Canon A-1 35mm SLR – 1980 Winter Olympics Edition

November 30, 2022November 30, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris – My Canon A-1 35mm SLR 1980 Winter Olympics camera set is now available in my camera shop at www.ccstudio2380.com It’s in collector’s condition and has been professionally serviced (new light seals, mirror pad, and lubed) and is 100% fully working. Don’t miss out on this gem of a camera! Thanks for stopping by, Chris #canona1 #canon #canoncamera #35mm #slr #filmcamera #canonolympics #1980olympics #jeanclaudekilly #lakeplacid #madeinjapan #photography #ccstudio2380

As always, 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.

Canon FD Lens Brochure with a full-color centerfold poster – 1978

November 29, 2022November 29, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Although it’s undated my sharp eyes spotted a date code on the lens (rear mounting plate) beginning with ‘S’ which is 1978. The brochure features the new Canon New FD lens lineup and I hadn’t seen it before acquiring it recently in a large camera and photogear purchase.

Lovely centerfold that’s about 17 x 22 inches big!

A pretty neat cover shot for this hard-to-find brochure.

There’s some nice tech stuff inside in addition to the great pics and charts.

The date code that I see is ‘S1105’ for November 1978.

Since my Canon collection is bursting at the seams, I’ve added this brochure to the inventory of my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com. Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Canon A-1 1980 Winter Olympics Edition

November 28, 2022November 28, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Complete Canon Olympics Edition A-1 with 1968 Gold Medal winner Jean-Claude Killy pictured on the box (both sides). Killy also appeared in some print advertising for Canon in late 1979 and 1980.

The Winter Olympics were held in February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York so Canon needed someone of note to feature on the box for the A-1 that went into production in early 1979. Since there wasn’t a clear Olympic standout in skiing in the 1976 games, Canon turned to three-time Gold Medalist Killy from the 1968 games in Grenoble, France to feature on the box. Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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Konica Super SR Film

November 9, 2022November 9, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

A recently discovered two pack of Konica color print film in its original retail packaging.

It’s expired but with a few adjustments while shooting could still produce interesting results.

And even a roll of out-of-date regular Kodak B&W film

Everything is on sale at 10% off – just in time for your Christmas gift shopping.

Expired 35mm film can be a joy to shoot or a frustrating experience. There are many photogs that absolutely love the look that vintage films can produce. I’ve added these to my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com if you’re interested. I had these on display with some of my classic cameras from that period. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

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Fresh from the garden – Konica Tomato!

November 8, 2022November 8, 2022Chris and Carol 3 Comments

We love collecting cameras that we perceive as “fun” or unusual and this wonderful camera from Konica is that and more. A couple of other cameras that I’d put in this category are the Fuji Pet and the Konica Kanpai (Kanpa!). How could you not fall in love with this cute little Tomato at first sight?

We love the glossy bright red finish and of course, the cute logo but the Tomato is more than just a pretty face. The store display card is a nice bonus and a reminder of just how much the camera set cost back in 1985 (about $99) and the case another $10.

If you’ve been a follower of our blog you undoubtedly know just how much we enjoy collecting cameras that come with their original boxes and have all of the goodies that came with them when new.

We’ve added the Fujicolor film for, well, color! The box looks like it came from the produce department of your local grocery store. Well done Konica!

It’s all there – a user’s guide, service guide, warranty/registration card, and a neat brochure on how to join the Sakura Film Club.

It comes with this super cool camera case that was an accessory when new.

Some specs. Features a fixed focus 35mm f/4 Konica lens (multicoated, 4 elements/4 groups) which I believe is glass. Selectable ISO settings of 100, 200, and 400, and on the left, a switch for using the flash when the subject is between 1.5 to 2 meters from the camera. The flash can be turned on and off which wasn’t a typical feature with compact point & shoot cameras during the 1980s.

The body of the camera is finished in a smooth glossy red and even though it’s plastic it’s a high grade of plastic that doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy in your hand. Another nice feature is the sliding lens cover that is also quite stout, unlike some other designs that feel like they’ll break after a few uses.

Auto Date – what’s up with that? Shown here with the time display (14:41 = 2:41 PM). The date display is accurate up to December 31, 2019. The date or time will be imprinted on your pictures unless you select “off”. According to the instructions, the date/time module is smart enough to know when it’s a leap year.

There’s a neat sticker inside reminding you to use either Sakura or Konica film. I installed a new CR2025 battery (far right) for the date/time feature. The camera uses a single AA battery that powers the flash and the underexposure warning light (just to the right of the viewfinder).

We consider the Konica Tomato a “Modern Classic” and part of our “Plastic Fantastic” collection. If you’re interested in purchasing this set, it’s available in our online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com which is hosted by Etsy. Thanks for stopping by! Chris

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Happy SUNday! – Minolta Madness

November 6, 2022November 6, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Another beautiful Minolta has found its way into our collection and to be quite frank, we have more SLRs than we could ever possibly shoot with or even display. So, this lovely Minolta X-700 MPS is available in our camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

Minolta X-700 MPS (Minolta Program System) with sharp Rokkor MD 50mm f/2 lens.

This Minolta can be shot on full automatic exposure, aperture priority, or fully manual where you set both the shutter and aperture.

The X-700 is super easy to use and to me is lightweight enough to carry around all day.

The full-color brochure (over 40 pages) is filled with charts, tables, lists, and features of every Minolta lens and accessory available. The brochure is rather har-to-find and it’s included with the camera.

The Minolta X-700 is truly the heart of a complete system (MPS) of data backs, motor drives, flash units, lenses, focusing screens, close-up and macro accessories, meters, and cases. It’s one of our favorite 35mm SLRs to use. If you’re interested, pop on over to our shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com which is hosted by Etsy. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris & Carol

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A Yashica A III and its ‘hat’…

September 14, 2022September 14, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’m a sucker for a classic camera that looks like it was in a museum its whole life and still works like new (who wouldn’t?). I especially love vintage cameras that have some if not all of their original marketing bits and pieces. Here is a perfect example of why I collect and chase classic cameras.

This terrific little eye-catcher is affectionately known as a ‘hat’. That piece of paperboard that’s sitting on top of my Yashica A III. When you went into a camera shop back in the day, there were dozens of shiney new cameras wanting to catch your eye. One way to do so was to plop a hat on your camera to make it stand out and communicate something in the briefest of glances.

Nothing Earth-shaking but enough to tell you something without asking the salesperson anything. The price, some shutter specs, and of course, the type of lens. A nice leather case for another 800 yen. I’ve had a few of these hats from Yashica in my collection and they never fail to put a smile on my face (I know, I’m easily entertained). Thanks for stopping by. Have you seen a similar thing on another brand’s TLR? If so, let me know, or better yet share a pic. Chris

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Fun with Fuji’s K-28 “Construction Camera”

June 20, 2022June 20, 2022Chris and Carol 5 Comments

Here is another look at this unique and not often seen camera.

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Here’s a camera you don’t see often – maybe never – Fuji Photo Film Japan’s Fuji K-28. A waterproof and dust/dirtproof 35mm compact camera. Designed for rugged use like on a jobsite or in the rain. All of the controls are sealed against the elements via tight fitting rubber gaskets and secure latching systems.

The camera gets its power from 2 AA LR6 alkaline manganese batteries. Here’s an interesting note from Fujifilm Japan:

Apologies and Requests
Fujifilm “Construction Camera” For Customers

By the way, when the capacity of the batteries is not complete (for example, when new alkaline batteries are used with used alkaline batteries) in part of “construction camera” we sell at this time. It is extremely rare that hydrogen gas is sometimes released from the battery, the gas mixes with the air inside the camera, and it turned out that there was a possibility that the back cover…

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Canon’s high-speed film eater – 1995

May 31, 2022May 31, 2022Chris and Carol 2 Comments

If you were looking for a way to eat through a roll of 35mm film back in 1995 Canon had the answer. Capable of continuous shooting at 10 fps, it was billed as the fastest AF SLR at the time.

We take high-speed shooting for granted today with modern mirrorless digital cameras but 27 years ago it wasn’t easy to get quality images that were in focus and at this kind of speed. I’ve never tested it at that speed as I’m content with single frame shooting and with the cost of film and processing I won’t be eating film with it any time soon.

Thanks for stopping by! Do you have a film eater at home that you don’t use? – Chris

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Rare Pentamatic ’35’ Brochure from Japan

May 12, 2022May 12, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Here is another great find – fresh in from a seller in Japan. I believe this may be one of the first dedicated sales brochures for Yashica’s new 35mm SLR film camera. I’m guessing this was released in the Spring of 1960. Unfortunately, Yashica didn’t hide a date code somewhere in the brochure.

This is a scan of the centerfold –