Konica T21972

History

Konica launched the Autoreflex T in 1968 as one of the earliest production Japanese SLRs with genuine TTL shutter-priority autoexposure. The T2 followed as a refinement, addressing the original's relatively dim viewfinder and pushing the flash sync speed to accommodate more practical flash work. The improvements were incremental rather than architectural: the shutter-priority philosophy, the AR mount coupling, and the CdS metering circuit all carried forward essentially unchanged.

In 1973 the T3 arrived with a significant mechanical upgrade - replacing the cloth shutter with a vertical metal shutter, and improving build quality and metering. The T3 became the most celebrated Konica AR-mount SLR body; the T2 is today somewhat overlooked because of it. Production numbers are not well documented in English-language sources.

Why It Matters

The T2 represents the midpoint of Konica's commitment to shutter-priority automation through an era when most Japanese SLR makers either offered manual-only metering or were beginning to explore aperture-priority designs. Shutter-priority suited photojournalists and action photographers who needed predictable motion control; Konica's TTL implementation was technically comparable to what Canon and Nikon would not deliver until later in the decade.

The brighter finder of the T2 over the T is meaningful for photographers pairing the body with faster Hexanon lenses in dim light. The AR mount's generous register distance makes AR lenses straightforwardly adaptable to Sony E, Fuji X, and Micro Four Thirds via passive adapters - a quality that has sustained collector and shooter interest in the system long after Konica ceased camera production.

The T2 is less sought after than the T3 and correspondingly less expensive on the used market, making it an accessible entry point to the Konica AR system for shooters who don't require the T3's metal shutter.

Lenses & Accessories

Full Konica AR mount compatibility. All Hexanon AR lenses fit and couple for shutter-priority AE:

• Hexanon AR 50mm f/1.4 - standard; smooth rendering, well-corrected wide open
• Hexanon AR 52mm f/1.8 - compact kit standard
• Hexanon AR 57mm f/1.4 - portrait-length fast standard
• Hexanon AR 28mm f/3.5 - wide-angle
• Hexanon AR 35mm f/2.8 - moderate wide
• Hexanon AR 135mm f/3.2 - short telephoto
• Hexanon AR 40mm f/1.8 - later-era pancake; not necessarily available at T2's launch

AR lenses adapt to Sony E, Fuji X, and Micro Four Thirds with passive adapters; autofocus and autoexposure are not available on adapted use.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• Used primarily in the Japanese enthusiast and press market during the early 1970s alongside the Nikkormat FT2 and Canon FTb.
• Specific documented attribution to named photographers has not been verified.
• The Autoreflex T-series at large was adopted by photography schools in Japan due to the coherent Hexanon AR lens system and competitive pricing relative to Nikon and Canon equivalents.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Konica Autoreflex T2
• Wikipedia: Konica Autoreflex - overview of the T-series lineage