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

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.

Throwback Thursday – Yashica Classics

January 20, 2022January 21, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Yashica TL Electro X ITS with Auto Yashinon 55mm f1.2 Tomioka lens.

The Yashica-Mat EM has a built-in exposure meter which can simplify shooting with these somewhat awkward cameras. The meter is powered by selenium cells so no batteries are needed. After 50 years most meters have stopped working but I’m lucky mine is still functioning.

The Yashica TL Electro X ITS is a wonderful camera period. Simple and straightforward controls and an easy-to-see and use exposure meter visible through the viewfinder. Here it’s pictured with an awesome Auto Yashinon 55mm f1.2 Tomioka lens.

If you’re on the hunt for a classic film camera to use then certainly check out either one of these. They’re both easy to find in online auction sites or maybe your uncle has one in his closet.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Ihagee Exakta Varex – rare European model, 1950

December 21, 2021December 21, 2021Chris and Carol 4 Comments

As the title states, this is a rather rare (very hard to find at least) European model of this popular camera. In the United States, this model was simply marked “V.” on the body and it was sometimes referred to as the Varex V.

35mm single-lens reflex film camera with interchangeable lenses.

The camera’s place in history is it was the first or at the very least, one of the first 35mm single-lens reflex cameras made beginning in the late 1930s in pre-war Germany and picking up again after the war in what would become East Germany (Dresden).

Here it is viewed from behind with the waist-level pop-up viewfinder opened. The small rectangular opening is an eye-level “sports finder”.

Pictured here with the prism removed. Ihagee also made an eye-level pentaprism that could be swapped out.

With the lens removed the Exakta bayonet mount is visible. The lever locked the lens flange securely to the body.

With the back film door removed. This particular camera uses yarn as a light seal. The serial is located inside just above the shutter curtain.

A few words about the serial number. As best as I’ve been able to tell, the serial numbers range from around 667000 to 692000 for this Varex. I’ve seen other estimates of somewhere between 670000 to 684000. If a reader has more definitive information I’d love to see it.

Heat stamped on the bottom plate is “Made in Germany”.

My nearly complete set with some hard-to-find accessories.

The lens. It’s a well-respected lens by Meyer Gorlitz – Primoplan Red V f/1.9 58mm. It has an impressive 14 aperture blades and is claimed to be constructed with 5 elements in 4 groups. Collectors today still chase after nice examples of the lens, especially in the M42 mount. As seen pictured above, I have an aluminum lens hood (shade) made by Cenei in its original leather case, an Ihagee Dresden 42mm slip-on blue filter in its original box, a Heliopan yellow slip-on filter in its original plastic case, and finally a 42mm push-on plastic lens cap (unmarked but made in Germany).

I’ve come to the decision that my collections of cameras have grown a bit beyond my original intent so this gorgeous set is available for purchase in my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com where additional images can be found and a more complete description of its features. It can be purchased directly through Etsy and it ships nearly worldwide!

Thanks for sticking around to the end of this post and as always, have a fantastic day and evening! – 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

The magical Leica M4

December 14, 2021December 14, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

In my opinion, the M4 is an interesting model to chase after but be prepared to pony up for super-sharp black versions with smaller production runs like this stunning M4 from 1969.

In this example, it’s mated with a sharp f2 35mm Summicron lens (I much prefer a wide-angle lens for the type of street photography I enjoy).

An exceedingly handsome camera from the 1960s.

I sold this camera and lens set for around $6,800. My advice is to chase after the best M4 your budget will allow and expect to have it serviced by Leica. It’s a joy to use and to just hold in your hands. I wish I had kept the one I had access to but it was a consignment piece and it was sent to auction on eBay. Offers came in from China and Japan and from many parts of Europe but in the end, they went to a collector in the US (I believe).

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Saturday singles

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

Camera – Yashica L AF 35mm compact point and shoot (1986). Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 400 color negative film.

The Yashica L AF is a sleeper of a camera to chase for your collection and certainly a camera that will exceed your expectations on a photo walkabout. The super sharp 32mm Yashinon lens is fast enough for most autoexposure situations and clear enough for making enlargements.

Yashica L AF on the left and Kyocera T Scope (T3) on the right.

If you’re looking to spend your money wisely chase after the less expensive L AF over the T3. They were made in the same factory about two years apart (T3 is from 1988). For hundreds of dollars less, you can have a fun camera that you’ll actually use.

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

Happy Friday – 15% OFF!

November 26, 2021November 26, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Everybody is doing it so why not us? We’re having a very nice 15% off sale on select items in our online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (this weekend only). Stop by and see what we have in stock. Here’s a small sample…

We can ship worldwide through our partnership with Etsy at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – Chris

Kanpa! by Konica

November 22, 2021November 22, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Awesome little camera from Konica.

Konica’s “party camera” – Kanpai

Thanks for stopping by and if you’d like, Google Konica Kanpai and see what you find. – Chris

Yashica Camera vs. Rodan!

November 20, 2021November 20, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Back in 1956, the classic Japanese sci-fi monster movie Rodan was released in color to wide acclaim. In the Japanese original Rodan was Radon (Original title: Sora no daikaijû Radon).

Something that I’ve always liked doing is whenever a camera is used in an older movie I like to see if I can tell which model or at least the brand of the camera that’s depicted. Obviously cameras sometimes just flash across the screen as they are usually just props used to enhance the story so it can be very difficult to identify the camera beyond the basics (TLR, SLR, rangefinder). In this movie at about the 41:15 mark, the young newlywed is about to take his bride’s picture while touring an active volcano. He’s clearly using a Yashima YashicaFlex Model C twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera when he sees Rodan fly towards them. In horror, he runs away while throwing the camera to the ground.

Screen capture of the YashicaFlex after hitting the ground.

The YashicaFlex Model C was produced between September 1955 and June 1957 making it a good choice for this then high-budget flick (it was the first monster movie from this famous studio to be filmed in color). I wonder if Yashima (Yashica) paid for product placement?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049782/?ref_=ttmi_tt

Another camera I’ve spotted in a movie is the Calypso (later Nikonos) camera Bond gives Domino in the classic Thunderball (1965). The camera apparently takes underwater shots and has a built-in Geiger counter! From my IMDb contribution to “goofs” – “When Q hands Bond the underwater camera and tells him it takes 8 shots by pressing a button, the camera is plainly seen as a black Calypso 35mm camera with has black gaffers tape covering the name across the bottom. Later while onboard the yacht, Domino is seen with the camera as she walks in the passageway while using it as a Geiger counter. The camera falls to the deck when Largo confronts her and the lens is seen popping off. We hear the sounds of the counter and see some type of gadget inside just behind where the lens was. When she bends down and picks it up, Largo takes it from her and the camera is briefly seen with the silver lens re-attached”. Another camera in a movie is the Exakta VX 35mm SLR Jimmy Stewart uses in the Hickcock thriller Rear Window (1954).

Thanks for stopping by! Do you have a favorite movie where a camera plays a part? Let me know in the comments. Thanks.

Yashica Electro 35 GT

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’ve decided to sell my very nice Yashica Electro 35 GT camera. I recently purchased it from the original first owner in my local camera shop. It’s working perfectly after I installed a fresh battery and battery adapter. The meter is accurate and the lens is crystal clear. This model of the Electro 35 features semi-auto exposure shooting. What I mean by that is you obviously set the film’s ASA (ISO) rating then select the correct exposure based on the brightness of the subject and the camera will set the proper shutter speed. There are warning arrows that are visible inside the viewfinder that will warn if the scene is too bright or dark for the f-stop you’ve selected. I’m making it sound more complicated than it actually is. Let’s say it’s a bright sunny day and you’re shooting with a film rated at 200 ASA. You’d set the exposure (f-stop) to let’s say f/8. You could walk around taking shots and except for manually focusing never change the exposure settings. The camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed. It’s perfect for black & white street photography.