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Canon New F-1 Los Angeles 1984 Olympics

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That’s a mouthful.

Canon made these limited-edition cameras for the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles.

My strange Canon New F-1 Los Angeles 1984 camera. I say “strange” because the gold paint on the logos is weak and missing. The camera is definitely well-used, with plenty of dents, but shows no brassing. It’s a genuine Olympics body with a date code X1123 (Nov 83) and a proper LA6312 serial number. It works perfectly (not film-tested yet). It could make a fun user camera, as most people wouldn’t use a limited-edition camera and risk beating the heck out of it. Please let me know your thoughts. Should I attempt to fill in the gold or leave it be? It would be difficult to match the gold without mucking it up, so I have that going for me.

A few dents and missing gold paint, but otherwise a good-looking camera.
Back view. The LA cameras got a special serial number.

It’s estimated that about 9,000 to 9,900 were made. My camera is an LA6312, made in November 1983. My guess is that Canon must have made at least another 3,000 units, but I don’t know that for sure. I have seen an LA9584, and it was made in April 1984.

The bottom plate looks amazingly good given its age and use.
Top view.

The Canon limited edition Olympic cameras are a fun twist for collectors. There are the 1976 Montreal, 1980 Lake Placid, and 1984 Los Angeles models.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

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Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned a great deal from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

I have another Canon Macrolite available from my collection.

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Canon Macrolite ML-1… 1970s Tech

Hi all! I have my last Canon Macrolite ML-1 electronic flash from my collection for sale. This one is the latest version from 1985. It will work perfectly with the Canon New F-1 as well as any of the earlier A-Series cameras. It’s in my Etsy camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

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Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned a great deal from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

A classic Asahi-Takumar lens from 1958.

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My Asahi-Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens set is shown with my Asahi Pentax 35mm SLR from 1957. The lens is from 1958. The lens is listed at 300 grams or 10.5 oz. My lens weighs 326 grams. There must be an error in the original weight, or my lens was modified by the factory after the first lenses were made.

It’s one of the first auxiliary lenses made for their new 35mm SLR camera.
Asahi Optical Company’s first 35mm SLR with a pentaprism. This model was released in May 1957, and the lens followed shortly after in 1958.
A snip from the instruction guide. This lens is the closest to mine in design.
The earliest lens design had two chrome aperture rings.
It’s shown here mounted to my Fuji X-T2 via an adapter.
A test image. The equivalent focal length is about 200mm when used on a 1.5x crop sensor camera, such as the Fuji.
There may be some light haze or cloudiness inside one of the lens elements, as this shot lacks contrast.
Same shot with added “punch”.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

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Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned a great deal from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Friday Fotos! – Contax Crazy

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My Contax RTS with a Contax RTW W-3 and Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 Macro Zoom lens.
www.ccstudio2380.com

The Contax RTS was released in 1975.
I added a Contax Real Time Winder W-3.
The Carl Zeiss lens is super sharp, and the zoom range is perfect for my type of photography.
It’s not complete without the appropriate Contax overdesigned and oversized lens hood.
Instruction booklet from 1977.
Ad from 1976.

The original Contax RTS (Real Time System) is a joy to use. If you are looking for a classic 35mm SLR to add to your collection, look no further than the RTS.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

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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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Yashica Pentamatic Lenses

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Yashica Pentamatic ’35’

We recently acquired this lens for our Yashica Pentamatic collection. Why is it important? It’s a great find because it’s the first time we’ve encountered a lens with a lower serial number than one pictured in an advertisement (in this case, the first-ever ad for the Pentamatic, June 1960). We know it is total nerd stuff, but that’s what makes collecting fun.

The lens was made for Yashica by Tomioka Optical, which at the time made about 90% of all their lenses (TLR, SLR, RF, and Cine).

The lens serial number decodes 59 = 1959, 10 = OCT, and 0092, the 92nd lens made since production started.

In the second image, the other lens was made in December and was the 1,630th made. Tomioka was busy producing these lenses long before Yashica released the Pentamatic in March 1960. The first Pentamatic bodies were made in January.

The third image shows an early Yashica Tominon Super Yashinon-R f/2.8 3.5cm wide-angle lens SN 350246. The date code was dropped in favor of a simpler code: 35 = 35 mm, and 0246 is the sequence number since the start of production.

The ad shows a lens with a higher production number than the lens we own. 92 indicates it was made in the first batch of 100 lenses.
The October lens is on the left and the December lens is on the right. No November lenses were made.
From an early batch of wide-angle lenses from Tomioka Optical. This one is number 246.
A fast lens from Tomioka. The f/1.2 55mm lens which was made much later in the M42 screw mount.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

camera porn – sexy stuff

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F-1 fever!

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

New in my Camera Shop, just in time for holiday gift giving.

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Here are just a few items in my Etsy camera shop from my collection of cameras and photo gear. Visit http://www.ccstudio2380.com to see these items in detail.

Canon and Contax.
Asahi Pentax, Canon, Yashica, and Nikon.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2024 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

single frame

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Limited Edition Canon OD F-1 from early 1978. Out of the blue (in this case, green), Canon in Japan released about 2,000 of these factory-painted olive-drab F-1s, reportedly only for the home market. They came with a special box, unique strap, custom case, and no lens. My OD F-1 has seen some action as it has just a touch of brassing in its key wear points, which I have no problem with. I’ve added a Canon Power Winder F and my trusty Canon FD 50mm f/1.4 S.S.C. lens. Canon only made the body green, so no green accessories or lenses exist. I have this set loaded with film and will take it out and about soon. Stay connected for more about this special camera and my images.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2024 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Contax Crazy

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Enough!

It’s fun to collect, but now it’s time to disperse.

More to come soon. Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai

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. Copyright © 2015-2024 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Contax RX – 1994

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Before the dawn of the digital age, camera manufacturers produced some of their most technologically advanced 35mm SLR film cameras to date. Sophisticated autofocus systems, auto exposure, eye-control, and zone-assist focusing to name just a few features. The Canon EOS-1N (1994), the Nikon F4 (1988) which was Nikons first professional camera with autofocus, the F5 (1996), and the Contax RX (1994), AX (1996) which had a basic autofocus system and later, the N1 (2000) a true autofocus camera with a new line of Zeiss lenses.

My Contax RX set. The lens was initially sold separately.
The RX’s ‘highlight’ was the Digital Focus Indicator (DFI) function—not quite autofocus, but close.
It’s a handsome SLR with a timeless, classic look that, in my opinion, modern Fujifilm mirrorless cameras emulate.
The list price of JPY 160,000 was about USD 1,600 in 1994.
Contax RX brochure. Shoots at up to 3 frames per second.
Canon EOS-1N RS (a film eater with autofocus). It’s capable of shooting 10 frames per second! Uses Canon EF lenses.
Canon EOS-1N brochure – 1994.
Nikon F5 1996. It’s capable of shooting 8 frames per second.
Nikon F5 brochure.
The Contax RX. The data back only indicates the year up to 2019. Thirty years on, it’s stuck in the 1990s. The data is printed between the frames on the film, not in the image.
Contax craziness!

More soon. Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai

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. Copyright © 2015-2024 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.