Canon III with Auto Up Attachment

Canon III with Canon Auto Up

     I scored a Canon III and a superb Canon 50/1.8 lens on  Ebay for just $90 and $60 respectively. Then, for just $25 I acquired a Canon Auto Up close up attachment. At $175 for the set I figured I'd gotten a bargain.

    The "III" designation refers to three types of the same Canon rangefinder camera that were manufactured between 1951-1953. Because it bears the serial number 86383 and has a red P on its top plate next to the word "Japan," this camera is probably the most recent third type (IIIC). It was most likely manufactured in 1953. If I'm mistaken, please let me know.

     One of the nice things about this camera is its three-position viewfinder switch. When you set the switch to "F," you'll see a 50mm view in the finder. At 1x, you'll see a a 100mm view, and at 1.5x the view is equal to 135mm.  The 1.5x setting helps with critical focusing. And it can be used when you have a 135mm lens mounted on the camera.

   Like its Leica cousin, the Canon III is a bottom loader, a fact that creates difficulties for some users. But I found plenty of information that helps to solve this problem by Googling "Canon III Film Trimming." Alternatively, Canon has provided a helpful graphic image on the inside of the camera's bottom cover.

    The Auto Up attachment is effective from 40"-22". After you attach the unit to the camera's lens, you can frame and focus on the object to be photographed as you usually do. But you do have to compensate for parallax if the object is closer than 39" from the film plane. To help you make adjustments, the unit shows a small arrow in the upper right-hand corner of its viewfinder. You'll find more specific instructions at https://www.pacificrimcamera.com/rl/01460/01460.pdf

Actual Image Size Is Six Inches

       With the Auto Up in place and the camera approximately 22" from the jar shown in this photo--the closest distance allowable--I captured the image at f8, 1/2 second on Kentmere Pan 100 film.
       After I developed the film, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that because I had used the 1.5x viewfinder, I didn't have to correct for parallax. The image was nicely centered in the frame.
       I printed the photograph full frame, only cropping enough from its sides to create a square. Then, using my ancient Canon LIDE 20 scanner, I scanned the print to my computer.
       Using the Canon Auto Up mounted on a vintage Canon rangefinder camera isn't for everyone, especially those who enjoy the ease and convenience of digital photography. But if you enjoy the challenge of stepping back in time to the days when  rangefinder cameras and film were still king, doing so might be right for you.

     Finally, note that there are three versions of the Auto Up (I, II, III), each of which is designed for a specific Canon LTM lens. These lenses are the 1.5/50; the 1.8/50; and the 1.9/50. I used the Canon 1.8/50 lens and the Canon Auto Up I (specific to the 1.8 lens) for this exercise.