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Chinon CP-9AF Multi-program No.1 (4477)
1986 to 1990. Motorized, auto focus, 3 program modes. Also uses Pentax AF lenses, and perhaps Ricoh. DX or manual film speed, 4 x AA batts or 2CR5, vertical metal shutter to 1/2000th. Comes with a Chinon 28-70mm F3.5-4.5 AF macro lens. Auction pics show some corrosion on battery terminals. Built-in interval timer for time lapse photos up to 90 minutes apart. Bracketing. Auto-focus assist light. Focus lock (hold half shutter button). Self-timer up to 90 minutes. 3 program modes: (general) Program, Action and Creative (to control depth of field). 3 focus modes: Auto, Catch-in (subject moves into focus, shutter fires), and manual. Auto-loading to first exposure. Continuous shooting at 2.5 frames a second. Continuous focusing for fast action. Multiple exposures. Manual rewind button on the bottom. Camera does not detect end of film and start rewind itself. And it's got a threaded cable shutter release (on the side of the lens mount) so you don't have to buy an expensive electronic release. EV compensation. You can set bulb mode exposures up to 90 minutes. Allows infrared photography. Other cameras don't allow this anymore, because they use infrared to control film movement. To reset the CPU you set main switch to L(ock) then remove the batteries and reinstall. The dedicated flashes are AF-S120 and AF-S280 TTL (for the better one). All this in 1986, a year after Minolta released the game-changing . Minolta Maxxum 7000. I'll probably never use all those advanced features, but I'm surprised that Chinon was building an amazing camera like this.8-16-23: Arrived OK. Cleaned the battery terminals and the lens mount. Stuck a 2CR5 battery in, and it works.
8-18-23: Started shooting. Using a Vivitar 2000 thyristor flash I had to use manual mode: 60th at 5.6, and manual focus for a very dark room. Found the focus aid didn't lock focus, perhaps because the subject was too close. It disregards focus status when in manual focusing mode. The white board shot in more light was able to auto-focus OK. I was going to replace the light seals before shooting, but it only has a hinge seal, and it's fine. Would like to get the dedicated TTL flash unit, much easier than dealing with manual mode. Mounted some Pentax AF K-mount lenses, camera works in Program mode, manual focus, focus tool works. Mounted a Ricoh AF P-type lens, camera switches to Aperture priority mode, manual focus, with the focus tool working. So I don't need to collect the remaining Chinon AF lenses.
10-15-23: Ended up buying another Chinon CP-9AF to get the AF-S120 dedicated flash and Chinon 70-210mm AF lens.
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Welcome to fire season. These taken 8-19-23, on Arista EDU 100 ASA, in program mode.
8-15-24: First rotational shoot, with Kentmere 100 ASA film developed in Caffenol-C (freeze dried coffee). All these images were adjusted for contrast. The last one has a strange effect on the top, like a motion blur. The white lines are power lines on the next street.
2-20-26: Rotational shoot, using Kentmere 400 ASA film developed in Caffenol-C for 16 minutes. All shots taken in program mode, with auto focus.
