Now Pentax DSLRs are no more, we take a look back at the brand’s proud 110-year history

Asahi Kogaku Kisha Co., Ltd. was established in Tokyo in 1919, initially manufacturing lenses for spectacles and binoculars. In 1938, the company transformed into Asahi Optical Co. post World War II. The birth of Japan's first 35mm single lens reflex (SLR), named Asahiflex, commenced following the post-war era, and the first Pentax arrived after the company's name was once again altered to the Asahi Pentax Corporation.

The origins of the Pentax name are a matter of debate. Some believe it stemmed from combining PENTAprism and AsahifleX, while others speculate that Asahi acquired the name from VEB Zeiss Ikon in East Germany, who invented the term after incorporating a pentaprism into a Contax camera, creating PENTaprism plus ContAX. Regardless, Pentax introduced manual mechanical, electronic exposure, autofocus, and digital SLRs, initiated the first 35mm compact with a zoom lens, experimented with Advanced Photo System (APS), produced renowned medium format SLRs, and presented a distinguished SLR system for 110 film.

To commemorate the brand's extensive history, we will explore nine emblematic Pentax cameras, each representing a distinct phase in the brand's evolution.

In 1954, the Asahiflex IIB emerged, being the first Japanese SLR to incorporate an instant return mirror. Four models of the Asahiflex were released, beginning in 1952 with an unmistakable similarity to Leica II cameras featuring a reflex viewfinder. The 37mm screw lens mount was an unusual design that measured 2mm shorter than Leica's standardized 39mm mount and appeared before the 42mm mount that Pentax later became famous for.

The camera presented here features a 50mm f/3.5 Takumar lens, among other options such as a 58mm f/2.4, 83mm f/1.9, 100mm f/3.5, 135mm f/3.5, and 500mm f/5 lenses. The shutter speed ranges from 1/25 to 1/500 seconds, with the inclusion of slower speeds down to 1/2 seconds in the Asahiflex IIA, launched the following year. The viewfinder is positioned at waist-level, while another optical viewfinder sits beside the reflex hood.

Examining the top plate of the Asahiflex from above, it bears resemblance to a Leica with a reflex viewfinder attached.

The Asahiflex IIB is considered the most significant due to its introduction of the instant return mirror, a feature that had previously only been seen in the Duflex, a Hungarian-made camera produced in 1948. However, the claim of being the first 35mm SLR with an instant return mirror belongs to the Duflex.