bmattock
Veteran
Howdy,
Spent the day wringing out a couple of new aquisitions, a Yashica Electro 35 CC and a Voigtlander Bessa R. Both obtained from eBay auctions, the Electro had to come from Australia, the Bessa from Vaugh Smith Cameras in Atlanta (not sure)?
The Yashica Electro 35 CC, for those who do not know it, is a bit unlike most Electro's that Yashica made. A bit smaller in size, black like the GT, it has a 35mm 1.8 lens, a bit of an oddity in the fixed-lens rangefinder world of the 1970's. Like all Electro's, it has an electronic shutter - you set the aperture, it sets the shutter speed - and you don't know what that speed might be. Assuming the batteries and meter are functioning correctly, you get properly-exposed negs or slides for your selected f-stop. Like many Electros, the CC has light-up arrows visible in the viewfinder to indicate over and under exposure warnings. If you get 'nothing' in the way of lights, that's supposed to mean you're within the range that the shutter can handle. Or the battery is dead. Take yer pick.
I have never held a CC before, bit of a rare bird. I was very surprised to see the aperture blades (visible from inside the camera if you have the back open). Unlike most cameras I know of, the aperture blades seem not to form even the semblance of a circle (five blades make a hexagon, many more blades make a closer approximation of a circle). In this case, there appear to be three blades (?), and wide-open, you get a circle (because they retract completely). However, past f1.8, they form a weird pattern that looks like a crucifix or a ship's sail turned at an 'x' angle until fully stopped down, when the aperture resembles a small keyhole turned on it's side. At first I thought that the aperture blades were broken. Maybe they are. Then I thought that someone had removed one of the blades - but now I think it is supposed to be this way. But it sure is weird.
Anyway, I took some photos, here they are:
Yashica Electro CC Test Pics
Next up is a new-ish Voigtlander Bessa R. I wanted one for a long time - but even at the very low price of $249 from CameraQuest, I just couldn't do it. Finally I found a buy-it-now from Vaughn Smith for $189 including the accessory grip and I had to do it. I am happy, it looks just like new.
I have a Zorki 4K that pretty much fell apart as soon as I used it (plus it smelled bad), and it had a really crappy-looking Industar 50 3.5 on it. Ugliest lens ever made! Well, I cranked it on and went down to my local camera store in search of more M39 lenses. As luck would have it, I found a pristine 135mm f3.5 Canon (non-Serenar) for $100. OK, a 50 and a 135. Well, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
So, two rolls of Fuji Superia 400 and off I go. I took the Fuji 400 because it looked really overcast in Albuquerque today, and I thought it might get pretty dark in the shadows. It blew over and we ended up with a bright shiny day. So, not many of these shots were made with an open aperture, except a few made with the Voigtlander, thank goodness it has an honest 1/2000 shutter speed, let me open those lenses right up.
Gotta say, I am impressed by the crappy Industar. It is sloppy, focus ring is loose, the aperture ring has no click-stops and rotates more or less freely, and I can detect faint scratches on the front element. Still, not a bad performer. The 135 was dynamite. I am having trouble using the center 2/3 of the 90mm finder on the Bessa for framing 135, as you'll see. I guess I'll need an accessory viewfinder.
Voigtlander Bessa R Pics
Hope you enjoy the pics.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
Spent the day wringing out a couple of new aquisitions, a Yashica Electro 35 CC and a Voigtlander Bessa R. Both obtained from eBay auctions, the Electro had to come from Australia, the Bessa from Vaugh Smith Cameras in Atlanta (not sure)?
The Yashica Electro 35 CC, for those who do not know it, is a bit unlike most Electro's that Yashica made. A bit smaller in size, black like the GT, it has a 35mm 1.8 lens, a bit of an oddity in the fixed-lens rangefinder world of the 1970's. Like all Electro's, it has an electronic shutter - you set the aperture, it sets the shutter speed - and you don't know what that speed might be. Assuming the batteries and meter are functioning correctly, you get properly-exposed negs or slides for your selected f-stop. Like many Electros, the CC has light-up arrows visible in the viewfinder to indicate over and under exposure warnings. If you get 'nothing' in the way of lights, that's supposed to mean you're within the range that the shutter can handle. Or the battery is dead. Take yer pick.
I have never held a CC before, bit of a rare bird. I was very surprised to see the aperture blades (visible from inside the camera if you have the back open). Unlike most cameras I know of, the aperture blades seem not to form even the semblance of a circle (five blades make a hexagon, many more blades make a closer approximation of a circle). In this case, there appear to be three blades (?), and wide-open, you get a circle (because they retract completely). However, past f1.8, they form a weird pattern that looks like a crucifix or a ship's sail turned at an 'x' angle until fully stopped down, when the aperture resembles a small keyhole turned on it's side. At first I thought that the aperture blades were broken. Maybe they are. Then I thought that someone had removed one of the blades - but now I think it is supposed to be this way. But it sure is weird.
Anyway, I took some photos, here they are:
Yashica Electro CC Test Pics
Next up is a new-ish Voigtlander Bessa R. I wanted one for a long time - but even at the very low price of $249 from CameraQuest, I just couldn't do it. Finally I found a buy-it-now from Vaughn Smith for $189 including the accessory grip and I had to do it. I am happy, it looks just like new.
I have a Zorki 4K that pretty much fell apart as soon as I used it (plus it smelled bad), and it had a really crappy-looking Industar 50 3.5 on it. Ugliest lens ever made! Well, I cranked it on and went down to my local camera store in search of more M39 lenses. As luck would have it, I found a pristine 135mm f3.5 Canon (non-Serenar) for $100. OK, a 50 and a 135. Well, if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
So, two rolls of Fuji Superia 400 and off I go. I took the Fuji 400 because it looked really overcast in Albuquerque today, and I thought it might get pretty dark in the shadows. It blew over and we ended up with a bright shiny day. So, not many of these shots were made with an open aperture, except a few made with the Voigtlander, thank goodness it has an honest 1/2000 shutter speed, let me open those lenses right up.
Gotta say, I am impressed by the crappy Industar. It is sloppy, focus ring is loose, the aperture ring has no click-stops and rotates more or less freely, and I can detect faint scratches on the front element. Still, not a bad performer. The 135 was dynamite. I am having trouble using the center 2/3 of the 90mm finder on the Bessa for framing 135, as you'll see. I guess I'll need an accessory viewfinder.
Voigtlander Bessa R Pics
Hope you enjoy the pics.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
