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
R
Rich Silfver
Guest
Bill,
happy to see that you posted some photos from the CC as that's one camera I've been lusting after for some time (hard to find in good condition - hard to find at all really).
Great to see comparison shots - the CC vs. the Voigtlander (well really the CC vs. Industar/Canon.
The CC looks really sharp and it seems to meter pretty well. My favorite is probably the 10.jpg - looks tack sharp.
Colours look a little bit cold though - what is your perception of its colour accuracy?
Love the Voigtlander shots - especially the red pepper ones. Great framing-job there and as you said the 2000 probably really helped you open up there.
Looking just at these scans I'd say that the CC performed really well for you! Maybe a bit light in the colours and potentially prone to slight overexposure (did you see any signs of that?).
The Voigtlander body seemed to expose like a champ. Real nice! Both lenses seemed to perform really well - with the 135 winning in contrast and colours I think.
How do you scan your images?
Good job and thanks for posting - always like seeing stuff like this - it gives a very good indication of the potential in these cameras.
happy to see that you posted some photos from the CC as that's one camera I've been lusting after for some time (hard to find in good condition - hard to find at all really).
Great to see comparison shots - the CC vs. the Voigtlander (well really the CC vs. Industar/Canon.
The CC looks really sharp and it seems to meter pretty well. My favorite is probably the 10.jpg - looks tack sharp.
Colours look a little bit cold though - what is your perception of its colour accuracy?
Love the Voigtlander shots - especially the red pepper ones. Great framing-job there and as you said the 2000 probably really helped you open up there.
Looking just at these scans I'd say that the CC performed really well for you! Maybe a bit light in the colours and potentially prone to slight overexposure (did you see any signs of that?).
The Voigtlander body seemed to expose like a champ. Real nice! Both lenses seemed to perform really well - with the 135 winning in contrast and colours I think.
How do you scan your images?
Good job and thanks for posting - always like seeing stuff like this - it gives a very good indication of the potential in these cameras.
bmattock
Veteran
rsilfverberg said:
I guess I just got lucky - the buy-it-now popped up at the right time, and the price was good. I always have to be careful when buying from Australia - unlike Great Britain, PayPal does not convert to AUS $$, and shipping is insane. You can easily pay twice what the auction price was in shipping. Got lucky this time. I'm still not sure the aperture blades are as they should be, though.
Yeah, I have a 'real' Leica lens, a 135 f4.5 Hektor, but since I have the Canon...it stayed at home. Just won an auction on a Canon 50mm 1.8, we'll see how it does. Really impressed with the quality of construction on the Canon 135!
I could have spent more time prettying the camera/lens/viewfinder up, and I did not change the batteries that came in it as I normally do - my bad! I just wanted to go out and shoot it. The shot you liked was taken just as the sun decided to come out and brighten things up. I was getting over-exposure warnings on the Yashica CC - I suspect a top shutter speed of 1/500 or so (?) and even at f16, 400 ISO film was too fast. Should have brought one of each, 100 and 400, but I thought it was going to be overcast and dark all day. Oops.
I'm afraid I can't help you there - I am more than just a little bit color-blind (15 forms of color-vision defect). My wife tries to help me sometimes - but we end up being tense at each other, I don't like that. So I tend to shoot more B&W, but no time for that today, no 1-hour B&W place around here, and I didn't feel like mixing up any chemicals today. I have no doubt that the colors are better than you're seeing, I suck at PhotoShop and always will, due to my genetic problems with color.
I lucked onto a good spot - this is 'Old Town' Albuquerque. The church dates back to 1790 or so. However, the framing is NOT what I saw through the excellent viewfinder - I need to work some more on that - I'm so used to SLR framing!
I suspect maybe the batteries are in need of replacement. I should have done that first. Sorry!
I have to agree with you there!
Minolta Scan Dual III. I like it! I also like using my Epson Perfection 2400 flat-bed with accessory light-top for my 6x9 stuff. It will scan up to 4x5.
Glad you liked it, wish I was a better photographer. I'm working on it. I need to stop 'collecting' and spend more time 'shooting'.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
R
Rich Silfver
Guest
I think you'll like the Canon 1.8 - I really loved it and for almost one year I used just that 50mm lens and nothing else - just to see if that would improve my photography.
The photos "American Cars 2", "The Slumlord" and "Toy Soldier" - were all taken with the 50/1.8 on this site: old 35mm stuff
The photos "American Cars 2", "The Slumlord" and "Toy Soldier" - were all taken with the 50/1.8 on this site: old 35mm stuff
bmattock
Veteran
rsilfverberg said:
WOW! Nice stuff! That blows anything I've done away! Well, the lens won't make me a better photographer, but having good equipment doesn't hurt, either. I'm looking forward to receiving it. I will also probably try a few of the 'recommended with caution' Russian lenses, too. Just not the Industar again.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
Bill, that Electro 35CC is a cutie... I was glad to see pic #6 (the one of the tangled cactus) that had some out-of-focus background to examine. I was particularly curious due to your comments on the odd aperture shape, but the "bokeh" looks decent anyway!
That Industar IS a homely looking lens, isn't it? Hope you like your Bessa-R; I think these are pretty nice cameras. I've got a Bessa-L and a T that I like quite a lot. Don't have any 50 or 135mm lenses though!
Nice to see some landscapes around your area. Some of these could be around here, but our cacti are scarce and tiny, only about the size of two thumbs at most.
That Industar IS a homely looking lens, isn't it? Hope you like your Bessa-R; I think these are pretty nice cameras. I've got a Bessa-L and a T that I like quite a lot. Don't have any 50 or 135mm lenses though!
Nice to see some landscapes around your area. Some of these could be around here, but our cacti are scarce and tiny, only about the size of two thumbs at most.
Flinor
Well-known
Bill,
To answer your questions about the CC which really is a neat little camera, the top shutter speed is 1/250th so in bright light slow speed film is advised. I've had very good luck with late, lamented Kodachrome 25. If you take a look at the ASA scale it only goes to 500, Yashica's way of saying "no fast film allowed." This is a late 70's camera and faster films were available. I've also got an Electro 35 GL which is roughly contemporary but with a 1/1000th top speed and it's ASA scale goes to 1600. You can also approximate shutter speed because the yellow light comes on at just 1/30th so you can tell speed by counting f stops as you open up from the warning light.
Gerry
To answer your questions about the CC which really is a neat little camera, the top shutter speed is 1/250th so in bright light slow speed film is advised. I've had very good luck with late, lamented Kodachrome 25. If you take a look at the ASA scale it only goes to 500, Yashica's way of saying "no fast film allowed." This is a late 70's camera and faster films were available. I've also got an Electro 35 GL which is roughly contemporary but with a 1/1000th top speed and it's ASA scale goes to 1600. You can also approximate shutter speed because the yellow light comes on at just 1/30th so you can tell speed by counting f stops as you open up from the warning light.
Gerry
S
Scarpia
Guest
Re: Industar 50
I have one of these in chrome (aluminum actually) and use it with a Bessa L. I have an R as well, but use a Nokton. The Industar is actually a pretty accurate copy (optically) of the 3.5 Elmar. My shots with it resemble yours with regard to contrast which is a bit low but works well with areas in shadow.
I haven't looked at your Canon shots yet but will shortly.
Happy hollidays to all.
Kurt M.
I have one of these in chrome (aluminum actually) and use it with a Bessa L. I have an R as well, but use a Nokton. The Industar is actually a pretty accurate copy (optically) of the 3.5 Elmar. My shots with it resemble yours with regard to contrast which is a bit low but works well with areas in shadow.
I haven't looked at your Canon shots yet but will shortly.
Happy hollidays to all.
Kurt M.
S
Scarpia
Guest
Just saw the Yashica pics which I incorrectly refered to as Canon pics in my previous post. They seem a bit more contrasty than the Bessa pics (lens no doubt). I very much enjoyed the scenery on both sets.
Kurt M.
Kurt M.
DickO
Newbie
I have a Yashica Lynx and its aperture blades act like you described yours do on the CC.
When I first got it, I was convinced that something was wrong, but every roll of film I've shot have come out perfect.
Dick
When I first got it, I was convinced that something was wrong, but every roll of film I've shot have come out perfect.
Dick
Ambler
Newbie
I have a Yashica CCN that has an aperture that operates as you have described. I have not taken any pictures with the camera yet, I just changed the light seals recently, I hope to have a roll of film to send out this week for developing.
Welcome, Ambler! You're only the second person in Kotzebue I've heard from! The other was a health-care worker of some kind, and I bought a couple of collector curios from him. I suppose it's been very dark there until recently, or perhaps still is? Looking forward to your Yashica pics.
Ambler
Newbie
The days are getting longer now, the sun is finally above the horizon. We have a Large Regional Native Hospital here in Kotzebue, a lot of people work here and move on.
Must be the weather or something!
Must be the weather or something!
Photon-hunter
Established
The shutter and diaphragm on the 35 CC is aparently "twin-bladed" according to Cameraquest, so I bet there´s nothing wrong with your cameras guys, just "the nature of the beast"..
E.
E.
bmattock
Veteran
Fine, fine - but the original post is five years old. I kind of figured that out by now. Appreciate the effort, though.
januaryman
"Flim? You want flim?"
5 years old! That explains the low prices on gear!!!! I missed the dates as well while reading the posts and browsing the pictures. Funny, I have color casts on all my Superia 400 film shots as well, a slight shift to magenta. That's why I like B&W so much.