soon

January 9, 2024January 9, 2024Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Nikon F Photomic FTn ‘Apollo’

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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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.

A fun new lens for my Fujifilm X-T2

January 8, 2024January 8, 2024Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Fujifilm X-T2
TTArtisan AF 27mm f2.8 Auto Focus Lens
Limited Edition Yellow-Orange
APS-C
35mm Equivalent is 41mm

Sharp, colorful, compact, fun, inexpensive, especially compared to the Fujifilm equivalent.
The orange ring is the lens hood.

Not subtle. The orange thingy is a lens hood.

First image. f5.6, 1/20, ISO 1600, 27mm (41mm full-frame equivalent). Velvia Vivid film simulation.

Velvia Vivid film simulation. Overcast day here in North Florida.

FUJIFILM XF 27mm f/2.8 R WR Lens – $399.00 at B&H. Yes, the Fuji is a lot more lens, but to be quite frank, Fujifilm lenses are way too expensive to start filling my camera bag with them.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Standing Man

January 7, 2024January 7, 2024Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Nikon One Touch L35 AF3. Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 color negative film. Nikon f2.8 35mm lens.

I met this gentleman while I was testing my Nikon and spoke to him for a bit. What a pleasant individual. I like using Fujifilm, and the camera’s exposure was spot on.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai

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

Happy SUNday! – My most favorite Yashica set

January 7, 2024January 7, 2024Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Over the years, I have collected an incredible variety of cameras made by Yashica, from their earliest days (1953) to the last true Yashica models in the late 1980s to early 1990s. I’d have to say that this Yashica Pentamatic set (made in August 1960) is my most impressive find. It’s a one-owner set, and it is in like-new condition. It came with some unexpected goodies (pictured), too.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Hallmarks on early Japanese leather camera cases

January 6, 2024January 7, 2024Chris and Carol Leave a comment

1953
After 6 decades of use, this leather case for the Yashima Flex TLR camera stands strong. It is relatively rare to see a Yashima-branded item outside of Japan; this represents the first time Yashima used its name on a case.
I don’t believe Yashima-Yashica made their own leather cases. As a start-up company back in the early 1950s, Yashima and other camera manufacturers likely contracted outside companies to make their leather cases and branded goods so that they could focus on their core activities. Many of these early cases have distinct markings on the bottom, indicating the hallmark of the company that produced it.

From 1953, a beautiful example of a Yashima leather case.

An early example of a hallmark on the bottom of the case.

I have a few additional examples in my collection – time to dig them out and photograph them. Have you seen a Japanese leather case with what appears to be a hallmark? Please, share if you do. Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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More about the E.P mark on Japanese-made cameras and lenses (1953-1977)

January 5, 2024January 5, 2024Chris and Carol 3 Comments

There is still plenty of conjecture about the exact meaning of the two letters that appear in a diamond design on Japanese-made photo gear made in the 1950s and 1960s and gradually disappearing in the mid to late 1970s. Some suggest that it meant “Exchange Purchase” since the mark often appeared on cameras sold in military exchanges throughout Japan during that period. The catch is that not all of the cameras sold in the exchange stores had that mark – probably only 30% or less, depending on the decade and store. Stereo equipment was also marked as was binoculars. Expensive jewelry and watches didn’t have the mark. So what gives, and exactly who ordered the symbols to be placed on, at times, random items within these few categories.

Here is a never-before-seen (by me) mark on the presentation box of a <E.P> marked Nikon S2 35mm rangefinder camera from the 1950s. The camera bears the mark, and so does the box. It’s too bad the box doesn’t have an affixed price sticker. It would have been interesting to see which exchange it sold in and for how much.

Look closely at the image of this Nikon box pictured below. In the upper right-hand corner is a price sticker. The sticker has quite a bit of good information, but it also leaves out some vital info. The “Japan Tax Exempt” and dollar amount printed on the sticker are such a tease. The camera was from the early 1970s, so it could have had the <E.P> mark, but not necessarily. From memory of my time living in Japan and shopping at the Navy Exchanges in Yokosuka and Yokohama, I don’t ever recall seeing a price sticker with “Tax Exempt” printed on it since everything sold in the exchange was tax-free and therefore tax exempt. If it wasn’t sold at the exchange and in fact sold at a duty-free or tax-free shop in Japan, why would it be priced in USD and not yen?

My 1955 Nicca 3-S with a <E.P> mark on the rewind knob (typical placement of the mark).

No record exists that explains precisely what the “E & P” stood for or why the program existed and, for that matter, who instituted and administrated the process. I believe the mark was primarily intended to deter the black market reselling of photo gear to Japanese civilians by military personnel since the cameras were tax-free in the military stores and were more than likely also priced lower than the same camera “out in town” in a Japanese camera shop. It’s likely “EP” stood for “Exempt Purchase” or “Exempt Product” and not “Exchange Purchase” for the reasons I stated in this post. Do you have additional information about the program? Do you fondly remember purchasing a great camera at the exchange, please share it.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Yashica TL-Super 1966

January 5, 2024January 5, 2024Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Yashica’s first through-the-lens (TTL) light metering single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. Two CdS resistors measure the average degree of light entering through the lens and directed to the focusing ground glass. The TL-Super started a bunch of great things at Yashica.

In addition, the TL-Super was the first Yashica SLR with a fixed accessory shoe (flash hot shoe) mounted to the top of the pentaprism (woohoo)!

Shown with a sharp and fast Auto Yashinon-DX 50mm f1.4 lens.

It’s a great first-time film user camera if you can find a nice example.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai

wordless wednesday

January 3, 2024January 3, 2024Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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The best addition to my camera collection in 2023

January 1, 2024January 1, 2024Chris and Carol 2 Comments

The best addition to my camera collection in 2023. I’m a big-time Canon and Yashica collector, so getting into the Nikon brand has been a fun experience. Lots to learn, which has made it a challenge.
Nikon F2A (F2 Photomic A) with a Nikkor 50mm f2 lens. Pictured with the AS-1 Flash Unit Coupler and AR-1 Soft Shutter Release.
The F2 body is from early 1973, and the DP-11 metered viewfinder is from 1978.