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disconnekt · 03-29-2018, 06:05 PM

Been looking at K-mount film cameras, and stumbled upon the Chinon CE-4.
Has anyone here on the forums ever use the camera before? Found a few online for sell for very decent prices (roughly $30 bucks with shipping) and been thinking on getting one to enter the k-mount realm.
And does anybody know who/what places may be able to do a good CLA on the camera if it needs it?

heinamj · 03-29-2018, 07:23 PM

I had a Chinon CG-5 back in the mid 80's, I thought it took slightly better images than my K1000, but the Pentax was a tank (I still have it in fully working condition) and the Chinon had a few things break until finally I tossed it a few years ago when I couldn't get it to work at all. If you find one in working condition for not much money it might be worth playing with, I did enjoy using it the first decade I had it.

**Skodadriver** · 03-30-2018, 01:05 AM

Chinon cameras seem pretty good value compared to the Pentax me super, the 2supers I have both have mirror lock, the 11 Chinons I have, most of them work. A plus point is the Chinon 50mm lenses, they seem better than the Cosina K mounts I have and compare to Pentax-M for sharpness. Ricoh also do nice, sharp 50mm lenses.
At the sort of prices these old K mount alternatives to Pentax can be, they are very usable and often very very cheap!

gordonbriggs · 03-30-2018, 03:40 AM

I have the up-gunned Chinon CE4s version with the f1.8 lens which i bought new all those years ago and it still works. it was and remains a good camera very under-rated. I have used the lens on a K3 II.

**Skodadriver** · 03-30-2018, 04:32 AM

Originally posted by gordonbriggs

I have the up-gunned Chinon CE4s version with the f1.8 lens which i bought new all those years ago and it still works. it was and remains a good camera very under-rated. I have used the lens on a K3 II.

Chinon made a 50mm F1.8?
Though I admit the 1.9 number on my lenses does look like 1.8 without looking closely.

disconnekt · 03-30-2018, 06:19 AM

Actually, I happened to win a bid on a Kalimar K-90 TTL 1000 (which apperantly was made by Cosina) & Kalimar 50mm f1.7 on shopgoodwill for $6 bucks ($17 & change w/ shipping) which happens to be a k-mount camera (manual here if anyone wants to see the info on it: Kalimar K-90 instruction manual, user manual, free PDF manual, camera manual).

**Skodadriver** · 03-30-2018, 06:51 AM

Originally posted by disconnekt

Actually, I happened to win a bid on a Kalimar K-90 TTL 1000 (which apperantly was made by Cosina) & Kalimar 50mm f1.7 on shopgoodwill for $6 bucks ($17 & change w/ shipping) which happens to be a k-mount camera (manual here if anyone wants to see the info on it: Kalimar K-90 instruction manual, user manual, free PDF manual, camera manual).

Looking on the net it appears that the Kalimar K-90 may also have been made with the Contax/Yashica mount!
Enjoy your purchase.

Looking further, it was also made with a Minolta (MD/MC?) mount.

Last edited by Skodadriver; 03-30-2018 at 07:27 AM. Reason: Added info.

disconnekt · 03-30-2018, 11:33 AM

Originally posted by Skodadriver

Looking on the net it appears that the Kalimar K-90 may also have been made with the Contax/Yashica mount!
Enjoy your purchase.

Looking further, it was also made with a Minolta (MD/MC?) mount.

Yeah, from what I found most of their SLR cameras are either rebadged Minolta (MD mount) cameras, rebadged Zenit (M42 mount) cameras, or rebadged TLR cameras. I havent found anything about a K-90 in another mount though.

**Skodadriver** · 03-30-2018, 11:41 AM

Originally posted by disconnekt

Yeah, from what I found most of their SLR cameras are either rebadged Minolta (MD mount) cameras, rebadged Zenit (M42 mount) cameras, or rebadged TLR cameras. I havent found anything about a K-90 in another mount though.

There are a couple of threads about the Kalimar, hopefully I have provided a link for you of one of them.

Kalimar K-90 | Photo.net Photography Forums

disconnekt · 03-30-2018, 04:42 PM

Im pretty sure it a kmount camera (since the name on the camera matches the name on the manual), when I get it (in about a week or so) I'll post some photos of the mount of the lens to see if someone here can confirm if it's a Kmount or a MD mount

gordonbriggs · 03-31-2018, 01:20 AM

Originally posted by Skodadriver

Chinon made a 50mm F1.8?
Though I admit the 1.9 number on my lenses does look like 1.8 without looking closely.

Correct it’s the F1.7 50mm sorry for the confusion.

disconnekt · 04-11-2018, 03:53 PM

Here's a photo of the camera with the lens off (hopefully the photo came out good).
If anybody can confirm if it's a K-mount or if its another mount, let me know (thanks in advanced)

**Skodadriver** · 04-11-2018, 11:10 PM

Looks like a K mount to me.

disconnekt · 04-12-2018, 10:13 PM

Was looking at some of the various Vivitar camera's & the Kamilar I have shares the same specs as the Vivitar V2000 but with a different body design & higher iso, and the all black version of the K-90 looks more in line with the V3000 & slightly lower iso

03-29-2018, 06:05 PM	#1
disconnekt Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: SoCal/I.E. Photos: Albums Posts: 1,702	Anyone use Chinon CE-4? Been looking at K-mount film cameras, and stumbled upon the Chinon CE-4. Has anyone here on the forums ever use the camera before? Found a few online for sell for very decent prices (roughly $30 bucks with shipping) and been thinking on getting one to enter the k-mount realm. And does anybody know who/what places may be able to do a good CLA on the camera if it needs it?

03-30-2018, 03:40 AM	#4
gordonbriggs New Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: England, Surrey Posts: 6	Chinon CE4s I have the up-gunned Chinon CE4s version with the f1.8 lens which i bought new all those years ago and it still works. it was and remains a good camera very under-rated. I have used the lens on a K3 II.

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03-29-2018, 07:23 PM	#2
heinamj Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Photos: Gallery Posts: 366	I had a Chinon CG-5 back in the mid 80's, I thought it took slightly better images than my K1000, but the Pentax was a tank (I still have it in fully working condition) and the Chinon had a few things break until finally I tossed it a few years ago when I couldn't get it to work at all. If you find one in working condition for not much money it might be worth playing with, I did enjoy using it the first decade I had it.

03-30-2018, 01:05 AM	#3
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892	Chinon cameras seem pretty good value compared to the Pentax me super, the 2supers I have both have mirror lock, the 11 Chinons I have, most of them work. A plus point is the Chinon 50mm lenses, they seem better than the Cosina K mounts I have and compare to Pentax-M for sharpness. Ricoh also do nice, sharp 50mm lenses. At the sort of prices these old K mount alternatives to Pentax can be, they are very usable and often very very cheap!

03-30-2018, 04:32 AM	#5
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892	Originally posted by gordonbriggs I have the up-gunned Chinon CE4s version with the f1.8 lens which i bought new all those years ago and it still works. it was and remains a good camera very under-rated. I have used the lens on a K3 II. Chinon made a 50mm F1.8? Though I admit the 1.9 number on my lenses does look like 1.8 without looking closely.

03-30-2018, 06:19 AM	#6
disconnekt Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: SoCal/I.E. Photos: Albums Posts: 1,702 Original Poster	Actually, I happened to win a bid on a Kalimar K-90 TTL 1000 (which apperantly was made by Cosina) & Kalimar 50mm f1.7 on shopgoodwill for $6 bucks ($17 & change w/ shipping) which happens to be a k-mount camera (manual here if anyone wants to see the info on it: Kalimar K-90 instruction manual, user manual, free PDF manual, camera manual).

03-30-2018, 06:51 AM	#7
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892	Originally posted by disconnekt Actually, I happened to win a bid on a Kalimar K-90 TTL 1000 (which apperantly was made by Cosina) & Kalimar 50mm f1.7 on shopgoodwill for $6 bucks ($17 & change w/ shipping) which happens to be a k-mount camera (manual here if anyone wants to see the info on it: Kalimar K-90 instruction manual, user manual, free PDF manual, camera manual). Looking on the net it appears that the Kalimar K-90 may also have been made with the Contax/Yashica mount! Enjoy your purchase. Looking further, it was also made with a Minolta (MD/MC?) mount. Last edited by Skodadriver; 03-30-2018 at 07:27 AM. Reason: Added info.

03-30-2018, 11:33 AM	#8
disconnekt Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: SoCal/I.E. Photos: Albums Posts: 1,702 Original Poster	Originally posted by Skodadriver Looking on the net it appears that the Kalimar K-90 may also have been made with the Contax/Yashica mount! Enjoy your purchase. Looking further, it was also made with a Minolta (MD/MC?) mount. Yeah, from what I found most of their SLR cameras are either rebadged Minolta (MD mount) cameras, rebadged Zenit (M42 mount) cameras, or rebadged TLR cameras. I havent found anything about a K-90 in another mount though.

03-30-2018, 11:41 AM	#9
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892	Originally posted by disconnekt Yeah, from what I found most of their SLR cameras are either rebadged Minolta (MD mount) cameras, rebadged Zenit (M42 mount) cameras, or rebadged TLR cameras. I havent found anything about a K-90 in another mount though. There are a couple of threads about the Kalimar, hopefully I have provided a link for you of one of them. Kalimar K-90 \| Photo.net Photography Forums

03-30-2018, 04:42 PM	#10
disconnekt Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: SoCal/I.E. Photos: Albums Posts: 1,702 Original Poster	Im pretty sure it a kmount camera (since the name on the camera matches the name on the manual), when I get it (in about a week or so) I'll post some photos of the mount of the lens to see if someone here can confirm if it's a Kmount or a MD mount

03-31-2018, 01:20 AM	#11
gordonbriggs New Member Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: England, Surrey Posts: 6	Originally posted by Skodadriver Chinon made a 50mm F1.8? Though I admit the 1.9 number on my lenses does look like 1.8 without looking closely. Correct it’s the F1.7 50mm sorry for the confusion.

04-11-2018, 11:10 PM	#13
Skodadriver Site Supporter Join Date: May 2015 Location: Hampshire Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 892	Looks like a K mount to me.

04-12-2018, 10:13 PM	#14
disconnekt Pentaxian Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: SoCal/I.E. Photos: Albums Posts: 1,702 Original Poster	Was looking at some of the various Vivitar camera's & the Kamilar I have shares the same specs as the Vivitar V2000 but with a different body design & higher iso, and the all black version of the K-90 looks more in line with the V3000 & slightly lower iso

Anyone use Chinon CE-4?

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