Advise on Broken lens element in Yashica Electo 35

Y

yllow

Guest
Hi,

Need some advise from the expert here. I am been using Canon SLR system, both digital and film body. Recently I bid for a rangefinder Yashica Electro 35 in Ebay. I would like to try out a rangefinder because I frequently on the road to many countries and find lugging a SLR system abit bulky.
I received the Yashica Electro 35 and upon close inspection, I found 2 problems.

1. The skyline filter is cracked.
2. Worst still, close inspection on the lens elements, I found the internal lens element has been damaged, not crack into pieces but can clearly see lines running across the lens elements.

I did not even bother to run a roll of film to test out as I very sure the optics surely cause image problem. The rest of the electronics and mechanical functions works perfectly. My question, is it worth it to send for lens replacement or just throw away or return to the seller. I bought at USD 42.00. Would appreciate your advise on this matter.

rgds,
YL Low
Singapore
 
Welcome Yllow !

I'm not an Electro 35 owner but have some fixed lens RFs. If you can directly return the camera and get a refund from the seller I think that's the best option. Electros are common out there and I think with some patience you could find a similar or even better deal on a nice one.

Good luck !

Oscar
 
taffer said:
Welcome Yllow !

I'm not an Electro 35 owner but have some fixed lens RFs. If you can directly return the camera and get a refund from the seller I think that's the best option. Electros are common out there and I think with some patience you could find a similar or even better deal on a nice one.

Good luck !

Oscar
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advise. But not sure whether it's worthwhile to return after spending USD 29.00 for shipping charges from USA to Singapore for a USD 42.00 item. Returning charges will probably cost me another USD 30.00 to return. :bang:

Currently still actively looking another one, maybe Canon QL17, a shuttle priority one. But I am too use to the Aperture priority mode from my experience from SLR.

rgds,
YL Low
 
Are these cleaning marks or major damage to the coating from fungus? Are they deep scratches? Cleaning marks are not going to affect the image quality. I am amazed at how much "damage" can occur to a lens before the image quality degrades to the point where you can notice it on a 5x7 print. Sunshades get more important with LOTS of marks. Try the camera and see what you get.
 
Sorry YL, then follow Brian's advice :)

Sometimes even if defects DO affect image quality, they do in a way that makes you say 'wow!' as I've seen with some badly scratched and fogged Summar lenses.

Don't give up, even if you can't get it making decent pics, you can always tamper a bit with it and use it to learn how these things are put together.

It's always about finding the plus side :)
 
Brian Sweeney said:
Are these cleaning marks or major damage to the coating from fungus? Are they deep scratches? Cleaning marks are not going to affect the image quality. I am amazed at how much "damage" can occur to a lens before the image quality degrades to the point where you can notice it on a 5x7 print. Sunshades get more important with LOTS of marks. Try the camera and see what you get.
Click to expand...

I did try to point the camera at a light source while setting the camera to "Bulb" mode and holding the shuttle release. I can clearly see there are many lines running across the internal lens elements, not the normal scratch, haze, or fungus. Other observation include a deep dent in the out front lens barrel, I believe the unit has been drop, causing then element to crack in multiple lines. It's like your car windshield when damage.
 
It sounds like you have an expensive paperweight and lesson in Ebay buying. Contact the seller and ask for a partial refund as the shipping cost is so expensive. That is the problem with Ebay, as Forrest Gump would say, "You never know what to expect until you open the package".

And, now that you are at the RFF, buy your cameras here. People tend to sell them at fair -if not absurdly low- prices, and tend to test the equipment and note the faults to the best of their ability. They are selling to fellow enthusiast, not just trying to milk yard-sale cameras for all they can get.
 
Brian Sweeney said:
It sounds like you have an expensive paperweight and lesson in Ebay buying. Contact the seller and ask for a partial refund as the shipping cost is so expensive. That is the problem with Ebay, as Forrest Gump would say, "You never know what to expect until you open the package".

And, now that you are at the RFF, buy your cameras here. People tend to sell them at fair -if not absurdly low- prices, and tend to test the equipment and note the faults to the best of their ability. They are selling to fellow enthusiast, not just trying to milk yard-sale cameras for all they can get.
Click to expand...

I kind of agree with you on the expensive paperweight things. Probably will bring it to my office for display. The camera is kind of heavy but build quality is good. I wish the modem camera has the same build quality. As to the ebay piece, agree, it's risk and sometime you might get a lemon. So, here I am, turning my attention to this forum and hope some kind soul willing to depart their beloved vintage fix lens RFF at a affordable price for me to begin my new experience in RFF. Will look out for a fully working unit of Yashica Electro 35 or Canon G-III QL17 to be my first RFF.
 
yllow said:
I kind of agree with you on the expensive paperweight things. Probably will bring it to my office for display. The camera is kind of heavy but build quality is good. I wish the modem camera has the same build quality. As to the ebay piece, agree, it's risk and sometime you might get a lemon. So, here I am, turning my attention to this forum and hope some kind soul willing to depart their beloved vintage fix lens RFF at a affordable price for me to begin my new experience in RFF. Will look out for a fully working unit of Yashica Electro 35 or Canon G-III QL17 to be my first RFF.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear you got burned on your Yashica Electro purchase - that's a real shame!

The Yashica Electro might not be the best camera to start with, even though they are lovely cameras in general and take wonderful pictures. They use a stepless electronic shutter and require a battery that is no longer made. You can get an adapter to use a modern battery from www.yashica-guy.com, but it costs as much as the camera sells for. And, if the electronics are non-functional after all that, you can't use the camera, because the shutter speed can't be set manually.

May I recommend the Canonet you mentioned or a Minolta Hi-Matic 7S or 9 as your first choice? These are inexpensive, tend to work well, have good lenses, and can be set completely manually even if the meters do not work or if you don't have the appropriate battery or converter for the battery.

I have several Yashica Electro 35's - I had to buy 4 before I got one that worked right. However, the one I got that works, works really well. These photos were all taken with my GSN:

http://www.growlery.com/kenosha/

I do have the battery adapter from www.yashica-guy.com, and it works well - but if I had another working Yashica Electro, I'd share it between them instead of buying another!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks
 
May I recommend the Canonet you mentioned or a Minolta Hi-Matic 7S or 9 as your first choice? These are inexpensive, tend to work well, have good lenses, and can be set completely manually even if the meters do not work or if you don't have the appropriate battery or converter for the battery.


I do have the battery adapter from www.yashica-guy.com and it works well - but if I had another working Yashica Electro, I'd share it between them instead of buying another!

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks [/B]
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Hi Bill,
Thanks for the advise. I will look out for the 2 choice you recommend and hopefully can find 1 in this forum instead of ebay. Looking the a working unit in ebay for Canonet, seems like price exceed USD 100-150.
As for the battery, the unit I got did have a battery included, a 6v alkaline battery 4R44 with a housing adaptor. not sure whether it's the one from Yashica-guy.
 
The part most often broken on Yashica Electro 35's is the shutter, shutter release or electrical connections. If you have a broken lens instead, it may be fairly inexpensive to buy another broken camera and swap the lens elements. A parts camera runs about $5-$10 US.

Yashica made a lot of these cameras and there are plenty of working one's out there. You may want to take pictures instead of tinkering with small parts.

-Paul
 
bmattock said:
I'm sorry to hear you got burned on your Yashica Electro purchase - that's a real shame!


May I recommend the Canonet you mentioned or a Minolta Hi-Matic 7S or 9 as your first choice? These are inexpensive, tend to work well, have good lenses, and can be set completely manually even if the meters do not work or if you don't have the appropriate battery or converter for the battery.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks
Click to expand...

I agree with Bill. The Minolta Hi-Matic 7sII, has a great lens, and can be used in manual mode. Also consider the Viv ES and Oly RC.

Nice Kenosha snaps, Bill.

Russ
 
I have a front lens element, actually most parts of an electro if you would like me to send them to you.

Contact me off the forum via email if you are interested. Sorry you got burned, but this is the chance you take on Ebay.

Today I just got a Lynx 14 listed as a parts camera on Ebay.
Shutter not working.

Two minutes after I got the front lens element off and some Zippo on the shutter it fired. The meter wires are shot, but the glass is perfect, this will be my number one Lyn x now. So it goes...........
 
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