Monday’s Camera – Asahi Pentax H2

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

I like their simple lines and I think they look uncluttered without the clunky self-timer lever stuck on its face.

M42 screw-in lens mount so most of my Yashinon (Tomioka) lenses will fit but not always correctly. The same goes for my Fujinon lenses.

Happy Monday! As I was surfing through my archives of cameras that have long since departed and I came across this little gem – the Asahi Pentax H2. I’ve always been fond of these, I guess I just like their look and the solid feel in your hands. I haven’t had much luck with them over the years as I almost always end up with a stuck in the up position mirror or some other shutter or film advance issue. They’re quite old now so a good CLA would bring them back. Too late for that with this one as it was purged in a big sell off years ago.

If you’re looking for an interesting classic camera to chase the H2 is worth your time and energy. As with all older SLRs look for the best you can afford. It may not work but it will look good sitting around.

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.

Yashima Flex TLR – 1954

April 24, 2021April 24, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Made by Yashima which later changed its name to Yashica. This is one of the earliest TLRs made by them and this one is in mint condition inside and out.

The lenses were made for Yashima by Tomioka Optical which would later be acquired by Yashica.

A beautiful machine from another time – made by the talented craftspeople in Nagano Prefecture (on the shores of Lake Suwa). It’s getting close to celebrating its 70th anniversary.

This gem was worth chasing all the way to Japan. I was very lucky to buy this directly from the original collector.

New items in my camera shop for April 21, 2021

April 21, 2021April 21, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hello all… I’ve been busy adding new items for sale in my online camera shop, CC Design Studios, which can be found at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

I’m offering a very nice 10% discount on almost everything in the shop plus some with free shipping! I have many more items not pictured in my collection so if there’s a particular camera or lens that you’re looking for I just may have it. You can contact me here or at ccphotographyai@gmail.com – Chris

Yashica TL Electro X – one of Yashica’s most popular 35mm SLRs – ever!

April 17, 2021April 17, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The venerable TL Electro X

Far left is the TL Electro X in silver chrome (it also was available in all black) and on the right the TL Electro X ITS which was only available in pro-black with the gold electron symbol on the pentaprism.

Not to overlook the quality of the lenses from Yashica which were made in-house by Tomioka Optical. Here’s an Auto Yashinon DS-M 50mm f1.4 – super sharp lens (and fast).

If you’re looking to acquire a true classic 35mm SLR that will ease you into film photography, then I highly recommend getting this model Yashica. They were produced in rather large quantities during the late 1960s through the mid-1970s and if you find one that looks as nice as this one (and is a one owner) then the likelihood of getting one in fully working condition goes way up. Avoid online sellers that provide fuzzy pics and vague descriptions – look for sellers that will answer your direct questions as to the functional condition of the camera. The good news is that this Yashica uses a very common battery – I’m using an Energizer A544-6V alkaline (also known as an LR44). The battery provides the correct voltage with no drop-off over time.

BTW, this one was made in the then newest Yashica factory in Hong Kong and is marked “Hong Kong” on the bottom plate vice “Japan” which would be marked on the right side back of the top plate. This one will be leaving my collection soon as I am currently downsizing my camera collection. You can watch for it in my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

The ‘Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic’ is now ‘Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris’

April 7, 2021April 7, 2021Chris and Carol 4 Comments

Hi all!

It’s time for a change here on the blog. When I first starting blogging back in 2015 my goal was to consolidate everything I had discovered about one of Yashica’s least known 35mm SLR cameras, the Yashica Pentamatic.

The Pentamatic family of cameras were not often seen in the resale online platforms and quite frankly little was known about them (Pentamatic, Pentamatic II, and Pentamatic S). Now it’s time to rename the site to reflect a much broader range of cameras – mostly classic cameras and a few what I call ‘Modern Classics’ (even first generation digital cameras).

While I want to mainly focus on older film cameras I do enjoy the last run of modern film cameras from the late 1980s all the way up to the middle 2000s when the last 35mm film cameras for the most part were no longer being produced. I have found that I also enjoy collecting the early digital cameras from Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm just to name a few. Some of the 3 to 8 megapixel cameras can be fun to use as they still produce better than expected image quality and some of the early Sony’s had excellent Carl Zeiss zoom lenses.

So, I’m still the ‘Yashica Sailor Boy’ and I’ll still mainly feature Yashica and Kyocera cameras with the Pentamatic still being my favorite, I’ll also document the other awesome cameras that I’ve had the pleasure to own and use over the years.

Chasing Classic Cameras – Yashica TL Electro X 1973 Hong Kong Model

March 4, 2021March 4, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

We enjoy collecting and sharing our Yashica cameras with our readers, especially if they tend to be a little hard to find and in such outstanding condition. I say this is hard to find just because not many were made at Yashica’s new factory in Hong Kong during 1973. As the saying goes, this was assembled in Hong Kong from parts made in Japan.

There’s really no difference between the models assembled in Hong Kong from the ones made in Japan that we’ve been able to detect. In our experience the fit and finish is the same with no known issues particular to the HK model. In fact, the HK models that we’ve owned seem to be in excellent condition overall with exceptionally nice satin chrome surfaces that hold up well over the years.

Typically ‘JAPAN’ would be on the top plate next to the serial number but on these models ‘HONG KONG’ is on the bottom.

The serial number is easy to decode. 3 = 1973, 10 = Oct, 01219 = the number built up to this point for that month.

The lens on this beauty is a fast and sharp Auto Yashinon DS-M 50mm f1.4 made for Yashica by the recently acquired Tomioka Optical. All Yashica camera bodies use M42 screw mount lenses up to the C/Y mount cameras made much later.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stop by my shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – 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.

Modern Classic? – Fuji Panorama Cardia

March 2, 2021March 2, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

How can a plastic fantastic from the 1990s be a modern classic? Well for one, to still find one of these 35mm film cameras still unused in its original box is getting harder and harder to find.

For more please visit my previous post https://yashicasailorboy.com/2019/05/

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stop by my shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – 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.

SUNday Spotlight – I have Nikon gear in my shop!

February 21, 2021February 21, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Lots of recent Nikon items have been listed in my shop – if you’re a Nikon collector or are looking for some neat gear please check my shop out at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Nikon F3 genuine leather semi-soft field case.

Nikon F mount Tamron zoom telephoto AF lens.

Classic Tamrac Expedition 5 Pro camera and lens backpack.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stop by my shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – 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.

Canon F-1 Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics Edition

February 11, 2021February 11, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

A very highly collectible version of the famous Canon F-1 (1971-1981).

This camera was built by Canon in February 1980 which is when the Olympics were being held in upstate New York. The Canon NFD 50mm f1.2 lens is from February 1981.

As Carol and I continue to downsize our camera collection we’re offering this wonderful camera for purchase. It’s fully functional and ready to be a highlight in the next collectors collection.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stop by my shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – 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.

A couple of nice Nikons – SUNday Spotlight

January 31, 2021January 31, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hello all! I’ve added a couple of very nice Nikons in my shop recently – both film and digital.

The Nikon N60 comes complete with a super sharp AF Nikkor 28-80mm f3.5-5.6D lens.

The Nikon N60 can be operated in full manual mode which is perfect for newcomers to film photography.

This Nikon D80 (pictured below) was recently purchased by me from the original local owner. They’ve kept in in excellent condition and I’ve fully tested it. The D80 was released in 2006 and features a 10.2 MP CCD imaging sensor in the DX format. It’s a true DSLR and uses all Nikon F-mount lenses.

The camera only has 8,475 shutter actuations which is considered to be about 18% of the cameras capability.

Test images (see below) with the Nikon D80 and AF Nikkor 28-80mm f3.5-5.6D lens.

If you’re a fan of Nikon and Nikkor lenses then these cameras are for you. I’ve been very impressed with the ruggedness of the N60 as it was built with a metal frame. The lens mount is a metal Nikon F-mount (not plastic).

The D80 is a joy to use as it doesn’t feel like a rock hanging around your neck. The color LCD screen is super bright and clear as is the optical viewfinder which features a diopter adjustment and padded eyepiece.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stop by my shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – 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.

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica cameras and so much more!

Category Classic Film Cameras

Monday’s Camera – Asahi Pentax H2

Yashima Flex TLR – 1954

New items in my camera shop for April 21, 2021

Yashica TL Electro X – one of Yashica’s most popular 35mm SLRs – ever!

The ‘Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic’ is now ‘Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris’

Chasing Classic Cameras – Yashica TL Electro X 1973 Hong Kong Model

Modern Classic? – Fuji Panorama Cardia

SUNday Spotlight – I have Nikon gear in my shop!

Canon F-1 Lake Placid 1980 Winter Olympics Edition

A couple of nice Nikons – SUNday Spotlight