A little gem from 1959.

January 15, 2025January 15, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Asahi Pentax H2 – 1959
One of my favorite early 35mm SLRs in my collection. It’s as good, if not better, than the Nikon F from the same year.

Camera and Lens: Fujifilm X-T2, Fujinon XF 10-24mm f4 R OIS, Fujifilm Acros Simulation.

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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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

twosday 2 fer

January 14, 2025January 14, 2025Chris and Carol 1 Comment

Yashica’s first rangefinder camera is on the left, and Yashica’s first SLR is on the right.

The Canon EF is a close cousin to the F-1. The EF was released in 1973, and the original F-1 in 1971. This OD F-1 (olive drab) is the only Canon F-1 in a color other than black.

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What a deal!

January 12, 2025January 12, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The hyper-rare Zunow 35mm SLR from around 1958.

All kidding aside, this is an extremely rare camera built by Zunow Optical in the late 1950s. Only a few production models made it into the marketplace. Mostly non-working examples exist today and few ever come up for sale.

The Yashica Pentamatic ’35’ looks a bit like it. The Pentamatic was released in early 1960 but was designed in 1959 as a joint venture with Nicca and Yashica’s designers.

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Canon and Nikon Classics

January 11, 2025January 11, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Which camp are you?

Can the Canon be considered a compact camera?

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Friday Fotos! Canon and Fujifilm

January 10, 2025January 10, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Canon NFD 24mm f/2.8 lens. I should have used a yellow or orange filter.

My 1978 Canon F-1 loaded and ready to go on a photo walk.

I got better results using the meter in the F-1 when using a 1.35v Wein Cell.

Canon NFD 24mm f/2.8 lens. A slightly better exposure.

The World-famous Palace Saloon, Fernandina Beach Historic District.

Processing and scans were done by The Darkroom at medium resolution. The images below I used a 625A 1.5v battery which, on average made the camera’s meter two stops off.

In the tight confines of the historic district, a 50mm lens isn’t my favorite lens to shoot with. I’m a wide-angle lens guy.

Canon OD F-1 with a Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 SSC lens (my original lens from 1978).

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Yashica’s first SLR, the Pentamatic ’35’

January 8, 2025January 8, 2025Chris and Carol 1 Comment

Yashica Pentamatic ’35’

Yashica’s first 35mm SLR

This complete set is from August 1960.

It was developed and designed with the help of Nicca Camera. Yashica acquired Nicca in 1958. The lens was made by Tomioka Optical.

It shares many design cues with the short-lived Zunow SLR.

Yashica would later acquire Zunow in January 1961.

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camera porn – sexy stuff

January 7, 2025January 7, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

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Asahi Pentax SL ‘Super Set’

January 6, 2025January 6, 2025Chris and Carol 1 Comment

Asahi Pentax SL Set
Super-Takumar f/1.8 55mm Lens
Asahi Pentax Metal Hood
Asahi Pentax Filter and Accessory Clip
Asahi Pentax SL Operating Manual
It’s been professionally serviced and looks and operates like new.

My beautiful set is from about 1969-1972. The instruction book is dated September 1969.

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Canon New F-1. Why not Canon F-2?

January 4, 2025January 4, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Canon New F-1 Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games Edition.
From Canon:
Instead of being a next-generation successor to the F-1, this camera was called the “New F-1” and not the “F-2.” With the first F-1 in 1971, Canon promised that the camera would remain unchanged for 10 years. This promise was fulfilled. During those ten years, remarkable electronics, precision manufacturing, and optics advances existed. The successor to the top-of-the-line F-1 had to incorporate the best electronic technology for better automation, versatility, and specifications.

The New F-1 uses interchangeable focusing screens to change the metering pattern, and it has a segmented metering element for metering flexibility. System AE is incorporated for automation to ensure optimum operation. The camera’s basic controls are the same as those of the old F-1, so F-1 users can easily adapt to the new F-1.

There are significant differences between the original F-1 and the New F-1. I like them both.

The closest I got to owning the 1976 Montreal Olympic edition was the lens cap. It’s shown here on my F-1 that I purchased new in the summer of 1978 while stationed in Japan.

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Have I crossed a line? (answer below)

January 3, 2025January 3, 2025Chris and Carol Leave a comment

As part of my New Year goal setting, I decided to round up my Canon F-1 cameras to do an inventory check and photograph them all together. After editing my pictures, I “found” another unaccounted-for F-1 and a box! Here is the family. On the upper left is my original F-1, which I purchased in Japan in the summer of 1978 (without the motor drive). The others evolved over the years with the green F-1, my latest acquisition (I hope).