Chinon CE-41977

History

Chinon Industries was founded in 1948 as a manufacturer of precision optical and mechanical products. They entered the SLR market in the late 1960s with M42 bodies and transitioned to the Pentax K mount after its 1975 introduction. The CE-4 was one of their more capable K-mount bodies, sitting above the basic CE-II in the lineup. Chinon later became an OEM manufacturer for Kodak (producing the Kodak S-Series SLR bodies in the 1990s under Chinon-parent-company relationships). The company was eventually absorbed into Minolta's industrial optics division.

Why It Matters

The CE-4 is a textbook example of the "budget K-mount" category — cameras that give access to Pentax's excellent K-mount lens family at prices well below a Pentax ME Super or K1000. SMC Pentax lenses — 50mm f/1.4, 28mm f/2.8, 135mm f/3.5, 50mm f/1.2 — are plentiful and very good, and they all work with full aperture-priority AE on the CE-4. The body itself is lightweight (490 g), reliable if serviced, and entirely unimpressive in a way that encourages focus on the lens and light rather than camera pride. For photographers who want K-mount lens access without the Pentax name tax, the CE-4 is one of the cheapest and most functional options.

Lenses & Accessories

Pentax K bayonet — full compatibility with all K-mount lenses (SMC Pentax, Pentax-A, Pentax-FA in stop-down mode, Sigma, Tamron Adaptall K, Vivitar K). Best companions: SMC Pentax 50mm f/1.4, SMC Pentax 28mm f/2.8, SMC Pentax-M 50mm f/1.7, Rikenon P 50mm f/2, Sigma 24mm f/2.8.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Popular in the United States as an affordable SLR kit lens camera in the early 1980s.
• Sold under store-brand names (Sears Tower brand, various European house brands) — the CE-4 is behind many unbranded K-mount bodies from the period.
• Used by photography students in Japan and internationally who could not afford Pentax's own bodies.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Chinon CE-4
• Wikipedia: Chinon (company)