Friday’s Camera – Mamiya M645

May 7, 2021May 7, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Certainly a classic worthy of a chase. Beautiful lines, excellent features, awesome accessories – oh, and a wide selection of quality Mamiya-Sekor lenses.

This is an early model of the M645 – probably 1975 or so.

Interchangeable lenses, backs, finders, focusing screens, winders and probably a few bits I overlooked.

If you’re looking to explore medium-format photography and you want a camera that can be as creative as you and be used like a 35mm SLR, then the M645 is the way to go. Look for clean and damage free examples that haven’t been beaten to near death by a professional wedding or studio photog (no offense to those pros but I wouldn’t want their cameras).

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, are the property of this blog and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.

Thursday’s Camera – Yashica TL Super

May 6, 2021May 6, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

A handsome no frills 35mm Single-Lens Reflex camera.

A camera worthy of a good chase – we were lucky enough to find this one complete with its original box back in 2016. Nice examples are out there but don’t rush into just any one you find. Remember, cameras this age will need some attention especially the light seals (an easy fix) and possibly a good cleaning. Avoid cameras with lots of external corrosion or pitting on the chrome finish and peeling leatherette. Signs of a moist environment which is death to older electronics.

This one we’re thinking is from about late 1967. It was first introduced in 1966.

It’s a beautiful camera… the silver paint from the factory is a bit smoother than later finishes which tend to be grainy.

Yashica’s first TTL metered SLR so it is an important camera in Yashica’s evolution to even more sophisticated 35mm SLRs in 1968. The next major camera in the line was the famous TL Electro X.

Made by Tomioka Optical, the super sharp 50mm f1.4 lens has a great reputation for producing quality images at all apertures.

The Yashica TL Super with a Auto Yashinon lens can be an affordable camera set to start your adventures in film photography. Look for clean and damage free bodies and always buy the best your budget will allow.

stacking boxes

May 6, 2021May 6, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

July 2009, Atlanta, Georgia

Wednesday’s Camera – Yashica Pentamatic

May 5, 2021May 5, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The original Pentamatic 35 with a rare Tominon branded lens.

The Yashica Pentamatic is a very worthy camera to chase after. About 20K were made but since it wasn’t considered a collectors camera not many were saved in mint condition. The next camera was the Pentamatic II and it was only available for purchase in Japan. The final model was the Pentamatic S and only about 5K were made.

I’ve always loved the lines of the Pentamatic – so modern and uncluttered but so retro at the same time. BTW, there’s no self-timer on this model and the shutter button was mounted on the front – right where your pointer finger naturally wants to be.

wordless wednesday

May 4, 2021May 4, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Tuesday’s Camera – Yashica A Twin-lens Reflex

May 4, 2021May 4, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

We love Yashicas here on the blog and I can’t tell you how many enjoyable hours have been spent chasing these classic beauties from the 1950s.

This one was made in 1962 and features Yashikor lenses (the bottom lens is the “taking lens” and the top lens is the “viewing lens”.

As simple as simple gets so you’re likely to find one of these in a fully functioning condition. Not much can go wrong with these unless they’ve been abused or stored improperly.

The focus knob is on the right and the film advance knob is on the left. Simple.

The little door on the back has a red plastic window under it so that you can see which exposure you’re on as you’re advancing the film. Simple.

An accessory shoe and the two film spool knobs.

Opening and closing the camera is done by this rather large knob on the bottom.

You’ll get 12 exposures from a roll of 120 roll film, either color negative, color transparencies, or black and white negatives in a large 6 x 6 cm (2 1/4 x 2 1/4″). BTW, that is the backside of the taking lens. If you look closely you can see the leaf shutter inside the lens.

What a deal! $29.95 and the leather case for 1/5th the cost.

One of the easiest instruction booklets to follow. The Yashica A was made for beginner photogs on a budget.

So there you have it, our pick of the day. If you’re looking to get into medium format film photography then give this Yashica model a try. Use my example as a guide as to what to look for when you’re looking at purchasing one for yourself. No corrosion, complete leatherette coverings, clean and clear lenses, and no missing parts. Good luck!

May I suggest a visit to my good friend Paul Sokk’s site at http://www.yashicatlr.com/66ModelsPage1.html for some of the best information you’ll find anywhere about all things Yashica, Nicca, Leotax, and more.

Monday’s Camera – Asahi Pentax H2

May 3, 2021May 3, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

I like their simple lines and I think they look uncluttered without the clunky self-timer lever stuck on its face.

M42 screw-in lens mount so most of my Yashinon (Tomioka) lenses will fit but not always correctly. The same goes for my Fujinon lenses.

Happy Monday! As I was surfing through my archives of cameras that have long since departed and I came across this little gem – the Asahi Pentax H2. I’ve always been fond of these, I guess I just like their look and the solid feel in your hands. I haven’t had much luck with them over the years as I almost always end up with a stuck in the up position mirror or some other shutter or film advance issue. They’re quite old now so a good CLA would bring them back. Too late for that with this one as it was purged in a big sell off years ago.

If you’re looking for an interesting classic camera to chase the H2 is worth your time and energy. As with all older SLRs look for the best you can afford. It may not work but it will look good sitting around.

Happy SUNday! – Uncle Sam wants your money!

May 2, 2021May 2, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Uncle Sam cast iron mechanical bank. Reproduced from the original which has a patent of 1875. This one was made in the late 1950s to early 1960s. He is a genuine original copy.

Sam weighs nearly 5 pounds and stands almost a foot tall. He’ll gladly take your money as he’s in excellent operating condition.

I wish I knew how to upload a short video here to show how he operates. Maybe I’ll learn soon and if I do I’ll gladly update my post.

Hansa Self-Timer from the 1950s and its relationship with Canon

April 30, 2021April 30, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Before built-in self-timers were available on cameras there had to be a way to remotely trigger the shutter so that the photographer could get into the picture or to prevent camera shake when shooting at slow shutter speeds. That’s where this little gizmo came in (and dozens more like it).

They’re very popular with classic camera collectors and this gem sold within 24 hours of listing it in my camera shop (www.ccstudio2380.com).

More than likely only a few manufacturers made these things for other companies and collecting all of the different models and versions can be a whole fun branch of camera collecting.

They simply screwed into the shutter button just like a cable release and with the action of a mechanical timer would fire the shutter. Usually anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds or just enough time to get in the shot.

Hansa refers to the Omiya Photo Supply Company. Please see http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/%C5%8Cmiya

Interestingly back in 1936 the first Canon camera made after their name change from “Kwanon” had the word “Hansa” engraved on the top of the camera and that camera is commonly referred to as the “Hansa Canon”. To my eye the way Hansa is written on the case of this timer is the same as Hansa was engraved on the Canon. The “H” and “A” being slightly modified by the 1950s. Certainly the “S” is spot on. For more about this bit of interesting Canon history please visit https://www.canonrangefinder.org/Canon_Hansa.htm

So if you’re looking to collect something different from the 1950s and it’s related to photo gear, then these self-timers can provide hours of fun searching and researching. Heck, I’ve seen the Hansa timer in about every color case you can imagine from this striking green to blue, and yellow!

By the way, the little “Hc” in the circle just may relate back to “Hansa Canon”. Something to think about.

Chasing a Classic from Yashica – Yashica Flex AS-II

April 25, 2021April 25, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I first spotted this lovely camera on Etsy way back in November 2020. At that time the seller was in a bit of a funk and we couldn’t put a deal together. Now after four short months of watching it sit I made an offer and they accepted. Yeah! Chasing classic cameras is as much of a hunt as it is a waiting game.

This TLR was made by Yashima Kogaku Seiki Company, Ltd. (later Yashica) around November 1954 based on its early serial number.

The selenium cells are located behind the nameplate flap.

Flap in the open position. The cells inside sent a small electric current to the built-in exposure which is mounted on the left side of the camera.

A close-up view of the exposure meter which was made by Sekonic (Seiko Electric Instruments Industry, Company).

The lens on the bottom is called the taking lens and the one on top is the viewing lens. Both lenses were made by Tomioka Optical for Yashima. The shutter was made by Copal and as I mentioned earlier, the exposure meter was made by Sekonic.

A view inside the film chamber shows the serial number – No.31147. The serial number in the first edition of the user’s guide is 30126 and another AS-II that I own is 30302. BTW, there was a roll of unexposed Kodak film inside as a nice bonus.

My first and earliest AS-II showing the lowest serial number found in the wild. Take notice of the “Made in Japan”.

If you would like to know more about Yashica’s earliest days then my good friend Paul Sokk’s site is the place you want to go – you can find Paul’s site at http://www.yashicatlr.com

Back to the chase. I wanted this AS-II but the seller didn’t offer much information about its overall condition or whether it even worked. It was listed with the complete contents of an old leather camera case so there were lots of goodies inside along with the camera. Sometimes you’ve got to follow your instincts and go for it. A lack of info can add some excitement to the chase! The camera also had it’s original case which was sort of welded to the camera. The case even left some of its green crud behind as you may be able to see on the exposure meter housing.