Tag Camera

Fujica GW690… Fuji Photo Film’s Venerable Workhorse

Chris and Carol 4 Comments

Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. – Tokyo

Fujica GW690 Professional – 1978 version. Yes it’s big. Yes it’s a bit heavy too. But who doesn’t love big 6x9cm negatives! We had an Asahi Pentax 6×7 SLR for a while in our active collection and thoroughly enjoyed the images it produced. The 6×7 and 6×9 in our opinion are great formats. We still shoot in squares though – it’s fun to compose a 6×6 frame on a twin-lens reflex. If anything will slow your photography down it’s that.

20130403_88ff69

This camera arrived yesterday and it’s all cleaned up and ready to go. This is a heavily used (think venerable workhorse) GW690 with all sorts of dings, dents and scrapes to show for it’s almost four decades of use. We imagine it’s seen more than a few tour groups in its time – now it’s time to slow down a bit. We purchased it to be a user camera for some fine art prints we want to create and sell on our online site. We normally print on 8.5 x 11 inch Canon paper with an occasional bump to 13 x 19 inches and the 6×9 format is perfect.

dscf3353

We’re big fans of Fuji cameras and this one will earn its keep in our studio. I’m headed out this afternoon with a roll of Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros loaded to test it out.

dscf3356

It’s a simple camera – completely analog. No onboard exposure meter, no auto film advance, no auto focus – just what we wanted.

We chose the GW690 vice the “newer” models (II and III) because I’m not a big fan of the built-in lens hood on the later models (gets in the way). The shutter settings (leaf shutter) and aperture settings are right next to one another which makes it super easy to see the relationship each has on the other. Focusing is quick on this model and the rangefinder window is bright and easy to see.

dscf3355

A 35mm box of film gives you a comparison to just how big the Fujica is. By the way, this model was the last to be called a Fujica.

dscf3361

Ready to rock some Neopan!

dscf3358

We thought it would look good with some vintage Fuji Film beside it. The film expired in 1964!

We’ll have the results next week as we send our film out to ‘The Darkroom’ for their professional development and scans. 6×9 on 120 roll film produces only 8 exposures so I should be able to shoot in one afternoon. Let’s see… with the purchase of the film, processing and shipping it’s going to cost about $25 per 8 images. Yikes!

Thanks for your visit. Chris & Carol ^.^

 

More on our faked Yashica J-5 in “pro-black”…

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Some time ago we purchased (through an online auction) what was listed as a rare black body Yashica J-5. The camera was sold by a well known camera dealer with a long track record of excellent prior sales. We know from our research and hands-on experience that Yashica’s first ‘Pro-Black’ 35mm SLR was the J-3 as we own two of them and have sold others that were in our collection.

I (Chris) knew that there was about a 99% chance that this J-5 was faked and I don’t have a problem with buying modified or restored cameras as long as it is disclosed as such. But I took a chance on this one even though there were numerous red flags about its originality. The bidding was through an online auction site in another country and my desire to own this ‘rare’ camera got the best of me. My purchase bid went for much more than a typical J-5 should go for and I actually paid more for it (not including the over-the-top shipping fees) than one would pay for a genuine ‘Pro-Black’ body (from the Yashica factory) J-3. In our years of research, we’ve never come across anything in print from Yashica about the black body J-3. No sales brochures (Japanese or English) have a mention of it – but we know that they did produce one a we’ve had a few and have kept track of them online in our database.

Prior to bidding on the faked black  J-5, I asked the agent representing this camera if in fact was a genuine, previously unknown black J-5. His answer was that the seller said it was… no worries.

After looking at my new fake for some two years now, I’ve decided to remove the still fresh black enamel paint and reveal the satin chrome paint underneath its black mask. It was shocking just how easy the paint was to remove with alcohol and cotton swabs.

I wrote to the seller’s agent to complain that the camera was in fact faked and after some time (2 weeks) he came back with a no it wasn’t. Even with the pictures in front of them they denied that it was a re-paint. Oh well.

16666931755_eba4b91bba_o

Clue number 1 – the presence of orange peel in the black paint.

16667100485_ee92845685_o

As received from the auction. From a distance it looked to be all original. When I opened the shipping box the first time I could tell something wasn’t right, the smell of fresh paint! Got me!

010
As you can now plainly see, the original satin chrome (silver) body is now exposed and in this image the orange peel black enamel paint is obvious – especially around the ‘YASHICA’. The leatherette has been removed by me and the residual adhesive remains visible at this point of the discovery phase.
011
Upon closer inspection (now that the black is gone) it appears that the original satin chrome (silver) factory finish was heavily sanded almost to the point of the brass showing through. The black enamel comes off super easy with 91% isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab. For some strange reason, the factory etching of the J-5 logo was filled-in with white paint before it was buried under the black. Silver body Yashicas were filled-in with black from the factory.
012
Another view (right rear of the body) of the original factory finish underneath the faked black top coat.
010
It will take a bunch of cotton swabs and plenty of isopropyl alcohol to rid this J-5 of its black top-coat.

009

So lesson learned for me… only trust in what you know exists… if it’s not documented elsewhere as existing then there’s a good chance it’s been faked. Ask lots of questions. But, and it’s a big but (pardon the pun), Yashica has never mentioned that they made a black body J-3 in 1963 so it was possible that they made a few black J-5s.

The good news in all of this is that this camera is now in the home stretch of a complete rebuild and will be better than ever. It has been re-imagined as a tribute camera to the U.S. Navy. Stay tuned!

Many thanks for your visit, Chris and Carol

Advertisements

Occasionally, some of your visitors may see an advertisement here
You can hide these ads completely by upgrading to one of our paid plans.

UPGRADE NOW DISMISS MESSAGE

Costly Mistake…

Chris and Carol 4 Comments

It’s the best looking non-working Yashica TLR in our collection! There. Got that out of the way. This Yashica-Mat medium format camera is from 1968 and is in mint condition. The Mat had a super long run for Yashica – 1957 to 1973. Lots of pretty Mats out there to be had. Lots of dogs too. Sometimes the dogs work great and sometimes the pretty ones are dead in the water (DIW).

This one is DIW (nautical term meaning not moving). In my haste to add a good looking Mat to our collection, I overlooked a fatal flaw that often happens with these cameras…

dscf3332

Do you see the flaw that I missed?

How about now?

dscf3331

Look closely… do you see it yet?

How about more of a hint?

dscf3333

Okay, I’ll point it out.

dscf3334

Missing self timer lever. Did you see it right away? Pat yourself on the back if you did.

As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, in my haste to add a nice Mat to our collection, I failed to notice that the self timer lever was missing. No big deal right? It is and I know better. The lever is a small thingy with a little red dot of paint on the end of it. When it’s there, it should be all the way to the right (when looking straight on at the camera’s face). If it’s missing (as in this case) don’t buy it unless you enjoy repairing cameras. If it’s all the way to the left then ask questions of the seller. What happens is that the self timer lever should not be missing and should not be engaged to the left. In the instruction booklet, Yashica clearly cautions – “Be sure to move the synchro selector to the X position when using the Self-timer”.

The synchro selector lever is the little thingy sticking out just above the right thumb wheel as seen in image 1 (it has a little yellow dot of paint on it). The X position is pushing the level down (you can just make out the red X in the image above).

dscf3332-2

Syncro selector lever (yellow dot thingy) in the up M position (M is in yellow on the camera body).

Remember, yellow dot thingy lever up is in the M position. Yellow dot lever pointing down is in the red X position. A review: no self timer lever = run! Usually someone has forced the lever one way or another because the lever is stuck to the left. If the lever is in the left position and the yellow dot lever is in the up or M position then ask the seller a bunch of questions. Please ask if the shutter button trips the shutter when pressed. More then likely the answer will be no.

In closing, if the camera you’re interested in is photographed slightly turned as in this example below, it’s easy to overlook the missing self timer lever. Ask questions before purchasing it.

dscf3335

s-l1600-27

Here is an example of a Yashica-Mat with the self timer lever almost all the way to the left. I checked another image of this camera and the syncro selector lever is on M (which is in the up position). This is a classic case of what I’ve been talking about. You need to ask the seller if the shutter fires. More likely it does not. Run!

Completely my fault for not checking the lever and not asking questions of the seller.

Thanks for your visit… comments are always appreciated.

Chris

Yashima Yashicaflex A-II

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Our Yashicaflex A-II is headed for the finish line – soon! These images were from day one and day 100 (just kidding about the 100). There have been so many issues to deal with restoring this 63 year old camera that it’s been a slow go. While this restoration has been an ongoing process for us, we’ve used some of our time to address some of the other cameras in our collection that needed only small repairs and a good cleaning.

Day one is pictured below. After prying the camera from its leather case (literally), the rust and corrosion were widespread and had eaten deep into the metal. Dirt everywhere! But the camera functioned! Glass was mold and fungus free but dirty and the shutter was accurate.

22024859392_8ffe58f0a3_o

The die cast aluminum body and back door were corroded big time. The thin metal parts were rusty and pitted. The leatherette was dry and brittle with many missing pieces.

Below the same area after 3 coats of etching primer and filler putty to “replace” the missing aluminum due to the depth of the corrosion.

22555908617_27904de611_o

By this point some of the final finish coats of primer and filler could be applied. Lots of sanding between coats. At least the corrosion was gone and something of a finish could be imagined.

The camera will be re-imagined and restored. Since it’s not a rare Yashica model, Carol and I feel free to express some creativity in the re-build. Stay with us as I believe we’ll be able to have the finished product ready to show by early spring. The Yashima Yashicaflex A-II ‘Sakura’.

Thanks for your visit!

Chris and Carol

Canon F-1

Chris and Carol Leave a comment
dscf3313

First version Canon F-1 with its gorgeous chrome nosed FD 50mm f/ 1.4 lens.

Canon F-1 from April 1972. This was the first version of the F-1 and it sports a rather low serial number. We’ve held this one back all these years with just occasional use (mainly in the studio). Our field tested F-1 (not pictured) was acquired new in 1978 (2nd version F-1) and it’s the one that’s traveled the world – getting seriously wet in Hong Kong, Japan and the US- dropped in a photographic safari bus in Kenya – slid off a train seat in Tokyo – and was briefly “lost” in Diego Garcia!

dscf3304

All original stuff from 1972.

dscf3318

Note that this super early FD lens does not have the SC or SSC markings on the lens ring.

I started 35mm SLR photography with a Nikonos II and then purchased my first Yashica (TL Electro-X) and then into Canon we went. We need to find some time to take this one out and put that classic glass to good use! Nothing like holding an old friend again.

Thanks for stopping by!

Chris

Custom Presentation Box for the Tower Type-3… 1953

Chris and Carol 3 Comments
dscf3291

1953 Tower (Nicca Camera Co.) Type-3 35mm Rangefinder with custom box.

This custom designed box is based on original Tower (Nicca) designed presentation boxes of the early to mid 1950s. The leather case, which is the original from 1953 was reconditioned – the leather was gently cleaned with saddle soap, some loose stitches were properly glued to prevent further separation and the felt interior of the case was also gently cleaned and refreshed. The case hinged flap had become separated so another piece of leather was attached and it’s as good as new. The entire case was conditioned to bring out the vintage patina.

dscf3302

The 64 year old leather looking great with a wonderful brown color.

dscf3296

Looking fine after six decades.

As collectors, Carol and I enjoy restoring vintage cameras and when necessary, reconditioning the often neglected leather cases. We love camera sets that include the original boxes, but when they’re not available we like designing custom boxes based on original designs and colors.

Thanks for your visit! We love comments so feel free to share yours!

Chris and Carol

My friend Jim… Hong Kong 1979

Chris and Carol 3 Comments

I’ve wanted to share these images for quite some time now here on this blog. They’ve been posted to my flickr page in an album titled ‘Liberty Call Hong Kong’- so time to move some of them over and provide a bit of a backstory.

I don’t consider myself a portrait photographer, in fact I’m highly critical of most of my attempts at portraiture over the years. It’s not that I don’t like it, I’m not good at it. I enjoy big vistas and wide open spaces way too much to be trapped in a studio taking pictures of people. Taking pictures of things (cameras, lenses, stuff) in the studio I do enjoy.

Other than portraits of my family, the image below not only means a lot to me but I think it’s one of my better people pics. It’s an image of my friend Jim while we were travelling north out of Hong Kong to the Chinese border by train in January 1979. It was a difficult shot – low light (and I was using Kodachrome 64), hand holding a Canon FD 80-200mm zoom lens and all while the train was moving. The sky was overcast so the light was at least uniformly dim.

21555886118_40da677849_o

North out of Hong Kong… 1979

My friend Jim was not only a US Navy Sailor like myself, he was also a very accomplished professional photographer and the most outgoing person I had ever met. Jim was a Nikon guy when shooting 35mm – Bronica and Mamiya medium format in the studio. I’m a Canon guy and that was always a source of friendly ribbing between us. Since Jim was a pro, he wasn’t the easiest to trap into having his picture taken. I remember he was saying that this shot will never turn out well because the Canon F-1 had a crummy exposure meter and used crummy (not his real word) glass in their lenses. I don’t think he ever saw this image come to think of it. He may have liked it. I still think the image has problems – shallow depth of field means I missed nailing the focus and the exterior of the train is a tad over exposed. I don’t have fancy post production software so for the most part this scan is exactly what appears on the original slide. Here again I’m being hard on myself and it’s likely the reason I don’t try more portraits.

Another photographer that I met here on WordPress is an outstanding photographer and blogger- her portraits are amazing and always so creative. She said I give her a bit of confidence with my positive comments on the quality of her portfolio, but in reality it’s me who has been given a little nudge to go out and try some portrait photography again.

This was my second port visit to Hong Kong and both times Jim and I were out shooting together from sunrise to well after sunset. Here are but a few of the many that I like the most…

21150049513_98889fb47b_o

Image by Jim. Me negotiating a better deal with this sweet vendor. She was funny and a pleasure to deal with. I bought a fan for my wife Carol.

21745788655_bd54179aed_o

Jim negotiating a good deal with some nice ladies in Aberdeen, Hong Kong. We had a great boat ride around the harbor. Canon F-1 on Kodachrome 64.

29861309132_bdb41250c2_o

Cute little girl waiting (with grandma) for the train out of Hong Kong.

21584150358_53ac5a87b6_o

Star Ferry sailor catching up on the morning’s news. Canon F-1 on Kodachrome 64.

21582363600_e12a6dbd00_o

Busy day on the docks of Aberdeen, Hong Kong. Canon F-1 on Kodachrome 64.

29472794033_e153385f7d_o

Very difficult shot. Canon F-1 with FD 80-200mm f4 zoom lens on Kodachrome 64 hand held while on a moving boat! 

21150353483_536db435a5_o

Hong Kong night life… 1979.

21584626429_6b8f5aa24a_o

Bar hostess… Hong Kong. Canon F-1 on Kodachrome 64. Shutter set at 1 second f1.4

29938365736_0c848d687b_o

Not exactly Mickey. Watchful man and dog (lower left) couldn’t figure out why two photographers would be interested in his Mickey.

Jim and I were great friends – my wife Carol was great friends with his wife and children. As US Navy Sailors, Jim and I got to visit many interesting ports while stationed on our ship which was home ported in Yokosuka, Japan. He taught me a lot about photography and to be more outgoing while photographing people. Jim returned to the States before me and his professional studio really took off and was a great success through the 1980s and 1990s.

15436390074_62aa0fae45_o

Jim doing what he liked best – making people smile and taking pictures! Late 1980s in his studio in Florida.

This is the last photo I have of Jim. It was taken by his wife who was his assistant (you can see why she was)… Jim and his lovely wife died in 2001 in a terrible plane crash. Not the ones in September of that year, but theirs were just before Christmas 2001. A horrible situation for his two grown children and all who knew them.

Every December I remember Jim and all the good times we had. I can still hear him tell me that my F-1 stinks! And I remember all the tips he shared with me on taking people pics.

Thanks Jim!

Chris

 

Pentamatic in ‘Explore’

Chris and Carol Leave a comment
30889835606_871e994088_o

This simple studio shot made it to Flickr’s ‘Explore’ group recently. It may be the first and only Pentamatic in ‘Explore’.

Natural window light on an overcast Florida afternoon. Camera used? Samsung Galaxy 4S. No post production by me but the Galaxy may have been on HDR. Sometimes simple is better.

Yashica Pentamatic 35mm single-lens reflex from early 1960.

Chris