A transistor radio from Yashica – 1960

January 29, 2022January 29, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

In addition to Yashica’s well-known cameras, they made transistor radios, projector equipment, tape recorders, and even a record player. Not many are still around and even this gem does not work so it’s a bit of a challenge even to find one for sale online. 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.

Friday Fotos!

January 28, 2022January 28, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hyper-rare Yashica Pentamatic II – was only released in Japan for a very short time.

Yashica Model A still in its factory plastic.

Rare Yashica TL Electro X without the gothic ‘Y’ on the pentaprism (early first version).

As you may be able to tell, Yashica produced a wide range of cameras and there’s plenty of rare varieties worth chasing. I only discovered the TL Electro X without the gothic ‘Y’ about two years ago after convincing myself there was nothing new to collect from the Yashica line.

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

Yashica 8E Zoom 8mm Movie Camera

January 27, 2022January 27, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Yashica 8E Zoom movie camera brochure from November 1960. I like to collect these early Yashica brochures, especially the ones that have a printed date code. Whenever I’m doing research on Yashica’s history having a brochure with a date is invaluable.

The Cover

Closed the brochure is about 195 x 135mm. Yep, that’s one of the ‘Yashica Gals’ drawn on the lower right. There are three different ones and as best as I can tell they were never named by Yashica. They made their appearance around this time across several brochures.

Inside Features

Yashica’s big cine camera with an impressive Yashinon Penta Reflex f1.8 11.5mm to 33mm zoom lens.

Back Cover Pages

The date code is on the extreme lower right – *N11T35* – The 11 is for November and the 35 is the Showa Era in this case Showa 35 (add 25 to the Showa Era = 1960).

Yashica started producing 8mm movie cameras as early as 1956 and was all in by the date of the brochure. Projectors, editors, interchangeable lenses most notably made by Zunow for Yashica, and accessories such as the title pictured above left. Many more brochures to discover from this period.

Yashica macro photography gear in the 1960s

January 27, 2022January 27, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Yashica’s first pro-black 35mm SLR.

Yashica J-3 with Yashica extension tubes and right-angle finder (1962).

A few years later here’s a gorgeous Macro Yashinon f2.8 60mm Tomioka lens set (1964).

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

More Yashica – Yashica Flex S – 1954

January 22, 2022January 22, 2022Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Also known as the Yashica Flex S. I’ve put together a nice complete set of this hard-to-find early TLR from Yashima-Yashica. As you can see on the box, at this point in time the company that would change its name in 1958 to Yashica was still Yashima Kogaku Seiki Company. The instruction book is in English as the camera was marketed by the Miura Trading Company and not directly marketed by Yashima. The Model S was the first TLR with a “built-in exposure meter”. The meter was simply a light meter made for Yashima by Sekonic and attached to the camera’s left side. The selenium cells for the meter are located under the nameplate which is a flap that swings upwards.

If you would like to know more about this landmark camera then I invite you to visit my good friend Paul Sokk’s Yashica TLR site at http://www.yashicatlr.com/66ModelsPage2.html

Paul’s work on the Yashica TLR family of cameras is second to none. He’s also included a wonderful addition to his pages with additional pages dedicated to Leica, Nicca, Leotax, Minolta, and others. Give his site a read and tell him Chris sent you!

Yashica’s J-Series of 35mm SLR Cameras from the 1960s

January 22, 2022January 22, 2022Chris and Carol 1 Comment

Regular readers know that the main focus of my collection has been centered around cameras made by Yashica. I have collected quite a few examples going back to their 1953 origins. This particular series caught my fancy a few years back when I was lucky enough to find a pristine Yashica J-3 in a pro-black finish with a matching lens. When it comes to chasing classic cameras, the J-3 in black and in pristine condition is no easy task. Here are a few images of what I’ve put together so far.

Chasing these guys has been fun, to say the least. It’s not that any one of these is rare in the true sense of the word but finding pristine examples has been the tough part.

As best as I can tell, the J-7 wasn’t the last one produced in the series as the J-4 came out just a bit later.

The black J-3 was never mentioned in any brochure which was odd considering it was Yashica’s first all-black SLR and was produced in limited numbers.

Since the cameras from Yashica were never meant to be of interest to collectors very few survive to this day in mint and better condition. The little circle on the camera’s left side front is the CdS exposure meter. These cameras did not feature TTL (thru-the-lens metering).

If you decide to collect this series you’ll find a very nice assortment of lenses to choose from as Yashica produced thousands over the years. The body accepts m42 screw-in lenses which for a time was one of the most widespread lenses made.

Here is what a complete in-the-box set looks like for the silver J-3 from around 1962.

As always thanks for stopping by – I hope I’ve shed sufficient light on this often overlooked series from Yashica. Maybe a few of you would enjoy the chase in pursuit of these mid-1960s gems. – Chris

Friday Fotos!

January 21, 2022January 21, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

A stunning camera from Yashica – the early 1960s.

Yashica’s black beauty.

Yashica J-3 35mm SLR in wonderful black & white.

Here it is in a more traditional silver and black body. The brochure is from 1962.

This black body version of the J-3 is extremely difficult to find online. Yashica didn’t release production figures and I’ve never been able to find a mention of it in any English or Japanese product brochures.

I like both images and it would be hard to say which version is my favorite. The black & white image seems a fitting way to express the stark black of Yashica’s first pro-black camera. The color version I believe gives depth to the smooth black surfaces. Do you have a favorite? Let me know. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Throwback Thursday – Yashica Classics

January 20, 2022January 21, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Yashica TL Electro X ITS with Auto Yashinon 55mm f1.2 Tomioka lens.

The Yashica-Mat EM has a built-in exposure meter which can simplify shooting with these somewhat awkward cameras. The meter is powered by selenium cells so no batteries are needed. After 50 years most meters have stopped working but I’m lucky mine is still functioning.

The Yashica TL Electro X ITS is a wonderful camera period. Simple and straightforward controls and an easy-to-see and use exposure meter visible through the viewfinder. Here it’s pictured with an awesome Auto Yashinon 55mm f1.2 Tomioka lens.

If you’re on the hunt for a classic film camera to use then certainly check out either one of these. They’re both easy to find in online auction sites or maybe your uncle has one in his closet.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Saturday singles

December 4, 2021December 4, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Camera – Yashica L AF 35mm compact point and shoot (1986). Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 color negative film.

The Yashica L AF is a sleeper of a camera to chase for your collection and certainly a camera that will exceed your expectations on a photo walkabout. The super sharp 32mm Yashinon lens is fast enough for most autoexposure situations and clear enough for making enlargements.

Yashica L AF on the left and Kyocera T Scope (T3) on the right.

If you’re looking to spend your money wisely chase after the less expensive L AF over the T3. They were made in the same factory about two years apart (T3 is from 1988). For hundreds of dollars less, you can have a fun camera that you’ll actually use.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! – 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

Revisiting a classic – Yashica Flex model S

December 2, 2021December 2, 2021Chris and Carol 1 Comment

Yashica Flex Model S. Maybe from 1955 or early 1956. First Yashica TLR with built-in exposure meter. Made by Yashima Kogaku Seiki Co., Ltd. Tokyo, Japan, which later became Yashica. The leather case is in excellent condition given its age. The camera is a gem and is a joy to play with.