Canon Rangefinder without Model Name
The earlier rangefinder models had no model designation on them and the naming convention used can only be attributed to the mysterious Asian mind. Most rangefinders fall into this category although you may see more of the others because they were produced later in greater numbers and distributed world wide. Many models are defined by internal structure and they look the same on the outside. In most cases the differences are not readily apparent.
The cameras we have to sort through are:
| Model | Date | Model | Date | Model | Date | ||
| Canon J | Jan 1939 | Canon IV | Apr 1951 | Canon II F | Jul 1953 | ||
| Canon NS | 1940 | Canon III A | Dec 1951 | Canon II S | Feb 1954 | ||
| Canon JS | Apr 1945 | Canon IV S | Dec 1951 | Canon IV Sb2 | Mar 1954 | ||
| Canon J II | Dec 1945 | Canon II A | Mar 1952 | Canon II S2 | Feb 1955 | ||
| Canon S I | Dec 1945 | Canon II D | Oct 1952 | Canon II D2 | Mar 1955 | ||
| Canon S II | Oct 1946 | Canon II D1 | Oct 1952 | Canon II F2 | Jun 1955 | ||
| Canon II B | Jan 1949 | Canon IV Sb | Dec 1952 | Canon VL | Dev 1957 | ||
| Canon 1950 | Jul 1950 | Canon II AF | Jun 1953 | Canon VL2 | Jan 1958 | ||
| Canon III | Feb 1951 | Canon II AX | Jun 1953 | Canon VI-L | Sep 1958 | ||
| Canon II C | Mar 1951 |
We will sort through these by asking a series of questions that will lead us to the identity of your camera. So what is the first question?
Second Question:
What is your Camera’s highest Shutter Speed?
So where do we start? Well, lets look at the maximum shutter speed on the high speed dial. Canon cameras were always advanced cameras and they offered fast shutter speeds. Your camera will be either a 1/500th or 1/1000th of a second.
Have a look at the two images above of the high speed dials on two cameras. You will see that the largest number on the dial on the top of the camera is different: one 500 and the other is 1000. These are the shutter fastest shutter speeds the camera offers and they are one five hundredth of a second and one one thousandth of a second respectively.
So, select your camera’s highest shutter speed below.