Pentamatic ’35’… 11.3.2016

November 3, 2016November 11, 2016Chris and Carol 5 Comments

The tank that is the Pentamatic ’35’.

A nice example of an everyday shooter. This one was made in May of 1960 and looks like it saw some regular use. The Auto Yashinon lens is spotless inside and shows a nice patina on the barrel.

The Pentamatic pictured above shows some signs of frequent past usage. Some bright marks on the silver finish, a few dings and dents here and there… some bits of surface corrosion but nothing broken or inop. Per the serial number on the body and on the lens, this camera and lens set were made in May of 1960. The body was the 4,410 th to roll out of the factory since production began in December 1959.

The Pentamatic and its standard lens – the Auto Yashinon f1.8 5.5cm is a beast! Lots of brass and glass went into making these beauties. We love the chrome nose on the lens… a quick swab with some 91% isopropyl alcohol and it shines like new.

As is typical with these 56 year old cameras, the mirror tends to show some grime and “soot”. A very very gentle swab with water and some dish soap does a good job with the dirt and some of the soot but the mirrors never really come fully back to their original shine.

The metal lens cap (52mm) is quite solid and is backed with black felt like material. Occasionally you’ll find some pretty dented up caps but since they were so well built you’ll more than likely find a good example out there.

The Nicca Camera Company (Taiho Optical Company) inspired cloth focal-plane shutter. Simple and pretty rugged. This one has some white spots on it as most do… we tend to leave them be rather than trying to clean the them off.

This one (above) has a nice clean film path and film chambers. They’re easy to keep clean with a cotton swab and some canned air. Don’t blow directly on the shutter curtain with the high pressure air!

Since the Pentamatic with lens weighs nearly 2.5 pounds, the base plates usually take a beating. This one is rather good and has held up well!

If you’re interested in adding a nice Pentamatic’35’ to your vintage camera collection, hopefully we’ve shown what a super clean but well used camera looks like. Be careful when you’re shopping around – the mirrors often get stuck in the up position. A few little adjustments (and some lube) usually get them working again but they’ll remain “tricky”. Obviously look for evidence of severe damage – a major dent that prevents something from operating properly would be one to definitely stay away from. The lenses often freeze up do to lack of use… a short time with a hair dryer can often get them moving again.

Best of luck on your search! Any questions please feel free to contact us.

Many thanks, C&C

Nicca Pentamatic!?

October 27, 2016October 25, 2018Chris and Carol 5 Comments

We know… doesn’t make sense, does it? Doesn’t even sound right… “Nicca Pentamatic”.

Stay with us and we’ll try to make our case. Recently discovered information has filled-in some of the missing links in the development of our favorite ~~obsession~~ camera. The mysterious and seldom seen Pentamatic ’35’… Yashica’s first SLR.

Nicca 3-F 35 mm rangefinder (left) and Yashica Pentamatic 35 mm single-lens reflex SLR (right).

A few interesting bits of info have come to our attention recently. We were alerted to an auction by our friend Paul Sokk (http://www.yashicatlr.com) that listed a 13.5 cm f/ 2.8 lens made by Taiho Optical Company – Nicca Lens. Having never heard of the company, Taiho Optical, and knowing about Nicca’s history, we couldn’t figure out where and how there could be a Nicca connection.

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Let’s backtrack a bit with a quick history lesson. Yashima-Yashica was a very successful maker of high quality, low-cost twin-lens reflex cameras but hadn’t moved into the 35 mm market as of early 1957. It appears that the president and founder of Yashima-Yashica, Mr. Yoshimasa Ushiyama could see that although Yashica was successful building TLRs, the market for them would slowly diminish as new, smaller and easier to use 35 mm cameras would grab the marketplace. He wanted in but how? Yashica had no experience in 35 mm cameras, especially rangefinder cameras with cloth focal-plane shutters. There were dozens of Leica copy cameras in Japan (and the world for that matter) but possible patents protected specific manufacturer’s shutter designs. If he could buy into an established company then he could use their shutter design and incorporate it with early Yashima-Yashica designs. In May of 1958, an opportunity presented itself. Nicca Camera Company was apparently experiencing financial difficulties and may have been on the brink of bankruptcy. Nicca cameras were well known and well respected – they made high quality 35 mm rangefinder cameras with focal-plane shutters. They used Nikkor lenses with the L39 screw mount. Mr. Ushiyama was in a rush to purchase Nicca before they went belly up. Advisers cautioned to wait until Nicca went bankrupt arguing that they would be able to acquire it for a better price. Mr. Ushiyama knew that that outcome of a bankruptcy could take longer than he was willing to wait and there would certainly be more suitors to compete with. So the deal went through… sort of. As best as we can glean from our research, a “religionist” “admonished” Mr. Ushiyama for rushing into the deal and cautioned that Yashica itself would suffer a “decline” if all of the transfer were made immediately.

Yashima-Yashica founder Mr. Yoshimasa Ushiyama.

OK, OK! We give!!! We share your feelings dear reader – what’s the connection between Nicca and the Pentamatic? Taking the advice of the religionist, Mr. Ushiyama created a new company. Nicca would become Taiho Optical Company. Say what? Nicca wasn’t absorbed into Yashica in May of 1958, instead, they became another company that could continue to operate with Yashica but without becoming Yashica. Simple. Confused? Mr. Ushiyama listened to his adviser so nothing bad happened. It appears that the former Nicca employees were now free to develop new processes and designs with the financial and technical support of the much larger Yashica. What did Yashica get for its money? Plenty it would seem. Access to years of 35 mm rangefinder manufacturing experience and access to a proven focal-plane shutter. Important steps in building a 35 mm single-lens reflex camera. We don’t know (yet) which one of the two companies came up with the design of what would become the Pentamatic. Was it mostly a Yashica design that had been kicking around for a while lacking a focal-plane shutter, or was it mostly a Nicca design that lacked the financial means to bring it to market? We feel that it was more than likely a 60 – 40 split with Nicca as the 60%. Just a hunch, no facts at the moment.

Pentamatic’s focal-plane shutter. Thanks to Nicca.

But what did the Taiho Optical Company make? Yashica didn’t make their own lenses, Tomioka Optical of Tokyo did. Was the former Nicca, now that it had become Taiho Optical, going to suddenly start making lenses? At the start of this blog, we mentioned that we were alerted to the existence of a 13.5 cm lens for sale with the Taiho Optical Company-Nicca Japan markings. Other than that, nothing.

So when did Mr. Ushiyama merge the two companies? He apparently listed to his adviser and waited eight long years before merging the two. From 1960 (when the Pentamatic was released) until 1968, when he not only made Yashica whole, but he also acquired long time lens supplier Tomioka Optical.

Now we know how the Pentamatic came to be and why it could be called the Nicca Pentamatic.

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Thanks for sticking with us. Comments? Likes?

Chris and Carol

Nicca 3-F… Nicca Camera Co., Ltd. & Yashica

October 24, 2016June 11, 2018Chris and Carol 10 Comments

What connection could this attractive 35 mm rangefinder camera have with Yashica? And why on earth is it in a blog about the Yashica Pentamatic???

Nicca 3-F from early 1957 (maybe late 1956). Obviously, it is one of many Leica copy cameras that were built during the 1950s and beyond.

First a little bit about Nicca. Nicca was one of the literally hundreds of camera manufacturers in Japan during the late 1940s and through the 1950s. Production appears to have been, on average, anywhere from just a few hundred units per year to nearly 5,000 per year by 1958. Nicca made what many consider to be one of the better Leica copy cameras. The fit and finish of this particular 3-F are extraordinary. After six decades of use, the camera still functions perfectly and the finish is beautiful. Of note, the leatherette is some of the finest we’ve seen from this period. It is still tight and complete and is a joy to hold this camera.

To keep things in perspective, it is a rather simple camera… focal plane shutter, highest speed 1/500th of a second, no built-in exposure meter, no mirror, no self-timer and a straightforward film advance knob vice single stroke lever (later model did add the lever). Simple but executed well.

The business side of the 3-F. Traditional layout of the controls… this was Nicca’s last model with the knob film advance (they did produce this model with a film advance lever in late 1957).

Where’s the connection with Yashica? In May 1958, Yashima (pre-Yashica) purchased the Nicca Camera Company which by some accounts was struggling and near bankruptcy. We’ve yet to find proof of the bankruptcy part of this narrative but we will continue to pursue it. Yashima, soon to be Yashica, wanted access to Nicca’s technology, design and small camera manufacturing abilities as Yashima lacked experience in 35 mm camera production. We’re sure there was some desire to acquire Nicca’s focal plane shutter technology as Yashima for the most part only made TLRs (just released an 8 mm movie camera and the Yashica 35). Nicca produced two more models(?) under its own name before Yashica released the Nicca-Yashica YF in 1959. Yashica quickly stopped making rangefinder cameras with interchangeable lenses by 1960. We have always found it to be a bit odd but rangefinders with interchangeable lenses were quickly being pushed aside by 35 mm SLRs for all angles… including Yashica with its Pentamatic ’35’.

What’s the relationship with the Pentamatic? The Pentamatic was more than likely designed in the early part of 1959 and may have been originally a Nicca design (more of that later). Distribution of the Pentamatic occurred in the spring of 1960 with a widescale release and advertising by June 1960 (in the US). The Pentamatic was Yashica’s first 35 mm single-lens reflex (SLR) camera. If featured a focal plane shutter with a top speed of 1/1000th of a second. Nicca’s knowledge was directly used in the Pentamatic.

Exposure counter and film reminder dial.

Close-up of the slow speed knob.

It appears that when Yashima purchased Nicca in 1958, there wasn’t an immediate transfer of the company’s assets to Yashima. Instead, Nicca Camera Company became Taiho Optics (or Optical) a subsidiary or new company of the Nicca-Yashica amalgamation. Mr. Ushiyama, founder, and president of Yashica received council that it was not in Yashica’s best interest to proceed with the merger (as the decision to acquire Nicca was made in haste). Instead, Taiho Optics would go on to produce some of its own lenses and lend support and design experience (and personnel) to Yashica. Why? Yashica wanted to build a 35 mm SLR and Nicca was an important stepping stone on that path.

Thanks for your visit… please feel free to leave comments.

Chris & Carol

Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 Review

September 8, 2016June 28, 2017Chris and Carol 1 Comment

I wish Yashica was still around… the ‘real’ Yashica from Japan not H.K.

But they’re not so what’s a Yashica freak to do if you want to review new gear and new film formats? Well you turn to my go to camera makers (for the record; Yashica, Canon, Fujifilm)… Fuji Photo Company as they used to be known. Now just Fujifilm. I do appreciate the Fujica line of cameras and would love to own a Fujicaflex and a Fujicarex! But I wander as I often do.

I’ve had my eye on the line of Instax film cameras from Fujifilm ever since they introduced the Instax film (I might have been a little behind the times here). Anyway, since I’ve almost always have had an instant film camera… Polaroids and the Kodak EK4, I decided to splurge and get the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300. Why? The format. I like wide shots and the Wide 300 gives a nearly 62 x 99mm image in bright color.

The Instax Wide 300… a simple camera… clean lines and has a nice feel to it.

Plenty of places to get a good grip on this camera… the large handle on the camera’s right side is just the right size (for me) to get a grip. With the camera in off, the built in lens shield slides into place. The shutter release button is in a good spot… my only complaint is that it lacks feedback when you push it. Only the actual sound of the shutter firing inside (if you can hear it) lets you know it’s tripped. Of course the picture does pop out immediately on top with the typical motor noise of an instant camera which confirms the shutter was fired. Minor detail.

Lens extended in its fully open position (close-up photography).

Once you get the feel of where the viewfinder is in relationship to your right eye it’s actually very bright and gives a good view of the actual lens image.

The access to the film compartment couldn’t be easier… it opens a full 90 degrees to make loading film quick and easy. The LCD shows basic info… flash on, image number and the plus or minus exposure compensation.

Open back with empty film pack.

Pictures pop out via this slot on top of the camera.

A small sample of the images taken today with the Fuji. Shot at around early afternoon in bright Florida sunlight. The colors are vivid and because the film speed is 800 the sharpness and detail are nice.

Back inside for a studio shot.

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It’s a big camera (really big) and has some heft to it. I had more than a few looks as the picture ejects from the top with that familiar instant camera sound. That’s not the standard strap… it’s a little thing and I like to have something wider around my neck.

Bold colors under bright sunlight. An excellent daylight film.

Back to the future with instant film. The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a hit with me.

The camera is a point and shoot… well OK it does have two settings on the lens… 3 meters to infinity and 3 meters to 0.9. It does have an auxiliary close-up lens that I’ll try out next pack of film. It has a built in flash that worked great for daytime fill ins and you can adjust the exposure plus 1 or minus 1. Takes 4 AA batteries (which I love).

It would be cooler if it sported this logo!

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So would I recommend the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 camera? Yes and Yes! Mine was purchased online for around $86 from B&H and another $10 for two 10 exposure film packs. It was a great deal and it included free shipping. At fifty cents per image you can’t go wrong!

Enjoy!

Thanks for the visit!

Chris and Carol ^.^

New Pentamatic Brochure

September 3, 2016December 23, 2016Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Recently we’ve come across a nice Yashica Pentamatic sales brochure from Germany. It looks to have been printed around early 1961 as another brochure that was with it (same style) is for the Yashica Rapide camera and it was introduced in 1961.

Yashica sales brochure for the Pentamatic. Nothing new about the Pentamatic is noted… probably came out in early 1961.

What is surprising to me is that only two other lenses are shown in this brochure besides the standard 5.5 cm f/1.8 normal lens. Surprising because by early 1961 Yashica had at least three other lenses for the Pentamatic that we are aware of. The 35 mm f/2.8 and the 100 mm f/2.8 pictured are fantastic lenses designed and built for Yashica by Tomioka Optical of Tokyo. It is possible that in Germany the other lenses were not available in 1961. Just a guess.

Full front and back cover scan of the brochure. The back cover shows various accessories available for the Pentamatic.

The Yashica Rapide brochure pictures two different flashes for the Rapide. The one on the right of the camera is identified as the Yashica Quick Lite 11 (or is it II)? Not sure on these as we’ve yet to find them in another brochure.

Scan of the back cover of the Rapide brochure showing two flash units for the Yashica Rapide camera. One identified as the Yashica Quick Lite 11 (???).

Prior to seeing this brochure, we were not aware of Yashica branded flashbulbs. We would love to find those and add them to our collection. Hint hint!

Thanks for the visit!

C&C

Fuji Petting with our Fujipet! New Pet Pics Posted…

August 15, 2016January 31, 2017Chris and Carol 2 Comments

The goal is to take our 1958 medium format camera from Fuji Photo for a little picture taking. We’ve loaded some fresh Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros (in days past it was Neopan SS) into the Fujipet and see how it does after 58 years of non use. We’re very curious about the “look” of the images. If you don’t know much about the Fujipet, please take a stroll through our archives for a little catch-up.

1958 Fuji Photo Fujipet with its new strap. A simple modification to the Canon strap made it perfect for this lightweight Fuji. We have the original vinyl (leather?) strap for the Fuji but it’s still sealed in its original package. No reason to ruin it by using it LOL.

The Pet as seen on a local legend (Mr. David Yulee).

Hoping the bright Florida sunshine was just right for our first test of the Pet.

And just how did the Pet perform?

The entire roll of 12 exposures came out just great! Here’s a sample of some of them. The Pet gave a special look to the images. We had ‘The Darkroom’ print up these four images in their true square format (here they are 5 x 5 inches).

Well as you can see the pictures came back from the outing with the Fujipet. We couldn’t be more thrilled with how they came out! The lens was actually super sharp (all things considered) and the almost 60 year old plastic lens had some nice contrast to it too. We can’t say enough about Neopan 100 Acros – exceptional film!

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If you can get your hands on a Fujipet then do so. There’s almost always one or two listed on the Japanese online auction sites. Be careful though! Japan (like my Florida) is a very humid climate and that can wreck havoc on old metal cameras and plastic lenses. Ask questions of the sellers and look very closely at the images of it. By the way, in 1958 when the Pet’s were selling wildly in Japan, they went for 1950 yen or about just under $6. You’ll pay a little more than that today but a good one can still be found for under $100 and questionable ones for $10 to $20.

Thanks for your visit! Comments are always welcome.

C&C ^.^

Hello and Welcome! Update 2.2.2017

August 10, 2016February 2, 2017Chris and Carol 1 Comment

Welcome to our blog about a very simple camera made by a company in Japan. We (Carol and Chris) are “Yashica Fanatics”, so it was a natural for us to start this blog dedicated to one of Yashica’s least known cameras. Most film camera aficionados might have some basic knowledge of the Pentamatic. They may have seen it in passing… usually fuzzy images on the web with often misleading info to boot. It’s a rather odd looking SLR with just enough quirks to make it interesting (to us at least). It was never a big time seller for Yashica but its true value was as a platform for innovation and invention for the designers at Yashica.

We fell in love with the Pentamatic’s clean lines and “modern” design. The presentation box was as unique as the camera itself.

Our “goal” here at the ‘Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic’ is to expose as many people as we can to the Pentamatic and to the company that conceived it. Please feel free to add to our knowledge base… if something is incorrect please let us know. If you know something about it or any of the topics we blog about… once again, please share it! We would love to here from you!

Another goal is to share our passion for photography. It’s been a part of our daily lives since we were born. I can’t remember the first picture that I ever shot – it probably was a mess – but I can remember one of the most special pictures I ever took – a picture of my parents.

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My mom Mary and me in of all places, Vegas. We were on a big family vacation from New York to California – Christmas 1960. My dad Paul took this picture. Yep, my first camera – a Kodak for Christmas (notice that I was holding it up to show it off). My mom was holding a freshly taken Polaroid from my dad’s Pathfinder 110 Polaroid. Pictures – cameras – family.

Many many thanks for your visit… Chris and Carol ^.^

Totally Off Track… フジペット

July 15, 2016January 18, 2017Chris and Carol 1 Comment

Occasionally we can get off track here on the ‘Fanatic’… well more often than not. Here’s a quick post about a rather rare camera on this side of the world.

The Fujipet!!! フジペット By Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.

Some have classified it as a toy camera as it is made very simply with lightweight materials and a plastic lens. In Japan (we believe the only market where it was sold) it was designed for use by children, “adult” women and beginners. At only ¥1950 it was inexpensive even by today’s standards. In our opinion here on the ‘Fanatic’, the Fujipet was no more a toy camera then the extremely simple and very popular Kodak Instamatic series of cameras.

The Fujipet is a true 6 x 6 cm medium format camera using 120 roll film.

Rare Fujipet set from 1958.

Shizue is confused! One of these cameras is considered by many to be a toy camera while the other was thought to be a serious camera. Each sold over a million plus units. Each has a plastic lens. The Kodak is mostly a plastic body with some internal metal parts and the Fujipet is plastic and aluminum and actually has a rather substantial feel to it. Of course the Kodak used 126 film in plastic cartridges and the Fuji? Professional 120 roll film producing 6 x 6 cm negatives. Toy?

Original users manual. Cool Fuji logo.

The coolest name around!

Space age viewfinder! Straight from the 1950s!

We will be running a roll of 120 film through soon… stay tuned!

Many thanks, Chris and Carol

Yashima-Yashica Rookie

May 8, 2016May 24, 2017Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Yashica-A in gray leatherette on left from 1959. The Yashica Rookie (on right) was a Japanese domestic market only model introduced in early 1956. In Japanese brochures and on the outer shipping box, the Rookie is also known as the Yashicaflex Rookie or simply the Yashicaflex Model R.

The Yashica A and the Rookie share many of the same features and specs. The Copal shutters were the same and the Tomioka Optical made lenses were also the same in the beginning. Later models of the A (including this one) upgraded to a slightly different lens configuration.

These outer shipping boxes are roughly from the same period. The Rookie is from mid 1956 while the A box is from early 1957 (or so). There are slight differences in the two boxes… the Rookie box is bigger but weighs less than the A box.

A Couple of ‘New’ Yashicas

April 28, 2016December 30, 2016Chris and Carol 3 Comments

ヤシカ… A couple of new Yashicas have caught our fancy. From 1986 and during Yashica’s ‘dark period’ when they were taken over by Kyocera, this super nice (and truly new) Yashica MF-2 Super DX. To be sure it’s a very plastic camera but it’s filled with some nice high tech features… DX coding of the film speed, automatic exposure and built in flash. No focus needed as the lens can focus from about 3 feet to infinity (and beyond!!!).

The other member of the Yashica family is this nice almost 100% mint Yashica-A with gray leather and silky black metalwork. It’s from 1959 and works perfectly… shutter speeds are spot on and the aperture blades are snappy. No self timer on these basic models from Yashica, but they hit a great price point with buyers and had a long production run.

Yashica-A in gray with the original gray leather case. From 1959.

Yashica-A in gray leather and black metal. The Kodak film is close to the correct era (late 1950s).

Low key effect photograph. It gives the camera a bit of an edgy look.

Interesting lens serial numbers on this camera. The taking lens SN (pictured) is only 19 numbers less than the viewing lens. Almost spot on (haven’t seen that yet). Of course these lenses were made by Tomioka Optical of Tokyo for Yashica.

Brand new and never used (isn’t that the same?) Yashica MF-2 Super DX 35mm rangefinder camera from 1986. Parts made in Japan and assembled in Hong Kong.