Canon JS

1941 - 1945

Production: 50 units
Serial numbers: 1900 - 2130

Camera with slow shutter speeds from 1 sec. to 1/20 sec. but no rangefinder. Geared for close-ups, photomicrography, astrophotography and other special applications which required slow shutter speed speeds.

According to Canon records, only 50 were made. Other details and the original price are unknown. Around 1939, Seiki-Kogaku was starting to make its own lenses. It made a prototype, Tessar-type 50mm f/4.5 lens (4 elements in 3 groups) and Sonnar-type 135mm f/4 lens (4 elements in 3 groups) without a rangefinder coupling. “Serenar” was chosen from among in-company suggestions for the name of the lenses. The name is probably based on the name of a sea on the moon.