Chinon CG-5

Back in my teen years, I didn't know much about Chinon. The only model I knew was the CP-9AF and my limited knowledge on it was that it was a cheap alternative AF camera to the more prestigious Nikon/Canon/Minolta's. I never really bothered learning about Chinons, what was the point anyway - Nikon and Canons were producing much better cameras, right? Wrong. What i found out after joining photography forums is that almost all Chinons are fantastic cameras, much better than your average SLR's, with certain models competing directly with offers from the big fives (Nikon/Canon/Minolta/Olympus/Pentax) but never really achieved any sort of collectible status. One of these cameras is the Chinon CG-5.

This camera was produced in 1983 and it was set to compete with cameras such as the Minolta X-700, the Canon AE-1 Programme, Pentax ME-Super and P30 and maybe (or maybe not) the Nikons (FE/FE2). In the heart of the CG-5 we find the Seiko MFC shutter which is found in cameras like the Minolta XD-7 or the Pentax ME-super, cameras that have reached a cult status for their reliability and performance. In Minolta terms, i see this camera as a crossover between the XD-7 and the X-700, a high praise indeed, carrying the XD-7's electronic and very reliable shutter in a body made out of aluminium and plastic (like the X-700).

According to Popular Photography, the CG-5 was the scale down version of their professional CE-5, differing only in the fact that the CG-5 does not display the aperture in the viewfinder and the CE-5 having a top speed of 1/2000 (the CG-5 has 1/1000). Both cameras use the same shutter and it seems that in the case of the CG-5, the Japanese went for the German approach to shutters (Leica) to tune down the shutter in order to make it more reliable (The seiko MFC on the Minolta XD-7 is tuned down to 1/1000 for being more reliable although on certain cases it does reach the 1/2000. Soon i will post a review of the XD-7 too - Stay tuned) . The camera is well sealed against dust too.

The CG-5 is of similar size as the XD-7

My sample seems to be in good condition. There are the usual scratches for a camera of this vintage but nothing too much. The mirror is a quick returned shockless mirror that uses air damper as it goes up but is not that well damped as it goes down. This results in an odd noise, something that i have never heard before but it does sound very reassuring and reliable. The sound is very different from my Minolta XD-7 which uses the same shutter, so i assume that it is the mirror mechanism that makes this noise. According to Popular Photography, the mirror box is very well designed and it incorporates air-dampers for both the raise and fall of the mirror although in my case (setting the camera to "B") the mirror is quiet when it comes up but is definately more noisy when it goes down. The truth is that the camera handles the mirror shock quite effectively and with minimal vibrations. In photography forums, people say that the CG-5 is as quiet as the Pentax-ME Super if not more - a big praise to read. The camera's viewfinder is nice, not as bright as others or not as big as - say Pentax ME-Super - but there isn't much to complain about. There is also the provision for a motor drive, called Power-Winder-S that makes the Chinon looks mean and very professional (sic !).

The camera comes with the good old aperture priority (called Auto) and full time manual. In aperture priority, the shutter speeds become completely stepless. Other features include things like exposure lock, double exposure level, depth preview, self timer etc... and there are some nice touches such as the comfortable plastic grip that is detachable and serves to hold two spare batteries in case the ones you use perish. If you notice on the picture, you will see three electronic couplings below the pentaprism and above the lens. There is also a led on the viewfinder saying "AF". Apparently, Chinon produced an AF zoom lens back in the early days of AF, that could be mounted on the camera and offer AF. That lens, an AF 35-70 f/3.5-4.5, was a monster lens with something that looks like goggles which was using infrared beams to focus. Not really anyone's cup of tea, that's why Chinon dropped its production quite quickly. Top and bottom plate are made from plastic with gives a very similar feeling to the Minolta X-700 but just like the Minolta, this is a reliable machine that has stood the test of time.

A big plus for the camera is the lens mount. It uses Pentax's K-mount with means that you can find Takumar optics of the highest quality and mount it on the Chinon, making the camera a very good and cheap alternative to the more expensive Pentaxes without (in my opinion) sacrificing on the quality of the camera. As it is, the camera comes usually with the Chinon 50 f/1.9 which is a good performer past f/5.6 but nothing to be excited about. Couple this camera with a Takumar 50 f/1.8 and you'll see what this combination is capable of.

Performance-wise, this camera delivered what was expected. The light-meter is as accurate as any centred-weighted meter can be and the aperture priority mode is reliable. Exactly what you would expect from a camera of this category really. The camera uses the cheap and easy to find LR-44 (or SR-44) batteries and is quite efficient, meaning that is cheap to maintain.

What i would like to see in this camera? Hmm... maybe aperture readings in the viewfinder like its older sibling (CE-5) and I bet that a metal top and bottom plate would have a significant positive impact on its feel-good factor. Also, the shutter dial is not as easy to turn as it is covered by the film advance level. Finally, the film advance level, although made from metal underneath, it is covered with a cheap plastic held in place by one tiny screw, it does look cheap although the metal level underneath is surely strong enough to sustain moderate-to-heavy use.

Conclusion.

The Chinon CG-5 camera falls into this category of cameras that the digital age has left them littering car boot sales and can be acquired for as little as £5 (if not less) - something that shows how under-rated these high-quality cameras are. Their story brings in mind a lot of similarities with Fujicas but for me the Chinons are a step up. More refined, more up to date with their contemporary offers from the big five and at times (like in the case of the CE-5) better equipped. Popular photography's strip down lab test to the Chinon CE-4 (which is virtually the same camera as the CG-5 that i am reviewing here) spoke about a camera that is a pleasure to use - and indeed it is.

I would seriously recommend this camera for photographers on a budget that prefer to invest their money on a combination of good lenses and a good alternative camera body. It is well made, it is reliable, it has every feature you need and it costs less. Get this Chinon and pay the difference in getting a good quality Pentax lens. Pretty much the same approach as many photographers do by buying a Yashica with the Zeiss lenses from Contax, if you see what i mean.

Highly Recommented.

Lasting impressions

Another camera that I have sold since. I didn't really use it as much as it deserved it and since I received a email saying how much they would like to have it, i decided to sell it for the amount i bought it. Nice camera, really keep your eyes open if you come across one of these!