Mamiya C33 TLR – 1969

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

1969 was a great year, I went on my first date, we landed on the moon, the NY Mets won their first World Series and this wonderful camera from Mamiya was made.

Mamiya C33 twin-lens reflex camera with Mamiya-Sekor f3.5 105mm lens.

As it turns out, the little gold two-letter round stickers on most Mamiya cameras and lenses are date codes. Apparently not much can be gained by looking at Mamiya’s serial numbers but the date code stickers will tell the year and month according to Bill Rogers who is a Mamiya repair technician. His post about the stickers can be found at https://mamiyarepair.com/mamiya-production-date-codes/ – awesome info!

If you own Mamiya equipment (beyond their 35mm cameras and lenses) the stickers should be on almost all lenses and camera bodies (unless they’ve fallen off or were removed). You can just barely see the sticker on the side of the top lens in the picture above. In my case, the sticker is ‘IE’ which decodes to 1969 May. The body date sticker will be in the film chamber. Mine is ‘IF’ which decodes to 1969 May. If you read Bill Rogers’ site you’ll discover the secret to dating your photo gear. Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai – 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.

Texture, light, and color

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

An antique slate roof tile from New England – which image is more pleasing? Both are taken with my Samsung Galaxy S8+.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai – Chris

White Flowers

May 13, 2022May 13, 2022Chris and Carol 2 Comments

They’re white, that’s all I know – but they sure are pretty.

“Wild” white flowers. Oleander. Thanks, Bambi!

Camera – Samsung Galaxy S8+

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai

Rare Pentamatic ’35’ Brochure from Japan

May 12, 2022May 12, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Here is another great find – fresh in from a seller in Japan. I believe this may be one of the first dedicated sales brochures for Yashica’s new 35mm SLR film camera. I’m guessing this was released in the Spring of 1960. Unfortunately, Yashica didn’t hide a date code somewhere in the brochure.

This is a scan of the centerfold –

The lower left box translates as “A versatile camera that can be used for practical purposes and hobbies”.

I’ll post additional scans from this brochure soon. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Follow me on Instagram @ccphotographyai

Rare Pentamatic II Brochure from Japan

May 12, 2022May 12, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’m always, and I mean always, chasing anything to do with Yashica’s Pentamatic series of 35mm SLR cameras from the early 1960s. I was taken by its simple modern lines the first time I laid eyes on one.

Here is a wonderful Pentamatic II sales brochure (almost a catalog) from Japan that I’m guessing was published around the Summer of 1960 which was when the camera was introduced in Japan. I believe this is the first (and only) full-length brochure for this model.

The front cover introduces us to the Yashica Pentamatic II.

The lens was a new addition to this camera and was likely made for Yashica by Zunow Optical.

The back cover summarizes the features and specs of Yashica’s newest camera and lens set. The address (bottom) is listed as Yashica Co., Ltd., Nihonbashi Muromachi, Tokyo 1-8.

The ‘Yashica Girl’ started appearing on sales brochures around 1958 or so and continued here in this brochure. I don’t know her origins or purpose but she has two co-workers that often appear with her on other brochures. Here is a peek inside (it reads right to left) –

Unfortunately for Yashica, the Pentamatic II was not well received so it had a shortened production run of just over 5,300 units from August 1960 to January 1961 with breaks in production during that time. January 1961 is when Zunow Optical went bankrupt or was absorbed by Yashica (not well documented). Either way that put an end to this unique lens on a Yashica camera. It’s likely though that the lens design transferred over to Tomioka Optical (which was owned by Yashica) and Tomioka may have made this same lens for Mamiya in 1962.

One of my original Pentamatic II cameras with the Auto Yashinon f1.7 5.8cm lens.

One of the hardest cameras to chase down in Yashica’s entire lineup with just over 5,300 made with a vast majority only available in the Japanese domestic market.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Follow me on Instagram @ccphotographyai

Mystery Model – solved!

May 11, 2022May 11, 2022Chris and Carol 1 Comment

From 1956, Yashima’s Yashica-A user’s guide.

She’s been a bit of a mystery to me over the years as I’ve wondered what type of uniform she was wearing. With a bunch of help from my good friend Paul Sokk (www.yashicatlr.com), we’ve solved the mystery. She’s wearing a stewardess uniform for Canadian Pacific Airlines and in my opinion, she’s more than likely an actual flight attendant for the airline vice a professional model. It was the first and only time it turns out Yashica may have been part of such an obvious product placement deal. I’ve seen identifiable products in sales brochures that may or may not have been on purpose. Cars, watches, clothing, and accessories like that. She’s also pictured on the cover of the user’s guide for the Yashica LM from the same period.

Here are a few examples that helped us ID our lady.

Although it’s hard to see the details on her hat clearly here is the pin she has on. (detail from web image)

Paul noticed that the hat was what made identifying the airline easier once a match was found.

Not many stewardess uniforms had stripes on the sleeves during the 1950s but Canadian Pacific Airways clearly did. The woman on the cover of the Yashica booklet has a stripe.

Now if only I could find out who this guy was. ‘Yashica Dude’ ATM until more is known.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Early Yashica Pentamatic ’35’ Brochure

May 11, 2022May 12, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The Yashica Pentamatic ’35’ was Yashica’s first single-lens reflex (SLR) camera – introduced in early 1960.

There’s a chance that this was the first brochure released in the U.S. Maybe March 1960.

Take note that besides the standard f1.8 5.5cm lens there were only two other lenses offered. (the brochure has them reversed)

Such a striking design – the first cameras were made in January 1960.

Thanks for stopping by! If you’re looking for an interesting camera to chase down, the Pentamatic is worth a go. – Chris

wordless wednesday (almost wordless)

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

Mamiya C33 twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera from 1965.

Studio Camera – Fujifilm X-A10 with Fujinon Super EBC XC 16-50mm Lens

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Hi, Mom! – a small tribute to my mom, Mary

May 8, 2022May 8, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

In celebration of my mom, Mary on this Mother’s Day 2022. She was born on September 10, 1916, at home on East 74th Street in Manhattan (just down the street from Central Park).
She told me that the rooftops and streets of the Upper East Side were her playgrounds and the East River (yes, THAT river!) was where she splashed in the heat of summer.
She would go on to become a secretary for some of the biggest corporations in America which were headquartered in New York.
She would meet my dad (Paul) at the wedding of her best friend and fall in love with him at first sight. She married my dad on November 3, 1943, just a few blocks from where she grew up.
During the war, she worked at Columbia University and would go on to receive recognition for her work on the Manhattan Project receiving a Silver ‘A’ Pin for her contributions.
By the middle 1950’s she was a suburban housewife (not a bad thing to say then but if you said it today you’d catch heck) and be the best mom in the world to me… she was at every baseball game and at my school functions and she taught me the ropes of New York and life.
My mom was the strongest person I knew… in less than twenty years she would lose the man she loved with all her heart and fight on to see me through those difficult years that came after.
Sadly she left way too soon herself but her love of the City, of life, of adventure, and her courage, are with me today.
My mom’s Kodak from 1938 and a host of images she took with it are special to me… my parent’s love of photography was passed down to me (foto DNA) and that remains an important connection to them.

If you’ve read this through I thank you… it is only a small gesture that I can make in her memory today.

Together at Jensen Beach, Florida (December 1976).

Just before I deployed to Japan for three years.

Las Vegas 1961.

My first camera and my mom is holding a recently taken Polaroid print.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Mother’s Day! – Chris

Yashima YashicaMat – 1957

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

Yashicamat, Yashica-Mat, YashicaMat – they’re all the same camera, and as was typical for Yashima (later Yashica) they had a difficult time staying consistent when it came to the way they named their cameras. At this point in time, Yashima had only been around since 1953 so I’ll cut them some slack. By 1958, Yashima became Yashica as the company adopted the name of its cameras.

So here is a super early sales brochure (Spring 1957) for the new YashicaMat 120 roll film twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera, the YashicaMat.

High-res scans are posted below from my own brochure.

Front cover.

What I find interesting is that the camera that’s depicted is the very first version of the model with a 75mm Lumaxar f3.5 taking lens (bottom lens) that were only available for a very short time before being replaced by the lens described in the brochure – 80mm Lumaxar f3.5 lens. There’s no written history to definitively know why the change was made so quickly or why they switched at all. It’s possible Tomioka Optical had difficulty providing enough 75mm lenses to meet the production demands of Yashima.

Inside centerspread. Look closely and you can just barely see 75mm on the bottom portion of the lens retaining ring (bottom lens). Both lenses say Lumaxar with the viewing lens (top lens) the clearest of the two.

Back cover scan below.

Back cover. Yashima’s camera line-up as of early 1957 (newest models).

If you look closely at this back cover you can see Yashima’s full corporate name – Yashima Optical Industries, Company, Limited, and their headquarters were located in Shibuya in Tokyo. The factory was in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, and later Shimosuwa.

Thanks for stopping by and if you chase down a nice Yashica-Mat that you like be sure to check out my good friend Paul Sokk’s excellent TLR site at http://www.yashicatlr.com to learn more about the camera that you’re about to purchase. – Chris

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica cameras and so much more!

Tag Blogging

Mamiya C33 TLR – 1969

Texture, light, and color

White Flowers

Rare Pentamatic ’35’ Brochure from Japan

Rare Pentamatic II Brochure from Japan

Mystery Model – solved!

Early Yashica Pentamatic ’35’ Brochure

wordless wednesday (almost wordless)

Hi, Mom! – a small tribute to my mom, Mary

Yashima YashicaMat – 1957