The Konica F was the first 35 mm SLR camera produced by Konishiroku, released in February 1960.[1]
It featured a built-in light metering system to set the correct exposure.[1] The meter utilized a large selenium cell panel on the front of the viewfinder prism to detect light levels. This type sensor cell generates its own small electric current, so the metering system does not require a battery. On the other hand, selenium cells are known to degrade over time, losing accuracy or eventually failing. Many cameras and handheld meters relied upon selenium cells at one time, but they were gradually replaced by CdS and other types of cells that require a battery but tend to give long-term reliability. Between 600 and 1500 total Konica Fs were produced, making it a highly sought-after camera.[2]
A year prior to the Konica F's introduction, a prototype of that camera was displayed at a photo show in Japan. At that time it was called the KonicaFlex. The only difference between the two was the mounting of the selenium light meter: While the Konica F meter was built into the front of the prism housing, that of the KonicaFlex was a flip-up type meter carried over from the Konica IIIM rangefinder of 1957.