Canon's early SLR — the Canonflex R2000, R mount, cloth shutter to 1/2000, manual, 1960.
The Canonflex R2000 arrived in 1960 as a development of the original Canonflex within Canon's first SLR family, still using the Canon R breech-lock mount. It is noted for carrying a faster top shutter speed than its siblings and sits among the early professional-oriented bodies that preceded the FL and FD systems.
This 35mm SLR used the Canon R breech-lock bayonet and a cloth focal-plane shutter whose top speed reached 1/2000, from which the R2000 name derives, alongside a bulb setting for long exposures. Exposure was fully manual with no built-in meter; metering relied on an accessory clip-on selenium unit. Like the original Canonflex it retained a mechanical, battery-independent design for firing the shutter.
The R2000 appeals to collectors and users who value the higher 1/2000 shutter for a body of this era. Its manual, meterless operation demands external metering knowledge or a handheld meter, and the all-metal build gives a solid, deliberate feel. It is a specialist camera rather than a casual everyday shooter.
Given its age and relative rarity, buyers should scrutinise the shutter carefully, especially the fastest 1/2000 speed, which is prone to inaccuracy and capping on old cloth shutters. Check for perished light-seal foam, prism desilvering or haze, and smooth film advance and rewind. Any accessory selenium meter may read inaccurately or be dead. R-mount lenses adapt readily to mirrorless cameras for ongoing use.