Canon II D

Canon II D

The Canon II D is a 35mm Leica screw-mount rangefinder camera introduced by Canon in 1952. It belongs to Canon’s postwar screw-mount rangefinder line and can be understood as a Canon II A with added slow shutter speeds down to 1 second.

The camera uses a universal threaded mount, compatible with Leica Thread Mount lenses, also known as LTM or M39. It accepts Canon screw-mount rangefinder lenses and other compatible 39mm screw-mount lenses.

The Canon II D has a two-axis horizontal-travel focal-plane shutter with cloth curtains. The slow-speed dial provides T, 1 second, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and 1/25 second, while the main shutter-speed dial provides B, 1/25, 1/40, 1/60, 1/100, 1/200 and 1/500 second.

The camera has a combined rangefinder and viewfinder system with a rotatable finder offering three viewing magnification settings. This Canon finder design was one of the practical advantages of Canon’s early 1950s rangefinders compared with many simpler Leica-copy bodies.

Unlike the later Canon II S and IV-Sb family, the Canon II D has no flash synchronization. It also has no self-timer, no built-in exposure meter and no battery-dependent functions.

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History

Development and Launch

The Canon II D was marketed in October 1952. Canon described it as a II A with slow shutter speeds down to 1 second. It was offered as a relatively high-end model at a more economical price, with standard kit options including Serenar 50mm lenses.

The II D continued Canon’s move toward fully practical Leica-compatible screw-mount cameras. By this period, Canon had adopted the universal threaded mount standard, making these cameras compatible with Leica Thread Mount lenses rather than Canon’s earlier non-standard threaded variants.

Position in the Canon Line

The Canon II D sits between the simpler Canon II A and the flash-synchronized Canon II S / II F family. Compared with the II A, the II D adds the front slow-speed dial. Compared with the II F, it lacks FP flash synchronization. Compared with the II S, it lacks M/FP/X synchronization.

This makes the Canon II D a classic slow-speed Canon LTM body, but not a flash-synchronized model.

Slow-Speed Shutter Layout

The main reason to separate the Canon II D from the Canon II A is the slow-speed mechanism. The front slow-speed dial allows exposure times down to 1 second, plus T for time exposure. This made the II D much more useful for low-light work, tripod photography and deliberate long exposures.

The slow-speed dial uses the earlier speed sequence with 1/25 second as the crossover speed. Later Canon II D2 and II S2 models changed to the newer geometric sequence based around 1/30 second.

Serial Number Notes

Japanese Leica Copies gives the reported Peter Dechert production range as 64020 to 160150, with found examples around 7624x to 15954x.

The safest database wording is 64020 to 160150, reported Peter Dechert range, with found examples around 7624x to 15954x. Canon II D cameras overlap in period and body style with several nearby Canon models, so identification should use the shutter-speed layout, flash-sync absence, serial number and model engraving together.

Model Engraving Notes

Japanese Leica Copies notes that early Canon II D examples may not have the model name inside the camera, while later examples are marked MODEL II-D. This is useful for identification, but the lack of an internal model marking does not automatically exclude a camera from being a II D.

A seller listing may use Canon IID, Canon II-D, Canon II D or Model II-D. These should all point to the same base model.

Relationship to Canon II D1

The Canon II D should be kept separate from the Canon II D1. The II D1 is a closely related version with a film speed reminder on the film advance knob. Canon’s official museum lists it separately as II D’, while collector references often use II-D1.

For clean database structure, the Canon II D should represent the standard no-film-speed-indicator version. The II D1 or II D’ can be treated as a separate model or variant depending on how detailed the camera database needs to be.

Relationship to Canon II D2

The Canon II D should also be kept separate from the Canon II D2. The II D2 is the later improved version with the newer shutter-speed sequence, slow-speed dial lock and no flash synchronization. It is closer to a Canon II S2 without flash sync and side rail.

A simple matching rule is: Canon II D has the older 1/25-based shutter sequence. Canon II D2 has the later 1/30-based shutter sequence.

Relationship to Canon II S

The Canon II S is related but adds M/FP/X flash synchronization. The Canon II D has no flash sync. This means a Canon body with the same basic slow-speed shutter layout but with flash sync fittings should not automatically be matched as II D.

Identification

The Canon II D is identified by its LTM screw mount, knob wind, bottom loading, slow-speed dial on the front, main shutter-speed dial to 1/500 second, absence of flash synchronization, absence of self-timer and Canon’s integrated rotating finder/rangefinder system.

Common listing names include Canon II D, Canon II-D, Canon IID, Canon Model II-D, Canon II D LTM and Canon II D rangefinder.

Collector Notes

The Canon II D is a useful collector and user camera because it combines early 1950s Canon build quality, Leica-compatible screw mount, slow speeds down to 1 second and the practical Canon three-mode finder. It is less advanced than the flash-synchronized II S or IV-Sb, but it remains historically important within Canon’s early LTM lineup.

Collectors should check shutter curtain condition, slow-speed accuracy, rangefinder alignment, finder clarity, film transport, bottom-loading spool, internal model marking, lens mount condition and whether the camera has been confused with a II D1, II D2, II F or II S.

The Canon II D should be treated as a separate LTM film camera because its slow-speed shutter, no-flash-sync layout, 1952 release and II D-specific serial treatment distinguish it from the Canon II A, II D1, II D2 and II S.

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Sources

• [1] Canon Camera Museum. II D. https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film17.html
• [2] Japanese Leica Copies. Canon Rangefinder Cameras, Canon II-D. https://leica-copies-japan.com/Canon.html
• [3] Camera Manuals. Canon II, D, IV, S2 Manual. https://www.cameramanuals.org/canon_pdf/canon_ii_d_iv_s2.pdf
• [4] Canon Camera Museum. II D’. https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film18.html
• [5] Canon Camera Museum. II F. https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film22.html