North Florida Whine…

January 23, 2022Chris and Carol 3 Comments

When is it going to warm up? Two days straight with highs only in the 40s! LOL

Thanks for stopping by and I hope it’s warm and toasty where you are. – Chris

Happy SUNday! – new and old

January 23, 2022January 23, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My new Canon EOS R mirrorless camera and my classic Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens. By using Canon’s affordable EF-EOS R mount adapter I’m able to use all of my older (and newer) Canon EF mount lenses with no loss of quality or functions. I do have one of the new Canon RF lenses with another in the mail headed my way as I write this.

Notice how much more compact the new Canon RF 50mm f1.8 lens is (below) compared to the older Canon EF 50mm f1.4 lens pictured above with the EF to EOS R mount adapter. ATM Canon does not have an RF 50mm f1.4 lens available – only the RF 50mm f1.2L at nearly $2,300.

One of Canon’s newest RF lenses for the EOS R is the RF 50mm f1.8 STM lens. This lens lists at only $199 through Canon.

Thanks for stopping by and I’ll have the big reveal by mid-week as to which new Canon RF lens will be in my mailbox. 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

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.

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

wordless wednesday

January 19, 2022January 19, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Camera and Lens – Canon EOS R with Canon EF 75-300mm f3.5-5.6 III zoom.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic day! – Chris

Happy SUNday!

January 16, 2022January 16, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Cirrus and Cirrostratus clouds over North Florida. Camera and lens – Canon EOS R with Canon EF 75-300mm f3.5-5.6 III zoom lens at 75mm.

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day! – Chris

Testing my new Canon EF 75-300mm f4.5-5.6 III Zoom Lens

January 15, 2022January 15, 2022Chris and Carol 3 Comments

I found a really nice and only slightly used Canon EF lens the other day and so far I’m very happy with the results. Here are a few test shots from earlier today. All images were shot using my Canon EOS R mirrorless camera. The lens new from Canon retails at around $199. No image stabilization and no IBIS on my camera so faster shutter speeds and slightly higher ISO settings when shooting handheld at this focal length.

Old fence with whale knocker. 300mm f5.6 ISO 400 1/400 (handheld)

Cirrus and Cirrostratus clouds high up in the atmosphere over North Florida.

I’m very happy to say that the performance of the lens at all focal lengths has been better than expected. Is the lens sharper than a more expensive L lens from Canon – no, but for the money it’s great. Lighter weight too makes it an easy 300mm lens to tote. When using the lens on the EOS R body an adapter from Canon is necessary as the EF mount does not directly mount to the RF mirrorless body of the camera. It’s about $99 through Canon.

Shown mounted on my Canon EOS R mirrorless camera. The Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R adds a bit of additional length to the lens. Here at 77mm.

The lens is a great value and with the popularity of the newer Canon EOS R mirrorless bodies catching on now is a good time to find EF lenses at a bit of a bargain. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Pirates?

January 13, 2022January 13, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The public schools on Amelia Island (Fernandina Beach) share the common mascot of the Pirates except in the elementary schools they’re the Li’l Pirates.