Vintage Leather Camera Bag

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I came across the beautiful leather camera bag while meeting with some clients of mine. They had a nice assortment of classic cameras to sell and as an afterthought, added this bag with the cameras.

I was immediately taken with the overall design of the bag and who couldn’t resist the warm and well-worn patina the leather had developed over the decades.

What amazed me the most was that all of the stitching on the exterior of the bag was intact – nothing had pulled apart. I’m guessing that the bag is from the 1950s although the 1960s wouldn’t be a stretch.

The only spot where some of the stitching had given way was around this accessory pouch sewn into the bottom of the lid. No other markings could be found except for these and a Google search didn’t provide any clues as to who was the maker.

I had planned on restoring the leather and maybe redoing the dividers inside but a lack of free time prevented me from ever getting around to it. So, I listed it in my online Etsy shop (www.ccstudio2380.com) and it sold within a day! Hopefully, the owner has plans for the bag that include a freshening up of the leather and maybe even getting the lock to work again.

The fabric-covered dividers are still very much intact but could stand some padding and new fabric.

Even the bottom of the bag is in amazing condition. Maybe I’m way off on the age of this bag.

Has anyone seen a bag like this before? How about the logo inside the bag? As I’ve mentioned, there are no other markings indicating where it was made and who may have made it. In the end, everything worked out alright – a customer bought a beautiful bag and has the chance to give it another life. 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.

Yashica Electro 35 GT

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’ve decided to sell my very nice Yashica Electro 35 GT camera. I recently purchased it from the original first owner in my local camera shop. It’s working perfectly after I installed a fresh battery and battery adapter. The meter is accurate and the lens is crystal clear. This model of the Electro 35 features semi-auto exposure shooting. What I mean by that is you obviously set the film’s ASA (ISO) rating then select the correct exposure based on the brightness of the subject and the camera will set the proper shutter speed. There are warning arrows that are visible inside the viewfinder that will warn if the scene is too bright or dark for the f-stop you’ve selected. I’m making it sound more complicated than it actually is. Let’s say it’s a bright sunny day and you’re shooting with a film rated at 200 ASA. You’d set the exposure (f-stop) to let’s say f/8. You could walk around taking shots and except for manually focusing never change the exposure settings. The camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed. It’s perfect for black & white street photography.

The Electro 35 GT features a fast f/1.7 lens which makes this camera ideal for low light situations with fast film. The Yashinon DX lens is super sharp too and at 45mm it’s perfect for 35mm photography.

Here is the new battery with the adapter. About $13 from a seller in Spain. It allows you to use a very common alkaline battery since mercury batteries are banned.

It has a simple top plate with ASA settings from 25 to 1000. The two lights warn of exposures outside the proper exposure range. The meter turns on when you advance the film and shuts off after your shot.

Super nice 35mm rangefinder camera from Yashica.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! – Chris

New arrivals in my camera shop!

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

Just in time for Christmas shopping, I’ve added many new items from my collection of cameras, lenses, and photogear. Almost everything is on sale at 10% off and most have free or reduced shipping to customers in the USA. I do ship worldwide too. You can shop in my online store at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

More items are being added daily as I continue to list from my collections of things. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! – Chris

Happy SUNday! – chasing compact P&S digitals.

November 7, 2021November 7, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll no doubt know that I like these compact (little) point-and-shoot digital cameras. I find them easy to tote as most will slip nicely into a pant or jacket pocket. Before smartphones were a thing with their high-resolution cameras I’d often carry a pocket digital and shoot with it alongside my primary (big) film SLR. I find shooting with two distinct formats fun and challenging. I also like the fact that with these compacts it’s easy to get both extreme low and high angles that would be difficult with a bulky SLR.

Today’s featured camera is this awesome Canon PowerShot A480 10-megapixel ultracompact with a sharp Canon 3.3x zoom lens. It has 10 shooting modes plus 30fps movie capabilities and one of the best parts it takes just two easy-to-find AA batteries. There is a separate button battery for the date/time feature (CR 2016) but heck that only needs replacing once every ten years or so (which I just did).

With the lens retracted the camera is about the size of a deck of playing cards.

Super sharp Canon power zoom 37-122mm (35mm equivalent) lens. Up to 6x digital zoom.

It’s from Canon so you know the design and function are top-notch.

Just in time for Christmas I’ve added this little gem to my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day.

Canon EOS 500N – lightweight 35mm SLR that’s perfect today.

November 6, 2021November 6, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

When looking for a simple and lightweight 35mm single-lens reflex film camera look no further than this hard-working Canon. Released in 1996 and is still a very capable camera to this day. Mine has the Canon Zoom EF 35-80mm f4-5.6 III attached and everything is in top working condition.

One of the advantages of this camera is its ease of use and as the title suggests is light in weight. With two CR123 batteries installed and with the lens attached (lens cap too) it weighs just 546 grams with is super easy to carry around as the primary or secondary camera while on a photo walk.

The camera is capable of full manual shooting as the lens can be taken off autofocus and exposures both aperture and shutter speed set by the user. It also features 10 creative and programmed exposure modes including macro.

I’ve added it to my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com if you’re interested in purchasing it.

Tiffen 77mm Variable ND Filter – makes things disappear!

November 5, 2021November 5, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Talk about a fun filter to use and to have at your disposal. Instead of lugging around 4 or 5 separate filters, this gem does it all. It’s variable from a minimum of 2 f-stops to as many as 8 stops!

77mm is for use with big glass such as long telephoto lenses. Set up your camera and lens on a sturdy tripod attach this filter and even in bright daylight, you can make people and cars disappear! No, really. Let’s say an exposure calls for f8 at 1/250 of a second and you adjust this filter to slow down the shutter to maybe 1/15th of a second now anything in motion is blurred out. Waterfalls take on an other world look, fast-moving cars are gone and well, the possibilities are endless.

I’ve just added this to my online camera shop hosted by Etsy at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – check it out!

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.

Happy SUNday! – Classic Asahi Pentax K1000

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

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.

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.

Awesome Yashica collectible!

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hello and Happy Wednesday! I’ve just added a really hard-to-find Yashica collectible in my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – pop on over and check it out.

It’s in very nice condition showing no signs of use. It’s from around 1966 or so when Yashica introduced the Electro 35 camera. A mat like this would be typically used by a camera dealer to place on a countertop to show and protect the camera he was showing to a customer. It’s about 16.25 by 10.50 inches. The raised gold letters look as bright and shiny as new.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Just Arrived!

October 20, 2021October 20, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hello all! These really neat items have just been added in my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

The green and tan Canon camera bag is a classic in design and function. Mine is still new in mint unused condition and has been in my Canon collection since new. As I continue to downsize my collections of stuff I’m making it available in my shop just in time for Christmas gift giving. I’ve also listed a few of my Disney collectible camera straps in a variety of styles and colors. All of these straps are also in mint unused condition. The purple and black Walt Disney World camera bag is from the late 1990s and it’s never been used. It’s actually got a tag that states it is a camcorder bag!

There are lots of eclectic things from my collections listed in my shop so if you’re interested pop on over to http://www.ccstudio2380.com and take a look. Have a great day!

Monday Picks – new cameras in my camera shop!

October 18, 2021October 18, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Happy Monday! I’ve added some new cameras and photo gear in my online camera shop hosted by Etsy at http://www.ccstudio2380.com over the weekend. Take advantage of these awesome finds at a 10% discount. I mail worldwide.