Beschrijving

In the mid-70s, there was a strong trend towards smaller and lighter
SLR cameras. Konica could not stand aside and introduced the Autoreflex
TC in the spring of 1976. In Japan sold as ACOM-1, it is a completely
new developed camera that is a lot smaller and lighter than all
previously built SLRs from Konica – the F and the Autoreflex series. The
body of the Autoreflex TC / ACOM-1 used many plastic parts for weight
and cost savings, but the frame is still made of metal. The top cover
with the prism housing and on later models the bottom plate also are
completely cast from black plastic. This was quite daring at this time,
but did not damage the success of the Autoreflex TC / ACOM-1. The
plastic used is very resistant and looks well even after long usage.
With the leatherette used on the Autoreflex TC / ACOM-1, Konica was less
lucky. It tends to shrink strongly, which looks quite ugly on some
cameras. Anyway, this is only a cosmetical fault and has no influence on
proper function. The same leatherette was used later on the Autoreflex T4 as well.

The Autoreflex TC / ACOM-1 was available only in black.

There are several versions of the Autoreflex TC / ACOM-1: The early
models have the old upper-case only Konica logo on the prism housing.
Later models have the newer Konica logo with mixed upper- and lower-case
letters. Apart from that, there were some more, less obvious changes
over time:

The first change seems to have been the back snatch lock. While the
upper-case logo was still in use, it changed from a metal part with
leatherette inlay to a plastic part.

The next change seem to have been film guides inside the camera
body, also while the old, upper-case logo was still in use. There are
upper case logo Autoreflex TC / Acom-1 with both older and newer types
of film guides.

The third change seem to have been the switch-over from old upper case logo to newer lower case logo on top cover.

Last change was the new bottom plate. So far a metal plate with a
punched serial no. on camera bottom, it now became a plastic part with
the serial no. moved to the back side of the camera and filled with
white ink. There are Autoreflex TC / Acom-1 with lower case logo with
both metal bottom plates and plastic bottom plates.

In Japan – and only there – Konica offered the Acom-1 in a special
version with some sort of data back. These cameras have a hexagonal logo
with a »D« on the front side, above the self timer lever. As far as I
know, they are all from the last series with lower case logo and plastic
bottom plate. In other countries, this version of the Autoreflex TC
with special back was not sold.