Fuji Photo Film Company, Limited, Tokyo Japan
Fuji Pet 35 – 1959
Category Studio Fun
Fuji Fail-ed… Discovery S700 Zoom Date
It was bound to happen. One klunker out of a bunch of good ones isn’t bad. We think it isn’t so much a bad build as possibly improperly stored… maybe.
Another in the long line of plastic fantastic Fujifilm cameras from the late 1990s.
Part of the Discovery series of compact 35mm point and shoots from Fuji Photo Film. This one came to us still new in the box, unused but maybe stored in a too hot environment. Some of the plastic bag protecting the camera became stuck to the back film door (see below). This one is, using a nautical term, dead in the water. Despite a new battery, the camera won’t fire the flash and the shutter works intermittently or not at all. The power zoom works but beyond that, nothing else. Possibly a short in the circuitry caused by the hot storage (pure speculation).
Sticky residue on the film door from the factory plastic bag. So far it’s resisted all attempts at cleaning it off.
When the battery was first inserted for the date mode, this is the programmed date that popped up. We’re thinking it may be the build year. Why not?
Talking about the date mode battery, what a pain to change it! Number one, it’s not even mentioned in the owner’s manual for starters. It takes a CR2025 3V lithium button battery but it wasn’t mentioned. Take a peek at what it takes to get at it… ⇓
Remove 6 screws and the film pressure plate, the battery cover and then peel up 2 felt light seals!
That baby was buried and stuck down with the light seals!
Back together.
Anyway, it’s a good looking camera and may have been fun to use.
Oh and the remote control (below), no mention of that battery either.
Another CR2025 button battery.
We’ve had great results with our other Fujifilm Discovery series cameras in the past. No reason to believe the series is not worthy of a look. Having said that, this is a new camera that’s never been used and still failed – but that’s why there’s warranties.
Quick specs: Lens Fujinon 35-70mm electronic zoom, 5 elements in 5 groups. DX coded for ISO 100/400. Continuous shooting at 1 frame per second. Weight 235 grams with battery and data back.
Can we recommend the S700 Zoom Date? Well no. There are much better models out there from Fuji. Stick with the longer zoom models still built in Japan.
Thanks for your visit! Comments always welcome.
Studio Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S9900W
Chris
Yashica FR II – the camera that made me buy the Canon F-1
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 FR was out but it didn’t do it for me and quite frankly, the Contax RTS didn’t either. So I waited and saved some money and started reading the Navy Exchange catalog every day (and night). The Canon F-1 looked promising but was expensive. The TL needed to hold me over as I was diverted to purchasing stereo equipment. Sansui pre and power amps, Teac reel to reel, Dual turntable and some killer Kenwood speakers. A small fortune so a camera upgrade would have to wait.
Now it’s the summer of 1978. My ship was inport (finally) long enough for Carol and I to spend some quality time together and to focus our attention on replacing the Yashica. Another visit to A33 and another visit with the Yashica rep. Now the FR II was the camera of the day (and he was still pushing the RTS too). No way. The friendly Canon rep was all too happy to take my money and hand me a bright new F-1 with 55mm f/ 1.4 lens and Canon 80-200mm zoom. The Yashica was sold off to a friend and that was it for Yashica (for the next couple of decades).
Oh happy day! July 1978 – my new Canon F-1 and Canon FD 80-200mm f/ 4 zoom lens.
Present day now and I’m finally an owner of a Yashica FR II.
I picked up this beauty recently because it looked to be in near perfect condition and I figured, why not. Well I gotta say that I’m impressed. Not impressed enough to regret my F-1 purchase back in 1978, but impressed.
The camera feels good in my hands – well balanced and the viewfinder is super bright. What a big difference over the Yashica TL Electro-X. The Contax/Yashica lens is crisp, clear and focusses easily (split-image). The meter is simple (this is a aperture priority camera) so you’re only messing with the f stops.
With the power winder attached it’s a tad on the heavy side but would be useful as a weapon (or anchor).
Simple lines and layout. The meter switch (upper right) is a bit awkward but the meter is accurate and that’s all that matters.
Uses all of the C/Y bayonet mount lenses which can be had for a song today. Here is a 135mm, f/ 2.8 lens that came with it in basically unused condition.
We have so many cameras in the queue right now I have no idea when we’ll get a chance to run a roll through it.
Verdict. I’ve waited nearly 40 years to shoot with it so I’m excited to see how it does out in the field. If you find a nice one for sale (mint condition) then give it a try. Stay away from the ones that look rough – these don’t hold up well with abuse. Prices are all over the place – you may be able to strike a nice deal with a seller who’s ready to part ways. Best of luck!
Studio Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S9900W
Chris
Modern Classics – Fujifilm Zoom Date 110EZ
No it’s not a 110 film camera as the name might imply but one of the last in a long series of 35mm super compact cameras from Fuji.
This one debuted about late 2003 – not that long ago when you think about recent film cameras vs. emerging digital cameras.
As the name implies, it has a zoom lens (38-110mm) and can imprint the date on the film.
Autofocus, exposure, flash and red-eye reduction.
Electronic shutter from 1/2 to 1/500th second.
Nice bright viewfinder – large LCD with date/time imprint and super fast two position zoom buttons. The red power button is almost impossible to push with a normal fingertip. Too small for me.
Power zoom Fujinon lens 38-110mm (f 6.3 to 11.7).
The camera is one of the smallest in our collection of plastic fantastic Fujifilm compact 35s. It weighs in at only 190 grams without the CR123A lithium battery.
Automatic DX film ISO setting from ISO 50-3200. Automatic film loading and film advance and auto pre-wind system.
As we’ve stated before, these cameras are getting harder to find in still brand new condition (with all original factory issued stuff)… so, they are somewhat collectable and if you’re looking for a super compact film camera to take on your next outing, the Fujifilm line is a very good choice.
Studio Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S9900W
Thanks for your visit!
Chris
Yashica Arrivals – Pentamatic S & 635
As if the collection needed more Yashica anything – but collections are dynamic things and as such, something “new” arrives which paves the way for a duplicate(s) to go.
Although we have some very nice Pentamatic-S models in the family, this one is close to mint new and is in fully working condition (including the “no name” exposure meter). So we’ll take a hard look at the others and decide which will be listed for sale in our online store.
The Yashica-635 is another story.
The first one we acquired (about a year ago) looked perfect – new in fact – but it had a fatal flaw – the shutter was jammed because the “M-X” lever was in the wrong position when someone tried to use the self-timer. That one was sold for parts. This one came to us from England and was likely purchased new in Singapore in the late 1950s. A guess on our part but there’s a cleaning cloth with it from a camera store in Changi Village, Singapore which was located right outside the gates of the RAF Changi airbase. This 635 is super clean and works! It even came with the hard to find large Yashica-635 carry case in excellent condition. We can’t wait to try the 35mm feature on it.
The Yashica-635 is a dual format TLR which was released in 1958 (this model) and the Yashica Pentamatic-S came out in early 1961 – possibly January (this one September 1961).
Much more to come on the Yashica-635. We hope to restore the large leather carry case that came with it and we’ll do a complete feature on the dual formats. The ability to shoot 12 6x6cm negatives with 120 roll film and with a few easy change outs inside, switch to shooting a roll of 35mm film with the same camera. Cool.
Thanks for stopping by!
Studio Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S9900W
Chris
Modern Classic – Fujifilm Zoom Date 140
Released around late 1999 or early 2000 – another of Fujifilm’s high zoom 35mm autofocus compact cameras.
It’s a good looking camera that fits well in my hand. Not too small but not overly big either. Still handles like a quality point and shoot camera from the 1990s. Features a nice Fujinon zoom lens so it handles a wide range of shooting situations. Of course when it extends the lens it looks a bit goofy at 140mm but at least the motor is kinda quiet.
The Fujinon lens features 5 components, 5 elements, 38-140mm zoom f/ 7 to 13 with closest AF focusing from 0.9 meters to infinity.
Quality materials used throughout – solid construction.
Nice bright viewfinder – recessed on/off button and an easy to use zoom lever (gray thingy) for zipping through the different focal ranges.
Easy to set date modes and of course an easy to see and read LCD. Big shutter button feels good under your finger.
Easy to load and has some what looks like glass over the rear element. Nice touch.
Of course it has a self timer, auto film advance and rewind, autofocus, autoflash with red-eye reduction and DX coding from ISO 50-3200. Uses the still easy to find CR123A lithium battery. Weighs 240 grams without the battery.
Comes with a roll of Fujicolor Superia film – expired in 2002.
Should you collect these plastic fantastic P&S compact 35mm cameras from the 2000s? Yes of course – if you can find one still new in the box, why not? They don’t make them anymore and if you’re looking to find a good 35mm film camera as a user, this one has enough features and a quality zoom to handle most demanding shooting situations.
This set can be viewed at our online store, CC’s Studio Twenty-3 Eighty at http://www.ccstudio2380.com if you’re interested.
Thanks a bunch for your visit and as always, Carol and I appreciate your comments and likes.
Birth of the United States Navy – 1775 U.S. Mint issued bronze medal.
Bicentennial medal issued by the U.S. Mint and the U.S. Navy on the occasion of the bicentennial of the U.S. Navy (October 13, 1975).
U.S. Mint bronze medal (3 inches). Awesome design – eagle with anchor and flag and warship under full sail.
The modern “Nuclear Navy”. CVN 65 is the USS Enterprise.
Proud to have served. NAS Jacksonville 1985
Happy Birthday America – and almost 242 years of the United States Navy.
Studio Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S9900W
E.P Marked Photo Gear. Is it really worth more?
Photo gear made in Japan will sometimes carry a strange marking <E.P>
In the above example, the <E.P> mark is engraved on the rewind knob of this Nicca camera. This camera is from the 1955 to 1957 period.
In the example above, this Nikkor 13.5cm lens has the <E.P> mark engraved on a small lever near the base of the lens. On the lens case below, the <E.P> mark is stamped into the leather just below the JAPAN stamp. The case belongs with the lens pictured above.
First time we’ve seen the mark on a lens case. To us that implies that the case was mated with that lens from the factory (or wherever the mark was applied).
So what’s up with the <E.P> mark anyway?
As we understand it, the Japanese government needed a way to identify which pieces of photo gear were sold through military facilities and duty free shops in Japan. We feel that the mark means “Exempt Product” – cameras or electronic gear purchased without paying taxes to the government of Japan and purchased by authorized personnel (military members and their families, tourists and by diplomatic members and their families). We’ve seen alternate meanings as “Post Exchange” (military base stores) but U.S. Navy stores are called “Navy Exchange – NEX” and U.S. Army/Air Force stores are “BX/PX or Base Exchange/Post Exchange”. It’s hard to make “NEX or BX” into “EP”. Other explanations of <E.P> include: Export Permitted (or Export Permit), Exchange Program and Export Production.
The “Black Market”.
The majority of the photo gear we have in our collection that bears the <E.P> mark, was in fact purchased through military facilities and not at duty free shops. Another cause for concern after the War, and we know this first hand from having lived in Japan in the late 1970s, was the so called black market that may have existed (it did) in Japan. The difference between what a service member could buy a camera for at the Navy Exchange (reduced cost and no taxes) and what that same item sold for at a Japanese camera store was just too great not to tempt some selling on the black market. The military stores kept tabs on the amount of tobacco and liquor that a family could purchase and big ticket items (cameras and stereo equipment) included a statement on the receipt that the service member would check and then sign that the item was for their personal use. A direct reminder that you were not to resell the item to unauthorized individuals. Our guess would be that if a Japanese citizen had a camera in their possession with the <E.P> mark it would be easy to question where it was purchased. However, the <E.P> marks were normally on parts of the camera that could be removed and replaced with non marked parts. No system is perfect so if there’s a will they’ll be a way.
The <EP> mark on a Yashica-Mat from 1960.
So, does the mark make my photo gear more valuable? Yes. Collectible? Yes. Desirable? Yes. But to whom?
Like anything that’s collected, if someone wants it just because of the mark (in this case), then the <E.P> mark makes your item more desirable. In the real world, the gear is no different except for the mark. But – and it’s a big but – there are fewer of them out there. In the case of the nice Yashica-Mat pictured above, let’s say that Yashica sold 1,000 of them in 1960 throughout Japan. Maybe 5% were marked <E.P> (and that may be way high). So if you want to collect a mint condition Yashica-Mat made in 1960, there may be, let’s say only 10 available worldwide at any one time, and if one of those has the mark, well that adds a nice bonus of rarity to the mix. Another way to look at the mark is that the gear was less likely purchased by a professional photographer and therefore may have been better taken care of by its owner. Lots of exceptions to that line of thinking but it does have some merits.
So there you have it. Something of an explanation. If you have photo gear from the 1950s, 1960s and sometimes from as late as the early 1970s and you have the mark, well now you know a bit more about it. If you’d like us to appraise it for you we will be more than happy to. Just contact us here on the blog and we can get something going for you.
Studio Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S9900W
Chris
Fujicaflex Automat – Fuji Photo Film’s 1st TLR – 1954
Vintage camera wish list item 101.
The Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd., Fujicaflex
フジカフレックス
Designed to incorporate the best features that were available in the medium format twin-lens reflex camera market, the Fujicaflex debuted in 1954 – at a very premium price, we might add. While surfing today, we stumbled upon this wonderful site from Fujifilm Europe. You can check it out here
It’s nice to see a large corporation like Fujifilm blog about some of the really cool cameras that helped make their company great. In another blog, they go on to talk about the amazing Fujipet from 1957.
For more about this wonderful camera, take a trip here too to see Mr. Yoshinobu Koyasu’s camera collection… it is not to be missed!
It’s certainly interesting to read (Fujifilm Europe’s blog) – the older posts that pay tribute to the cameras of their roots are so interesting.
My Fujicaflex acquired in 2018 from a collector in Thailand. Finally!
Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
Please stop by my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com
Canon Sure Shot Zoom S – S AF (1989)
Part of the “Modern Classics” series of our collection. This one is from mid 1993. One of the more sophisticated AF point and shoot (click) plastic fantastic 35mm cameras of the 1990s. There were two versions of this camera – this one, the Sure Shot Zoom S and the Sure Shot Caption Zoom (with removable remote control).
As released from the factory – still new in the box.
The zooming range covers 38-60mm. Other features include auto focus, auto film load, advance wind, auto flash and auto macro. Canon claims it has an improved autofocus control – ‘Evaluative Active System’ that looks at the entire frame and recognizes the main subject based on its distance to the camera (sounds pretty standard to me). Anyway they made a big deal about it in the owner’s manual.
The Canon lens is Spectra-coated and is constructed with 6 elements in 6 groups. I assume it’s glass.
Canon recommends using DX-coded film. The camera automatically sets ISO 50-3200. Non DX-coded film will set to ISO 100.
Well placed shutter release button and large LCD. The auto flash feature can be turned off. What I found surprising was that there was no “Red Eye” reduction system available. Probably too early for that.
The Canon Sure Shot Zoom S features a 3-zone metering, AE programmed system that focuses from about 60cm to infinity. It uses one 6V lithium battery (2CR5) which is still readily available (I just purchased one for $7 with free shipping).
Nice centered viewfinder that is bright and well marked. Super simple back with easy to find and use on-off button.
The TILT lever is pretty cool – it has two positions when you pull it out. When setting the camera down on a flat surface (like a table) for taking selfies, it tilts the camera slightly upward so as not to get the table or whatever in the pic.
The camera is large for a point and shoot – weighs in at 384 grams with the battery and compared to the 1980 model Canon A-1 35mm SLR, almost as large!
The Sure Shot is a large camera – it fits very nicely in my hands and feels solid. The buttons are all recessed so it does take a bit of finger olympics to push them all the way in. By the way, the A-1 with my FD 24mm lens weighs in at 934 grams!
As you hear us say all the time, if you want to collect modern film cameras from the 1980s and 1990s, the best way is if you can find a complete original set, new in the box. Why not if they’re still out there and available. They don’t make them anymore and some of these cameras are quite capable of outstanding images – some would spend crazy money on the more well known cameras for almost unnoticeable differences in the final image (especially since most people don’t enlarge and print images anymore) and scanned to a PC they’ll look just fine on a high quality monitor.
Pick up one of these Sure Shots and I’m sure you’ll be impressed with it.
Studio Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S9900W
Chris
Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris 