eBay is funny (but they don’t make you laugh)

March 2, 2022March 2, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’ve been on eBay since 2003 and a regular seller since 2008. During this time I’ve been a “Top Rated Seller” and in the old days, a “Power-Seller”. What’s the advantage of being a top-rated seller? Well, they place a little logo next to your seller ID, you get a reduction in some of your final value fees, and you get to be compared and judged against other sellers with higher sales figures and often higher negative feedback ratings. In order to qualify, you must maintain at least 100 sales during a twelve-month period with a minimum of at least $1,000 in transactions. So, if you have 99 transactions and $5,000 in sales and no negative feedbacks you wouldn’t qualify because negative feedback isn’t really that important to them in the long run. But let’s say you have 3,000 transactions, $20,000 in sales, and a bunch of negative feedbacks from your customers you could still be “Top Rated”. Here are a few recent messages I’ve received from eBay –

**This is crazy – why tell me that I had no cases and still need to improve?**

**How’s this for a roller coaster ride?**

To say the least this is a confusing mess. I was Top Rated and then I wasn’t with no defects and no negative feedback comments. I sold 99 items (over a 12-month period) with just under $5,000 in sales. eBay charges about 12 to 15% so they made a nice profit from me.

**These numbers only reflect feedback received – many buyers don’t take the time to leave feedback**

**Positive feedback is a good thing but not necessarily in eBay’s eyes.**

I’ve started to list fewer items for sale on eBay and as I have a majority of my cameras and lenses on Etsy (www.ccstudio2380.com) and on my Mercari site. BTW, Etsy charged only 5% but will start charging 6.5% in April. It’s still a deal compared to eBay’s 12-15%.

Here is how Etsy rewards sellers (below).

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

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.

At least they caught their mistake.

February 15, 2022February 15, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

This errata sheet was included with the Yashica brochure (pictured below) from 1974.

Yashica’s “Infallible” System needed to be corrected.

There aren’t too many of these sales brochures still floating around so I ended up buying one that is a bit rough condition-wise (but complete). It even has some prices written on the cover as a bonus.

The date code (lower right corner) is **E074** which I take to be July 1974. It’s one of the few brochures from this period that both the English and Japanese versions use the same images inside.

The sales brochures for the Yashica Electro AX and FFT cameras are pretty hard to find online here in the US on eBay and Etsy or through the Japanese auction sites. The owner’s manuals are even harder to find!

Here’s the back cover of the Japanese sales brochure. It uses the same date code ***074***.

Small stuff I know but I’m trying to document as much as I can on these last two models (AX & FFT) from Yashica in their M42 screw-in mount camera line (1972-1974). 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

Canon and the Olympics – 1980 – fun stuff to collect

February 14, 2022February 14, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

There’s plenty of Canon Olympic stuff out there – a rather hard one to chase down is the Canon F-1 1976 Montreal Olympic camera in mint (working) condition with its box and although they are easy to find the 1984 Canon New F-1 camera is still quite expensive in mint condition with its original box. There are lots of other Olympic collectibles to be found such as lens caps, bags, jackets, straps, and pins. Have fun with it!

Media vest. This was a lucky find! It was still in its original package unused too.

FIFA World Cup 1986 Canon T50 – no special markings on the camera just the colorful box.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

1975 – an important year for Yashica

February 11, 2022February 11, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

A dream collection of Yashica cameras – if only it was 1975 again! This photo is from the Yashica publication intended for US camera dealers and represents only a small portion of what was available from Yashica in 1975. Conspicuous in its absence is the flagship TL Electro-X ITS with its distinctive gold electron logo on the pentaprism.

From ‘Yashica A New Horizon’ – 1975 marketing brochure. If you look closely at the copy stand in the area just below the bulb on the right you can just make out a piece of black tape. On my copy stand, it says Yashica and since Contax didn’t make one (at the time of this image) they just covered up the Yashica name.
How cool would it be to own everything pictured?

My good friend Graham Buxton-Smither had this to say about the Contax image above – “It was an aspirational piccie back in the late 1970s – one could only dream about owning such gear – even more so when you added the Zeiss lens range. You are absolutely right about the copy stand – it’s Yashica’s Cope Stand II. Two other Yashica items are shown – the Microscope Adapter and the Magnifier. All is not as it seems with other gear too! The motor drive/250 back is the one later used by Olympus with the OM1n; the hammer-head flash is a lower-powered National, quite unlike the RTF540; the bellows is simply a basic Novoflex rebranded (the Contax Auto Bellows is far superior with swing/tilt), and the radio control kit is nothing like the actual one eventually produced under the Contax name. It’s still a great piccie though! I’m adding a photo to the Yashica Group showing the ML 55 2.8 + 27mm Tube on a Contax RTS Fundus that shows the true Contax 250 back and drive.” I’ve included an image of Graham’s Contax that he mentions above (see below).

This shows the ML 55 2.8 in 1:1 macro mode using Yashica’s 27mm Extension Tube. It’s attached to my lab kit – a Contax RTS Fundus with the Professional Motor Drive and 250 Back. I often use it with the AC Control Box when observing an item over extended periods of days or weeks.

If you’d like to visit Graham’s Flickr site which is just like visiting a Yashica and Contax museum you can find him at https://www.flickr.com/photos/164456136@N06/

Thank you for stopping by and hopefully, I’ve piqued your curiosity a bit! – Chris

What’s up with that ‘electron’ thingy?

February 10, 2022February 10, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My good friend Paul Sokk (www.yashicatlr.com) asked me this just yesterday and I vaguely remembered writing something about it after finding a definition from Yashica.

Probably Yashica’s most famous ‘electron’ camera the TL Electro-X ITS.

Yashica wasn’t alone in its use of the symbol. According to Paul it likely started with the Seiko ES shutter on a Minolta Electro Shot 35 camera and since then it was used for the most part to identify cameras with electronically controlled or timed shutters.

Here’s a snip of a brochure in my collection (mid-1970s) that presents Yashica’s definition of the symbol.

Looks like something Doc would have liked from **Back to the Future**.

BTW, I’m pretty sure but with no proof from Yashica that ‘ITS’ meant ‘Integrated Technology System’ or something along those lines. The gang at Yashica never bothered to define it officially in a brochure or user manual. I like ‘It’s The Same’ as Paul reminded me of in an email recently.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Rare Yashica Minister-700 Camera Leaflet

February 6, 2022February 6, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I purchased this gorgeous advertising leaflet from a collector in Japan that is as fresh as the day it was printed back in 1964 (best guess of the actual date).

Yashica Minister-700 35mm rangefinder film camera.

The lower portion of this leaflet talks about a test that Asahi Camera magazine published in December 1964 praising the sharpness and speed of the f1.7 Yashinon 4.5cm lens and the accuracy of the built-in CdS light meter.

Yashica Minister-700 “DeLuxe” model 35mm rangefinder camera. There’s no mention as to what makes this a DeLuxe model other than the cost of a premium leather case for an additional 1,800 JPY.

The Yashinon f1.7 4.5cm lens has 6 elements in 4 groups. A lens like this would not normally be on a “simple” rangefinder like this at this price point of 18,000 JPY in 1964.

This model is not as common as the other models in the Minister “family” and it would be an excellent find for any collection. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Yashica’s ‘Stealth’ Camera

February 4, 2022February 4, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I know, sounds like clickbait. By stealth, I’m referring to a camera that few have heard of so it flew under the radar and avoided potential buyers back in 1972, 1973, and 1974. I don’t know how many Yashica sold but I do know it’s a difficult camera to find in working condition that isn’t beat to heck. So, if you’re looking for a challenging chase may I add this camera to your list.

It looks as though the first cameras rolled out in March 1972 and ended around February 1974.

The Yashica Electro AX. It’s a hard one to chase down and still get a working model that isn’t beat to heck.

It’s the same model but pictured with three different lenses. It’s also the only M42 lens mount body with the two leatherette patches on either side of the pentaprism.

The date code on this brochure is either 1974 or July (07) 1974 (lower right numbers).

My Electro AX was made in November 1973. Takes M42 screw-in lenses.

Here’s an earlier post I wrote about this camera https://yashicasailorboy.com/2020/01/31/yashica-electro-ax-yashicas-goofy-automatic-exposure-slr/

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Sears Tower 35 made by Nicca

February 3, 2022February 3, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Catalog pages from a Sears Roebuck camera catalog from 1952.

The Nicca-Tower Type-3 is an excellent camera to add to any camera collection featuring early Japanese 35mm rangefinder cameras. They can be a bit on the higher price range but well worth your time chasing one down. If you’d like to discover more about Nicca cameras please visit my good friend Paul Sokk’s wonderful site at http://www.yashicatlr.com/Nicca.html#type3

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Dreaming of my Fuji…

January 29, 2022January 29, 2022Chris and Carol 2 Comments

The Fujica GW690 (large) medium-format film camera by Fuji. It’s the largest 120/220 roll film camera in my collection and let me tell you, it’s a beast! It boasts an EBC Fujinon f3.5 90mm fixed lens that goes far and above any other film camera I’ve ever used. Check out this unedited image below – the detail that can be captured on a 6x9cm frame of film is amazing.

I love the look of Neopan Acros 100 film and its ability to capture the finest details.

I love the statement – “Light Weight and Compact”. I’m not quite sure that 6x9cm is considered to be a large format camera but who am I to argue with the gang at Fuji Photo Film marketing.

If you’ve never heard about this camera I highly recommend you take a stroll through the various online selling sites and check out this wonderful camera. There are “millions” of them out there so it’s not a difficult camera to chase down. I don’t ever see myself selling this camera as I originally purchased it from Japan at a great price and I love using it (although it’s been a long time). Be sure to check out my previous posts about this camera in the links below. Thanks for stopping by and I hope I’ve encouraged you to take a peek at these online. – 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

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica cameras and so much more!

Tag Advertising

eBay is funny (but they don’t make you laugh)

At least they caught their mistake.

Canon and the Olympics – 1980 – fun stuff to collect

1975 – an important year for Yashica

What’s up with that ‘electron’ thingy?

Rare Yashica Minister-700 Camera Leaflet

Yashica’s ‘Stealth’ Camera

Sears Tower 35 made by Nicca

Dreaming of my Fuji…

Friday Fotos!