Zuiho Honor S1

The Honor S1 (or Honor 35) is a Japanese Leica III copy, made from 1956 to 1959 by Zuiho Kōgaku. It seems that it was first developed by Daiichi Kōgaku as the Ichicon-35 though no original document has yet been found to confirm this.

The Honor S1 is a line of exceptionally well built cameras that rank among the best “Japanese Leicas” (along with likes of the Leotax, Nicca or Melcon). It features most of its model features including a coupled rangefinder but adds a removable back similar to the one used on the Nikon and Contax cameras. This innovation makes the camera easier and faster to load than the original Leica III. Later versions offered 1/1000 shutter speeds.

Less than 1000 copies of the Honor S1 were ever produced making it a very sought after collectible. Some unique experimental models rank among the rarest Japanese cameras.