The Konica AR System

■ Disclaimer

This site is the product of my interest in the Konica AR SLR System and in its manufacturer, Konishiroku. It is a vast subject and detailed sources are few in the West. Most authoritative sources are in Japanese and this makes using them difficult for someone like me who doesn't know that language. When possible, I have consulted individuals who were directly involved in the distribution of Konica equipment in the USA and in Europe in the 1970s and 1980s. But as this was nearly 50 years ago, many of them are no longer alive.

Given the above, I can’t make any claims or give guarantees of accuracy or exhaustiveness even if I have gone to great lengths to ensure that the information presented here is correct. At the same time, while I sought the advice of persons more knowledgeable than myself when confronted with obscure or controversial questions, the site's content reflects my own opinions and I alone am responsible for any mistakes or omissions. Please feel free to email me if you see any - I will be glad to correct them.

Konica advertising from the late 1960s. (K)

I am the author of most of the images (photos, graphs and illustrations) used on this site. Those that aren't mine fall into four groups:

1. Images reproduced with permission and attributed accordingly;
2. Images reproduced from Konica literature and promotional material (K);
3. Images downloaded from the Web for private use (W); and
4. Images reproduced from photo magazines published between 1960 and 1985 (M).

I believe my use of images belonging to categories 2, 3, or 4 falls under Fair Use guidelines for any or several of the following reasons:

a. This site is not maintained for profit and its purpose is to educate and inform;
b. The said images have been widely disseminated and publicly available for decades;
c. The use of such images here will not effect their potential market value and will not entail any financial loss for their owners;
d. The community of amateur photographers and persons interested in photography will benefit from the presence of the said images here.

I am aware that the distinction between Fair Use and copyright infringement can be vague and varies depending on case and jurisdiction. If the holders of copyright to any image on this site feel that the presence of this image here infringes on their rights, I will remove the image in question at once when asked to do so. I can be reached at

Links to other websites are here for information purposes only. The views such websites reflect are those of their authors. All brand names and trademarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

And lastly, if on a somewhat lighter note, I feel bound to reassure, or disappoint, as the case may be, the restless souls bent on seeking dark or covert motives in all quarters that I did not receive a penny for building this site from anyone, really. Other than a sentimental attachment for the Konica SLR system, I have no ties to its maker or to any other institution mentioned here and, sadly, no all-expenses-paid vacation at Club Med awaits me. I built this site to sing the praises, so to speak, of an increasingly forgotten SLR system that I like very much and doing so wasa fun project. It is meant solely as a service to the community of amateur photographers.

Except where noted, this site, its design, and all the images and other graphic elements it contains are the property of the owner. Permission is hereby granted for quoting and for the strictly non-profit use of the owner's images and/or graphic elements on the condition that a link to the page they came from is provided.

● KONICA ●