Can Anyone Give Me Some Information About A Konica Autoreflex T ?

Question

It was given to me by an old vet after I wouldn’t accept any money for helping him. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings so I accepted the camera. I have it now so I just as well learn how to use one of these antique creatures.

The thing is I know little about SLRs. I’ve always used aim and shoot type cameras.

I can deal with the manual focus but what about some kind of light meter? Is the little letters EE on the lens for auto focus? What if your using the standard 200 film speed but the dial on top goes from 125 to 250? Which setting do you use?

Is the camera too old to be worth learning how to use? I’m pretty sure the monster telephoto lens he gave me as an extra lens is worth keeping, isn’t it? That puppy is 12" inches long. It’s a Vivitar with the numbers 1:5.5 and f = 400mm on it. If I keep these lens are they compatible with newer cameras?

Thank you for your help.

He also gave me this rubber boot looking attachment called a 'skylight' lens. Does this act as some kind od attachment to deflect bright sunlight? If not, what is it for?

Gene, thank you so very much. A few little things, like the batteries, I figured out myself. But the big stuff, well, I owe you greatly. I've actually printed out and saved your suggestions as a portable manual.

Can I assume that the B on the film speed knob is for Black & White film?

I think I would very much like trying to shoot some serious art-type b&w photographs.

(I'm already an artists, by the way. A painter. Some of my work is in my 360.)

Again, thank you.

Answer 1

(NOTE: be sure to read this again later as I am making edits and changes).
The Konica Autoreflex T was manufactured in 1968-1970 and it was a great success to Konica. A high class SLR, second to none in features and quality (although certainly not as topnotch as a Nikon with their excellent Nikkor lenses but, a step better than a Canon, Minolta or Pentax and many other popular 35mm SLR cameras)
It has an internal auto-exposure system.
The "EE" means "Electronic Eye" or Electronic Exposure and the unique thing about the camera is that you can do two things to get automatic exposure.
1) if you set the F/Stop...the camera will automatically choose the highest shutter speed.

2) if you choose the Shutter Speed...the camera will then automatically choose the correct F/Stop.

YOU TURN ON THE AUTOMATIC EXPOSURE SYSTEM OR "EE" BY USING THE LITTLE RING THAT IS PART OF THE BUTTON YOU PUSH WHEN YOU TAKE A PICTURE (THE SHUTTER RELEASE). THEN, LOOKING THROUGH THE VIEWFINDER YOU SHOULD SEE A NEEDLE MOVING AS YOU GO FROM DARK TO LIGHT (BEST TO CHECK THIS WHEN LOOKING AT SOMETHING BRIGHT OR IN THE DAYLIGHT, LIKE OUTSIDE).
**Be sure you turn this to "OFF" when not using the camera so as not to wear out the batteries. When it's "ON" the exposure meter is in use and is using the batteries to function.
If, however you put on the lens cap, the exposure meter is not reading any light and basically is not working and not using up any battery power.
If you move the ring off of "EE" (push little button on the ring in and then turn it) this then makes the camera manually adjusted and you can set the Shutter Speed and F/Stop manually...like for example, setting a small aperture like F/16 or F/22 for more depth of field and then, using the knob on top, set it to the shutter speed you desire (for outside, for pictures of people for example with little movement, a shutter speed of 125 or 250 would be good)...which would give you (in bright sunlight) an exposure of say 1/125th of a second at f/16 or 1/250th of a second at f/11 and you would get a properly exposed photo (if in the shade, you would need to open the aperture another stop or two (now I'm getting into basic photography instead of telling you about the camera..lol)
TIP: when looking through the viewfinder and that moving needle indicator is in the "RED" zone...this means your exposure is incorrect and you need to adjust either your shutter speed or aperature until the needle is in the clear or "safe" zone.
It also means that the Electric Eye is not reading enough light and it might be too dark to take a properly exposed picture.

Oh, also, VERY IMPORTANT!!
If you wanted to use the camera with an Electronic Flash, be sure to set the shutter speed on top to "1/125" (that is why it's in RED color). Otherwise the system won't work like it's supposed to.
(any shutter speed "faster" than 1/125, like for example 1/250, will not open and close the shutter before the electronic flash has reached it's peak...in other words "out of sync")
This then will "sync" the shutter (it's a metal, focal plane shutter) with the flash, otherwise the picture you are taking will only get the flash on part of the picture and it will look "cut off".

Since it is a Single Lens Reflex (SLR) you are able to remove the lens and replace it with another lens (like if you wanted to switch a Normal (58mm) or Wide-Angle (28mm) lens with a Telephoto Lens (400mm) (see the little chrome button next to the lens on the camera body on front? push that in while turning the lens and the lens will separate from the camera body)
The other chrome button which would be on your right side will allow you to view through the lens, pushing or holding down that button will "close down" the aperture to the F/Stop that will take the picture so you can check your "Depth of Field". It won't really do anything other than that, so if you push it in and then release it it's ok and nothing is changed...it's just a "preview" button.

The removable lens-mounting type is called a "bayonet mount" since you push in the lens and then turn it until it snaps into place.
As opposed to a "screw-in" type mounting that many of the other cameras (Pentax) had.

NOTE: In just about ALL cases it is not possible to use a lens manufactured for a particular camera on any other camera without the use of an "Adapter" that attaches to the camera where the lens goes and then the lens itself mounts into this adapter. This is especially true if you wanted to, for example, use a Canon lens on your Konica..you would need the Adapter.

If you use for example ASA 200 or 200 speed film, you "program" the light metering system by dialing in that number on that ring you pointed out.
Actually, when you say it only goes from "125-250", that "dial is the Shutter Speed. If you manually pick up that dial and then turn it, those small numbers in the smaller window are where you set the ASA, or film speed.
Then, if you're outside in daylight or sunlight, setting the camera on "EE" will give you automatic exposures and all you have to do is focus and shoot.

I think what you're describing when you say "rubber boot looking attachment" might be the Lens Shade that is already screwed into a Skylight Filter. If I'm right, you should be able to unscrew and separate the rubber shade from the filter.
The Skylight lens (Filter) is useful for outside shooting...it will filter out unwanted UV rays that affect the color of the finished picture (by removing excessive blue and giving your picture better color balance).
It also served another purpose, and that was as a "lens protector". You can just leave it on the camera to protect the expensive lens from getting scratched...better to replace a $15 filter than a $200 lens.

The rubber boot must be the lens shade...and that is what it does, it keeps the sunlight from getting into the lens causing sun streaks in the picture and also prevents "false" exposure readings when stray sunlight gets into the lens and causes the exposure meter to close down the aperture (F/Stop) too much and hence will underexpose your shot.

Not knowing the condition of the camera or if it is functioning properly, I might suggest you take it by a good Camera Sales shop and let the guy behind the counter give it a quick going over to make sure the shutter is working properly.
While you're there, you should just go ahead and let him put in new batteries.
(look on the bottom of the camera, that little cover that has a slot that you can insert a coin into and turn, is where you change the batteries). Depending on how it's been taken care of, those batteries in there now could be corroded...it so, an easy way to clean the corrosion is using a Q-Tip with some straight Ammonia.

If you get one of the "old timers" in that Camera Shop, I bet he can give you a quick course in how to use the camera, better than I can give you here.

I see you also got a Vivitar 400mm Telephoto Lens.
Vivitar made "pretty good" lenses but the Konica Hexanon lenses were the original lens that came with the camera.
For you to use this telephoto lens on any other camera, you would no doubt need to get an "adapter" that will allow attachment to camera other than the Konica. (It was probably purchased with a "Konica" mount already as part of the lens. But, you'd be able to get a, for example, 'Pentax to Konica" mount if happened to own a Pentax camera and wanted to use the 400mm lens on that.

When purchased brand new in the '70's, the camera and normal 57mm lens listed for around $350-$400...and was a very good system for it's time.

Unless you're NOT into the new "Digital" system of cameras and still want to use film, this camera, if working properly should serve you well.

Ok Dr., I'll stop at this point. Try and absorb what I've told you here and post any new questions you might have and I'll try and answer them...bye for now.

I just came across this helpful guide to the camera:
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/konica_auto-t/konica_auto-t.htm
...looks like an excellent manual and it goes over all the important features of the camera that I've already mentioned.
and here's another:
http://www.buhla.de/Foto/Konica/eATHaupt.html

ADD INFO:
Saw your additional comments.

No, actually the "B" stands for "Bulb" and it's from older systems of cameras to allow you to "hold the shutter" open for exposures longer than 1 second...so in effect, if you set the dial to "B" and you co.ck the camera using the lever on the top right of the camera and then hold down on the shutter release and keep it down, the (focal plane) shutter will remain open until you release the button. It's purpose is for very long exposures.
You probably would never use this.

You don't really "set" a camera for color OR black and white film.
This is only achieved by setting the film speed or ASA on the internal metering system. A camera does not know if it has color or black and white film inside it only knows the film speed (ASA) that you set for the film being used in the camera.

(I used to think this to be the case myself)

BTW...in perusing through some of your answers on your Q&A page, I came across this question someone had asked regarding how to determine the artist who signed a painting she has.
Take a look at what I came up with for an answer....
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsyonB3GpHFI86O55se80k3sy6IX?qid=20060806180544AA5bWya

I'll take a look at your 360 (actually I just started one for myself today but haven't spent much time on figuring out how it works right now) If you have an email address that you've published perhaps I'll send you a note and you can better ask me any questions about your Konica or photography in general.

If this is not possible, please make any additions in this thread and I'll be checking back to see if there is new information I can help you with.

Cheers,
Gene

Answer 2

Konica Autoreflex T