The camera that started it all!

We believe that this is Yashima’s first newspaper advertisement in English. The newspaper appears to be from sometime in 1954 and the camera depicted could be a late 1953 model. The newspaper, more than likely, was circulated in and around United States military bases in Japan in the 1950s. On the other side of this ad is an advertisement for a furniture store in Tokyo. The ¥15,000 price (with case) is extremely low for such a well built camera.

From a 1954 Japanese newspaper published in English.

Yashima’s first(?) English language ad from 1954.

Imagining a Tokyo camera store window display in Akihabara or Shinjuku or Shibuya (our favorite spots in Tokyo) during the late summer of 1964. The searing heat and oppressive humidity of the Kanto Plain is starting to wane… at least a bit. Soon the Tokyo Summer Olympics will begin and on the first of October the Tokaido Shinkansen will make its inaugural run from Tokyo to points south. Yashica releases their newest 35mm single-lens reflex camera in time for both events. In just under a generation, less time than anyone could have imagined, Japan was hosting the first Olympics to be held on Asian soil. From the ruins of the Great Pacific War, and with guidance from the United States and others, Japan has turned its economy from near the brink of elimination to being world leaders in electronic technologies and precision equipment… cameras and high speed “bullet trains”… and on the horizon, world class automobiles that were small, inexpensive and fuel efficient.

The Yashica J-5 was another big step for a small manufacturing company that started out making simple but well built twin-lens reflex cameras in a little town along the shores of Lake Suwa, Nagano Prefecture.

Some interesting “clippings” from our vast trove of Yashica sales brochures, advertisements and instruction booklets… Enjoy!

Brochure featuring the Penta J with the Pentamatic S and the new J-3.

From the same brochure. Nice detailed description of the Penta J.

German catalog featuring the Reflex 35. Available by June 1962.

Australian sales catalog and the new Reflex J.

U.S. sales brochure featuring the “big 3” from Yashica.

From the Penta J instruction booklet.

Penta J instruction booklet.

Yashica’s “no name or model number” exposure meter.

Another example of a Yashica first. After Yashica introduced its first 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) film cameras in the Pentamatic series, it followed up in 1962 with the little know Penta J. The Penta J was also know as the Reflex J in Australia and the UK and the Reflex 35 J in Europe. As I’ve discussed before, the Pentamatics were either a complete failure or a big success for Yashica. Choosing to go with an exclusive bayonet mount for their lenses (Pentamatic series), Yashica decided to go mainstream by using the more common M42 screw mount lenses and to forgo their exclusive bayonet mount. This gave Yashica the opportunity to reach more potential customers and more than likely helped Tomioka Optical (their lens maker) as they did not have to produce a unique mount just for Yashica. The Penta J with lens listed for around $130 in the U.S. and 28,000 yen in Japan. Just as with the Pentamatic S before it, the Penta J had the ability to attach a clip-on exposure meter that was coupled to the shutter speed dial (about $25).

Even with the rather clunky exposure meter attached, the Penta J was an elegant camera that retained the strong lines of the Pentamatics and a feeling of solid construction.

The location of the shutter release button was moved slightly from the Pentamatic design so as to allow room for the clip-on exposure meter. 

A beautiful set from 1962.