The Canon 7 camera - history

CANON 7, 7s and 7sZ - The rangefinder camera with the world's fastest maximum aperture 50mm f/0.95 standard lens was originally launched in 1961 and sold with a fairly modest f2 standard lens. An f/1.4 50mm Canon lens was optional as was the f/1.2 lens of the same length. The 'Dream' f/0.95 lens was bayonet mounted on the camera's dual flange lens mount.
Leitz continued to launch innovative camera models, introducing a lens coupled rangefinder camera for measuring object to film distance as well as mounting interchangeable screw thread lenses, the most famous of which throughout the decades prior to WWII was the 5cm Elmar f/3.5, still made in collapsible form as the 50mm f/2.8 Elmar-M. These small format compact film cameras were beautifully made, expensive and appealed to a wide variety of photographers, especially professionals who forged ahead with new and intimate ways of reporting world events.
The Canon 7 was designed by a team headed by Masamichi Kakunodate and was available between 1961 and 1964. It featured a built-in selenium exposure meter and a single shutter speed setting dial on the top plate with lever wind shutter arming and film advance. The hinged back opened to reveal a lightweight metal curtained focal plane shutter and conventional film loading chamber.

The 7 was the first of Canon's many rangefinder cameras to use projected bright line frames in the viewfinder. These could be changed depending on the focal length of the lens selected with a dial mounted on the top-plate. The Canon 50mm f/0.95 was a favourite of photojournalists of the era, many of whom purchased the lens and had it converted to mount on a Leica-M3 or M2.
The Canon 7 was finished in eye catching black enamel paint or silver chrome while the two later models were available only in silver. The 50mm f/1.4 lens was one of the sharpest of its type at the time. The camera was supported by a wide range of accessory lenses and a mirror box enabling longer focal length telephoto lenses to be used.
The Canon 7s was launched in 1964 and lasted for three years until the 7sZ came on the market. Both these models were fitted with a rangefinder adjustment port and a Cds meter replaced the selenium version of the first model. All Canon 7 models are robust, heavy weight 35mm film cameras.