15 | January | 2024 | Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Brothers from different mothers – the classic Contax-Yashica RTS (original model) and the Fujifilm X-T2. I find the weight and feel to be the same, and many of the manual controls I use are right on top of the T2. That could be why I was attracted to the Fuji in the first place.
In the world of modern mirrorless digital cameras, the T2 just feels and acts like an old-school SLR.

The Fuji features a sharp Fujinon zoom lens, and the RTS has a fast and sharp f1.7 Yashica lens. I enjoy the aesthetics of both cameras, and I often shoot with the half-cases attached.

Fujifilm got it right when they designed their T2 (and similar models), drawing on the successful designs and functionality from the past.

A better view of the lenses. I chose the Yashica lens over the much more costly Planer lens because, let’s face it, Yashica made both (maybe from a Tomioka design in collaboration with Zeiss). The famous T* coatings may be missing on the Yashica, but I doubt it. The T* mainly was a marketing exercise. Full disclosure – I’d take the Zeiss Planer in a heartbeat if money were no object.

I enjoy using my Fuji; it is my go-to camera whenever I shoot with my classic lens collection or when I need to test a lens before listing it in my Etsy shop or on eBay. It’s fast and easy, and the APS-C sensor has a 1.5 crop factor that “boosts” the focal length of every lens I use. See yesterday’s gorgeous 450mm shot below from my 300mm Nikkor-H lens.

Boeing 777 (likely) at over 30,000 feet over northeast Florida (not cropped).

Thanks for stopping by, Chris. Which is your favorite mirrorless camera? Are you a Canon or Nikon photographer? Has anyone tried the new Nikon Z cameras?

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Comments are always welcomed, as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by, and while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, is this blog’s property and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.

Amelia Island, Florida. Such natural beauty and then this.
Samsung Galaxy S8+
I purposely shot into the sun to catch the reflections in the tidal mud along the Amelia River.

Looking south along the Amelia River at one of the two paper mills on the island (this one since the late 1930s). The other mill is just north of this location and is not in this image.

Amelia Island is stunning – its natural beauty is diverse, and it is almost hard to imagine how pretty it is. Thirteen miles of sandy Atlantic Coast beaches splashed with warm and generally clean seawater. On the west side of the island is this monstrosity. The mills, for the most part, never stop spewing pollution into the air and, more than likely, into the waters. Here is an interesting article written by one of the island’s original families. https://fernandinaobserver.com/general/rayonier-and-container-in-fernandina-a-brief-history-and-reflection/

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica cameras and so much more!

Day January 15, 2024

Brothers from different mothers – Contax RTS and Fujifilm X-T2

Contrasts – Industrial Ugly