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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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