A beautiful example of this interesting camera from Yashica.
With its original box and still looking like new.The LM 44 had a built-in light meter (LM) and used 127-roll film.Produced from 1959 to 1965. It was much smaller than a 120-roll film TLR.
If you’re interested in these collectible twin-lens cameras (TLR) from Yashica remember that they use the now discontinued 127-roll film vice the common 120-roll film. I understand that there are ways to re-spool 120 films on 127 film rolls. Thanks for stopping by. – Chris
Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai
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.
A couple of images were recently “discovered” in my image files.
Yashica Pentamatic ’35’ – 1960
The Yashica Pentamatic ’35’ was Yashica’s first 35mm SLR. Designed with the assistance of Nicca camera which Yashica acquired in 1958.
Yashica Flex S and Minicam flash – 1956
The Yashica Flex S was the first TLR (twin-lens reflex) to have an attached but uncoupled exposure meter attached. The Minicam flash was a very popular flash unit in the mid-1950s.
Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai
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.
I’ve decided to part with my rather rare Yashica A III camera set. The A III was the last model ‘A’ that Yashica produced in that line and this one was only made between April 1959 to August 1960 with release mostly in Japan and later in Europe in very limited numbers.
This camera was made in November 1959 and features light dove gray leatherette over dark gray metal and it came with a light gray leather case. Everything about this camera is unique, especially the instruction booklet (English gent in the bowler). The booklet is over 80 pages in length and it goes way beyond giving instruction in the operation of the model A III. It includes (in English) a brief history of the beginnings of the company and the founder. I’ve never seen another copy of this booklet in all of my years of collecting Yashica products.
Yashica A III – looks almost unused.Gray on gray. The gray leatherette is clean and stain and discoloration free.
The camera operates as it should and the optics are clean, clear, and sharp. I believe that the camera has been on display in a collection for a long time before I acquired it. The original box is in outstanding condition and unlike most boxes from that period, it is super clean and still solid. That in itself is a rare find. The gray leather case is also a rare find as it is also still in excellent condition. All of the stitching is in place and the leather is subtle and clean.
The original leather case has done an excellent job of protecting this wonderful camera.
If you are interested in purchasing my camera set I have it in my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com or we can make arrangements to purchase it through this blog and PayPal. As always, thanks for stopping by! – Chris
Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai
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.
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.
I came across this wonderful lens case the other day and I’d like to pass it along as I don’t have the actual lens that would go with it and the original box. The case itself could easily fit almost any telephoto lens in that focal length. It still looks new.
You can buy it directly here on this post via PayPal or go to my online camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com and purchase it there.
Yashica 300mm Leather Lens Case
As described in this post, it’s complete with the original box, unopened strap, warranty card, and Yashica lens guide. No lens, just the like-new lens case.
$39.00
Shipping is free in the USA! Worldwide shipping is available but please contact me for a quote before purchasing. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai
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.
Here is an interesting pair. A Yashica-44 from 1958 mated with a Gold Crest Flashcube adapter from 1965.
The Yashica was a smaller format TLR using 127 roll films.
Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
Follow me on Instagram at @ccphotographyai
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.
Shown here mounted on one of my Yashica Pentamatics – 35mm SLR camera from 1960.Rare Tomioka Optical Tominon lens.Preset lens, Yashica Pentamatic bayonet mount.
Not many of these dual-branded lenses were made and with no accurate data from Yashica, one can only guess the actual production numbers. Less than 3,000? Maybe slightly more or a lot less. This serial number can tell a bit of the story. The number on this lens is 350309. The ’35’ refers to the lens’s focal length, which is 35mm. the last 4 digits are simply the sequential number of lenses made up to that point. ‘0309’ means that this is the 309th lens made since the start of production (whenever that was). My guess is around mid-1960.
So, if you’re up for a challenge try tracking down this lens on the various online auction sites. You’ll quickly find out that you’ll be looking for quite a while – but it’s worth it in the end. Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check me out on Instagram at @ccphotographyai – 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.
Here is another great find – fresh in from a seller in Japan. I believe this may be one of the first dedicated sales brochures for Yashica’s new 35mm SLR film camera. I’m guessing this was released in the Spring of 1960. Unfortunately, Yashica didn’t hide a date code somewhere in the brochure.
This is a scan of the centerfold –
The lower left box translates as “A versatile camera that can be used for practical purposes and hobbies”.The front cover.The back cover.
I’ll post additional scans from this brochure soon. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris
Follow me on Instagram @ccphotographyai
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.
She’s been a bit of a mystery to me over the years as I’ve wondered what type of uniform she was wearing. With a bunch of help from my good friend Paul Sokk (www.yashicatlr.com), we’ve solved the mystery. She’s wearing a stewardess uniform for Canadian Pacific Airlines and in my opinion, she’s more than likely an actual flight attendant for the airline vice a professional model. It was the first and only time it turns out Yashica may have been part of such an obvious product placement deal. I’ve seen identifiable products in sales brochures that may or may not have been on purpose. Cars, watches, clothing, and accessories like that. She’s also pictured on the cover of the user’s guide for the Yashica LM from the same period.
Here are a few examples that helped us ID our lady.
Although it’s hard to see the details on her hat clearly here is the pin she has on. (detail from web image)Paul noticed that the hat was what made identifying the airline easier once a match was found.Not many stewardess uniforms had stripes on the sleeves during the 1950s but Canadian Pacific Airways clearly did. The woman on the cover of the Yashica booklet has a stripe.Now if only I could find out who this guy was. ‘Yashica Dude’ ATM until more is known.
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.
Yashicamat, Yashica-Mat, YashicaMat – they’re all the same camera, and as was typical for Yashima (later Yashica) they had a difficult time staying consistent when it came to the way they named their cameras. At this point in time, Yashima had only been around since 1953 so I’ll cut them some slack. By 1958, Yashima became Yashica as the company adopted the name of its cameras.
So here is a super early sales brochure (Spring 1957) for the new YashicaMat 120 roll film twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera, the YashicaMat.
High-res scans are posted below from my own brochure.
Front cover.
What I find interesting is that the camera that’s depicted is the very first version of the model with a 75mm Lumaxar f3.5 taking lens (bottom lens) that were only available for a very short time before being replaced by the lens described in the brochure – 80mm Lumaxar f3.5 lens. There’s no written history to definitively know why the change was made so quickly or why they switched at all. It’s possible Tomioka Optical had difficulty providing enough 75mm lenses to meet the production demands of Yashima.
Inside centerspread. Look closely and you can just barely see 75mm on the bottom portion of the lens retaining ring (bottom lens). Both lenses say Lumaxar with the viewing lens (top lens) the clearest of the two.
Back cover scan below.
Back cover. Yashima’s camera line-up as of early 1957 (newest models).
If you look closely at this back cover you can see Yashima’s full corporate name – Yashima Optical Industries, Company, Limited, and their headquarters were located in Shibuya in Tokyo. The factory was in Suwa, Nagano Prefecture, and later Shimosuwa.
Thanks for stopping by and if you chase down a nice Yashica-Mat that you like be sure to check out my good friend Paul Sokk’s excellent TLR site at http://www.yashicatlr.com to learn more about the camera that you’re about to purchase. – 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.
Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris 