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.
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The Taron TL is a 35mm single-lens reflex camera produced by Taron Optical Co., Ltd. of Japan around 1965. It accepts M42 screw-mount lenses and incorporates a through-the-lens (TTL) exposure meter powered by a selenium cell -- a relatively advanced feature for a mid-1960s camera from a small manufacturer. The selenium meter requires no battery, with the shutter remaining fully mechanical regardless of meter condition.
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.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
A rare M42-mount SLR from 1965 with a through-the-lens selenium meter, from one of Japan's smaller camera makers.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (24x36 mm) |
| Mount | M42 screw |
| Year | ~1965 |
| Shutter | Leaf, ~1s -- 1/500s, B |
| Meter | TTL selenium, uncoupled |
| Exposure | Manual |
| Viewfinder | SLR pentaprism |
| Focus | Manual |
| Battery | None required |
Taron Optical Co. began producing cameras in the early 1950s with simple viewfinder and rangefinder designs. Through the mid-1950s and into the 1960s, the company expanded its rangefinder line with models such as the Eyemax and the Taron VR, building a reputation for competent if unspectacular construction. The move into SLR production with the TL came relatively late for a company of Taron's size, by which time Canon, Nikon, and Pentax had already established strong footholds in the SLR segment.
The choice of M42 mount was pragmatic: it avoided the investment required to design a proprietary bayonet system and allowed customers to pair the TL body with whatever M42 glass they already owned. The TTL selenium meter differentiated the TL from simpler contemporary SLRs that relied on external metering.
Taron ceased camera production in the late 1960s, and documentation of the company's later models is sparse. The TL is among the least-documented Taron cameras.
The Taron TL is a minor but instructive example of how smaller Japanese manufacturers attempted to compete in the SLR market during the mid-1960s transition from rangefinder to SLR dominance among serious amateurs. Its TTL selenium metering represents genuine engineering ambition rather than a purely cosmetic feature.
For collectors, the TL is notable primarily as a Taron rarity and as a functioning M42-mount body with an unusual provenance. It is not historically significant in the way that a Pentax Spotmatic or early Canon F-1 is, but it represents a category of camera -- the independent Japanese SLR maker making a credible but ultimately unsuccessful bid in the SLR segment -- that is historically interesting precisely because these companies did not survive.
The M42 screw mount means the Taron TL can accept a very wide range of lenses. Common pairings include:
Any M42 lens with a protruding rear element should be checked for mirror clearance before mounting.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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