Reise Chiyotax IIF
The Reise Chiyotax IIF is a LTM-mount film rangefinder camera, introduced in 1954. Leica camera price index →
Reference maintained by Thomas Boots
General
- Mount
- LTM
- Release Year
- 1954
- Type
- Film
- Model Number
- IIF
- Serial Range
- Observed range 15530 to 15585, not a factory-confirmed allocation
Dimensions
Viewfinder & Shutter
- Framelines
- None, separate optical viewfinder and coupled rangefinder
- Shutter Speeds
- T, B and 1 s to 1/500 s
- Shutter Type
- Cloth
Features
- Hot Shoe
- No
- Tripod Socket
- Yes
- Self Timer
- No
- Flash Sync
- Unknown, single German-style synchronization contact
Chiyotax IIF
The Chiyotax IIF is a rare Japanese LTM rangefinder built by Reise Camera and sold through Chiyoda Shokai. It followed the Chiyoca IIF after a trademark conflict prompted adoption of the Chiyotax name, initially engraved as ChiyoTax with a capital T [1][2].
Its principal mechanical change is the addition of slow shutter speeds from one second, plus T, to the existing cloth focal-plane shutter reaching 1/500 second. The body retains separate viewing and coupled rangefinder windows and a 39 mm screw mount [2][3].
History
Development and Launch
The model was announced in December 1954 and advertised from early 1955. It was rapidly renamed Chiyotax IIIF because its slow-speed mechanism made the IIF designation inconsistent with Leica naming practice [2][3].
Production Evolution
Observed ChiyoTax IIF serials run from 15530 to 15585. The narrow range suggests roughly 100 cameras, but this is a collector estimate rather than a factory production record [2].
Special Variants
Capitalization such as ChiyoTax and changes to finder-window surrounds are normal production details. They remain under one Standard model profile.
Collector Notes
The short production interval makes correct identification important. Verify the IIF engraving, slow-speed dial, single synchronization contact and serial pattern. Later IIIF bodies and altered Soviet Leica copies are known sources of confusion [2].
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