Konica's Autofocus Pioneer: A 50-Year Legacy

Konica Shipped It First and Japan Still Marks the Date

In 1977, Konishiroku Photo Industry released the first mass-produced camera that focused itself, the Konica C35 AF. This innovation was built on technology developed by Honeywell, a Minneapolis-based company known for thermostats, industrial controls, and defense electronics.

The autofocus module, called Visitronic, was passive and emitted no light. Instead, it compared two views of the scene through small windows on either side of the nameplate, sliding one against the other to align patterns and calculate distance. This approach worked outside the camera's optical path, unaffected by filters or framing issues.

Konica sold roughly a million units in two years, making November 30 a special date in Japanese photographic culture. The success of the C35 AF paved the way for future autofocus innovations, but it also highlights the complexities and limitations of early autofocus technology.