Fujica ST801 Vintage 35mm Film Camera w 55mm f1.8 Fujinon Lens

Write up based on information on camera-wiki.

The Fujica ST801 is a manual 35mm SLR film camera produced by Fuji between 1972 and 1978. It was the first 35mm SLR to feature viewfinder LEDs, replacing the traditional center-the-needle meter display with a center-the-indicator-light system. This electronic light metering system was designed to reduce the risk of mechanical failure and prevent needle deviation caused by shocks.

Features:

- **Mount**: The camera uses an M42 screw mount. Fuji introduced a modification to the standard 42mm mount by adding a small tab on the back of the aperture ring, allowing the camera's light meter to communicate with the lens for open-aperture metering. However, some M42 Fujinon lenses have had this tab filed off, as it can interfere with the mounting on some other M42 cameras or adapters.
- **Light Meter**: The ST801 is equipped with a TTL average light meter that uses LEDs for display, offering a more responsive and sensitive reading through silicon photocells, which are superior to the older CdS cells.
- **Shutter Speeds**: The camera supports shutter speeds up to 1/2000 s.

### Pros:

- **Bright Viewfinder**: The ST801 boasts an exceptionally bright viewfinder, likely the brightest among M42 mount cameras, aside from the Bessaflex.
- **LED Light Meter**: The light meter uses 7 LEDs visible even in adverse lighting conditions, indicating approximately 3 stops of over- and under-exposure. Fractional stops are shown by adjacent pairs of LEDs lighting up.
- **Open-Aperture Metering**: This feature works with compatible Fujinon M42 lenses, providing a more convenient shooting experience.
- **Compact Design**: For its time, the ST801 was very compact, making it a portable option.

Being sold "as is" so, please ask questions before buying as there are no returns. Expect dust that doesn't impact images to be present. Glass on the lens has cleaning marks, no fungus, shutter sounds fine, hasn't been film-tested, no missing parts. Only what is shown in the images is what is being offered for sale. Note the hand-etched owner's name on the lens exterior on the metal part. Yellowing glass with dust when looking through the viewfinder, CLA recommended.