Camera has 1/1000th Second Shutter Speed

Of all the rangefinder models there are only nine cameras with this set of characteristics. So we have to ask more questions.

  • No Model designation on Body
  • Maximum Shutter speed 1/1000th
Model Date Model Date Model Date
Canon 1950 Jul 1950   Canon III A Dec 1951   Canon IV Sb2 Mar 1954
Canon III Feb 1951   Canon IV S Dec 1951   Canon VL Dev 1957
Canon IV Apr 1951   Canon IV Sb Dec 1952   Canon VI-L Sep 1958

But that is the high speed end. What about the slow speeds? Does your camera have a slow speed dial?

Third Question:

Does the Camera have a Slow Speed Dial?

For reasons I won’t go into right now the early cameras, and not only canons but even the Leicas they were copiying, had two dials for speed settings. The one on the top deck was the high speed dial and it set speeds from a 25th or a 30th and faster. On the front of the camera was another dial and it set speeds lower than those on the top or high speed dial.

This Canon Rangefinder has a slow speed dial on the front just to the left, in the picture, of the lens.

This Russian “Zorki” has only the top dial and no low speed dial on the front.

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.