Classic Yashica Saturday – J3 with Yashinon Zoom

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

Yashica J-3 in pro-black finish with Auto Yashinon 75-230mm f4.5 zoom lens. The camera is from 1963. This was Yashica’s first black 35mm SLR.

My trusty buddy Pirate keeping me company while I played with my cameras. Sadly, Pirate passed away back in the Spring of 2018.

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.

wordless wednesday

June 16, 2021June 16, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

New Arrivals

June 15, 2021June 15, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hi all… thanks for stopping by! Just in time for Father’s Day I’m offering a nice 10% discount on almost everything in my shop – CC Design Studios at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Lots of unique items from our vast collection of photo gear and other collectibles from our travels over the years. Here’s a small sample…

We also have a bunch of gear and cameras that haven’t been listed yet. If there’s a particular item you’ve been searching for lets us know as we just might have it. Contact us here or at ccphotographyai@gmail.com

Yashica YEM-35 Meter & Pentamatic ’35’

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The Pentamatic was unique in the fact that the accessory shoe was located on the camera’s left side just above the rewind lever. Since the Pentamatic didn’t have TTL metering adding a separate meter was as easy as simply sliding whichever model you wanted on. Of course, the meter wasn’t coupled with the camera so you would set the camera’s aperture and shutter speed according to the meters readings.

Vintage view with the meter attached to the accessory shoe.

Rare Zunow 35mm SLR Set

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

A very rare, no let me say, ultra rare Zunow camera and lens set is for sale via an online auction in Japan. The Zunow was made in extremely limited numbers in 1959 and few remain this complete in the present collector world. Yashica’s first 35mm SLR was designed in early to mid-1959 shortly after Yashica acquired Nicca camera in 1958. The Yashica Pentamatic ’35’ started production in December 1959 with the first units reaching the US market in the Spring of 1960. The Pentamatic and the Zunow share some similar DNA as Yashica purchased lenses from Zunow (mostly cine lenses) and they were for a time dual branded.

Not often seen together original box, lens cap, case with strap, camera body and lens.

Here’s a snip of a completed auction for just the brochure.

Here’s my first Pentamatic ’35’ with a super-rare Tominon and Yashica branded wide-angle lens.

Looking at the Zunow and the Pentamatic it’s not hard to let your imagination run wild that maybe Zunow, Nicca, and Yashica all shared some design features with one another over a drink or two at a local bar on the outskirts of Tokyo.

This could be another sales brochure or brochure and instruction booklet combination.

Zunow and Yashica branded box for an 8mm cine camera lens.

An advertisement for a rare dual offering from a well-known Japanese camera dealer a few years back.

If you’re so inclined to bid on the current set online, here’s the link https://www.easyauctionjapan.com/YahooAuction-Yahoo-607566-j736361126.html

Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your day and please feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Chris

Yashica Pentamatic II – The Phantom

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

The Yashica Pentamatic II is without a doubt the hardest camera to find in any condition in Yashica’s lineup. If you do find one, buy it at least for its standard lens. You won’t be disappointed.

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

A new Pentamatic joins the family – this one was made in September of 1960.

DSCF7800 Seldom seen in the wild, Yashica’s “Phantom” camera – the P2

The Pentamatic II was fitted with a limited production lens made by Zunow Optical – a 5.8cm f1.7 Auto Yashinon with 10 aperture blades. It’s a massive camera with a ton (1,028 grams) of brass and glass.

It’s a distinctive design – very modern but classic at the same time. A clean pentaprism without the cold shoe mounted on it – in fact, the cold shoe (accessory shoe) is mounted on the camera’s left shoulder just above the hidden rewind knob.

DSCF7802

The serial number (NO. 96000944) indicates the “when” of this camera. The “9” is for September and the next digits, “60” is for 1960. The last 5 digits are the sequence number or production number. This one is the 944th made since production…

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Yashica Heavyweights – 1960s glass & brass

June 2, 2021June 2, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Here is a fun visual comparison between three early Yashica cameras.

Yashica’s first 35mm SLR released in early 1960. The Pentamatic 35 with its fast f/1.8 lens was a neck breaker to be sure.

Yashica’s first modern 35mm SLR released shortly after the end of the Pentamatic series in 1962.

First released in 1964, the Yashica Mat EM (Exposure Meter) was and still is a very popular TLR (twin-lens reflex) 120 roll film camera. It features a built-in exposure meter powered by selenium cells. The meter on mine is still working and is accurate when shooting negative films.

What’s the heaviest camera in your collection? Not pictured here I’d say my fully decked out Canon F-1 with a motor drive and big f/1.2 lens is crazy heavy. I’ll have to dig it out and post the results here soon.

Inside a 1960s transistor radio from Japan

May 31, 2021May 31, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

With the back cover removed full 1960s hi-tech is on display. The western looking “Y” was Yashica’s logo during this period. I believe it’s stamped on the back of the speaker.

Yashica Model YT-300 Transistor Radio

Yashica even put their name on the battery connector cap.

Inside the back cover. In addition to making great cameras, Yashica also made some electronic devices such as movie projectors and editors, radios, tape recorders, and even a record player!

The radio with it’s original goodies still intact. It’s a gorgeous piece of electronics that does not power up. I would love to get it fixed if it is even fixable.

Yashica’s YT-300… a neat little radio from 1959

May 29, 2021May 29, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

It’s time to revisit this early post on my blog. Did you know that Yashica made electronics like radios and even a tape recorder?

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica produced more than just cameras during its boom years. As a leader in the field of electronic photography in the middle to late 1960s, Yashica’s early electronic devices ranged from such diverse items as transistor radios, record players, movie projectors, editing equipment and tape recorders to name but a few.

Most of the earliest electronic devices are rather rare now (as one would expect after 50 years) and only occasionally does something come up in auctions both on the web and in estate sales. I suspect that the more common electrical items such as projectors and editing equipment are still flooding eBay and other on-line auction sites.

Finding an early radio such as the YT-300 and YT-100 is a bit harder. Here we share some of what we’ve been able to collect over the years.

20150716_203028_Richtone(HDR) Nice complete set from around 1960.

Yashica YT-300 Radio Brochure Not a bad price for such a sophisticated…

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The Best of Yashica – 1972

May 28, 2021May 28, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

From the Yashica book The Creative System of Photography. Some of the lenses pictured here are nearly impossible to find today in mint or near mint condition. I do know some intrepid Yashica collectors that have come very close to owning all of this.

To chase down all of this is a pretty monumental task so I’d give it a Chase Factor of a solid 10 (CF-10). Good luck chasers!

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica cameras and so much more!

Category Yashica Collectibles

Classic Yashica Saturday – J3 with Yashinon Zoom

wordless wednesday

New Arrivals

Yashica YEM-35 Meter & Pentamatic ’35’

Rare Zunow 35mm SLR Set

Yashica Pentamatic II – The Phantom

Yashica Heavyweights – 1960s glass & brass

Inside a 1960s transistor radio from Japan

Yashica’s YT-300… a neat little radio from 1959

The Best of Yashica – 1972