Before there was Yashica there was Yashima. From its humble beginnings in the small town of Suwa in the shadows of the Japanese Alps and along the shores of Lake Suwa, Yashica grew to be Japan’s largest producer of high quality but low priced twin-lens reflex (TLR) medium format (6x6cm) cameras in less than a decade. The ‘Sailor Boy’ figurine is from 1962 and the box is from 1953. This box holds the very first camera that bore the Yashima name. The presentation box as they are called, has survived over six decades of use and represents the oldest box in our collection. Relatively rare (maybe really really rare) box is seldom seen outside of Japan. Most camera boxes from the 1950s were thrown away or just simply fell apart. 

As best as I can tell, Tomioka Optical in Tokyo has always made the lenses used by Yashica and Yashima. In fact at some point in the late 1960s (I believe 1968) Yashica acquired Tomioka as part of their company. The Tominon name sometimes appeared on lenses that also had the Yashinon name. On occasion, Yashica would also “allow” Tomioka to put their name on the lens. The image attached to this article is an example of that. The Tomioka “branded” 55mm f/ 1.2 lens is to some the epitome of the classic fast lenses of the 1970s. I don’t have that lens in my collection as it almost always appears for sale on auction sites near the $1,000 mark… well out of my range for a lens that I would use infrequently. In addition, the mystique of the lens may outweigh the actual performance of the optics.

No doubt though the lens is fast and did perform well enough for its reputation to grow with an almost cult-like following. It is certainly a good looking lens that any Yashica collector would like to have.

This image is from a recently acquired Yashica publication titled Yashica TL ELECTRO-X, The Creative System of Photography. Some excellent images, illustrations, charts and descriptions of the TL Electro-X ITS and its accessories are spread out over its 45 pages.

Of note, the “model number” of these lenses are included in the serial numbers… they begin with 552 which tells the focal length of the lens (55mm) and the 2 indicates (f/ 1.2) aperture or “speed”. The next four numbers are the production sequence numbers. So when you see a serial number of “No. 5520312” you know that you’re looking at a 55mm lens with a maximum aperture of f/ 1.2 and it was the 312th unit made.

Tomioka Auto-Yashinon f/ 1.2 55mm lens.

45 page publication from around 1972.

Another slight departure from the Pentamatics. Here is a beautiful Yashica-Mat EM from around mid 1964. Everything works on this camera… the built-in exposure meter works like a charm (no batteries required) and the shutter is spot on. Of course what would a picture of a classic Yashica be without one of the ‘Sailor Boys’ posing alongside. The marketing doll is from around early 1962 and he was made in many different versions. The EM is a twin-lens reflex (TLR) film camera and was made by the talented craftspeople at Yashica’s factory in Shimosuwa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. A true work of art that has stood the test of time.

A nice collection of different versions of Yashica’s ‘Sailor Boys’. In my travels I’ve discovered other Yashica marketing “dolls” but this just about covers them all. I know there’s a Christmas candle ‘Sailor Boy’ with matching Christmas box. If you’ve seen others please feel free to share them with me. Thanks!

What happened to Yashica’s first ever 35mm single lens reflex (SLR) camera… the Pentamatic? After nearly two years of producing the original Pentamatic, it’s virtually gone from the major photography magazines in the U.S. and after nearly a year of production, no mention of the second model in the Pentamatic series the Pentamatic II. In the February 1962 issue of Modern Photography magazine, I counted only three small ads for the Pentamatic and no ads (large or small) for the Pentamatic II. Why did Yashica let the Pentamatic go away so quickly? I’m still searching for the first advertisement that mentions the model II. I have seen the model II in Japanese domestic market sales brochures so I know that Yashica at least advertised the camera at home. No English language ads as of yet. I will say that I don’t have all the photography magazines from 1961, 1962 or 1963 so I’m basing my info or a rather small sample size. I do have Japanese language sales brochures that advertise the model I and II together and as best as I can tell, the ads are from very late 1960 to very early 1961. So my search continues and my questions remain unanswered for the moment. These two ads appeared in the February 1962 issue of Modern Photography magazine. Both ads were from major camera retailers in New York City.