Nicca Camera Box – 1953

November 18, 2019November 18, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Most of our camera collection revolves around, no surprise, cameras and lenses. However, collecting camera boxes can be just as fun (and infinitely more difficult). Here’s a rather rare box from Nicca for the Type 3-S and Type 4 35mm rangefinder cameras.

From 1953 – the top design on the box is the Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens elements and groups.

The inside of the box is lined with fabric.

The camera (Type 3-S) safely tucked inside.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

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.

The Fujicaflex Automat- a monster TLR from Fuji Photo Film Company, Tokyo

November 17, 2019November 17, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Here’s another look at this wonderful camera. I’ve recently found the time to shoot a roll of film with it and the film will be developed soon. I’ll be sure to post the scans when I can.

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Fuji’s only attempt at a twin-lens reflex camera – 1954

The Fuji Photo Film Company of Tokyo has a long history of making some very desirable cameras – from simple point and shoot models to high-quality professional medium format film cameras covering most types of film formats (Fuji Photo, after all, is in the business of selling film). Along the way, there have been a few cameras that have stood out for their technical achievements and innovations and one of them is the Fujicaflex Automat (for much more about this model please check out Mr. Koyasu’s wonderful site).

We’ve wanted to add this camera to our collection for many years and the right combination of events led us to this one. It was for sale in Japan a short while back and we missed it – it became available again from a collector in Thailand so we went for it.

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Fujica GW690 Professional – medium format photography on a grand scale

November 16, 2019November 16, 2019Chris and Carol 3 Comments

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The Fujica GW690 Professional from Fuji Photo Film Company – November 1978. It’s a rather hefty medium format 120/220 roll film camera capable of producing images at an amazingly large 6 x 9 cm.

Loaded with Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros.

Its original list price was ¥143,500. The camera features a non-interchangeable EBC Fujinon 90mm f/3.5 lens (5 elements in 5 groups) and a Seiko #0 leaf shutter with settings for T, 1-1/500 second. It weighs “just” 1,430 grams. No batteries needed as there is no built-in exposure meter. Simply focus the easy to use rangefinder, meter via a handheld meter (or phone app), set your aperture and shutter speed and you’re good to go. By the way, this beast produces 8 super sharp images so you can eat through a roll of 120 film in a hurry.

Original sales brochure – 1978.

Released in 1985, the now Fuji GW690II in GOLD.

To see all of the cameras in this series please check out this wonderful site.

Images were taken with my Fujica. All of the images are as exposed and as scanned. No post-production, really-really.

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The Fujica GW690 and Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros are an almost perfect combination. There’s always plenty of these available via online auctions with a majority of them listed in Japan.

GOOD NEWS!

Fujifilm Acros II

Fujifilm Acros II Box

Yeah! Neopan is not dead!

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

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.

Macro Monday – Monster Glass

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019Chris and Carol 2 Comments

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One of the finest fast lenses ever – well pretty close anyway. Made by Tomioka Optical for Yashica (and others) this ultra-fast 55mm f/1.2 lens is a perfect match for the Yashica TL Electro X ITS that it’s mounted on.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

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.

A rare Yashica Pentamatic II instruction booklet surfaces.

October 27, 2019October 27, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Every now and again something new turns up in our never-ending search for the complete history of the Yashica Pentamatic series of 35mm SLR cameras. The first model of the Pentamatic was dated (by serial number) in December 1959 and the last, the Pentamatic S ended in March 1962. In between the Pentamatic II had a short run from August 1960 to January 1961. Fewer than 26,000 Pentamatics were made (of all models) during its brief run which makes the Pentamatic one of the hardest to find models in Yashica’s historical line-up of SLR cameras.

A recent online auction featured this never before seen instruction booklet (below).

It’s not much to look at as the cover is devoid of any attempt to market the camera.

My best guess is that the booklet is an English edition of the Pentamatic II instructions. The Japanese edition (below) is much more in keeping with the style of the other books. My good friend and Yashica collaborator Paul Sokk and I agree that the Pentamatic II was never released for sale outside of Japan which makes the discovery of this white cover booklet for the Pentamatic II that much more interesting.

Front and back covers of the Pentamatic II instruction booklet. It’s the only manual found so far that’s printed in Japanese.

Here are all three of the instruction booklets for the Yashica Pentamatic (below).

Up to this point, these were the only known Pentamatic instruction booklets.

Here’s a scan of the first page inside the white covered booklet – pictured is a Pentamatic II with it’s Zunow sourced 5.8cm f/1.7 lens. The camera is still identified as the original Pentamatic in this image, however.

So the big question is why did Yashica print this instruction booklet in English when from all evidence the Pentamatic II wasn’t released for sale outside of Japan? A secondary question is why did they choose to not title the booklet as being for the Pentamatic II? Our best guess is that a few Pentamatic II models were in fact sold in Japan possibly in military exchanges and in duty-free shops and an English version was needed. It’s also possible that a few Pentamatic II’s were sold outside of Japan and the booklet was produced to supplement the camera. Nothing yet to prove that the Pentamatic II was sold outside of Japan but the existence of this book adds a new wrinkle to the history of this camera.

Thanks for stopping by and as always, if you have additional info about any of the three Pentamatic models please share it with us. Thanks, Chris

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.

random scans from Japan

October 25, 2019October 25, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Every now and again I’ll find the time to scan a bunch of camera brochures for easy future reference. Here’s my latest batch fresh from Japan.

Buy, sell, build or renovate your home!

Tokyu Lines, Minatomiral Line Route Map (current).

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Canon AE-1 Instruction Book (below) from March 1981. Definitely a different cover from the English Edition.

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Asahi Pentax Slide 501 (below) automatic 35mm slide projector/viewer. No date on the brochure but I’m guessing that it was released in the mid to late 1970s (around the time of the Pentax ME).

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From inside the brochure a rather surprising graphic. Can you imagine if something like this was inside your Kodak slide projector instructions in the US??? But Japan takes a more mature approach to nudity and the graphic is quite funny to see the reactions on the catoons faces.

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The Minolta TC-1 (below) from a brochure dated 1999. The TC-1 is a compact point and shoot 35mm film camera that still commands a strong price in the used market. Mint and near mint examples regularly sell from $800 to $1,200 USD on sites like eBay and Yahoo Japan Auction.

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The brochure that I scanned this from shows a list price of ¥148,000 and an actual selling price of ¥122,000 (about $1,140 USD).

28mm G-Rokkor f/3.5 lens – kinda slow for the money IMO.

Fujifilm X-T1 / X-T10 brochure dated May 2015.

Nikon F80 (N80 in the US) brochure dated August 29, 2001.

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Fujifilm X-Pro2

Thanks for stopping by and some of these brochures can be found in my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – Chris

Time Capsule – 1960

October 11, 2019October 11, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Another look at this post from last year. New evidence shows that the Pentamatic (original model) was released in Japan in January 1960 but as of this reblog still no instruction booklets found printed in Japanese – only English. The Pentamatic made its first appearance in the US around March-April 1960 with the first ads appearing in May.

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

yashica pentamatic set The original Pentamatic.

A nice example of Yashica’s first 35mm SLR – the Pentamatic. Also known as the Pentamatic ’35’ in its earliest advertisements and sales brochures. This particular camera is from August 1960 – the same month that Yashica started production of the Pentamatic II – a model that was destined for the Japanese home market and not for world export. The Pentamatic II stayed in production only until January 1961 when it was replaced a few months later with the Pentamatic S. The original Pentamatic was first produced in December 1959 but widescale production didn’t begin until January 1960. As of this update (Oct 11, 2018), I still haven’t found evidence of an instruction booklet printed in Japanese – only English booklets so far. I would think that there must be booklets in Japanese and at least 2 or 3 other languages but none found. The Pentamatic II…

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Nikon F Instruction Manual – 1971

October 10, 2019October 10, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Here’s a super nice all original instruction manual for the Nikon F. This one is in near-mint condition with only the slightest signs of having been in a camera bag with the camera. No missing pages, no writing, no folds, and no not so funny smells!

My shop is at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

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These manuals are getting harder to find in this condition. This is a one-owner book that’s been stored away properly all these years.

Dated (71.7) which is July 1971

The Nikon F

English Edition with about 35 pages.

Add this very collectible book to your Nikon collection. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to stop by my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com where you’ll find this book for sale or buy it direst below. – Chris

Nikon F Instruction Manual – 1971

In near mint condition, one owner, about 35 pages, English Edition dated 1971. I'll mail it for free within the USA but it's available for mailing almost worldwide. Please ask for a quote to your country. Chris

$28.75

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.

Yashica Yashimat-S Movie Camera

October 4, 2019October 4, 2019Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Yashica’s ghost of a camera. There’s not much out there on the web, in fact almost nothing. I do have the instruction booklet in case I ever find the camera.

From what I’ve been able to glean, it was produced between 1963 to 1965 (not sure on these dates). It’s got a rather strange name for a Yashica 8mm movie camera – closer to the Yashica-Mat TLR camera of the 1950s. In fact, the instructions give very little clues as to what type of film it takes – the first mention isn’t until page 9 of the instructions!

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It was advertised as a pocketable 8mm camera with a CdS meter and a universal focus lens. Fully automatic exposure.

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Yashimat-S Movie

It looks a bit bigger than “pocketable”.

I do like its clean modern design. I’m thinking that it wasn’t around long before it was replaced by the zoom model since they’re almost impossible to find for sale.

Thanks for stopping by and if you have this camera please share some pics with me at ccphotographyai@gmail.com – Chris

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.

Camera matchmaker – Canon Model 7

October 3, 2019October 3, 2019Chris and Carol 2 Comments

A rather odd title for an odd post about cameras. Let me explain. Recently I purchased a rather large collection of camera manuals, user guides, sales brochures and whatnot from a seller in Japan. Mixed in with all the stuff that I wanted and knew about was some surprising finds.

Here are the original warranty-registration papers that would have been included with a Canon Model 7 (or simply the Canon 7) 35mm rangefinder camera that was produced between 1961 and 1964. The paperwork contains the camera and lens serial numbers as they were recorded by the factory.

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A close-up of the registration card (below) shows the body and lens serial numbers.

Body number 806188 and the lens’ serial number 38115

The Canon 7 was produced in rather large quantities and it was considered a fairly capable camera especially with the 50mm f/1.2 lens attached. An impressive f/0.95 lens was also available. As I understand it, production started at 800001 or 800000 – the camera pictured in the instruction booklet was numbered 800022 (see below).

So the papers that I have are from an early production model (6,188) which I would guess is from late 1961.

All of the papers are in excellent vintage condition and show very nicely. Just some slight yellowing with the passage of time.

The Matchmaker Part – If you own this camera or lens – then heck, contact me at ccphotographyai@gmail.com and we’ll get the two of them back together. If you own a Canon 7 and would like to add these papers with your camera or to your collection then head on over to my shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

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 cameras and so much more!

Tag Made in Japan

Nicca Camera Box – 1953

Most of our camera collection revolves around, no surprise, cameras and lenses. However, collecting camera boxes can be just as fun (and infinitely more difficult). Here’s a rather rare box from Nicca for the Type 3-S and Type 4 35mm rangefinder cameras.

The Fujicaflex Automat- a monster TLR from Fuji Photo Film Company, Tokyo

Fuji’s only attempt at a twin-lens reflex camera – 1954

Fujica GW690 Professional – medium format photography on a grand scale

Macro Monday – Monster Glass

A rare Yashica Pentamatic II instruction booklet surfaces.

A recent online auction featured this never before seen instruction booklet (below).

random scans from Japan

Every now and again I’ll find the time to scan a bunch of camera brochures for easy future reference. Here’s my latest batch fresh from Japan.

Time Capsule – 1960

Nikon F Instruction Manual – 1971

Yashica Yashimat-S Movie Camera

Camera matchmaker – Canon Model 7