Remembering a very special trip to California in 2004 – our 30th wedding anniversary and a fun time for the kids.
Lindsay, Chris, Carol and Tim out front. We were also celebrating their March birthdays too.
Have a beautiful day and if I don’t see ya, have a Merry Christmas! – Chris
Time for another look at this underappreciated Yashica.
I know – the FR II and the F-1 are miles apart in features (and price). I purchased my first Yashica, a TL Electro-X in 1971 and used it faithfully through much of the 1970s. Being a young (and married) US Navy Sailor and money deprived, the TL suited me just fine – until I was transferred to Japan in 1977. If you were ever stationed in Yokosuka then you know what Building A33 means. It was the Navy Exchange camera and stereo heaven!!! Reps from all of the major camera manufacturers were present and demonstrated their latest gear to the now cash flush Sailors. Upstairs was a branch of Navy Federal Credit Union… if you couldn’t afford it, finance it! Pure bliss.
I’m so easily distracted.
So it was time for me to upgrade my trusty TL Electro-X, so naturally I looked at what Yashica had to offer. The…
View original post 507 more words
When you chase down something for over forty years the payoff should be special – it was! It’s not like these beasts are rare, if I had had a few more bucks in my pocket back in 1978 I could have purchased it for around $400 at the Navy Exchange in Yokosuka along with my F-1. But being an underpaid and over-deployed Sailor there’s only so much money to throw at cameras when there were hi-end stereos still to buy. ^.^
No one I knew at the time (including myself) needed one of these – they were meant for professional photographers and I was certainly not that. But how could a 25-year-old “camera bug” not want it? Just look at it! Crazy big but powerful and that sound it made when burning through film at 3.5 fps – wow! The F-1 was already a monster to lug around and this bit of motorized mayhem would add over 2 pounds to an already strained neck.
Yum-yum, eat ’em up!
So after 40 years I broke down and bought my Canon Motor Drive MF on eBay from a large camera retailer on the West Coast. I believe I got it at a great price – $60 plus shipping for a fully working and in nearly mint condition. I’m very happy with it and yes, it’s still a ridiculous piece of camera hardware but it harkens back to another time and place in photography and that makes it worth it.
It’s almost as big as the camera itself!
A gentle reminder that when in the continuous mode that the shutter speed range is from a low of 1/60 to a max of 1/2000. Single frame allows shooting down to 1 second.
It looks great on my original F-1 from 1978 and it’s a fun reminder of those heady days back in Japan when I wanted anything that could be attached to the F-1. After 40 years it just feels right! Merry Christmas to me.
Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
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 © 2015-2017 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.
Wishing for my Florida sun, warm water, and waves.
Have a beautiful day! – Chris
Camera Fujifilm FinePix XP70
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 © 2015-2017 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.
Another view of these wonderful blossoms from December 2017. This is one of my favorites.
Christmas cactus in the studio…
One of our favorite blossoms – each flower is different from the next and differs from day to day. This beautiful cactus is in our indoor window garden and right on a cue, it’s putting on a show for Christmas.
Fujifilm FinePix S9900W – soft focus
Chris
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 © 2015-2017 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.
A look through our garden window on this wet and cool North Florida day. Traditional autumn colors mixed with the pink of an Encore azalea and the wonderful colors of a poinsettia – oh, and our strange little “cactus” from somewhere in the galaxy (last pic).
Our tribute garden just outside of our dining room window. The cypress fence becomes alive with lichen and moss through the years – lots of sun and tropical rains provide the perfect environment. Papa Sol has been looking over the garden for nearly 20 years now – keeping it safe and providing a home for lizards.
The Home Depot “cactus from outer space” that keeps changing into new and bizarre shapes almost daily. I don’t think it was meant to live this long.
Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
Camera – Samsung Galaxy S8+
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 © 2015-2018 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.
Another look at these two classic cameras from Nicca.
We’ve always assumed that the Nicca cameras were pretty much the same size from one model to another. The early 1950s models look for the most part, the same as the 1958 models. Now that we have two Niccas in our collection it’s time to do some comparisons.
Nicca 3-F on the left and the Nicca 3-S on the right.
First off, without the lenses attached, there is a slight difference in weight between the two with the 3-F weighing in at 445 grams and the 3-S weighing 432 grams.
There is however a difference in size which surprised us. The later model 3-F (left) is taller than the 3-S (right) by about 4mm.
The 3-F is also longer than the 3-S by about 7mm.
The 3-F is about 7mm longer and 1mm wider than the 3-S.
The 3-F is the top body with the 3-S on the bottom.
Since…
View original post 98 more words
Have a beautiful day! – Chris
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 © 2015-2018 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.
Our North Florida garden delights with its subtle hues and wonderful textures.
Suburban hunter with its kill.
A majestic bald cypress with its crown of rusty needles.
An art project left to fend for itself.
Cooper post cap weathers to a lovely patina.
The colors of our Florida autumn.
Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
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 © 2015-2018 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.
The Ricoh 519 is a 35mm rangefinder camera made by Riken Optical Industries, Ltd. of Tokyo in 1958. The 35mm rangefinder field was extremely crowded in 1958, with Yashica entering the market with its first rangefinder at about the same time. Almost every major and relatively unknown Japanese camera maker had at least an entry in the marketplace. In general, the designs of cameras during this period could range from downright ugly to beautiful – I would place this Ricoh in the beautiful category. I love its lines and thoughtful engineering details. The build quality is exceptional – everything fits nicely, and the finishes are extraordinary. Who wouldn’t love the extra attention to detail with the “519” written in script?
Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
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 © 2015-2018 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.
