Villa Las Palmas

September 28, 2021September 28, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Another gem located within the Historic District, Fernandina Beach, Florida which is located on beautiful Amelia Island. You can discover more at this Library of Congress page https://www.loc.gov/item/fl0128/

Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful 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.

Painted Lady Fernandina Beach Historic District

September 27, 2021September 27, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

For more about beautiful Amelia Island and its Historic District check out https://www.fbfl.us/466/Historic-Districts

Thanks for stopping by!

Walt Disney World EPCOT Center camera strap – 1980s

September 25, 2021September 25, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

EPCOT Center opened on October 1, 1982. Can these colors be anymore ’80s?

Here’s another Disney camera strap from the early 2010s.

A really cool camera bag designed and made by Carol.

Thanks for stopping by!

Yashica Binoculars – 1962

September 25, 2021September 25, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

This is a scan from the 1962 Australian importer Swift & Bleakley Camera & Accessory Catalogue. As discussed in a previous post, it is likely Yashica did not make binoculars that they sold under their name. It appears that was a common practice during the 1960s and 1970s. Most Japanese camera manufacturers had minor accessories like binoculars and tripods made by outside contractors who may or may not have built the items to Yashica’s specifications. My guess is that most of these binoculars listed above were only slightly modified from existing stock items. It’s no knock on Yashica since their reputation was made by building high-quality cameras and selling them at the lowest possible price and counting on volume to make their profits. It’s quite possible that Yashica still made a nice profit by reselling these binoculars banking on their good name to sell them to already established Yashica brand customers.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Friday Fotos! – Yashica Binoculars

September 24, 2021September 24, 2021Chris and Carol 1 Comment

I don’t usually collect binoculars but sometimes you come across a pair that scream “buy me”! These rather rare binoculars did just that. Of course, it helps that they carry the Yashica brand. Yashica binoculars enjoy a good reputation as being of high-quality with exceptionally good optics.

These lovely miniature binoculars are of the reverse Porro prism design and are in mint condition especially considering they were likely made in the early 1960s (maybe the late 1950s) not by Yashica but by a very well-known maker of binoculars the Seiwa Kogaku Company of Tokyo.

Japan imposed strict guidelines on the manufacture of binoculars and telescopes. These guidelines stated that binoculars were to be of the highest quality and be able to pass extensive testing and quality control procedures. As such, the original maker had to stamp in the metal casing their unique manufacturer’s mark regardless of the final branding.

Assembly manufacturer’s mark J-B93 is for the Seiwa Kogaku Company. There’s a secondary mark on the casting J-E50 for Tanaka Koki Seisakujo, Inc.

7 x 28 Extra Wide Angle. The optics are bright and clear. Focusing is a bit stiff but that’s expected as the original grease starts to dry out after all these years.

The beautiful felt lined leather case still looks new.

28 mm objective lenses. Kinda cute from this angle.

Excellent craftsmanship on the leather case and surprisingly all the stitches are tight.

Usually the bottom of a leather case takes a lot of abuse but this one is almost pristine. I haven’t been able to find another inspection sticker on the binoculars just this one on the case. The letters look like “E.G.M.C.J.” to me. I’ve seen this sticker on the bottom of other leather cases made in Japan and on the bottom of a wood serving tray made in Japan. My best guess is “Export Graded something Center Japan”.

The binoculars are very compact due to their optical design but are still rather heavy at just over one pound (490 grams). Thanks for stopping by and I hope to write more soon. Have a great day and evening!

let it flow

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Yashica’s early movie cameras

September 23, 2021September 23, 2021Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Yashica’s 8 U-matic as it appeared when new.

Yashica made some wonderful movie cameras in the 1950s, 60s and into the 1970s. Many of their designs were ahead of their time with lenses made by famous optical companies including Zunow.

My good friend Paul Sokk from Australia has written a comprehensive piece on Yashica’s earliest designs and can be found at http://www.yashicatlr.com/Yashica8.html