Mejiro Kogaku Honor S1
The Mejiro Kogaku Honor S1 is a LTM-mount film rangefinder camera, introduced in 1956. Leica camera price index →
Reference maintained by Thomas Boots
General
- Mount
- LTM
- Release Year
- 1956
- Type
- Film
- Model Number
- S1
- Serial Range
- Observed non-contiguous ranges 6000 to 64xx and 700001 to approximately 709xx, with Type III bodies interspersed
Dimensions
Viewfinder & Shutter
- Framelines
- None, separate optical viewfinder and coupled rangefinder
- Shutter Speeds
- T, B and 1 s to 1/500 s, with a few Type III bodies marked to 1/1000 s
- Shutter Type
- Cloth
Features
- Hot Shoe
- No
- Tripod Socket
- Yes
- Self Timer
- No
- Flash Sync
- Unknown, twin PC-style synchronization sockets
Honor S1
The Honor S1 is a Japanese LTM rangefinder introduced in 1956. Period literature identifies Mejiro Kogaku as the maker during the model's early production, while the camera and later material use Honor and Zuiho names.
Its layout follows the Leica III pattern with separate viewfinder and rangefinder eyepieces, knob wind and a cloth focal-plane shutter. A removable back, twin front synchronization sockets and forward-mounted strap lugs are distinguishing Honor features.
History
Development and Launch
The Honor line developed from the Ichicon-35 design acquired by Mejiro Optical from Dai-ichi Optical in 1954. The S1 reached the market in 1956, when leading Japanese makers were already moving toward combined finders and lever advance.
Production Evolution
Type I bodies occupy the observed 6000 to 64xx range. Type II appeared in 1957 with the tripod socket moved beneath the wind knob and serials from 700001 to approximately 709xx. A few Type III bodies marked to 1/1000 second are mixed into the Type II sequence.
Special Variants
Types I, II and III are production variants under one Standard model profile. Honor Opt. and Zuiho Opt. engravings, shutter-dial progressions and Hexar, Hexanon or Honor lens packages do not constitute special editions.
Collector Notes
Check the top-plate maker engraving, tripod-socket position, shutter scale and body serial together. The uncommon 1/1000 marking should not be treated as proof of a separate model, and its original operating reliability is questioned in collector literature.
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