Happy Monday! I’ve added some new cameras and photo gear in my online camera shop hosted by Etsy at http://www.ccstudio2380.com over the weekend. Take advantage of these awesome finds at a 10% discount. I mail worldwide.
You’ll find an exciting array of cameras, collectibles, lenses, and photo gear in the shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
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.
I discovered this wonderful lens locally as it was for sale by the original owner. This one was mated to a Minolta Maxxum 7000i 35mm SLR film camera (1988).
Awesome auto-focus telephoto zoom lens with a Minolta mount.It’s a large lens with a wide zoom range – not heavy so it’s a joy to use.Fully extended.
I have this lens in my online camera shop and I’ll be listing the Minolta Maxxum 7000i shortly.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!
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.
Happy Sunday to all… I’ve got a few camera straps for sale in my Etsy Camera Shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com
If you’re a fan of Disney then I’ve got you covered!
How’s this for a in your face Minnie Mouse camera strap? It’s actually one of the hardest Disney straps to get here in the US as it was only available for a short time in Japan. It’s brand new (unused) in its original retail package from the Disney Store, Japan.Lots of different Mickey’s!This one I don’t have the original package but it’s still unused and in mint new condition.Rare “plain” classic Canon camera strap. These straps are always in high demand by collectors but few have survived totally unused and still new like this one.Includes the HTF leather strap protectors (body savers).A genuine Canon fanny pack from the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. This one is still new, never used! Holds a large SLR or DSLR and at least two lenses.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great Sunday!
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 my opinion, Yashica was the hands down leader in producing twin-lens reflex cameras starting in the early 1950s right up until the mid 1980s when the last TLR rolled off the assembly lines. In between there were some very important milestones achieved by Yashica. One of which is the Yashica 635. My good friend Paul Sokk has an excellent site dedicated to everything you’d ever want to know about Yashica so I’d invite you to visit his 635 pages at http://www.yashicatlr.com/66ModelsPage6.html#yashica635
Yashica 635 Instruction Booklet cover.Yashica 635 Instruction Booklet back cover.Yashica’s date code.
One way to figure out when Yashica may have printed an instruction booklet is by the date code in this case printed on the lower left on the back cover. Not all instruction booklets released by Yashica had an obvious date code but in my experience quite a few did especially from the mid-1960s onward. In this example the 691 D 5Y 16 contains the date. I have high confidence that the 691 indicates the year and month 1969 January.
In this example, the serial number begins with 9 and the date code is 691 from the cover pictured above.
Here are a couple of additional examples (below).
In the example above, 673 is simply decodes to 1967 March which the hand written serial number 7041480 bears out. The first digit 7 is the year that camera was made. Typically cameras sat around in camera shops or distributer’s warehouses for a while before they were sold. This camera wasn’t sold until January 1969. TLRs were not as popular by the late 1960s as the rise in popularity of the 35mm SLR cut into sales in a big way. I’m sure this camera was heavily discounted by the time it sold.
Here is an example from September 1966.
So pull out your Yashica Instruction Booklets and have a go at “dating” your camera. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn. Feel free to contact me here for a go at your camera and instruction booklet. BTW, Canon was fantastic at printing easy to decode dates on their booklets and in their cameras, lenses, and accessories.
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.
Hello and thanks for stopping by! I’ve added some really unique and rare items in my online Camera Shop which is hosted by Etsy at http://www.ccstudio2380.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.
Why would you put fake woodgrain on a camera? Too funny but so 70s.Takes Super 8 silent movie film cartridges.It has a pretty good lens and features automatic exposure control with its TTL reflex design.
Made in Japan by Bell & Howell (B&H Model 2146 XL).
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day (no better yet, awesome day!)
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.
Chasing boxes — sounds pretty lame and it is in the big picture of collecting classic and vintage cameras but a camera box from the early 1960s can be either a rat or a gem after all these years. They’re just colorful cardboard with some stickers here and there after all and cardboard doesn’t do well if stored improperly. Moisture, bugs, sunlight, heat, pollution and crushing are just a few of the nasty things that can degrade 40, 50, and 60 year-old cardboard.
So, knowing all of the things that are stacked against finding a collectible camera box I’m happy to say that this one is a pleasant surprise. It’s far from perfect but it’s still very nice (no not so funny smells either).
My best guess is that this box was made in late 1962 based on the serial number of the camera that’s written on the bottom of the box.Originally the area that’s blacked out said 50mm f1.4 lens but a previous owner carelessly modified the box when the body was separated from the lens when sold.Here’s the camera that came with the box (a nice bonus). The box is nice because the camera is in near mint condition and is fully functional. The Canon Model 7 accepts LTM screw-in lenses from Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Leica, and a bunch of others. The bayonet part around the opening was designed to accept Canon’s ‘dream lens’ the 50mm f/0.95 which you can discover more about it at https://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/s43.html
So there you have it… another aspect to collecting classic film cameras, collecting the boxes that went with them. Most people dispose of the camera box right after they took their new camera out of the box (I’m guilty) and some left the original box at the camera shop when they took their camera home (not guilty).
A scan from a Canon Product Catalog from March 1967 (the Canon 7S had already been released). Note the ‘dream lens’ is affixed in this catalog’s image.
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.
63 years of dirt. Here’s the before image of my recently acquired Yashica 35 by Yashima. It was made in April 1958 which makes it one of the earliest known examples of this historic camera. Sharp eyed viewers will also notice that the lens says Yasinon vice the name that was eventually used, Yashinon.
Nice and clean now. This one was assembled in April 1958 at Yashima’s Shimosuwa factory on the shores of Lake Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.
This one features the Yasinon (vice Yashinon) f/1.9 lens. It’s one of the earliest known examples still in the wild. Earliest known advertisement.
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.
I wanted to share this gorgeous sales brochure from Canon dated 11/79. The cover (above) is one of the best images that I’ve seen on a Canon brochure from that period. Amazing shot! Awesome cameras and lenses.
The back cover with a nice list with prices of available Canon FD lenses.The Canon F-1 and available accessories with prices.
I purchased this brochure directly from a collector in Japan. I hadn’t seen this brochure in an English version previously so I was happy to add it to my collection. Missing is the AE-1 Program and AT-1 as well as any of the cameras in the new T Series.
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.
The exciting first look (in print) of the Pentamatic…
First official appearance of the Pentamatic occurs in the May 1960 issue of Modern Photography magazine. In the June 1960 issues of Modern Photography, U. S. Camera and Popular Photography, the first full-page ads appeared for the Pentamatic ’35’ reflex camera. The actual release date in the United States has almost always been considered by many to be March of 1960.
As of yet, I haven’t found evidence in print to support the March date. I do know that the Pentamatic was shown at the 36th annual ‘Master Photo DeaIers & Finishers Association’ trade show (MPDFA) held in St. Louis from March 21-25, 1960. I don’t know if the Pentamatic was released in Japan at an earlier date. From the progression of the serial numbers, by March 1960, about 1,500 cameras had been produced since production began in December 1959 at the Yashica Suwa factory. I doubt that there were enough cameras by March to support any widespread release in Japan or in Asia at that time. By June 1960, about 6,000 cameras had been built. There may have been enough to ship to the world markets starting in April and May. At their peak of production (summer 1960), it looks like Yashica was rolling out about 1,200 to 1,400 cameras each month.
Have a “Camera Holiday” in Japan. May 1960 magazine ad.
Part two of the “Camera Holiday” in Japan promotion. Very nice mention of Yashica’s factory in Suwa and the wonders of Japan!
Yashica provided this first ever look at their new Pentamatic SLR at the March 1960 MPDFA trade show in St. Louis.
First published look at the new Pentamatic from Yashica. May 1960
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.
Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris 
