Japan Pavilion – Epcot World Showcase

November 22, 2021November 22, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Random images from a trip to Epcot. The Japan Pavilion is always one of our favorite spots to visit.

Thanks for stopping by! – 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.

the ominous orb

November 20, 2021November 20, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Disney in a different light.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

sky painting

November 20, 2021November 20, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Ice crystal cirrus clouds and a high-flying jet in the late day sun.

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful evening! – Chris

Vintage Leather Camera Bag

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I came across the beautiful leather camera bag while meeting with some clients of mine. They had a nice assortment of classic cameras to sell and as an afterthought, added this bag with the cameras.

I was immediately taken with the overall design of the bag and who couldn’t resist the warm and well-worn patina the leather had developed over the decades.

What amazed me the most was that all of the stitching on the exterior of the bag was intact – nothing had pulled apart. I’m guessing that the bag is from the 1950s although the 1960s wouldn’t be a stretch.

The only spot where some of the stitching had given way was around this accessory pouch sewn into the bottom of the lid. No other markings could be found except for these and a Google search didn’t provide any clues as to who was the maker.

I had planned on restoring the leather and maybe redoing the dividers inside but a lack of free time prevented me from ever getting around to it. So, I listed it in my online Etsy shop (www.ccstudio2380.com) and it sold within a day! Hopefully, the owner has plans for the bag that include a freshening up of the leather and maybe even getting the lock to work again.

The fabric-covered dividers are still very much intact but could stand some padding and new fabric.

Even the bottom of the bag is in amazing condition. Maybe I’m way off on the age of this bag.

Has anyone seen a bag like this before? How about the logo inside the bag? As I’ve mentioned, there are no other markings indicating where it was made and who may have made it. In the end, everything worked out alright – a customer bought a beautiful bag and has the chance to give it another life. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Yashica Electro 35 GT

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’ve decided to sell my very nice Yashica Electro 35 GT camera. I recently purchased it from the original first owner in my local camera shop. It’s working perfectly after I installed a fresh battery and battery adapter. The meter is accurate and the lens is crystal clear. This model of the Electro 35 features semi-auto exposure shooting. What I mean by that is you obviously set the film’s ASA (ISO) rating then select the correct exposure based on the brightness of the subject and the camera will set the proper shutter speed. There are warning arrows that are visible inside the viewfinder that will warn if the scene is too bright or dark for the f-stop you’ve selected. I’m making it sound more complicated than it actually is. Let’s say it’s a bright sunny day and you’re shooting with a film rated at 200 ASA. You’d set the exposure (f-stop) to let’s say f/8. You could walk around taking shots and except for manually focusing never change the exposure settings. The camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed. It’s perfect for black & white street photography.

The Electro 35 GT features a fast f/1.7 lens which makes this camera ideal for low light situations with fast film. The Yashinon DX lens is super sharp too and at 45mm it’s perfect for 35mm photography.

Here is the new battery with the adapter. About $13 from a seller in Spain. It allows you to use a very common alkaline battery since mercury batteries are banned.

It has a simple top plate with ASA settings from 25 to 1000. The two lights warn of exposures outside the proper exposure range. The meter turns on when you advance the film and shuts off after your shot.

Super nice 35mm rangefinder camera from Yashica.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! – Chris

more LIFE – 1987

November 18, 2021November 19, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The cover of Life magazine from January 1988.

How many of these events and people do you remember? The 1987 Ford Festiva LX (pictured below) was made by Kia for Ford. I actually owned a 1993 Festiva which was virtually unchanged from this model. 12-inch wheels by the way and awesome gas mileage approaching the low 40 mpg range on the highway.

And talk about changes. The 1954 De Soto (pictured below) from an ad that appeared in the November 23, 1953 issue of Life.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! – Chris

wordless wednesday

November 17, 2021November 17, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

autumn blaze

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021Chris and Carol 2 Comments

Bald cypress dressed in its best fall fashion (North Florida).

My favorite tree in my yard – I have about fifty of which I planted around fifteen or so. The remainder are “babies” from the original two trees that I planted back in 1991. The bald cypress is a member of the redwood family and some call these trees Eastern redwoods.

Camera and lens – Canon EOS 7D with Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 L IS USM zoom lens.

The top of the tree just before the last light of the day. The cones are clearly visible.

Camera and lens – Fujifilm FinePix S9900W with Fujinon 50x 4.3-215mm f/2.9 zoom lens.

This is about the best color my yard will see this autumn. The things that look like balls are actually cones or seed pods that the male bald cypress produces throughout the growing season. They are about the size of a golf ball and just about as heavy. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Canon Gadget Bags for Christmas!

November 13, 2021November 13, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Just in time for Christmas, I’ve added these two very nice Canon camera bags. Both are in new condition with Canon tags – never been used and both are now retired from Canon’s inventory.

My online Camera Shop can be found at http://www.ccstudio2380.com

For those serious collectors out there I have this awesome Canon fanny pack from the 1980 Winter Olympics – also in new, never used condition.

Hard to find (in new condition) Canon fanny pack from the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Not from Canon but pretty cool just the same, a camcorder bag with Walt Disney World logos.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Friday Fotos!

November 12, 2021November 12, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I needed to take some test shots with my new to me Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi so I did a little walkabout in my front yard. Nothing more than snapshots but my goal was to test the autofocus and various modes on the camera. The Rebel XTi is a 10.1-megapixel from around 2008. I purchased it from the original owner who lives locally and knows I collect cameras.