New members in my digital “family” – chasing modern classics.

October 3, 2021October 4, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

A couple of 10.1 megapixel cameras from Canon. On the left the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi and on the right the Canon EOS 40D.

Collecting digital cameras from the mid to late 2000s can be a fun activity as these cameras are being replaced by modern mirrorless digital cameras. I would consider the Rebel as an entry level DSLR and the 40D as a true almost pro-level DSLR. The good news is that these cameras use the common Canon EF lenses.

Do you have a favorite digital camera from the 2000s? Are these worthy enough to be called modern classics? Let us know in comments section. Thank you for stopping by and have a great day!

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.

Yashica Binoculars – 1962

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

This is a scan from the 1962 Australian importer Swift & Bleakley Camera & Accessory Catalogue. As discussed in a previous post, it is likely Yashica did not make binoculars that they sold under their name. It appears that was a common practice during the 1960s and 1970s. Most Japanese camera manufacturers had minor accessories like binoculars and tripods made by outside contractors who may or may not have built the items to Yashica’s specifications. My guess is that most of these binoculars listed above were only slightly modified from existing stock items. It’s no knock on Yashica since their reputation was made by building high-quality cameras and selling them at the lowest possible price and counting on volume to make their profits. It’s quite possible that Yashica still made a nice profit by reselling these binoculars banking on their good name to sell them to already established Yashica brand customers.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Friday Fotos! – Yashica Binoculars

September 24, 2021September 24, 2021Chris and Carol 1 Comment

I don’t usually collect binoculars but sometimes you come across a pair that scream “buy me”! These rather rare binoculars did just that. Of course, it helps that they carry the Yashica brand. Yashica binoculars enjoy a good reputation as being of high-quality with exceptionally good optics.

These lovely miniature binoculars are of the reverse Porro prism design and are in mint condition especially considering they were likely made in the early 1960s (maybe the late 1950s) not by Yashica but by a very well-known maker of binoculars the Seiwa Kogaku Company of Tokyo.

Japan imposed strict guidelines on the manufacture of binoculars and telescopes. These guidelines stated that binoculars were to be of the highest quality and be able to pass extensive testing and quality control procedures. As such, the original maker had to stamp in the metal casing their unique manufacturer’s mark regardless of the final branding.

Assembly manufacturer’s mark J-B93 is for the Seiwa Kogaku Company. There’s a secondary mark on the casting J-E50 for Tanaka Koki Seisakujo, Inc.

7 x 28 Extra Wide Angle. The optics are bright and clear. Focusing is a bit stiff but that’s expected as the original grease starts to dry out after all these years.

The beautiful felt lined leather case still looks new.

28 mm objective lenses. Kinda cute from this angle.

Excellent craftsmanship on the leather case and surprisingly all the stitches are tight.

Usually the bottom of a leather case takes a lot of abuse but this one is almost pristine. I haven’t been able to find another inspection sticker on the binoculars just this one on the case. The letters look like “E.G.M.C.J.” to me. I’ve seen this sticker on the bottom of other leather cases made in Japan and on the bottom of a wood serving tray made in Japan. My best guess is “Export Graded something Center Japan”.

The binoculars are very compact due to their optical design but are still rather heavy at just over one pound (490 grams). Thanks for stopping by and I hope to write more soon. Have a great day and evening!

Yashica 635 – Yashica’s dual format camera

September 17, 2021September 17, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

In my opinion, Yashica was the hands down leader in producing twin-lens reflex cameras starting in the early 1950s right up until the mid 1980s when the last TLR rolled off the assembly lines. In between there were some very important milestones achieved by Yashica. One of which is the Yashica 635. My good friend Paul Sokk has an excellent site dedicated to everything you’d ever want to know about Yashica so I’d invite you to visit his 635 pages at http://www.yashicatlr.com/66ModelsPage6.html#yashica635

Yashica 635 Instruction Booklet back cover.

One way to figure out when Yashica may have printed an instruction booklet is by the date code in this case printed on the lower left on the back cover. Not all instruction booklets released by Yashica had an obvious date code but in my experience quite a few did especially from the mid-1960s onward. In this example the 691 D 5Y 16 contains the date. I have high confidence that the 691 indicates the year and month 1969 January.

In this example, the serial number begins with 9 and the date code is ***691*** from the cover pictured above.

Here are a couple of additional examples (below).

In the example above, 673 is simply decodes to 1967 March which the hand written serial number 7041480 bears out. The first digit 7 is the year that camera was made. Typically cameras sat around in camera shops or distributer’s warehouses for a while before they were sold. This camera wasn’t sold until January 1969. TLRs were not as popular by the late 1960s as the rise in popularity of the 35mm SLR cut into sales in a big way. I’m sure this camera was heavily discounted by the time it sold.

So pull out your Yashica Instruction Booklets and have a go at “dating” your camera. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn. Feel free to contact me here for a go at your camera and instruction booklet. BTW, Canon was fantastic at printing easy to decode dates on their booklets and in their cameras, lenses, and accessories.

A camera cleaning set from Hansa – 1950s

September 10, 2021September 10, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I purchased this neat little set the other day – I just had to have it because well, it’s neat and unique and it’s a bit of photo gear history. Hansa was an important Japanese company that made everything from sophisticated cameras and lenses to silly little cleaning kits and everything in between. I’m not 100% sure they actually made these items or had them made (think Vivitar).

Neat set from at least the mid-1950s. I’ve seen this exact same vinyl, color and texture, on other vinyl accessories cases from this same period. I have a flash unit that’s exactly the same but it wasn’t made by Hansa.

Awesome rice paper instruction sheet shows you how to use the items in the set. The only piece I’m missing is a pair of tweezers. The green blower brush is no longer flexible as the rubber has become brittle with age.

Everything tucks away nicely in this little case and it fits nicely inside of your camera bag. I’ve had this piece on display with some of my 1950s cameras.

Of course the most famous Hansa item is the very first Canon camera that’s marked Hansa Canon.

The tribute Hansa Canon camera from 2012 (75th anniversary edition.

Actual Hansa Canon camera from the 1930s (not mine).

Thank you for stopping by and have an awesome (and safe) day!

The Minolta 35, a Leica re-imagined

September 9, 2021September 9, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I know that the camera brand Minolta conjures up many different images depending on which decade you experienced your first encounter with this popular brand. My good friend and fellow Yashica collector (sorry, we’re researchers) Paul Sokk from Australia has written one of the most comprehensive articles you’ll ever read about the early days of Minolta. I highly recommend you pop on over and give his latest post a good read. While you’re at it, be sure to check out his articles about Yashica, Nicca, and Leotax. Paul’s latest can be enjoyed at http://www.yashicatlr.com/Minolta35.html

Just a small sample from Paul’s site. Thanks for stopping by and have a great evening!

saturday shots – spotless spotmatic

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

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Asahi Pentax 6×7 – one that got away*

August 23, 2021August 23, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

*Sold actually before I really got a chance to bond with it.

After chasing after a really nice Asahi Pentax 6×7 set I found myself in a familiar place. I had collected bit by bit a nice set in mint condition only to discover I was too hesitant to actually use it. So I sold it for way less than I should have and went with a Fujica GW690 with less features and a few more road miles on it. Turns out it was the right thing to do as I enjoy shooting these larger medium-format cameras as the quality of the images are simply awesome. My advice? The AP and Pentax 6×7 are awesome cameras packed with tons of features but if you just want to go big then check out the Fujica.

Fixed lens, no meter, just lots of detail packed into this beast.

A size comparison between a typical 35mm SLR and the Fujica 6×9.

Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island) post office on Fujifilm Acros 100. I couldn’t ask for any more detail and clarity.

Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome day!

Canon Model 7 instruction booklet from 1962

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

There’s not many opportunities to find an original Canon Model 7 instruction booklet in Japanese here in the US, but one did pop up on an auction site recently so I added it to my collection.

The date code printed on the bottom center of the back cover (1162) is the date that this booklet was printed. In this case November 1962 which is about a year and a half after the camera was first released.

The back cover (top) translates as – Canon Camera Co., Ltd., Headquarters Factory Shimomaruko-cho, Ota-ku, Tokyo and their sales office at 7-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (Yamato Building, 3rd Floor).

Here’s a scan from inside the booklet showing how to properly hold the camera. I might mention that any translations come directly from my Google translation app on my phone.

The English Edition of the same booklet but printed in 1966.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day and please, be safe!

Leica-like 35mm Cameras by Paul Sokk

August 15, 2021August 15, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My good friend Paul Sokk in Australia has one of the best camera sites you’ll ever come across. Paul covers in great detail cameras from Yashica, Nicca, and Leotax to name just a few. Here’s the link to a rather new section that Paul added just recently. http://www.yashicatlr.com/LeicaCopies.html

Paul’s knowledge of Yashica cameras, especially the twin-lens models, is second to none (shameless plug). http://www.yashicatlr.com/index.html

If you decide to give his site a read be sure to let him know what you liked specifically and please share anything of interest as Paul is always seeking out new information and ideas to share with his readers.

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