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 Konica Koniflex II is the successor to the original 1953 Koniflex, introduced by Konishiroku in approximately 1955. Like its predecessor it uses 120 roll film to produce 6x6 cm square negatives and is fitted with a **Hexanon 85mm f/3.5** taking lens. The primary mechanical distinction from the first-generation Koniflex is the addition of a rapid-wind crank advance in place of the earlier knob-wind mechanism, a refinement found across many Japanese TLRs of the mid-1950s as manufacturers competed to close the ergonomic gap with the Rolleiflex. The body design, optics, and shutter specification are substantially carried over from the original Koniflex.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the — 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.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →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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About this camera
The 1955 refinement of Konica's TLR, adding a crank film advance over the original's knob.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 film (6x6, 12 exposures) |
| Taking lens | Hexanon 85mm f/3.5 (fixed) |
| Viewing lens | ~ (matched viewing lens) |
| Shutter | ~1s - 1/400s, leaf shutter |
| Film advance | Rapid-wind crank |
| Flash sync | ~ |
| Focus | Manual via front-element focusing knob |
| Meter | None |
| Battery | None required |
By 1955 the Japanese TLR field had intensified considerably. The Yashica-Mat had introduced a crank advance that was widely praised, and Minolta was advancing the Autocord line. Konishiroku updated the Koniflex to incorporate a crank advance mechanism -- the most-requested practical improvement for TLR operation, since it allowed a single-handed wind-and-cock cycle without repositioning the grip. The Hexanon lens and basic shutter specification remained unchanged, keeping production continuity from the original Koniflex tooling. Konishiroku did not pursue the TLR category further into the 1960s, choosing to concentrate medium-format development on the Koni-Omega press camera system, so the Koniflex II represents the last significant iteration of this line.
The Koniflex II is a minor but genuine marker in the evolution of mid-1950s Japanese TLR design. The addition of the crank advance reflected how Japanese manufacturers rapidly incorporated user-experience improvements to compete with Rollei's more established ergonomics. The camera is primarily of collector interest today as an example of Konica's pre-SLR medium-format ambitions, and as a vehicle for the Hexanon 85mm lens -- a name that would later carry significant prestige in the Konica SLR era. Because Konica did not persist in the TLR market, the Koniflex II is rarer than contemporaries like the Yashica-Mat or Minolta Autocord and is correspondingly less well-documented in the English-language camera literature.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →Konica Koniflex II
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