Nicca 3-F Camera Case – first of its kind?

July 5, 2019July 5, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I know, this is not an overly exciting post – rather obscure actually.

Nicca 3-F ‘Snap Shot Case’.

The Nicca 3-F was one of many well-built 35mm rangefinder cameras produced by Nicca Camera Company in the late 1950s. Nicca would be acquired by Yashica in early 1958 and some of the technology that Nicca possessed went to Yashica in the deal. The acquisition directly led to the development of Yashica’s first 35mm SLR, the Pentamatic in late 1959. I digress.

My good friend Paul Sokk (www.yashicatlr.com) recently shared this scan of an instruction booklet he acquired for his Nicca. What struck me as I translated (actually an app on my phone translated it) is how this camera case was constructed.

Here’s the translation: “The snap shot case uses a brown box skin and comes with a shoulder strap as an accessory. It is glued, and the case of the stringer does not use any adhesive. Moreover, it has sufficient strength against external force (especially the projection of the lens part). Recently, there are those who use the camera out of the case and naked, but since it is likely that the camera is often hurt, it is recommended to put it in the case and use it as much as possible”.

I hadn’t noticed Nicca cases before this one that did not use stitching. Why is that important? On most vintage (40-year-old or more) cases the stitching has long since failed and the case falls apart. It will be interesting to see if these glued cases stood the test of time and in better condition than their stitched cousins.

A close-up view of a glued case.

Typical stitched case.

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.

Happy SUNday! – Unopened Treasure

June 30, 2019June 30, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

It’s always a blast to find a camera set that’s still new in its original box. Of course, it also creates a bit of a dilemma – should I use what is still a new camera and “ruin” its newness or should I be happy with keeping it unused and therefore in mint condition?

This, on the other hand, presents a whole different ballgame. Should I remove the outer plastic wrap and play with my new find or leave it as is – still wrapped from the factory and obviously untouched (and unused by me)?

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The Fujifilm Zoom Date 135V with its Fujinon 38-135mm zoom lens was first released in the US in April 2004. In Japan, it’s known as the Silvi F135 and was listed at ¥ 29,400. It’s part of the well respected Silvi series of sophisticated compact 35mm film cameras that Fuji Photo was making as late as the mid-2000s.

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This set was available at Ritz Camera as late as July 2005 and would have been competing against digital cameras and affordable megapixels.

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Here’s what the camera looks like outside of the box. Tempting!

A modern classic from Fujifilm.

If you would like to be the next owner of this still new camera, it’s available in my Etsy shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

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

Contax Heaven – ‘Yashica, A New Horizon’

June 29, 2019June 29, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The title refers to a not widely circulated Yashica marketing brochure that was sent to virtually all US camera dealers in early 1975. In it, Yashica informed dealers that they would directly distribute their products (including the Contax line) to them and that they had a direct representative in Yashica USA. Definitely a bold move by Yashica during a desperate time in their history (and struggle to stay solvent).

Here’s some eye candy from that brochure –

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How about finding this under the Christmas tree then or now?

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Really the first introduction of the partnership between Yashica and Contax.

The marketing brochure (cover) from 1975.

The original letter (not a copy) that was sent to each camera dealer in the US. Each was signed by the President (or more likely an underling).

I personally haven’t collected anything with the Contax branding but that hasn’t meant that I wouldn’t want to – just no more room for another branch in the collection.

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.

In the Shop – A Beautiful Canon 35mm A-1 Camera and Lens Set

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

New in the shop today at http://www.ccstudio2380.com I have a beautiful Canon A-1 with its original Canon FD 50mm f1.8 lens from 1982. As with everything I feature in my shop, this classic Canon has been cleaned, inspected and tested and it’s ready to go.

This Canon A-1 set comes complete as pictured. I’ve installed a new battery and checked all of the functions of the camera and lens.

The A-1 was is still is one of the best auto exposure cameras that Canon made during this period. I addition to its automated features it also shoots in full manual mode. It’s perfect for the experienced pro as well as for the beginner.

Additional pictures of the camera and a complete description can be found at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

In the shop, I also have a wonderful Canon A-1 sales brochure filled with additional info about the cameras advanced features and functions.

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If you’re looking to complete the look I also have a couple of vintage and super cool Hippie camera straps that would look awesome with this camera or any camera in your collection.

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I’ll mail pretty much worldwide. The shop is hosted by Etsy so I accept all types of payments. http://www.ccstudio2380.com

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Have a great day and 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.

Tanaka Optical Company, Ltd. – the 1950s

June 25, 2019June 25, 2019Chris and Carol 1 Comment

The Tanaka Optical Co., Ltd. was a camera and lens manufacturer with a factory in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan during the 1950s. Not many would have seen their cameras (35mm Leica type rangefinders) and fewer still their lenses for L39 Leica screw mount cameras. Their first camera was the Tanack 35 which was developed in 1952 and released in 1953. The company was gone by 1959.

There’s conflicting information on the web about whether Tanaka made just a few cameras and no lenses. This I believe is definitive proof that they did make cameras and lenses.

Complete lens box from about 1955.

The side panel says it all – “Manufactured in Kawasaki Japan by Tanaka Optical Co., Ltd. Manufacturers of Tanack Cameras, Tanar Lenses & Accessories”.

There’s still a lot to learn about the early years of this small camera manufacturer. At this time, I haven’t been able to find evidence that they made lenses for other camera makers. My guess is that they did but no proof yet.

Do you have more information about Tanaka, Tanar lenses and Tanack cameras? Please feel free to share what you know with me and I’ll gladly share that with my readers.

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.

Yashica Mystery – what is it and what does it mean?

June 23, 2019Chris and Carol 6 Comments

Contributor and Yashica aficionado, Graham Buxton-Smither posted this picture in my Flickr Group, https://www.flickr.com/groups/2734130@N24/pool/ the other day asking if I’d ever seen this type of serial number on a Yashica TL Electro X (pro-black body) before. I haven’t so I thought it would be good to broadcast it in this blog in hopes of discovering something about it.

Serial number with its odd two letter prefix ‘FI’. Photo courtesy of Graham Buxton-Smither https://www.flickr.com/photos/164456136@N06/

The serial number itself is unremarkable in the sense that it follows along with the standard for a Yashica SLR. It decodes to December 1969 as the manufacture date. The ‘FI’ has no previous use that I’m aware of so it was a surprise to see it. Graham states that it is on a one owner Yashica TL Electro X purchased in the UK when new. It appears to be a factory mark as the black paint looks undisturbed.

I’m stumped as there isn’t an example anywhere in my databases. I can’t even fathom a guess at this point.

Any help including guesses will be appreciated.

Thanks – Chris

Unique Yashica TL Electro-X from Denmark – Update 1

June 14, 2019September 11, 2019Chris and Carol 7 Comments

Many thanks to reader Jens Erik at http://www.jebsign.dk for sharing a photo of his Yashica TL Electro-X with me recently. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it appears that a distributor of Yashica cameras and photo gear (Kirk) in Denmark had a rather neat twist on this popular SLR. Here’s the ad that ran in 1969 –

1969 April, Yashica TL Electro-X

Here’s Jens Erik’s Yashica – his TL Electro-X matches the one depicted in the Yashica ad from 1969 and it clearly shows that the “X” is black vice the typical red and that the gothic “Y” that would normally be on the pentaprism is “missing”.

An example of an early version of this popular Yashica. The lens is not the lens that would have been on the camera at the time of its release. I’ll call this version the Type 1.

Updated info as of September 2019. It now appears that this no “Y” version wasn’t unique to this Danish or any other European distributor. I’ve just acquired my own version of this camera through a seller in the United States with no indication that it was purchased outside of the US initially. In my opinion, Yashica’s first version (pictured above) of their wildly popular TL Electro-X was the version missing the “Y” on the pentaprism – production looks like it first began in October 1968. My newest camera for my collection is from December 1968 as its serial number is 81200636. There’s one for sale on the Spanish eBay site that has the serial number 81000991 (which is October 1968).

Below is an example of the more typical Yashica TL Electro X design. The “X” is in red and there’s no hyphen before it and of course, the traditional gothic “Y” on the pentaprism.

Yashica TL Electro X Type 2 – with red “X” and gothic “Y”

Yashica sales brochure from the early 1970s.

Update #1: So Yashica’s first design for the TL Electro-X was the one without the “Y” on the pentaprism (Type 1) and the second and much more available TL Electro X with the “Y” is the Type 2. There also appears to be a large gap in production between the T1 and T2 of about eight or nine months. At this point in time, we don’t have a reason for the changes or for the gap.

Yashica sales brochure in German from around 1972. The ITS model with its distinctive gold electron design on the pentaprism is on the right.

Thanks again to Jens Erik for sharing his Yashica with me (and you).

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.

Yashica On Ice

June 7, 2019June 7, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

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Yashica Rookie TLR from 1956. Also known as a Yashicaflex Model R.

Warranty or service guarantee card that was issued with the Yashica Rookie verifying that it was known as the Model R in Japan.

The Rookie was only available for sale in Japan and was released in 1956.

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.

Fuji Panorama Cardia – a plastic fantastic from 1991

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

One of the first dedicated 35 mm panorama compact cameras from Fuji Photo Film Company. It was available only in Japan and was released in December 1991. Actually a sophisticated camera a notch or two above being just a point and shoot – debateable.

There’s so little information about this wonderful camera on the web, I hope this post helps a bit for those interested in this format and camera.

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It’s not as basic as it seems. This camera was released for the Japanese domestic market in December 1991 and listed for 15,800 JPY (about $123 USD).

It’s a dedicated panorama format 35 mm film camera (13 x 36 mm actual image size). The panorama setting is not adjustable.

1. Opens and closes the lens cover and when closed locks the shutter button.

2. Flash on/off switch.

3. Fujinon 28 mm f8 glass lens – 3 elements in 3 groups. The fixed focus lens focuses from 1.5 m to infinity switchable to landscape mode.

4. CdS light receiver.

5. Two position ISO selector switch.

6. Landscape Mode Switch “Far-view Mode Lever”.

7. Albada bright frame finder.

8. Shutter release button.

9. Manual strobe/flash.

The aperture is “automatically” adjusted for lower light levels and the camera will give a low-light warning in the viewfinder. It’s been reported by a Japanese blogger that the aperture was capable of f4 to f16 but that is not backed up by data from Fujifilm that I can find.

The shutter is fixed to fire at 1/100th of a second.

I’ve scanned a few pages from the instruction pamphlet (below).

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Take notice of the clearly marked “CdS light receiver” vice exposure meter. It could be just a difference in the machine translation from what was meant in the original Japanese text.

Specifications from Fuji confirms that the lens is a Fujinon f8 28 mm wide angle with glass optics – 3 elements in 3 groups (you’ll find that info in line 4).

Unboxing a classic.

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This camera set is available in my Etsy studio 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.

In the Shop – Fun with Fuji

May 26, 2019May 26, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’ve added these hard to find classic Fuji cameras in my camera shop recently. These are all considered to be still “new in the box” and in factory mint condition. Here’s your chance to add these totally unused (but tested) 35mm film cameras from the late 1980s and early 1990s.

These are available at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

new fuji ads

fuji new ad

Full descriptions and additional pictures can be found at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

new 2 ads

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Yashica cameras and so much more!

Tag Made in Japan

Nicca 3-F Camera Case – first of its kind?

Happy SUNday! – Unopened Treasure

It’s always a blast to find a camera set that’s still new in its original box. Of course, it also creates a bit of a dilemma – should I use what is still a new camera and “ruin” its newness or should I be happy with keeping it unused and therefore in mint condition?

Contax Heaven – ‘Yashica, A New Horizon’

In the Shop – A Beautiful Canon 35mm A-1 Camera and Lens Set

New in the shop today at http://www.ccstudio2380.com I have a beautiful Canon A-1 with its original Canon FD 50mm f1.8 lens from 1982. As with everything I feature in my shop, this classic Canon has been cleaned, inspected and tested and it’s ready to go.

Tanaka Optical Company, Ltd. – the 1950s

Yashica Mystery – what is it and what does it mean?

Unique Yashica TL Electro-X from Denmark – Update 1

Yashica On Ice

Fuji Panorama Cardia – a plastic fantastic from 1991

One of the first dedicated 35 mm panorama compact cameras from Fuji Photo Film Company. It was available only in Japan and was released in December 1991. Actually a sophisticated camera a notch or two above being just a point and shoot – debateable.

In the Shop – Fun with Fuji

I’ve added these hard to find classic Fuji cameras in my camera shop recently. These are all considered to be still “new in the box” and in factory mint condition. Here’s your chance to add these totally unused (but tested) 35mm film cameras from the late 1980s and early 1990s.