Konica Acom-11978

History

By the mid-1970s the Japanese SLR market was moving away from shutter-priority AE toward aperture-priority systems. Photographers and reviewers found aperture-priority more intuitive for controlling depth of field, and Olympus, Minolta, and Canon had launched successful aperture-priority bodies. Konica's TC (1976) had refreshed the shutter-priority formula in a compact body, but the Autoreflex line needed an aperture-priority answer.

The Acom-1 was introduced in 1978 as that answer. Konica simultaneously retained the TC in production for existing shutter-priority users and offered the Acom-1 for photographers who preferred the aperture-priority approach. The electronic shutter was a key enabling technology, allowing precise stepless control that mechanical shutters could not match.

The Acom-1's tenure in the line was relatively short. The FS-1 (1979), with its built-in motor winder, and the subsequent TC-X represented the next evolution, and the Acom-1 was phased out as Konica consolidated its SLR range in the early 1980s before exiting the SLR business.

Why It Matters

The Acom-1 provides aperture-priority AE in the Konica AR mount at a very low used price. For photographers who own Hexanon lenses and want a body that prioritises depth-of-field control over shutter speed selection, it is the natural choice within the AR system - more appropriate than the TC for controlled light situations, portraiture, or close-up work where aperture selection is primary.

The electronic shutter's stepless operation also enables finer AE precision than the fixed-stop mechanical shutters of the TC line. In practice this means the Acom-1 can expose more accurately in tricky mixed-light situations. The trade-off - total battery dependency - is worth acknowledging; unlike the TC (which also requires batteries for AE but at least fires the shutter), the Acom-1 is completely inoperable without power.

Lenses & Accessories

Full Konica AR bayonet mount. Compatible lenses: Hexanon AR 50mm f/1.7, 50mm f/1.4, 57mm f/1.2, 28mm f/3.5, 28mm f/1.8, 40mm f/1.8, 135mm f/3.2, 200mm f/4. Third-party AR-mount glass from Tokina, Tamron, Vivitar available. Accessories: Konica cable releases, standard hot-shoe electronic flash, PC-sync cord for studio flash.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Konica Acom-1
• Wikipedia: Konica Autoreflex