon Camera Company Inc. Up to 1951 the camera top plates carried the name Canon Camera Company Ltd. but with the Model III the name on the top plate changed to Canon Camera Company Inc. This spelling change is very valuable in dating cameras of the period.

This is the way the company name appeared till 1951.

After 1951 this is the way you find the company name.

So, look at your camera. How does the company name appear? Or, to say it another way, is your camera pre-1951 or did it come after 1951? See how useful this name thing is?

So, look at your camera. How does the company name appear?

If you make a wrong selection you can go back one step or all the way to the beginning one step at a time. If you simply get lost or want to look up another camera you can go straight to the beginning again and start over. Or, if you feel you don’t need all the explanations you can go to the Rapid Finder. You get the same questions but in abbreviated form with no discussion or photos.