Is this the last lens I’ll ever buy?

January 25, 2022January 25, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Short answer, yes. Or maybe it would be better to say “it should be”. Canon’s newest RF lenses made for the EOS R series of mirrorless cameras are crazy expensive but as with nearly everything Canon makes it will hold its value for years to come.

The unboxing! My first look – awesome lens. I’ve only wanted one of Canon’s white lenses since 1978!

Canon “L” lenses are weather-sealed against moisture and dust. This RF lens is not an internal zoom lens but that’s what makes it so compact for a 70-200mm zoom. By the way, these Canon lenses are still made in Japan.

Hope the weather takes a turn for the better soon (cold and wet) so I can grab some shots with my new lens. Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for the “exciting” first images. – 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.

1953 Polaroid Print

January 25, 2022January 25, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

An image of my dad’s favorite camera coming out of my Canon PRO-100 printer.

The image as its printing. A 13 x 19 inch (A3+) hi-res image of my dad’s Pathfinder 110 camera.

In addition to the cameras, lenses, and other photo gear that I sell in my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com, I also have made to order color and black and white prints of some of the cameras in my collection. Shown here is an image being printed for a customer. These large (I can print all sizes) prints are stunning as the Canon printer uses archival inks printed on high-quality Canon photographic paper and are suitable for framing.

Here’s a photograph of my original NY Mets World Series ticket from the first WS game ever played at Shea Stadium in 1969 (the Mets won BTW) being printed for a customer.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to drop me a line as I may have just what you’re looking for. – Chris

Sukoshi 2014

January 24, 2022January 24, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

A “found” image from November 2014. We were lucky to have had her as our kitty from early 2003 to when she passed in late 2017. She was a rescue cat that we adopted from an organization known as Cat’s Angels here on Amelia Island. Both her parents were wild and although we met her as a young kitten she always had a bit of a wild streak in her to the very end which made her unpredictable and super fun. She was as soft as she looks in this “I want you to put down the camera and pet me shot”. We miss her bunches.

Canon CPS Camera and Lens Bag

January 24, 2022January 26, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Hi all! Since I have two of these hard-to-find bags from Canon I’ve put one of them in my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com These CPS (Canon Professional Services) bags are built super well by Tamrac with high-quality materials.

Canon pro-quality nylon camera and lens bag from Tamrac and Canon CPS.

It’s a rather large shoulder bag that can hold a “ton” of gear including lenses, SD and CF cards, batteries, and everything in between. It’s brand new and has never been used. I have another one that I do use.

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

Attention collectors!

January 23, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I have decided to put my rare Meyer Gorlitz Primoplav Red V 58mm f/1.9 lens set up for sale in my online shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com if you’re interested in purchasing this famous and desirable “Bokeh King” lens.

The beauty of this lens is the desirable bokeh that it can deliver and yet stay sharp on the subject even wide open. Fotodiox makes adapters for the Exakta / Topcon mount to fit almost any popular modern DSLR or mirrorless digital camera.

I’ve included everything you see with this gorgeous lens. Only one previous owner and I purchased it from his estate as part of a large buy. AS always, thanks for stopping by and pop on over to my Etsy Shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com to see more and learn more about this historic lens. – Chris

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

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

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica cameras and so much more!

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