The Pentax H2 was the first Asahi pentaprism single lens reflex imported into the United States. Earlier, waist-level Asahi cameras clearly derived from the East German Praktiflexes and Prakticas had been sold by Sears. The original US camera was marketed by the Heiland division of Honeywell under the name Heiland Pentax H2 in 1959. The same camera was generally marketed elsewhere as the Asahi Pentax S2, although some export models combined the Asahi and H2 tags. The H1 and H3s are later models than the H2. The H2 is often claimed to be the first instant-return mirror 35mm SLR, but the KW Praktiflex of 1938 predates it, and most other contenders for this honor, by a little.*

Its original lens was a Auto-Takumar 55mm f2.0. A semi-automatic lens, it had a large lever to open up the diaphragm--much handier than the twisting ring common on other contemporary cameras. The Heiland H2 has a Honeywell logo and name on the prism, while the Asahi models have a AOCo logo on the upper prism and A S A H I in place of the H E I L A N D on the US model


The only caution to remember about this camera as a working collectible is that its weak point is the shutter curtain. Even when they were relatively new, Pentax H2s (at least the one I bought in 1960) required adjustment of the shutter at least every four or five years or the exposure across the frame would become more and more uneven.

Otherwise, it is still one of the most beautiful SLRs ever made, up there with the original Contax/Pentacon and the Nikon F with the standard pentaprism. The H2 is a worthy member of any camera history collection.