Shanghai Camera Factory Shanghai 58-I

Chinese copy of Leica Illf. Collapsible f3.5/50mm lens.

— McKeown’s Price Guide, 1997–98, p. 348

The Shanghai 58-I is a 35mm rangefinder camera produced in China by the Shanghai Camera Factory in the late 1950s. It was an early Chinese-made interchangeable-lens rangefinder built along the lines of contemporary Leica-style screw-mount cameras, aimed at domestic photographic supply rather than export.

With production volumes low and the camera now several decades old, condition is the dominant factor in what a Shanghai 58-I is worth: check the rangefinder for haze and patch alignment, the shutter for accuracy across speeds, and the body for corrosion or non-original engravings. Spares and qualified service are scarce outside specialist Chinese-camera collectors, so buying a working example is preferable to relying on repair.

Generated summary, 1 May 2026 — not checked by hand; prices on this page come from the sales, not from this text.