Yashica’s Early 35mm SLRs

May 28, 2023May 28, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My good friend Paul Sokk from Australia (www.yashicatlr.com) has compiled a great database of almost all of Yashica’s cameras and by decoding serial numbers we’ve been able to come up with a list of manufacturing dates. So, by using these serial numbers here is a general list of when the following models were first and last made.

Penta J Aug 1961 to Aug 1965

Reflex 35 Mar 1962 to Jan 1964

J-3 Nov 1962 to Sep 1964

J-5 Mar 1964 to Jun 1965

J-P Aug 1964 to Sep 1966

J-4 Mar 1965 to Jun 1965

J-7 Nov 1966 to Dec 1967

Yashica’s little oddball model. I believe it was only manufactured to be sold by Montgomery Ward as the Wards SLR 500. For Wards, Yashica fitted it with a Tominon C 5cm f/2 lens vice the lens shown here. A true budget model for around $160 US.

The Pnnta J was the first modern style SLR from Yashica with the universal M42 screw mount for a wide variety of lenses. It was the first model after the Pentamatic S. The J-3 was the first model that had a coupled CdS light meter built into the camera’s left shoulder.

From the 1964 Wards catalog. It’s easy to see that the Wards slr 500 is mostly made from the Yashica J-P with the film advance lever used from the Penta J.

One final note. The serial numbers tell when the camera was produced, not when a camera was released for sale to the public. I believe this list represents the most accurate timeline of these early models from Yashica. Many thanks to Paul for his efforts to compile the most accurate data to date. There is no one better.

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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.

Black Beauty from Yashica

May 24, 2023May 24, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The Yashica J-3 was the first numbered model of the ‘J’ Series of cameras and was released in late 1962. The black version was never mentioned in any brochure that I own or have seen either in English or Japanese. A small number were made but finding a mint and working model is quite difficult – but worth the chase!

J-3 in all black and classic silvered chrome.

Studio Camera – Fujifilm X-T2

Lens – Yashica Auto Yashinon 5cm f/2 (the original lens for the J-3)

Adapter – FotodioX M42-FX

Film Simulation – (Top) Acros, (Bottom) Velvia Vivid

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wordless wednesday

May 24, 2023May 24, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Camera – Fujifilm X-T2

Lens – Yashica Auto Yashinon 5cm f/2 (1964)

Lens Adapter – FotodioX M42-FX

Subject – US Navy F-4U Corsair

Wordless? Not so much. Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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New Canon Page from Paul Sokk

May 20, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My good friend Paul Sokk from Australia has done it again! He’s uploaded an amazing and detailed history of Canon rangefinder cameras that’s second to none.

You can check it out at http://leica-copies-japan.com/Canon.html

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

A memory of mom – Happy SUNday!

May 14, 2023May 14, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Family trip to California and Nevada in December 1960. I’m pictured with my first camera which was a Christmas gift that year – Kodak Brownie Flashmite 20 which used 620 roll film (it’s still available today). I’ve long ago “lost” the camera somewhere in time. BTW, this image was taken by my dad with his Polaroid 110 Pathfinder camera (1953) which I still proudly own.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Thanks for stopping by, Chris
P.S. I had just turned 7 in November.

1960 in Las Vegas – Kodak Brownie Flashmite 20 – my first camera.

Have a wonderful day, Chris

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Canon F-1 from 1978

May 11, 2023May 11, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Here is my original F-1 from 1978 purchased new at the Navy Exchange in Yokohama, Japan. I later added the Motor Drive MF and the Canon FD 55mm f1.2 lens.

Photographed – Fujifilm X-T2 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f2.8-4 R LM OIS zoom lens at f10, 1/8 at ISO 800

Lighting – Single 4-foot LED set at 4000K placed directly overhead.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Another Nikon ‘Plastic Fantastic’ – One Touch 200

May 9, 2023May 9, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris –
Another neat Nikon from my collection. The Nikon One Touch 200 is a plastic fantastic from 1991 with a sharp Nikon 35mm lens and smart flash capabilities. It focuses from 2.1 feet to infinity (and beyond). This one is still new in the box and one of the last Nikons of this type to be ‘Made in Japan’. It’s available in my online camera shop CC Design Studios at www.ccstudio2380.com

The Nikon One Touch 200 features a sharp glass Nikon 35mm f3.5 lens (3 elements/3 groups).

It’s not often that you can still find a new camera from 1991.

I have a few other Nikons from my collection in my shop right now – check them out at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Nikon N6006 35mm SLR with AF Nikkor zoom lens.

Nikon One Touch Zoom 90 35mm compact point & shoot with a sharp zoom lens.

Nikon One Touch 100 35mm point & shoot camera set.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai

Yashica LM – 1957

May 5, 2023May 5, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

An old favorite of mine. This one was made by the good folks at the Yashima factory in Shimosuwa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan in about mid-1957. The serial number, 119xxx puts it in the early first stages after a slight upgrade to the original design from late 1956. This one has a built-in exposure meter on the camera’s left side and the “light gathering window” is located under the nameplate. The shutter and focus are spot on and the meter appears accurate.

These images were taken using my new overhead studio light and my Fujifilm X-T2. Simple setup with excellent results. Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Happy SUNday! – rare Yashica collectible

April 30, 2023April 30, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’m always on the chase for unique Yashica collectible items especially if it’s one of the ‘Yashica Sailor Boys’ – in this case, it’s the rare football version of the little guy. It’s made by Modern Plastics of Japan but in this case, I’m not sure of exactly when (later than 1962). He rarely comes up at auction and in this case, he’s also in excellent condition.

The ‘Sailor Boy’ in football gear. The number 35 is in reference to a 35mm camera as part of a promotion.

The guy on the left was made to promote the release of the Yashica 5 Star Auto Focus 35mm camera and the guy on the right is the original 1962 version.

1981 promo for the Yashica 5 Star Auto Focus 35mm camera. The ‘Sailor Boy’ has been reimagined as Wee Willie Winkie telling the world about his new camera (no, really LOL).

Yashica in Katakana characters on his hat.

Hope I’m the winning bidder but I’m afraid he’s so rare that vinyl figurine and toy collectors will bid past my budget. Have a great day and thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Super HAD CCD Sony – what?

April 24, 2023April 24, 2023Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Released in 2005, this Sony is a stunning performer thanks to its ‘Super HAD CCD’ sensor.

What is ‘Super HAD’? Hole-accumulation Diode Technology. As CCD sensors got smaller and resolution increased, Sony placed “on-chip microlenses” directly on top of each pixel on the CCD which have been able to gather and focus more light directly onto the individual pixels. From Sony – “By optimizing the shape of the on-chip microlens we have reduced the invalid area between each individual pixels’ microlens, and therefore have also reduced the amount of incident light lost.” What Sony’s Super HAD Technology means is a signal-to-noise ratio improved by 3 to 4 dB giving a clearer, crisper, and more natural high-quality digital image.

Straight from the camera. At 7.2 megapixels this image is more than acceptable, in fact, I like it over images of the same subject taken with much higher resolution cameras with bigger sensors (including full-frame sensors). To me, it looks like an image taken with a film camera.

Image captured with my Canon EOS R 30 megapixel CMOS mirrorless camera with a Canon RF 70-200 f4L IS USM lens. Admittedly this lens is not known for its close-up abilities so it’s not necessarily the best lens for this test. The lighting had changed by the time I shot this image over the previous image taken with the Sony.

If you’re interested in returning to using a digicam with a CCD sensor then you may find my Sony to be just what you want. I’ve added it to my camera shop CC Design Studios at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

I believe the combination of superior Carl Zeiss optics and Sony’s Super HAD CCD sensor makes this a sleeper in the compact point & shoot digicam market. By the way, when new in 2005 it listed for $399 MSRP. In 2005 dollars that was a pretty expensive camera (even in 2023 that’s expensive).

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica cameras and so much more!

Tag Blogging

Yashica’s Early 35mm SLRs

Black Beauty from Yashica

wordless wednesday

New Canon Page from Paul Sokk

A memory of mom – Happy SUNday!

Canon F-1 from 1978

Another Nikon ‘Plastic Fantastic’ – One Touch 200

Yashica LM – 1957

Happy SUNday! – rare Yashica collectible

Super HAD CCD Sony – what?