Konica's Autoreflex T4 — shutter-priority AE SLR, AR mount, mechanical shutter, 1978.
The Konica Autoreflex T4 is a 35mm film SLR made by Konica and released in 1978 as a later member of the AR-mount Autoreflex line. It continued the T-series concept of shutter-priority automation in a metal-bodied enthusiast camera and was sold under the Autoreflex name in the United States. It sits in the mid-range of Konica's SLR range.
It is a single-lens reflex for 35mm film using the Konica AR bayonet mount. The T4 uses a metal focal-plane shutter with a top speed of 1/1000 second plus Bulb, and through-the-lens centre-weighted metering. Its automatic mode is shutter-priority, with the photographer setting the shutter and the camera choosing the aperture, and a manual mode is available. The shutter is mechanically timed and fires without a battery, which powers only the meter and finder display.
The T4 suits general, street, travel and portrait use for photographers who want simple automatic exposure with a manual fallback. It keeps the substantial, dependable feel of the earlier T-series bodies. Its strengths are build and straightforward operation; its limits are the weight and dependence on the meter electronics for metered exposure.
When buying used, check the foam light seals and mirror-damper foam, which perish on cameras of this vintage. Run the shutter through all speeds to look for capping or slow-speed lag, test the advance and rewind, and confirm the meter works. The meter was designed for 1.35V mercury cells (PX625/625 type), so recalculate or adapt exposure with modern 1.5V cells; the mechanical shutter still fires with a flat battery. Inspect the prism and screen for haze or desilvering.