Wonderful cover artwork.Newest models as of 1957.Minolta A-2 that I briefly owned.
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.
In addition to chasing after classic cameras I enjoy chasing down vintage sales brochures as they can be a great source of detailed information direct from the manufacturer. Often times it’s the only avenue for discovering which accessory goes with which camera. Here’s a great Canon brochure from Japan dated 05/1980 (PUB. CJ01 – 022).
Actually Canon refers to this as a catalog.
Although I have this same information in other brochures and catalogs they’re scattered around in different albums so it’s nice to have them all here in one place. Since this catalog was released in May of 1980, some early and discontinued accessories are not shown. Also missing from this publication is the Canon AE1-Program and the AT-1 and it predates the release of the T Series (T50, T70). I’ll scan and post some additional pages over the next few days. Stay tuned!
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.
My recently acquired RTS stripped of its faulty skins. It’s a blank canvas and I like the look for now. The mirror is locked in the up position (the little lever to the right of the lens mount).
This scan (below) is from a Yashica marketing brochure from early 1975. There’s been so much misinformation about the origins of the RTS that I thought it would be best to go to the source to get the facts straight.
Lots of flowing marketing speak in there but it delivers with no uncertainties who did what and why. The when isn’t mentioned but many of the pictures inside this brochure are from mid 1974 based on the cameras, lenses, and accessories pictured (not just the RTS stuff). It’s generally believed that the initial talks between Yashica and Zeiss started as early as 1971. I might mention that this was an extremely challenging time financially and structurally for Yashica with some accounting and management issues reported in the global press which led to a bit of a scandal of epic proportions for Yashica’s founder(s).
Some of these accessories weren’t fully developed at the time this brochure was published and I’m far from being an expert on which lens was or was not available. I’ve never looked closely at the Carl Zeiss lens line developed for and with Yashica.
Contax RTS Real Time System.
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.
Hi all… thanks for stopping by! Just in time for Father’s Day I’m offering a nice 10% discount on almost everything in my shop – CC Design Studios at http://www.ccstudio2380.com
Lots of unique items from our vast collection of photo gear and other collectibles from our travels over the years. Here’s a small sample…
We also have a bunch of gear and cameras that haven’t been listed yet. If there’s a particular item you’ve been searching for lets us know as we just might have it. Contact us here or at ccphotographyai@gmail.com
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.
A very rare, no let me say, ultra rare Zunow camera and lens set is for sale via an online auction in Japan. The Zunow was made in extremely limited numbers in 1959 and few remain this complete in the present collector world. Yashica’s first 35mm SLR was designed in early to mid-1959 shortly after Yashica acquired Nicca camera in 1958. The Yashica Pentamatic ’35’ started production in December 1959 with the first units reaching the US market in the Spring of 1960. The Pentamatic and the Zunow share some similar DNA as Yashica purchased lenses from Zunow (mostly cine lenses) and they were for a time dual branded.
Not often seen together original box, lens cap, case with strap, camera body and lens.Beautiful together.Here’s a snip of a completed auction for just the brochure.Here’s my first Pentamatic ’35’ with a super-rare Tominon and Yashica branded wide-angle lens.
Looking at the Zunow and the Pentamatic it’s not hard to let your imagination run wild that maybe Zunow, Nicca, and Yashica all shared some design features with one another over a drink or two at a local bar on the outskirts of Tokyo.
This could be another sales brochure or brochure and instruction booklet combination.Zunow and Yashica branded box for an 8mm cine camera lens.An advertisement for a rare dual offering from a well-known Japanese camera dealer a few years back.
Those of you who follow this blog know that our main collecting passion lies with most everything from Yashica. The Yashica TL Electro X was my first 35mm SLR and since then my collection of all things Yashica has grown substantially.
On the left is the original Yashica Sailor Boy (1962) – to the right is the Wee Willie Winkie version from around 1966 or so. Yashica has never officially named these guys so we’re assigning them names just to make identification easier.
Recently this version popped up for sale in Japan and although we didn’t purchase him I’d like to at least show another side of this collectible figurine.
All three of these versions were made in Japan by Modern Plastics during the 1960s. The football guy wearing number 35 was more than likely promoting Yashica’s line of 35mm cameras but little else is know about him. He is…
Fujifilm = Fuji Fun! Here’s a simple but fun to use point and shoot 35mm film camera from Fuji Photo Film Company – 1993. It’s hard to imagine that this camera is now over 25-years-old and it’s never been used.
It features a Fujinon f8 34mm lens with 3 elements in 3 groups. The shutter operates from 1/40 to 1/600 of a second. Built-in automatic flash and of course, red-eye reduction.
The Discovery line from Fuji was very popular with a ton of models produced in the early 1990s. The Discovery 90 Date listed for ¥18,500 in 1993 (about $160 USD).
It has some pretty nice features for such an easy to use camera. That’s the original film that came with the set – it’s expired but still usable.
I replaced the original CR2025 battery with a fresh one and reset the date.
These “Plastic Fantastic” cameras are a joy to use and with its Fujinon 34mm lens produced some quality images especially loaded with Fujicolor film.
Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic Sunday! – 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.
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.
Medium format film camera with Mamiya-Sekor C f/4 150mm portrait lens.
Prism finder mounted in lieu of the standard waist-level finder. No built-in exposure meter.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day (be safe y’all!). – Chris
Be sure to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com for some truly unique cameras and photographic accessories.
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.
Part of the fun of collecting cameras is discovering something you didn’t know existed. In this case, I recently discovered that Leica Leitz made lens cases out of Bakelite (ancient plastic) that held various Leica lenses in the late 1940s and early 1950s (reportedly as early as the mid-1930s).
The case is designed to hold the lens securely with a small notch for the focus knob.
There are small numbers embossed in the base, 2729, and on the cap 2617. These numbers do not show up currently on a search of Leica catalog numbers.
The outside of the base of the Bakelite case.
‘BCDOO’ was the Leica catalog code for the Bakelite lens case for the 3.5cm Summaron. The translation of the French is “Bakelite boxes with screw-thread cover for…”.
Apparently, at some point in time (I don’t know the date of this catalog) these Bakelite cases were offered with the lenses as either a standard accessory or available as a separate option.
A small sample of the Bakelite cases.
Thanks for stopping by and here’s hoping you have a beautiful day and that you’re about to discover something neat in your camera collection! – 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 