Canon II S

Canon II S

The Canon II S is a 35mm Leica screw-mount rangefinder camera introduced by Canon in 1954. It belongs to Canon’s early 1950s synchronized screw-mount camera line and can be understood as a lower-speed companion to the Canon IV-Sb.

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 S has a two-axis horizontal-travel focal-plane shutter with cloth curtains. It uses the older 1/25-based shutter-speed sequence, with slow speeds on the front dial and faster speeds on the top dial. The shutter runs from 1 second to 1/500 second, plus T, B and an X synchronization setting.

The II S is notable because it includes Canon’s full flash synchronization system of the period, with slow-speed sync, high-speed FP sync and X sync. This makes it more advanced than the Canon II F, which has FP sync only, and more specialized than the Canon II D, which has no internal flash synchronization.

The camera has Canon’s integrated rangefinder and rotatable viewfinder system with three magnification settings. It has no built-in exposure meter, no self-timer and no battery-dependent functions.

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History

Development and Launch

The Canon II S was marketed in February 1954 according to Japanese Leica Copies, which summarizes Peter Dechert production data and Canon historical information. It was produced during the same general period as the Canon IV-Sb, II F and other synchronized Series IV cameras.

The II S can be described simply as a Canon IV-Sb without the 1/1000-second top speed. It kept the slow-speed dial, X-sync marking and complete flash synchronization system, but used a 1/500-second top speed instead of the IV-Sb’s 1/1000-second top speed.

Position in the Canon Line

The Canon II S sits above the II F and II D, but below the IV-Sb. Compared with the II D, it adds flash synchronization. Compared with the II F, it adds X sync and low-speed sync. Compared with the IV-Sb, it loses only the 1/1000-second shutter speed.

This makes the II S a rare but important intermediate model in Canon’s early 1950s rangefinder development.

Flash Synchronization

The II S has one of Canon’s more complete flash-sync arrangements for this shutter generation. The slow-speed sync at 1/8 second and below was intended for M-class and other peak-type bulbs, as well as FP bulbs. High-speed sync at 1/25 second and above was for FP flash bulbs. X-sync is approximately 1/25 second.

This flash system is the key feature that separates the II S from the II F. The II F has FP synchronization only, while the II S has M/FP/X synchronization.

Shutter and Speed Sequence

The Canon II S uses the older shutter-speed layout with 1/25 second as the crossover speed. The front slow-speed dial includes T, 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, X and 1/25, while the main dial includes B, 1/25, 1/40, 1/60, 1/100, 1/200 and 1/500.

This is different from the later Canon II S2, which uses the newer 1/30-based shutter-speed progression and a different synchronization arrangement.

Serial Number Notes

Japanese Leica Copies gives the reported Peter Dechert production range as 108870 to 160150, with found examples around 10826x to 12678x. The same source notes that only about 1,850 were made.

The safest database wording is 108870 to 160150, reported Peter Dechert range, with found examples around 10826x to 12678x. Because Canon II F and II S bodies can look very similar, identification should not rely only on the serial number.

Model Marking Notes

Japanese Leica Copies notes that from between serial numbers around 10826x and 11327x onward, the model name was marked on the film loading diagram on the bottom of the shutter crate.

Earlier examples may not have the model name marked inside. In those cases, the slow-speed dial is especially important for identification. The II S has both the IV-Sb-style dial lock and the X sync marking that are missing from the II F.

Relationship to Canon II F

The Canon II S should be kept separate from the Canon II F. Both models have slow speeds and a 1/500-second top speed, but the II F has FP synchronization only. The II S has slow-speed sync, high-speed FP sync and X sync.

A practical identification point is the slow-speed dial. The II S has the X marking and dial lock, while the II F does not.

Relationship to Canon IV-Sb

The Canon II S is closely related to the Canon IV-Sb. The easiest way to understand it is as a lower-cost IV-Sb with no 1/1000-second top speed. It shares the older 1/25-based speed layout and the full M/FP/X synchronization concept.

The IV-Sb should remain separate because it has the 1/1000-second top speed and occupies Canon’s higher-positioned IV-series model line.

Relationship to Canon II S2

The Canon II S should also be kept separate from the Canon II S2. The II S2 is the later 1955 version with the revised 1/30-based shutter-speed sequence. It is also essentially a Canon IV-Sb2 without the 1/1000-second top speed.

A simple matching rule is: II S equals older 1/25-based sequence. II S2 equals later 1/30-based sequence.

Identification

The Canon II S is identified by its LTM screw mount, knob wind, bottom loading, front slow-speed dial, main shutter-speed dial to 1/500 second, side flash rail, X marking on the slow-speed dial, slow-speed dial lock, and Canon’s three-mode integrated finder.

Common listing names include Canon II S, Canon II-S, Canon IIS, Canon Model II-S, Canon II S LTM and Canon II S rangefinder. These should point to the same base model.

Collector Notes

The Canon II S is a rare Canon screw-mount body because production was low and because it sits between better-known models. It offers the complete Canon synchronization system of the IV-Sb but without the 1/1000-second speed.

Collectors should check the slow-speed dial, X marking, dial lock, side flash rail, rangefinder alignment, viewfinder clarity, shutter curtains, shutter-speed accuracy, film transport, bottom loading, internal model marking and whether the camera has been confused with a II F or II S2.

The Canon II S should be treated as a separate LTM film camera because its 1954 release, 1/500-second top speed, M/FP/X flash synchronization and older 1/25-based shutter layout distinguish it from the Canon II F, IV-Sb and later II S2.

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Sources

• [1] Japanese Leica Copies. Canon Rangefinder Cameras, Canon II-S. https://leica-copies-japan.com/Canon.html
• [2] Canon Camera Museum. IV Sb. https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film20.html
• [3] Canon Camera Museum. II F. https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film22.html
• [4] Canon Camera Museum. II S2. https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/film25.html