Canon IIB and IIC
Canon · LTM mount · 24×36mm on 35mm film · 1949
Also known as: Canon IIB · Canon II B · Canon IIC · Canon II C · Canon 2B · Canon SIIb · Canon S-IIb
Variants & identification
| Variant | Mount | Years | Serial ranges | Production |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IIB | LTM | 1949–1951 | — | No figure published |
| IIC | LTM | 1950–1951 | — | No figure published |
How to tell them apart
- The three-position finder lever on the top plate — the tell for every Canon from here to the VI
- Knob wind, bottom loading, 1/500 top speed: the III of 1951 brought 1/1000
IIB:
- Marketed April 1949, 60,000 yen (w/Serenar 50mm f/1.9) · 630 g · 135.5 × 71.5 × 30.2 mm
- Three-position finder, 0.67× to 1.5×; universal Leica thread; no slow-dial clicks; 1/20–1/500
- Later production on a die-cast body (museum)
IIC:
- Marketed July 1950 · 720 g · 136 × 72.2 × 30.5 mm
- T setting, click-stopped slow dial, dials split at 1/25, larger release guard; 720 g
- IIB: First named S-IIb; the designation changed to IIB soon after launch (museum).
Specifications
- Format
- 24×36mm on 35mm film
- Finder
- Combined coincidence rangefinder and reversed-Galilean viewfinder with a rotating three-position magnifier — 0.67× to 1.5× on the IIB
- Shutter
- Horizontal cloth focal-plane, two dials · 1–1/8 and 1/20–1/500 (IIB); T, 1–1/8 and 1/25–1/500 (IIC)
- Film advance
- Knob
- Back
- Removable baseplate, bottom loading
- Meter
- None
- Weight
- 630 g
- Dimensions
- 135.5 × 71.5 × 30.2 mm
- Country
- Japan
- Original price
- 60,000 yen (w/Serenar 50mm f/1.9) (April 1949, Canon Camera Museum; no price index for that year, so not restated in today's money)
What reviewers say
No reviews aggregated yet — this family is still in the research queue. Written one? We'd love to index it.
History
The camera that gave Canon its signature: a viewfinder with a rotating optical block that switches between three magnifications — one for the 50mm view, one at life size for 100mm lenses, one at 1.5× for critical focusing — so that a longer lens could be composed and focused without an accessory finder. Marketed in April 1949 at ¥60,000 with the new Serenar 50mm f/1.9, on the universal Leica thread, and later on a die-cast body. Mike Eckman notes it was a genuine advantage over anything Leitz then offered.
The IIC of July 1950 added a T setting, click stops on the slow dial, a split of the dials at 1/25 and a larger release guard, all carried forward. It is also the camera on which the young Itō Hiroshi, newly hired, corrected the f/1.9’s coma — the museum tells the story — and so began the lens line. No production figure reaches this page for either.
This history is AI-written, from the sources listed at the foot of the page. Where the record is silent it says so rather than filling the gap — but no human wrote these sentences.
Live listings
Asking price, USD: a median of $330 across 7 fixed-price listings on 2026-10-19 (middle half $300–$400). Tracked since 2026-09-09, 9 days: up 2% from $320.
By day
| Date | Median | Middle half | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-19 | $330 | $300–$400 | 7 |
| 2026-10-18 | $330 | $300–$400 | 7 |
| 2026-10-17 | $330 | $300–$400 | 7 |
| 2026-10-16 | $330 | $300–$400 | 7 |
| 2026-10-15 | $330 | $300–$400 | 7 |
| 2026-09-21 | $320 | $250–$450 | 10 |
| 2026-09-18 | $320 | $250–$450 | 10 |
| 2026-09-11 | $320 | $170–$560 | 12 |
| 2026-09-09 | $320 | $170–$560 | 12 |
Asking prices from the listings scanned, not sales; junk-flagged rows and auction lots excluded; other currencies are not converted.
- Vintage Canon II B Rangefinder Camera Serenar 50mm f/1.9 Lens LTM Japan
- Canon II-B 35mm Film Rangefinder Camera Body OCCUPIED JAPAN
- Rare Canon IIb Rangefinder Camera with Replaced Curtains Excellent Condition
- Super Rare Canon IIc Rangefinder 35mm Film Camera From JAPAN
- RARE CPO MIOJ Canon IIB 35mm Film rangefinder camera 50mm 1.9 lens Serenar Japan
- Canon IIb ,made in occupied japan, w. Canon Serenar 1.9/50mm
- Canon IIc Rangefinder BLACK Baked-On Painted [ Top Mint / CLAd ] JAPAN C877
- Canon IIB Rangefinder with 5cm F3.5 Serenar Lens – Black Body with Blue cover
- Canon IIB Rangefinder Camera with Canon Serenar 50mm f/1.9 lens
- Canon IIb - Repaint — SN 97184
- Canon IIC Rangefinder Camera -Rare Camera, Good Serial- [EXC-]
Listings updated 2026-10-19. Links go to the shop or marketplace that carries the item.