Chinese Rangefinder?

[Doug T.]

Hi all !
I got this the other day, and while technically it's not a rangefinder, it does have settings for distance.
There's no DX coding contacts, but settings (on the lens) in DIN numbers up to 27.

I suspect it was made in the late 70's, or early 80's as a Chinon knock-off.
It's nothing special, but I've never seen one and I really like the way it looks. Can't wait to run some film through it

Doug

[nikkortorokkor]

Doug, interesting find. I hadn't heard of the GanGuang so I did a bit of digging.

It seems that they were first produced in '83. The JG suggests that it was a commemorative model.

Here is a complete translation of the camera's spec's etc.

It is an auto translation and I haven't cleaned it up, but most is relatively understandable.

Ganguang JG304C: Gansu Optical Instrument Industrial Company in July 1983 trial success!
Brand: Kam Kwong, Ganguang, (formerly known as PHENIX).
Type: JG304C
Type: use 135 film, containing pop-up flash jump stand, electric eye metering, electronic program shutter, next to the axis head-up viewing of the 35mm automatic exposure camera.
Frame size: 24mm × 36mm
Features: It can be photo objects according to the brightness automatically determines the aperture value and shutter time, to achieve the camera's automatic exposure.
Shutter: Using Seiko (SEIKO) ESF-D849 electronic program shutter speed of 1 / 4 sec (aperture F2.8) -1/450 (aperture F17).
Aperture adjustment range: f2.8-f17
Metering mode: camera next to the outside with a CDS photocell type metering body photosensitive resistor CdS CdS average metering done outside the machine.
Metering range: Spot linkage range EV5-17 (ISO100), EV8.4 (F2.8, 1 / 45 sec) The following are a low-light tremor warning.
Photographic adjustment range: front of the lens has a manual adjustment rings DIN15-27 (ISO25 - 400), and automatic exposure system linkage.
Viewfinder: reverse Galilean type with light-style head-light frame viewfinder, parallax correction marks and shot at close range shot from the yellow icon, and a focal length of the linkage indicators show that the red LED light show exposure conditions and flash charge are shown.
Film Mode: Wrench type, Strip prepared to handle angle 30 ° operating angle of 140 °.
Total number of devices: Shun add style count.
Self-timer mode: mechanical self-timer, the delay time is about 8-12 seconds.
Lens: Focal Length 38MM, relative aperture 1:2.8, four three, coated lens, field of view angle of 59 degrees, short focal length greater depth of field before the focus group.
Filter Size: M46 × 0.75
Focus Mode: object distance adjustment lens ring, which have distance scales, and 5 away from the flag map, the shortest distance photography 0.8M, visual distance, experience, focus assessment.
Flash: Built-in pop-up flash Li jump GN10, (ISO100 / m), flash effective range 0.8-3.6 m, the back cover the scope of the table with flash photography. Manganese dioxide battery charging time is about 10 seconds, after charging, shooting light starts flashing red LED lights inside the viewfinder also will flash. Do not have time to reset. The machine has FM Flash Linkage, low brightness flash, aperture, and photography from the linkage, high brightness flash, can be used as auxiliary flash, small aperture priority.
Body: body, top cover, bottom cover with ABS precision engineering plastics and advanced surface coating technology, full black body, smooth surface, compact design, the body size of medium (130mm × 84mm × 55mm), Weight 330g (without batteries).
Power supply: 2 batteries, 5, (machine on the scope of a larger battery, manganese dioxide batteries, alkaline batteries and nickel-cadmium batteries can be used) the minimum operating voltage 2V (when the supply voltage lower than 1.9V, the shutter auto-lock).
Accessories: packing box, manual, maintenance card, certificate, leather holster, straps, plastic lens cap.
=================================
Copy of a person being copied by:
"GanGuang JG304C" and "Minolta HI-MATIC SD"
In addition to working on the difference between raw materials and also the relative diameter
"Sweet Light" JG304C relative aperture 1:2.8
Minolta HI-MATIC SD relative aperture 1:2.7
Country: China / Japan

The last bit is intriguing and, sure enough:

Photo from www.collection-appareils.fr/minolta/images/minolta_himatic_SD.jpg

Given Minolta's investment in the Chinese camera industry, the GanGuang could well be a licenced copy made on old Minolta tooling rather than a counterfeit.

Phenix, BTW, is based in Jiangxi Province, in the south and a long way from Gansu Province, where the GanGuang appears to have come from.

The famous Phenix rangefinder was the 205, which started life as the Seagull 205.. I had one of the last ones made. A pretty camera, but fairly rough when compared to contemporary Japanese rangefinders.

here's a link back to the thread with a photo of my 205.
cameracollector.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=show&action=display&thread=4480

The Chinese info comes from a JG304c users group in China.
www.douban.com/group/JG304C/

[Doug T.]

Hi Michael!
Thank you sooo much for that bit of information, it totally blew me away !
That gives me a good start on doing some research. I've been interested in vintage Chinese photo equipment for quite a while now, ever since I had a Seagull TLR given to me as a gift a few years back.
It's very hard here in the States to get any information. No one seems to take them seriously.
I'm going to get right out and shoot some photos to post ;D
Again, many thanks!

Doug

[nikkortorokkor]

No problem Doug.

I was wondering about the name, and this is what I found from combing Chinese websites.

Here is a very handsome site from a Chinese camera fan:
www.cdd.cn/homepage02/article.asp?m_id=6687

In 1978 China was changing forever, and the Cultural Revolution was over. looking forward to a higer-tech future, someone within the CCP set a ball rolling to have ten 'JG' products developed to celebrate the upcoming 30 year anniversary of PR China.
Phenix produced the rather lovely JG301 which they reverse engineered off a Konica S3. Although overall similar to the Seagull/Phenix 205, The 301 was ra separate camera and had a belter of a lens - a revelation compared to most consumer fare in China at the time. It was a 38/f1.8 copied directly from the Konica, compared to the 205's more pedestrian 50/f2.8 (still quite a capable lens, but hardly an exciting one).



So, my guess is that GanGuang 304c was Gansu Optical Co's "JG project' camera. It should be of reasonable quality - cribbed or not, these were supposed to be Prestige products to get China going again after 12 years of constant upheaval.


I have a Minolta AF2 which, I guess, superseded the S and SD the SD was the data back version of the S). It is a capable little P&S, though it tends to vignette in exactly the situations I like to use it.

I look forward to seeing your results from the GangGuang.

Michael.

[photax]

An interesting story of a camera I`ve never seen before.

MIK