Month March 2020

The advantages of being a self-diagnosed hypochondriac during a pandemic…

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None that I can think of at the moment. Here’s a funny post that describes me to a tee… well, almost.

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Stay at home and self-quarantine – that’s a normal day for me. Wash your hands frequently – how many times beyond fifty a day is considered excessive?

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Isolation can be a desperate time for many – call friends frequently and check on the family.

All kidding aside, please take care of yourselves and remember to check frequently on family and friends – during stressful times like this, a person’s mental wellness is important too.

Have a wonderful day and stay safe! – Chris

In the Shop – New this Week!

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It’s Monday and it’s time to post some new items in my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

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Everything is on sale for the remainder of March and the first week of April – take 15% off my already value-priced items.

Lots of other great items in the shop too – pop on over to http://www.ccstudio2380.com and see if there’s something you like.

Thanks, Chris

random post – expo 67 Montréal

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expo 67 girl hd

One of my first cameras – Kodak Instamatic 

Poster: Rendez-vous à Montréal—Bring your camera! / Affiche : Rendez-vous à Montréal – Apportez votre appareil!

So 1960s!

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Hostess uniforms of Expo 67 / Uniformes des hôtesses d’Expo 67

I still have the camera and somewhere I have my Expo 67 Passport. I was 13 years old when me and my mom went. We stayed in an apartment in Montreal for two weeks – lots of fond memories.

kodak instamatic 100

Technically my first camera. I got it for Christmas 1963 and I’ve taken hundreds of images with this thing over the early years. It still works!

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Rare Nicca lens cap – 1958

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Nicca’s one-off lens cap for their last 35mm rangefinder camera mid-1958. The cap fits the Nikkor-H 5cm f/2 lens that was pretty much the standard lens for Nicca. The Nicca in the background with the traditional cap is my 3-S.

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BTW, the black cap is made from brass and weighs 12 grams whereas the silver cap is aluminum and weighs 10 grams.

The distinctive all caps block lettering style of this black cap was a major departure from Nicca’s traditional silver script style which was presented in the spirit of Leica. You can see in the ad below that it matches the style of the name on the top plate of the camera.

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This ad (above) is from Mikio Awano’s article in the September 1978 edition of Japanese magazine, Camera Collectors’ News. The magazine’s text at the bottom translates as “Nicca III L, 1958 September, Asahi Camera”. For more about this interesting camera, please visit my good friend Paul Sokk’s excellent site on Nicca.

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The Nicca III-L was the last camera made by Nicca before their acquisition by Yashica in early 1958. Below is an example of the style of the last box.

nicca III-L box set

Carol and I do not have an example of the Nicca III-L in our collection. They are super hard to find, extremely rare actually so very few show up on auction sites. If you know of someone who has one please have them contact us as we would be interested in obtaining one.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit our camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris.

Copyright © 2015-2020 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.

Yashica 635 – shoot 6×6 cm and 35 mm all in one TLR

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Back in 1958 (May-June) Yashica released or introduced the inventive model 635 twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera to the export markets. It would be a short while before the camera would make its debut in Japan.

yashica 635 brochure close

The only film it couldn’t shoot was movie film!

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This one is from one of the first batches of cameras made in June 1958. Its serial number puts it at the 231st made.  It was purchased new by the original owner at the RAF Changi base in Singapore.

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Close-up view of the 35 mm conversion kit that originally came with the camera.

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A general idea of how to install the 35 mm film cartridge and kit.

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A gem from 1958.

As Carol and I continue to downsize our camera collection we’ve made this camera and kit available in our online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

If you’re looking to get into medium-format film photography and still want to use 35 mm film to make color transparencies (slides) this is a perfect combo camera to invest in.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to hit us with an offer if you’re so inclined. Chris & Carol

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris.

Copyright © 2015-2020 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.

Welcome to Fernandina Beach, now go home!

Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Signs of the times. All of the beaches on Amelia Island are now closed to humans. More than likely a good thing as few were complying with the government request to practice social distancing. This is one of our busiest times of the year with Spring Breakers, tourists, and folks from nearby Georgia, but we all must do what we can to stop the spread of COVID-19. Stay safe wherever you are! C&C ^.^

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Lots of signs and seagulls – no people.

Thanks for stopping by and y’all stay well.

http://www.ccstudio2380.com

 

In the Shop – New this Week!

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hi all! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and happy. It’s best to keep your spirits up during these uncertain times. Here are some new items in the shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

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There are lots of neat stuff in the shop so pop on over to http://www.ccstudio2380.com and check them out. Also, if there’s something you’ve been looking for please ask – we may have it and it’s just not listed yet.

Thanks a bunch! – Chris & Carol

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris.

Copyright © 2015-2020 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.

Yashica’s Electronic Marvel

Chris and Carol 2 Comments

The Yashica TL Electro X was one of Yashica’s most successful 35mm SLR out of a line-up that included many winners but also plenty of losers. The TL Electro X made its debut in the fall of 1968 (October) and was produced until early 1974. Many thousands were made over that span and although we have many examples in our collection, this is the only one that still has its original box.

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This one is from May 1969.

The dealer display card states “World’s First SLR With IC Computer”. This example is fully functioning including the built-in electronic TTL exposure meter (TTL – Thru The Lens). I imagine that the ‘TL’ in the name relates to where the meter is located.

The Yashica TL Electro X is a fun camera to use and the metering system is easy to master. They’re readily available through online auction sites and clean, working examples can be found at comfortable prices. Caution is needed if the seller says they’re not sure if it works as the alkaline 6v battery (A544) is available for under $5 so there’s no reason not to test the camera and meter before listing it.

The Auto Yashinon-DX f/1.7 50mm lens that’s standard with most TL Electro X’s is plenty fast enough with medium speed film and I’ve always found it to be sharp enough at all apertures. The body takes M42 screw mount lenses of which there are still plenty to go around.

If you’re looking for a great camera to get into film photography than we highly recommend this model.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to visit our camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Chris & Carol

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris.

Copyright © 2015-2020 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.