Tag Yashica

Yashica-Mat EM

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My favorite go-to medium format camera with a built-in exposure meter (EM). This one is from 1964.

25572955935_05d8dd716d_o (2)

Woodblock print by Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858)

Studio Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S9900W

For more about the Yashica-Mat EM please visit one of my previous posts here.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

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.

Copyright © 2015-2019 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.

Yashima Flex – 1954

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Three Yashima Flex twin-lens reflex (TLR) 120 roll film cameras from 1954. This was the first camera to carry the Yashima (Yashica) name.

DSCF0152

For such a young Japanese camera company the Yashima Flex was a well-built TLR. These guys are still capable of producing quality images six decades later.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com for some interesting classic cameras and photo gear. – Chris

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.

Copyright © 2015-2019 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.

Yashica Dental-Eye III… is it worth another look?

Chris and Carol 2 Comments

I had this camera briefly and just couldn’t get it to produce the quality images I was hoping for so I passed it on. If you’re interested in purchasing one, do your homework first to make sure it’s the right camera for your needs. I bought mine back in November 2010 and it was gone by December. It’s a handsome camera and mine came complete with its original case and all of the accessories. The model III is a Kyocera-Yashica model.

DSC01524

The Dental-Eye III is a 35mm SLR with a fixed 100mm f4 macro lens with a built-in ring flash at the end of the lens barrel.

DSC01527

It’s basically a point and shoot automatic exposure camera – so easy to use even a dentist could use it.

DSC01542

The ring flash is made up of three separate flashes that operate together. I have seen where one or more of the flashes have stopped working. Ask the seller if they have tested it first.

DSC01539

The databack can imprint date and time info on the film.

They can be had for not a ton of money – on auction sites they’re all over the map price wise. If you’re interested in one, buy the best condition camera that fits in your budget. Did I mention, do your homework first?

(3-21-2019) Reader Kurt Ingham sent me some pics that he took with his Yashica – I’d say he captured some pretty decent images with his (see below).

000044560002.jpgR

GTTBU6RY

Thanks, Kurt for sharing your pics!

This is a direct quote from the instruction manual.

*Please note – “Normal prints obtained at your photo dealer will have the edges cropped slightly narrower than the actual 35mm frame size. To prevent edges of important photographs from being cropped in this way, allow for some extra area around the periphery of the subject when composing in the viewfinder”.

In my experience, all of the prints came back significantly narrower.  Save the hassle when using this camera and do not get the negatives printed from the lab. Scan the negatives and then crop and print.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

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.

Copyright © 2015-2019 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.

Yashica-Mat 124G Box – 1985

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Just a quick post to share with you what Yashica’s last TLR box design looked like. After a long run that lasted from 1953 to 1986, this was the end of the road for Yashica (thanks to new owners the Kyocera Corporation).

DSCF9558

DSCF9561

DSCF9563

DSCF9562

Here is the earliest box in my collection – from 1954

23449181503_3a6b01fe61_o

Back when Yashica was Yashima Kogaku Seiki Co., Ltd.

Kyocera purchased Yashica on a dark day in 1983. This box obviously is from very near the end of the run for the Mat 124G and puts it post-takeover. By serial number, I estimate that my 124G (SN224XXX) puts my camera at being made in 1985.

This is likely the last version of the instruction booklet for the 124G.

124g from germany

This one is dated 8506 (Jun 1985) 3rd printing. Notice that Yashica is now just a division of Kyocera and they were forced from their longtime head office in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.

OK, enough Yashica trivia for one day! Thanks for sticking around! – Chris

BTW, I’ve listed a few more new items in my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com – see you there!

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.

Copyright © 2015-2019 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.

New in the Shop – Yashica-Mat 124G

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Perfectly operating Yashica-Mat 124G twin-lens reflex (TLR) 6×6 cm medium format film camera. Whew!

The last TLR in a very long line of innovative and quality made cameras by Yashica. The last 124G rolled off the assembly line at the Okaya factory in 1986 (Kyocera was in “control” and was about to kill off the Yashica name. Yashica’s first TLRs? The Pigeonflex and then the Yashima Flex (1953, 1954).

This model’s serial number is 164216 (roughly 1983) and it’s never been offered for sale before. I purchased it directly from the original owner who kept it unused as part of his collection. It’s been thoroughly tested – the light meter is spot on (I’ve installed a new battery), the shutter is accurate at all speeds, the lenses are crystal clear, and the aperture blades are snappy and oil free. I see only the slightest specs of dust on the reflex mirror inside which is typical (even straight from the factory there was dust as the mirror chamber is not sealed). It’s a joy to use and all controls operate as they should – smooth and precise. I’ve installed new light seals after carefully cleaning away the old ones. The CdS meter is built-in and coupled. BTW, these later model 124Gs are built as rugged as any of Yashica’s previous models – you get the benefits of a newer TLR with a fresher CdS meter with gold contacts. You should be able to use this camera with proper care for another 30 years or more!

It’s available for purchase in my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com or you can buy it directly from here by clicking on the PayPal payment button and get free USA shipping!

Vintage 1983 Yashica-Mat 124G Twin-lens Reflex (TLR) Medium Format Camera (120 or 220 Roll Film) Producing 6×6 cm Negatives & Slides

Nearly new Yashica-Mat 124G TLR that's been completely tested and is in 100% fully operational condition. Open the box, load some film and you're a medium format square shooter! I've installed a new battery and new light seals. It comes with the original plastic Yashica lens cap (correct for this model). This camera is perfect for the discriminating collector or an active photographer. They don't come nicer than this well cared for beauty. It will ship FOR FREE within the USA via USPS Priority Mail and I'll mail it worldwide with some exceptions. Please contact me first for a quote. Thanks, Chris

$475.00

The Yashica YE & YF – a definitive history

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

My good friend Paul Sokk would argue that nothing about the history of Yashica could ever be “definitive”. Yashica no longer exists and its previous owners (Kyocera) could care less about the history of the company that it killed off back in the late 1980s. But that’s where Paul really shines – he’s always researching and searching for that extra crumb of information that leads to the next crumb that eventually leads you to the cake.

The cake, in this case, is the latest addition to his amazing website. Paul deftly guides us through the complicated maze that was Yashica and details its relationship with the Nicca Camera Company and the wonderful Leica copies that were produced during the 1950s. Many of the conclusions that Paul describes are found nowhere else on the web and to his credit, no detail is too small or unimportant to look at.

DSCF8692 logo

The family – Yashica YE, Nicca 3-F, Tower Type-3 (top to bottom)

44635928965_0624baa341_o

The Yashica-Nicca YF (the lens is not the standard lens for this body)

Please stroll on over to Paul’s site (be sure to bookmark it) for everything you ever wanted to know about the early days of the Yashica-Nicca collaboration. Paul quickly puts to rest many bits of intentional and unintentional misinformation that’s been floating around the web about this subject.

Paul’s site can be reached here.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Be sure to visit the “gift shop” before you leave today for some great deals on some vintage cameras and equipment – http://www.ccstudio2380.com

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.

Copyright © 2015-2019 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.

 

 

a man, a watch, a camera

Chris and Carol 2 Comments
24379666406_70ebcb17f7_o (1)

Mr. David Yulee as seen in downtown Fernandina Beach

Yashica Pentamatic S 35mm SLR mated with the sharp 5.8cm f/1.7 lens which I believe was designed by Zunow. No direct written evidence to support that claim but the design cues are clearly more Zunow than Tomioka. The camera is from 1961 and the lens is from 1960.

20186770749_3906ae1138_o (1)

Yashica Pentamatic S with attached exposure meter.

Yashica’s first SLRs represented a steep learning curve for the company.

The original Pentamatic ’35’ was co-designed with Nicca Camera starting in 1958. The camera was groundbreaking for Yashica to be sure but a miss overall against the competition (think Nikon F). Yashica’s best was yet to come. I happen to appreciate the rock-solid construction of this often overlooked camera. The lens was only in production for six months and disappeared from Yashica’s lineup at the same time as Zunow’s demise (January 1961). It was the standard lens for the Pentamatic II. This was not the lens that was supplied with the S – Yashica went back to the 5.5cm, f/1.8

Shot with my Samsung Galaxy S4 – January 2015

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com for some great cameras and photo gear. – Chris

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.

Copyright © 2015-2019 Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Chris Whelan
All rights reserved.

 

Yashica-Mat EM… on assignment… update 12.9.2016

Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Another look at one of my favorite Yashicas to use – my Yashica-Mat EM is still going strong (since 1964) and the meter is as accurate as ever. Take a peek at the original post – if you please.

Chris and Carol's avatarChasing Classic Cameras with Chris

This month’s assignment (actually from September) is to load some Fujifilm into our Yashica-Mat EM and enjoy the benefits that only medium format film photography can fulfill.

Oh the joys of composing 6 x 6 cm images through a pop-up viewing hood in bright sunlight. What I do find nice is that the focusing dial is on the camera’s left side… a natural place for it to me. The EM has a built-in exposure meter and a ‘computer’, slide rule actually, to adjust the aperture and shutter speeds which you then set by using the two thumb wheels. I’ve learned over the years to use the guess method of focusing – I’ve learned how to judge distances by eye and then I set the focus on the marked dial. If you’re shooting in bright light and use the smallest apertures then the dept of field will cover most inaccuracies in…

View original post 578 more words