Konica Autoreflex T1968

History

Konica (Konishiroku) launched the original Auto-Reflex in 1965 as the AR mount's debut, featuring half/full-frame switching. The Autoreflex T (1968) dropped the half-frame mechanism to deliver a cleaner full-frame body with TTL shutter-priority autoexposure - the defining characteristic of the entire subsequent Autoreflex T line. The shutter-priority paradigm was Konica's deliberate design choice; contemporaries like the Pentax Spotmatic offered match-needle manual metering, and the Minolta SRT-101 (1966) provided similar TTL metering but required manual aperture selection. Konica's auto-aperture coupling was among the earlier practical TTL shutter-priority implementations in a Japanese SLR.

The Autoreflex T was produced for roughly two years before being updated through internal variants leading to the T3 (1973). The T3 refined the shutter mechanism to a vertical metal design and improved durability. The TC (1976) further simplified the body for a budget market. The original Autoreflex T is now the rarest and least commonly seen Konica SLR body in used markets.

Why It Matters

The Autoreflex T is the origin of the Konica shutter-priority AE system that would run through the TC, T3, and T4 bodies. Its significance is primarily historical: it established the operational model - set the shutter speed, let the camera work the aperture - that Konica would refine and maintain until the FT-1 (1983) shifted the line to aperture-priority.

For collectors, the Autoreflex T represents the first practical realisation of the "Autoreflex" concept after the engineering experiment of the original Auto-Reflex. Bodies in working condition are less common than T3 or TC examples and command a modest premium accordingly.

The AR-mount Hexanon lenses - all compatible - are the main draw for practical shooters. The 52mm f/1.8 kit lens that often accompanies T-series bodies is a capable performer; the 57mm f/1.4 and 57mm f/1.2 fast primes stand as the optical highlights of the system.

Lenses & Accessories

Full Konica AR mount compatibility. All Hexanon AR lenses produced 1965 onwards will fit and couple for shutter-priority AE. Key lenses for the T body era:

• Hexanon AR 52mm f/1.8 - original kit lens, compact and sharp
• Hexanon AR 50mm f/1.4 - faster standard prime
• Hexanon AR 57mm f/1.4 - portrait-length fast standard
• Hexanon AR 28mm f/3.5 - wide angle
• Hexanon AR 135mm f/3.2 - short telephoto

Konica AR lenses are adaptable to Sony E, Micro Four Thirds, and Fuji X mounts with passive adapters.

Sample Photographers / Notable Use

• The Autoreflex T was used in the Japanese domestic amateur and enthusiast market in the late 1960s alongside the Nikkormat FT and Canon FT.
• Konica AR-mount systems (beginning with the T) were adopted by photography schools in Japan due to competitive pricing and the availability of a coherent Hexanon lens line.

References

• Camera-Wiki: Konica Autoreflex T
• Wikipedia: Konica Autoreflex - overview of the full Autoreflex T line with model sequence