From Blue to Black – not going back.

December 9, 2024December 9, 2024Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My Yashica FX-D Quartz goes from funky blue to stately black.

I like the blue, but the previous owner didn’t install it well.

It looks like it should have looked when Yashica first released it. The black leatherette is from a seller in Japan, so I feel like it’s a good traditional match for this era camera.

What do you think? Blue or black. Thanks for stopping by, Chris

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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

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Yashica Mystery – what is it and what does it mean?

June 23, 2019Chris and Carol 6 Comments

Contributor and Yashica aficionado, Graham Buxton-Smither posted this picture in my Flickr Group, https://www.flickr.com/groups/2734130@N24/pool/ the other day asking if I’d ever seen this type of serial number on a Yashica TL Electro X (pro-black body) before. I haven’t so I thought it would be good to broadcast it in this blog in hopes of discovering something about it.

Serial number with its odd two letter prefix ‘FI’. Photo courtesy of Graham Buxton-Smither https://www.flickr.com/photos/164456136@N06/

The serial number itself is unremarkable in the sense that it follows along with the standard for a Yashica SLR. It decodes to December 1969 as the manufacture date. The ‘FI’ has no previous use that I’m aware of so it was a surprise to see it. Graham states that it is on a one owner Yashica TL Electro X purchased in the UK when new. It appears to be a factory mark as the black paint looks undisturbed.

I’m stumped as there isn’t an example anywhere in my databases. I can’t even fathom a guess at this point.

Any help including guesses will be appreciated.

Thanks – Chris

Yashica “J” Series of 35mm SLRs – 1960s

April 11, 2019April 11, 2019Chris and Carol Leave a comment

In case you missed it, here’s another look at our post about the “J” Series from Yashica.

Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris

The Yashica ‘J’ series of 35mm SLR film cameras. Top body is the J-7, next is the J-4, then 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 their factory in Nagano Prefecture (Shimosuwa).

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Produced in 1962 to around 1967 to early 1968. The black body J-3 was Yashica’s first 35mm SLR ‘Pro Black’ camera. They were released in the following order… J-3, J-5, J-4 and J-7. These cameras feature lots of brass and glass. They also represent Yashica’s first SLRs with built-in exposure meters. TTL exposure metering was just around the corner for Yashica after the release of the J-7 in the form of the TL Super.

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16358708177_7df772c4d4_o The J-5 was super popular in the mid 1960s.

15954848841_c16d47ab60_o Another tough one in the series to find complete and in mint condition.

17389471134_d7a33a381e_o One…

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Monster Glass! Tomioka 55mm f1.2

June 13, 2018June 13, 2018Chris and Carol 3 Comments

Yashica TL Electro-X ITS with Tomioka Auto Yashinon 55mm f1.2 – the best SLR of its time (1968-1972).

Yashica sales brochure with ‘fake’ serial number on the lens. There’s a possibility that it may have been a prototype lens and was given an odd serial number.

yashica tl its 1.2

One of our all-time favorite SLRs with one of the fastest 55mm lenses made. The Tomioka designed f1.2 is an exceptional lens and we’re happy to have it in our collection. This lens is in the batch of the first 1000 made and carries a low serial number.