C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →compact-35mm
The Konica Konilet (1953) is a mid-range 35mm scale-focus compact produced by Konishiroku Photo Industry - the company that would later rebrand as Konica. Equipped with a Hexar 50mm f/4.5 lens, the Konilet sits above Konica's entry-level viewfinder cameras of the early 1950s but well below the more elaborate rangefinder models. The all-manual design reflects both the technology available and the price positioning of the time: a solid, competent camera for the middle-market Japanese consumer in the immediate post-war reconstruction era.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →C41
Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
Post-war Japanese mid-tier scale-focus compact; the Hexar lens in a modest body.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Lens | Hexar 50mm f/4.5 (fixed) |
| Year | 1953 |
| Shutter | Leaf, ~1/25s - 1/200s |
| Meter | None |
| Modes | Manual |
| Focus | Scale focus |
| Battery | None required |
| Flash | Cold shoe |
Konishiroku introduced the Konilet in 1953 as the postwar domestic camera market was recovering and expanding. Japanese manufacturers were producing a range of compact 35mm cameras at varying price tiers to meet demand from consumers who could not afford or justify the cost of full rangefinder cameras. The Konilet occupied the middle tier: better optics than the cheapest viewfinder compacts, but without the cost and complexity of a rangefinder.
The Hexar lens designation was already in use on Konishiroku's better cameras by this period; equipping a mid-tier body with the Hexar name offered consumers a recognized optical brand at a more accessible price. The all-mechanical, no-battery design was standard for the era and made the camera fully operable in any conditions.
The Konilet's specific production run and discontinuation date are not well-documented in English-language sources. It was succeeded in concept by later Konica compact models with more automation, notably the EE Matic series beginning in the early 1960s, which added selenium metering.
The Konilet is not a landmark camera, but it is a useful data point in the history of Japanese postwar consumer optics. Konishiroku's decision to use the Hexar designation on mid-tier bodies illustrates the brand-building strategy that would eventually support Konica's reputation for optical quality throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
For collectors, the Konilet represents early 1950s Japanese compact manufacturing with Hexar glass - a combination that is historically legible even if the camera itself is not especially sought-after. Functioning examples are uncommon in Western markets and typically found in Japan or among specialized collectors.
C41
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is an affordable, consumer-oriented daylight-balanced color negative film at ISO 200. Known for warm, slightly muted color rendition, fine grain, and wide exposure latitude, it is currently in production and widely available in Asia and select global markets.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Konica Konilet
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