| Asahi Pentax Screw Mount Cameras | |||||
The first Asahi pentaprism SLR was called the Pentax, hence the Asahi Pentax lettering appeared for the first time on front pentaprism housing. The then new Pentacon M42x1 screw mount replaced the narrower M37x1 of the Asahiflex. Since the Pentax name was so nice and the camera so successful, the Pentax name was retained on all next models (which gained a model designation of their own) now the original model is also known as the AP. Sears, Roebuck & Co. continued selling Asahi cameras for a while, again under their brand name Tower. Then starting from 1959, the Heiland division of Minneapolis Honeywell became the exclusive distributor of Pentax products for USA. Honeywell also sold Asahi Pentax cameras with model designations different from those sold worldwide. Since the name Pentax was registered by
Pentacon in South Africa, Asahi sold their cameras with either Pentar or Asahiflex trade
marks for some time, untill they could use Pentax. |
|||||
Japan |
International |
USA |
Comments | Introd. | Disc. |
| AP | AP | Tower 26 | First pentaprism model | 5 / 1957 | 1958 |
| S | S | Tower 26 | Asahi Pentar in South Africa | 4 / 1958 | 1959 |
| K | K | Tower 29 | Asahi Pentar K in South Africa | 5 / 1958 | 1959 |
| S2 (1) | H2 / S2 (1) | Heiland H2 (1) | Early type, without meter coupling - Asahiflex H2 in South Africa | 5 / 1959 | 1961 |
not available |
not available |
Heiland H2 Store Demonstrator |
Working dealer demonstrator camera | 1959 | 1959 |
| SB | not sold |
not sold |
Same as S2 - Japanese military model | 5 / 1959 | 1961 |
| SB2 | not sold |
not sold |
Forerunner of the Super S2 - Japanese military model | 1961 | ? |
not sold |
not sold |
Heiland Repronar | Copy camera and stand - Fixed bellows and lens | 1960 | ? |
| S3 | S3 | Heiland H3 Honeywell H3 |
New body - 1.8/55mm lens | 4 / 1961 | 1962 |
| S2 (2) | S2 (2) | Heiland H2 (2) Honeywell H2 |
Late type, with meter coupling - 2/55mm lens | 4 / 1961 | 1962 |
not sold |
S1 | Heiland H1 Honeywell H1 |
Budget model - 2.2/55mm lens | 4 / 1961 | 1962 |
| Super S2 | not sold |
not sold |
Sold in Japan only instead of the S1/S1a | 1962 | 1968 |
| SV (1) | SV (1) | H3v (1) | Early type | 1962 | 1964 |
not sold |
S1a (1) | H1a (1) | Early type | 1962 | 1964 |
| SV (2) | SV (2) | H3v (2) | Late types - Improvements to take new 1.4/50mm lens and back catch attached to body instead of back - Orange "R" on rewind knob | 1964 | 1968 |
not sold |
S1a (2) | H1a (2) | 1964 | 1968 | |
| Spotmatic (1) | Spotmatic (1) | Spotmatic (1) | Early type (P/No.231) - First Stop-down TTL metering | 7 / 1964 | 1965 |
| Spotmatic (2) | Spotmatic (2) | Spotmatic (2) | Late type (P/No.23102) | 1965 | 1973 |
| SP Motor Drive | SP Motor Drive | SP Motor Drive | Motor Drive model of the Spotmatic | 1965 | 1973 |
| SP Data II | SP Data II | SP Data II | Data back model of the Spotmatic | 1965 | 1973 |
| Nocta | Nocta | Nocta | 35mm Infra Red - Special order only | 1966 | ? |
| SL | SL | SL | Unmetered Spotmatic | 1968 | 1971 |
| Stereo ST-120 | Stereo ST-120 | Stereo ST-120 | Stereo Traffic camera - Special order only | 1970 | ? |
| Spotmatic II | Spotmatic II | Spotmatic II | Introduced S-M-C Takumar lenses | 4 / 1971 | 1976 |
not sold |
not sold |
Spotmatic IIa | Built in auto flash sensor | 4 / 1971 | 1973 |
| SPII Motor Drive | SPII Motor Drive | SPII Motor Drive | Motor Drive model of the Spotmatic II | 4 / 1971 | 1973 |
| SPII Data II | SPII Data II | SPII Data II | Data Back model of the Spotmatic II | 4 / 1971 | 1973 |
not sold |
SP500 | SP500 | Budget model of the SP, replacing the SL | 1971 | 1974 |
| Electro Spotmatic | not sold |
not sold |
First aperture-priority automatic SLR - Japanese home market only | 1971 | 1972 |
| ES | ES | ES | Electro Spotmatic with improved electronics | 1971 | 1973 |
not sold |
SP1000 | SP1000 | Budget model of the SP, replacing the SP500 | 1973 | 1976 |
| Spotmatic F | Spotmatic F | Spotmatic F | Full-aperture metering | 1973 | 1976 |
| SPF Motor Drive | SPF Motor Drive | SPF Motor Drive | Motor Drive model of the SPF | 1973 | 1976 |
| SPF Data II | SPF Data II | SPF Data II | Data Back model of the SPF | 1973 | 1976 |
| SPF MD Data II | SPF MD Data II | SPF MD Data II | Motor Drive + Data Back model of the SPF | 1973 | 1976 |
| ESII | ESII | ESII | Improved ES | 1973 | 1975 |
| ESII Motor Drive | ESII Motor Drive | ESII Motor Drive | Motor Drive model of the ESII | 1973 | 1975 |
| ESII Data II | ESII Data II | ESII Data II | Data Back model of the ESII | 1973 | 1975 |
| ESII MD Data II | ESII MD Data II | ESII MD Data II | Motor Drive + Data Back model of the ESII | 1973 | 1975 |
Japan |
International |
USA |
Comments | Introd. | Disc. |
 |
Page updated 26th Mar. 2001