Canon S-II
Seiki Kōgaku / Canon · LTM mount · 24×36mm on 35mm film · 1946
Also known as: Canon S-II · Canon SII · Canon S II · Seiki Kogaku Canon S-II · Canon S2 rangefinder
Variants & identification
| Variant | Mount | Years | Serial ranges | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S-II, Seiki Kōgaku engraving | LTM | 1946–1947 | — | No figure published |
| S-II, Canon engraving | LTM | 1947–1949 | — | No figure published |
- Lens mount: the museum records 'non-universal and universal flanges (Leica mount) available'. The non-universal flange is the prewar J's 24-tpi thread; the universal one is Leica's 26 tpi. Lenses interchange in practice either way.
How to tell them apart
- Rangefinder and viewfinder in one eyepiece — the S of 1939 had two
- No slow-speed dial click stops, no 1/1000, no flash: the IIB and IIC added the finder, the III the speed
S-II, Seiki Kōgaku engraving:
- Marketed October 1946, 48,000 yen (w/Serenar 50mm f/3.5) · 450 g · 135.5 × 69.5 × 30.2 mm
- Engraved Seiki Kogaku; the first postwar Canon; Made in Occupied Japan on export cameras
S-II, Canon engraving:
- Marketed October 1946, 48,000 yen (w/Serenar 50mm f/3.5) · 450 g · 135.5 × 69.5 × 30.2 mm
- Engraved Canon Camera Co. from mid-1947 (camera-wiki)
- S-II, Seiki Kōgaku engraving: Sold through occupation-forces exchanges as collateral for relief supplies — the museum calls it, in effect, Canon's first export camera.
Specifications
- Format
- 24×36mm on 35mm film
- Finder
- Combined coincidence rangefinder and reversed-Galilean viewfinder, 0.6×, 38.5 mm base, about 85% coverage · 0.6× magnification · 85% coverage
- Base length
- 38.5 mm
- Effective baselength
- 23.1 mm (derived from base length × magnification)
- Shutter
- Horizontal cloth focal-plane, two dials · 1–1/8 on one dial, Z (bulb) and 1/20–1/500 on the other
- Film advance
- Knob
- Back
- Removable baseplate, bottom loading
- Meter
- None
- Weight
- 450 g
- Dimensions
- 135.5 × 69.5 × 30.2 mm
- Country
- Japan
- Original price
- 48,000 yen (w/Serenar 50mm f/3.5) (October 1946, Canon Camera Museum; no price index for that year, so not restated in today's money)
What reviewers say
No reviews aggregated yet — this family is still in the research queue. Written one? We'd love to index it.
History
The first new Canon after the war, marketed in October 1946 at ¥48,000 with the Serenar 50mm f/3.5, and the first Canon named in Roman letters from the start. It put the rangefinder and the viewfinder into one window — the museum says it was probably the first Japanese 35mm to do so — on a bottom-loading body of 450 grams with a cloth shutter to 1/500. The thread was Canon’s own 24-turn pitch inherited from the prewar J; a Leica-pitch flange was available.
Early cameras are engraved Seiki Kogaku, from mid-1947 Canon Camera Co., and most carry Made in Occupied Japan, because they were sold through the occupation’s exchanges as collateral for relief supplies. The Serenar 50mm f/2 of February 1947 was the fast lens for it. camera-wiki cites Dechert for the model but no production figure reaches this page.
This history is AI-written, from the sources listed at the foot of the page. Where the record is silent it says so rather than filling the gap — but no human wrote these sentences.
Photographs
Live listings
Asking price, USD: a median of $1,100 across 11 fixed-price listings on 2026-09-11 (middle half $400–$2,000). Tracked since 2026-09-09, 2 days: unchanged from $1,100.
By day
| Date | Median | Middle half | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-11 | $1,100 | $400–$2,000 | 11 |
| 2026-09-09 | $1,100 | $400–$2,000 | 11 |
Asking prices from the listings scanned, not sales; junk-flagged rows and auction lots excluded; other currencies are not converted.
- RARE! [APP MINT] Canon SII S2 rangefinder from JAPAN #3725
- CLA'd, Canon SII S2 Rangefinder camera, Rare "Exc++" From JP#1933
- Canon S-II 35 mm rangefinder RF Film Camera Body MIOJ Super Clean
- *Near Mint* Canon SII Rangefinder Film Camera w/ Serenar 50mm F3.5 From Japan
- Canon S II Serenar 50mm f/2 Rangefinder Camera S-II
- RARE [Near MINT] Canon S II Camera Serenar 5cm f/3.5 Lens MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN
- *CLA'd MINT* CANON S-II Rangefinder w/ Serenar 50mm f/3.5 MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN
- 1946 Canon SII Seiki Kogaku Tokyo w/ 50mm f1.8 Lens
- "Near Mint+++" Canon SII Seiki-Kogaku serenar 50mm f/3.5 35mm Film Camera JAPAN
- Seiki-Kogaku Canon S-II with 3.5/5cm Serenar ca.1946
- Canon S II Rangefinder No.18407 + Serenar 50mm f/3.5 Lens Made In Occupied Japan
- @ SakuraDo @ For Parts/ Repair @ Seiki-Kogaku Canon S II Film Rangefinder Camera
- RARE APP MINT] Canon SII S2 rangefinder from JAPAN #3725
- Canon S-II Chrome Body #17213
- Canon S II No.17410 Serenar 1:35 f=5cm Rangefinder Camera S-II 1947
- *Near Mint* Canon SII Rangefinder Film Camera w/ Serenar 50mm F3.5 From Japan
- RARE [Near MINT] Canon S II Camera Serenar 5cm f/3.5 Lens MADE IN OCCUPIED JAPAN
- Canon S-II w. 3.5/5cm Seiki-Kogaku Serenar Lens
- @ SakuraDo @ For Parts/ Repair @ Seiki-Kogaku Canon S II Film Rangefinder Camera
- *Fast neuwertig* Canon SII analoge Sucherkamera mit Serenar 50 mm F3,5 aus Japan
Show 3 more listings
Listings updated 2026-09-11. Links go to the shop or marketplace that carries the item.