We found this lens recently while surfing various sites. It’s the first time I’ve seen the famous f/ 1.2 M42 mount lens with the original maker’s marks and serial number. Just a really nice find!

Nope… it’s not our lens (wish it was) and we can’t afford it but at the time of this blog post it was for sale on one of the well known auction sites ($1,450.00)…

Go for it!!!

Thanks for looking… Chris and Carol

Another big step in Yashica’s growth was the groundbreaking introduction of the TL-Super in 1966. Yashica started making 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras in 1959 with the Pentamatic ’35’. The Pentamatic was a solid first offering by Yashica but it was a timid first step. On one hand, the Pentamatic was a beast but lacked some serious upgrades… no self timer and no built-in exposure meter. The self timer was not much of an issue as Yashica made an accessory timer that could be used on many of their camera platforms and was simple to use. There was an option to buy a separate exposure meter (more money) and slide it on the accessory shoe so that at least you didn’t have to hold a meter in your hand to take a meter reading. Awkward. What was groundbreaking for the TL-Super is the fact that two CdS resistors were mounted inside the finder and would accurately measure the amount of light actually reaching the film. The ‘TL’ part was for through-the-lens metering (TTL) and it became the standard practice from that point forward.

Two other firsts for the TL-Super… first camera in the world to use silver-oxide 1.5v batteries and the Super marked the first time Yashica permanently mounted an accessory shoe (hot shoe) to the top of the pentaprism. Small stuff but big for Yashica.

Over the course of production for the TL-Super, two versions (3 actually) were made. V1 still used a baseplate locking system similar to the previous ‘J’ series of SLRs. The film advance lever was a rather plain but elegant lever much like some very early Yashicas used. The lenses were chrome nosed Auto Yashinons and came in two different apertures… f/ 1.7 and f/ 1.4 50mm. V2 changed the baseplate to a new cleaner style that no longer had the locking lever to open the film back. Instead the back was opened by lifting the rewind lever upwards and that would release the door. The film advance lever changed to a part metal and part plastic design which looked more like the more modern cameras at the time (1967-1970). The lenses became the black nosed Auto Yashinon-DX 50mm in both f/ 1.7 and f/ 1.4. The third unofficial version? Mine. Caught between part upgrades my Super has the old style film advance lever but has the later baseplate and uses the rewind knob to pop open the film back. My Super also came with a black nosed f/ 1.4 lens and a much later edition of the instruction booklet. So I’ll call it V1 (a).

Thanks again for your visit! Chris and Carol

Please feel free to comment or add items that we may have overlooked.

A little info about a Yashica Pentamatic II that was spotted the other day. Well today actually! It sold for around $112 with the f/ 1.7 lens and the original leather case. As best as we can tell it was far from ‘nice’. That price gives you some idea on how infrequently the Model II shows up for sale.

The body serial number is No. 86000631… that would put it in line with the serial numbering system established for the Pentamatic I. Not very many of the Model IIs were sold as the production run was extremely short as best we can tell. The Pentamatic S “replaced” the Model II by late 1961. We haven’t found concrete evidence as to why Yashica brought out the Pentamatic Model II to begin with (with so few changes). Was the Model I that much of a failure?

This serial number would decode to: ‘860’ = August 1960 and the ‘00631’ = the 631st in the production sequence.

The lens appears to be a “newly designed” lens that Yashica asked Tomioka Optical to build… a unique 5.8cm f/ 1.7 Auto Yashinon (rather odd size for a normal lens on a 35mm SLR). The lens was an early replacement (?) for the recently made Auto Yashinon 5.5cm f/ 1.8 lens which was the normal lens for the Model I. We haven’t cracked Yashica’s serial number code yet on these lenses as there are not many to look at. At first glance it would appear that the ’42’ is a model number of the lens with the ‘4065’ being the 465th lens made. A Japanese sales brochure for the Model II (dated 02/1961) has a clear serial number on the lens: 424106. Remember that the brochure had to have at least a month or two lead time so the image of that lens and body were more than likely taken in the August-September period of 1960.

As always… we appreciate any and all comments you may have and would love for you to share them with us. Especially if you have new information about the Pentamatic series of cameras.

Thanks… Chris & Carol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Yashicaflex Rookie or more simply the Rookie, was released in early 1956 and was destined for the domestic market only. There is some evidence that it may have been initially designed as a super inexpensive camera that would be sold worldwide (mostly because of the name and the fact that the presentation box has ‘for Jr.’ on it which would have little or no meaning inside Japan). The camera was in fact only available in Japan and all of the literature is in Japanese with no English ads found.

Back to the case or as they are often referred to as an ever ready case. The marks on the bottom of the leather case have a very distinct K.K in a box design (image 1 below). We believe that in the early days of Yashima-Yashica that they did not have they capability to produce their own leather goods. Nothing we have proves that theory but it’s just a hunch on our part. We believe that this mark and other marks similar to it are the trademarks or makers marks of the leather goods company that provided them to Yashica. During this same time period Japanese tin toy makers had similar marks on them and the coincidence is not all that coincidental.

As Yashica grew it is possible that they did in fact take over the manufacturing of leather goods in their factory in Suwa as the cases of the early 1960s rarely if ever had these trademarks.

As we find others we’ll be sure to share them here.

Comments? Please feel free to add them as you see fit.

Many thanks… C&C

 

One of our favorite lenses in the Yashica family. A rather fast f/ 2.8 60mm macro lens made by Tomioka Optical Co., Ltd. of Tokyo for Yashica. 5 elements in 4 groups… it’s capable of life-size (1:1) macro photography. As Yashica describes this lens… “By far the most effective lens for close-ups, copying and macrophotography, as well as general photographic work. Features a new optical glass element, and is fully compensated for all aberrations. Designed to ensure maximum brightness and extremely sharp results. Particularly effective for close-ups of moving subjects (??) and macrophotography without using bellows.” Not sure about the moving subjects part as the depth of field is very shallow.

Weighs in at around 400 grams and can focus down to 0.235 meters. Filter size is 58mm and of course it has the versatile M42 screw-in mount (Praktica).

The Yashicaflex Rookie holds a rather unique position among the Yashima-Yashica line-up of twin-lens reflex (TLR) cameras during the decade of the 1950s. As discussed elsewhere here in our blog, Yashima-Yashica sold more TLRs during the 1950s than any other manufacturer in the world, Japan and Germany included.

The Yashica Rookie as it is more commonly known, was designed (we think) for purchase only within the domestic market of Japan. The focusing scale is in meters… not feet and meters as most export models were. There is plenty of advertising associated with it in 1956 and 1957 but everything we’ve seen is in Japanese including the instruction booklet. The price was an attractive ¥6,800… with leather case and lens cap included!

Rookies are not commonly found outside of Japan but are rather common on Japanese auction sites (1-3 per month). Due to the often harsh climate across Japan (hot, humid summers and brutally cold winters) and lack of modern climate controlled living spaces, many Rookies suffer from corrosion, mold, lens fungus and leatherette peeling to be blunt. Finding one that works and does not have these issues is a challenge.

Lots of stuff about this unique Yashica. Many thanks for your visit and feel free to ask questions or correct us if we are incorrect. Chris & Carol

Another of what we call the ‘littles’ that make collecting fun for us. Yashica-Yashima dual named item from around 1958. Shortly after this one was made most of the new silica gel packs used the new Yashica Co., Ltd. name on everything.

Some time ago we purchased (through auction) what was listed as a rare black body Yashica J-5. The camera was sold by a well known camera dealer with a long ‘track record’ of prior excellent sales. We know from our research and hands-on experience that Yashica’s first ‘Pro-Black’ 35mm SLR was the J-3 as we own two of them and have sold others that were in our collection.

I (Chris) knew that there was about a 99% chance that this J-5 was faked and I don’t have a problem with buying modified or restored cameras as long as it is disclosed as such. But I took a chance on this one even though there were numerous red flags about its originality. The bidding was through an online auction site in another country and my desire to own this ‘rare’ camera got the best of me. My purchase bid went for much more than a typical J-5 should go for and I actually paid more for it (not including the over-the-top shipping fees) than one would pay for a genuine Pro-Black body (from the Yashica factory) J-3.

After looking at my new fake for some two years now, I’ve decided to remove the still fresh black enamel paint and reveal the satin chrome body underneath its black mask.

At this point the camera will get what I call an ‘interpretive restoration’ and will be reassembled in a way fitting a mid 1960s Yashica classic.

So lesson learned for me… only trust in what you know exists… if it’s not documented elsewhere as existing then it’s been faked. But, and it’s a big but (pardon the pun), Yashica has never mentioned that they made a black body J-3 in 1963. I know they exist from the factory as I’ve studied it extensively and know they are real.

Watch as we reimagine this camera and give it a new life!

Many thanks, Chris and Carol