Tag Yashica

In my camera shop this week (on sale).

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

I’ve run my camera shop on Etsy for just shy of 10 years. Hundreds of happy customers and clients. Here is a sampling of what I have this week.

Visit http://www.ccstudio2380.com

The Nikon F2A set is exceptionally nice and complete. It even features a Nikon motor drive!
The Canon New F-1 is a limited edition 1984 LA Olympics set.
Sales brochures. I have hundreds of brochures and instruction books.

I ship nearly worldwide. Please reach out if there’s something specific you are looking for – I likely have it! Here are two of the best 35mm SLRs from the late 1970s and early 1980s (see below).

My super-sharp, complete Nikon F2A set.
(Sold) The 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Special Edition Canon F-1.

The Canon F-1 LA Olympic set was just sold from my Etsy Camera Shop – thank you!

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned a great deal from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on 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. Copyright © 2015-2026 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Satur-YAY!

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Classic Gems!

The Canonflex was released in May 1959. It was Canon’s first 35mm SLR. The Yashica Pentamatic was Yashica’s first 35mm SLR, and it was released in March 1960. It was designed with the help of the recently acquired Nicca Camera Company in 1958. It’s safe to say that without Nicca’s help after the acquisition, the Pentamatic wouldn’t have come to market when it did.

Likely two cameras many have never seen.

As a collector of classic cameras, I appreciate these designs from the late 1950s.
What makes them different keeps them the same. Both cameras feature sharp standard f/1.8 lenses. The Canomatic lens is reportedly radioactive. No evidence that the Yashica lens is also radioactive. The lens on the Yashica was made by Tomioka Optical for Yashica. The Canon lens was made by Canon.
The Canon is a slightly larger camera than the Yashica.
The Pentamatic is slightly more compact compared to the Canonflex. Its all-metal construction puts its weight right there with the larger Canon.
Rear view. The serial number on the Canon indicates it was the 5,998th camera made. The Yashica was manufactured in August 1960 and was the 8,101st model produced up to that point in 1960.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned a great deal from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

A Yashica makes an appearance in a sci-fi movie, again.

Chris and Carol 3 Comments
Thanks to a tip I received from Mike Bowman, I was able to grab this snip from the 1961 sci-fi movie ‘The Phantom Planet’ of a Yashica YT-100 tape recorder! It was part of the dashboard of a spaceship control panel. If you want to see for yourself, it’s at time stamp 41:47 in the very campy movie.
A nice original boxed set from 1960.
Yashica Camera vs. Rodan!

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

Comments are always welcome; I’ve learned a great deal from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by. While there, visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios, hosted on 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

New in my Shop – lots of cool stuff

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Visit my Etsy camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com.

Lots of Nikon gear!
Classic cameras and photo gear.
Always a bunch of Canon stuff!

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Yashica Classics

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The Yashica ‘J’ series of 35mm SLR film cameras. The top body is the J-7, followed by the J-4, the J-5, and finally, the first one in the series, the J-3. These were heavyweight cameras in their day—the best (for the most part) that Yashica produced from its factory in Nagano Prefecture (Shimosuwa).

This image is missing the Reflex 35 or Penta J and the J-P.

Very subtle changes from the first to the last.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Yashica Penta J

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The Elegant Yashica Penta J

It was released in 1961 as the next step in Yashica’s 35mm SLR line development. Actually, it’s still very much a Pentamatic S, but without the self-timer. This was the first Yashica with the popular M42 screw mount. The Penta J was also known as the Reflex 35 J in markets outside the U.S. and Japan.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Yashica ‘Rookie’ – 1956

Chris and Carol Leave a comment
Yashicaflex Rookie by Yashima Optical Industry Company, Limited (Yashica by 1958).

It’s rarely seen outside Japan, where it was an inexpensive medium-format 6x6cm 120 film camera. The only item I’m missing is the inner ‘presentation box.’ The outer shipping box is pictured. It was marketed to the first-time camera user as an uncomplicated camera that even a rookie could use.

It’s pictured with its cousin, the Yashica model A.

Yashica cousins. The model A in gray leatherette.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

What a deal!

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

The hyper-rare Zunow 35mm SLR from around 1958.

It’s available now on eBay.
The seller sent an offer.

All kidding aside, this is an extremely rare camera built by Zunow Optical in the late 1950s. Only a few production models made it into the marketplace. Mostly non-working examples exist today and few ever come up for sale.

The Yashica Pentamatic ’35’ looks a bit like it. The Pentamatic was released in early 1960 but was designed in 1959 as a joint venture with Nicca and Yashica’s designers.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

Yashica Pentamatic Lenses

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Yashica Pentamatic ’35’

We recently acquired this lens for our Yashica Pentamatic collection. Why is it important? It’s a great find because it’s the first time we’ve encountered a lens with a lower serial number than one pictured in an advertisement (in this case, the first-ever ad for the Pentamatic, June 1960). We know it is total nerd stuff, but that’s what makes collecting fun.

The lens was made for Yashica by Tomioka Optical, which at the time made about 90% of all their lenses (TLR, SLR, RF, and Cine).

The lens serial number decodes 59 = 1959, 10 = OCT, and 0092, the 92nd lens made since production started.

In the second image, the other lens was made in December and was the 1,630th made. Tomioka was busy producing these lenses long before Yashica released the Pentamatic in March 1960. The first Pentamatic bodies were made in January.

The third image shows an early Yashica Tominon Super Yashinon-R f/2.8 3.5cm wide-angle lens SN 350246. The date code was dropped in favor of a simpler code: 35 = 35 mm, and 0246 is the sequence number since the start of production.

The ad shows a lens with a higher production number than the lens we own. 92 indicates it was made in the first batch of 100 lenses.
The October lens is on the left and the December lens is on the right. No November lenses were made.
From an early batch of wide-angle lenses from Tomioka Optical. This one is number 246.
A fast lens from Tomioka. The f/1.2 55mm lens which was made much later in the M42 screw mount.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2025 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.

New in my Camera Shop, just in time for holiday gift giving.

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Here are just a few items in my Etsy camera shop from my collection of cameras and photo gear. Visit http://www.ccstudio2380.com to see these items in detail.

Canon and Contax.
Asahi Pentax, Canon, Yashica, and Nikon.

Thanks for stopping by, Chris

Follow me on Instagram https://instagram.com/ccphotographyai

Facebook CC Photography of Amelia

Flickr Chasing Classic Cameras with 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. Copyright © 2015-2024 Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris (Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic), Chris Whelan. All rights reserved.