Certainly a tough but worthy camera to chase. As of today, there are only two for sale on eBay and both are in Japan.
Heavy metal!An example of a complete set. This wasn’t my camera but it was the same seller that sold me mine (from Thailand).
If Superman was disguised as a TLR he’d be the Fijicaflex by Fuji Photo Film Company. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
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.
Happy day all, thanks for stopping by! Today I have a very nice early model Asahi Pentax K1000 from the late 1970s. One of the longest-running 35mm SLRs ever made. I find it rather compact compared to other cameras from the same period so it’s a little hard for me to get a good comfortable hold on the body. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good camera but I tend to like a bigger body especially on the right side where I usually grip the camera. Its simple design and rugged reliability are its claim to fame (low cost too).
I’ve just listed this in my online camera shop yesterday and it just sold to a client in Finland! My Etsy Shop (www.ccstudio2380.com) has a tremendous worldwide appeal which I’m most appreciative of. It’s fun to think that cameras that have been a part of my collection can end up finding a new home almost anywhere on Earth (that’s the best part of online selling). I had a vintage Japanese-made auxiliary viewfinder from the 1950s end up going back to Japan last week from my eBay site – cool!
Here is the Asahi Pentax K1000
Includes a gorgeous Asahi Optical Company SMC Pentax-M f2 50mm lens and instruction booklet from 1981.Simple layout and easy-to-use controls.Engraved Asahi Opt. Co. on the right rear top plate.An early serial number indicated it was made in Japan. Interestingly the lens has been made in Taiwan.
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, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.
I’ll answer that straight away – yes. I believe the design of the Canon EOS 40D and its cousins are in a way timeless. By today’s standards 10.1-megapixels isn’t a lot but when you get down to it it’s enough for sharp images on your computer. Most people never print their images so if you’ve got a sharp monitor you’re good.
EOS 40D
The Spirit of Photography. Welcome to the next generation of digital SLR photography-the Canon EOS 40D. The EOS 40D combines Canon’s tremendous know-how in both the digital and photographic worlds, creating a camera that not only does everything one would expect of a traditional digital SLR, but one that incorporates staggering leaps forward in technological innovation. With new features like Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System, Live View Function, a more powerful DIGIC III Image Processor, plus a 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 3.0-inch LCD monitor and more, the EOS 40D elevates digital photography to new heights, enhancing the shooting experience, and delivering images one could only expect from a Canon.
Canon’s lineup from a Spring 2009 sales brochure.
The Canon EOS 40D is a fun camera to use even to this day. Simple. compact but built to a higher standard than the Canon EOS Rebel line. It uses any EF or EF-S lens and when paired with a modern EF-S IS lens it’s a joy to use even when shooting focal lengths up through 200-300mm.
I have this wonderful set (yep, mint condition) for sale in my online camera shop. It’s been fully tested, it’s super clean, and has only 5K shutter actuations!
Thanks for stopping by!
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, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.
Hello all! The next camera from my collection is headed to my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com
Everything was still Made in Japan with this model.
Released in 1988.
Everything has been tested with a fresh Panasonic 2CR5 battery and all is good. The flash “talks” to the camera controls making nearly automatic flash photography simple and easy. The Minolta bag is like new and so is the camera – only a few scuffs here and there on the outside finish. It’s super clean inside and out (just like all of my cameras). The AF Minolta 50mm f1.7 lens is optically clean, clear, and sharp. Two Minolta camera straps are included as is the front and rear lens caps and body cap. The eyepiece, hot-shoe cover, and 2 expansion cards are also included. What I like is just how simple this camera can be to operate in full automatic mode or go old school and go full on manual.
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, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.
A couple of 10.1 megapixel cameras from Canon. On the left the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi and on the right the Canon EOS 40D.
Collecting digital cameras from the mid to late 2000s can be a fun activity as these cameras are being replaced by modern mirrorless digital cameras.I would consider the Rebel as an entry level DSLR and the 40D as a true almost pro-level DSLR. The good news is that these cameras use the common Canon EF lenses.
The back of the Canon EOS 40D.
Do you have a favorite digital camera from the 2000s? Are these worthy enough to be called modern classics? Let us know in comments section. Thank you for stopping by and have a great day!
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, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.
In my opinion, Yashica was the hands down leader in producing twin-lens reflex cameras starting in the early 1950s right up until the mid 1980s when the last TLR rolled off the assembly lines. In between there were some very important milestones achieved by Yashica. One of which is the Yashica 635. My good friend Paul Sokk has an excellent site dedicated to everything you’d ever want to know about Yashica so I’d invite you to visit his 635 pages at http://www.yashicatlr.com/66ModelsPage6.html#yashica635
Yashica 635 Instruction Booklet cover.Yashica 635 Instruction Booklet back cover.Yashica’s date code.
One way to figure out when Yashica may have printed an instruction booklet is by the date code in this case printed on the lower left on the back cover. Not all instruction booklets released by Yashica had an obvious date code but in my experience quite a few did especially from the mid-1960s onward. In this example the 691 D 5Y 16 contains the date. I have high confidence that the 691 indicates the year and month 1969 January.
In this example, the serial number begins with 9 and the date code is 691 from the cover pictured above.
Here are a couple of additional examples (below).
In the example above, 673 is simply decodes to 1967 March which the hand written serial number 7041480 bears out. The first digit 7 is the year that camera was made. Typically cameras sat around in camera shops or distributer’s warehouses for a while before they were sold. This camera wasn’t sold until January 1969. TLRs were not as popular by the late 1960s as the rise in popularity of the 35mm SLR cut into sales in a big way. I’m sure this camera was heavily discounted by the time it sold.
Here is an example from September 1966.
So pull out your Yashica Instruction Booklets and have a go at “dating” your camera. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn. Feel free to contact me here for a go at your camera and instruction booklet. BTW, Canon was fantastic at printing easy to decode dates on their booklets and in their cameras, lenses, and accessories.
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, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.
I “found” this wonderful little filter the other day and as of yet haven’t figured out which lens it was designed to fit. I believe it is pre-war or maybe not but it’s diameter is only 33mm (give or take a millimeter). I was hoping it would fit my Meyer Gorlitz Helioplan f4.5 40mm lens but no such luck.
ATM my best guess is that it was made to fit the Ihagee Anastigmatic Exaktar f3.5 55mm lens but I don’t have that lens and I don’t know the filter size. If someone out there knows I would greatly appreciate knowing a bit more about my filter and the Exaktar lens.
The “push-on” side.The “screw-on” side.It’s very well made and it looks as though the filter glass is interchangeable. It looks like the case is made of Bakelite and the inner cork lining is clean and intact. I get the feeling this filter was hardly ever used.The glass is optically perfect.
Ihagee is best known for making one of the first 35mm SLR cameras in the world back in the 1930s and post-war made a well respected line of 35mm cameras under the Exakta brand.
The Ihagee Exakta Varex (1950) pictured with its pop-up viewfinder in the open position. There was an eye-level pentaprism that was available too making this camera a true interchangeable lens SLR.
Thanks for stopping by!
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, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.
Weston Master II Universal Exposure Meter – 1945 to 1953, Model 735
Going strong although a little beat up and the finish is a bit rough.Selenium cells still putting out power after all these years. The flap can be closed to cut down on the amount of light reaching the cells.
This wonderful meter was hiding out in a dark corner of an old leather camera bag that I was gifted recently by a neighbor. The cameras, lenses, and this meter all belonged to her father. I gave it a good cleaning (Q-tips dipped in a mixture of Windex and alcohol) and it looks like new (a stretch). It’s got plenty of character.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great evening!
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, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.
Rare set and camera. Exakta Varex early model mid-1950.
Made in Soviet occupied East Germany (Dresden) in early 1950. It’s pretty rare to find one of these in such a good condition. I have it in my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com
Thanks for stopping by!
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, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.
Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris 