Happy SUNday! – me and my Nicca 3-S

May 22, 2022May 22, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I recently rediscovered these images that I had taken with my Nicca 3-S 35mm rangefinder camera a few years back. I say rediscovered because I don’t believe I’ve posted all of the pictures before. They were hiding on a DVD in plain sight.

First, the camera and lens.

Nicca 3-S from 1955.

Super sharp Nippon Kogaku Nikkor-HC f2 5cm lens.

The images are unretouched, just as they were scanned by the photo lab.

Historic District, Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida.

I’m quite pleased with the results. All images were taken on Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 800.

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day! – 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.

School outing to Kamakura, Japan – 1977

May 19, 2022May 19, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Late Spring 1977. I believe these steps led up to The Great Buddha (Kamakura Daibutsu). I do not know which school the students were from.

Camera & Film – Yashica TL Electro X Kodak Ektachrome 64

This is not my actual first camera but it’s the first 35mm SLR model that I owned and purchased new in early 1972.

I’ve shot quite a few rolls of this back in the 1970s. Kodachrome was a great color slide film but its ASA was only 25 so if you wanted a bit more speed you needed Ektachrome 64 and later High-Speed Ektachrome 200.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Yashica Tominon Lens – a hard one to chase

May 17, 2022May 17, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Shown here mounted on one of my Yashica Pentamatics – 35mm SLR camera from 1960.

Preset lens, Yashica Pentamatic bayonet mount.

Not many of these dual-branded lenses were made and with no accurate data from Yashica, one can only guess the actual production numbers. Less than 3,000? Maybe slightly more or a lot less. This serial number can tell a bit of the story. The number on this lens is 350309. The ’35’ refers to the lens’s focal length, which is 35mm. the last 4 digits are simply the sequential number of lenses made up to that point. ‘0309’ means that this is the 309th lens made since the start of production (whenever that was). My guess is around mid-1960.

So, if you’re up for a challenge try tracking down this lens on the various online auction sites. You’ll quickly find out that you’ll be looking for quite a while – but it’s worth it in the end. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check me out on Instagram at @ccphotographyai – Chris

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

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

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

Canon Model 7 Set from 1962

April 29, 2022April 29, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’ve decided it’s time to part with one of my favorite 35mm rangefinders – my Canon Model 7. It took quite a while to find this gem but it’s time to move on and let another collector enjoy it. Maybe someone with more free time will take it out for a photo walk. It’s 100% fully working even down to the meter.