Chrome GSN just got a Black GT companion

[raid]

I need some batteries for the GX, but other than that, the black camera looks awesome. Is the GSN somehow more advanced than the GT? I am thinking of using one of these two for a travel back-up camera. RFF convinced me to give the Yashica RF camera a second look.

 

[raid]

A quick pic of the camera.

 

[raid]

The "old" GSN is here

 

[bogelgelbo]

Somebody correct me if I'm mistaken, but I always thought that the difference between the GS/GT and the GSN/GTN series is the hot shoe on the GSN/GTN series. The lenses on this Yashica is simply a joy.

 

[Jack Conrad]

Hey raid, I live in Florida also. We're kinda like neighbors. So Howdy.

I don't think the GSN is more advanced. I'd guess they take pictures pretty much the same as the black GT's. If anything, the GT was billed as Yashica's top of the line, but was mostly eye appeal for that more modern 70's cool bad fad look.
I'm a sucker for the classic brushed chrome. What can I say. It reminds me of the 60's, and I think the 60's were way cooler than the 70's, but that's just me and my silly emotional childhood attachments.

I love my GSN. It is simply awesome. But I'm not sure it would make a good travel camera though. It's clunky. It's cludgy. It's got a flimsy aluminum lens filter ring that juts out there and begs to be banged and bent. It's big and sort of delicate feeling where it tends to make me feel sort of overly protective of it. Kind of like it's a baby, a big metallic cycloptic baby.

I really think I have a love/hate thing going on with my Yashica GSN. I hate that long squidgy shutter button. I hate that kind of cheesy hollow feel of the camera body and I hate that flickery red under expose light that comes on briefly every time I press the button down.

But I love the results. I love the lens. Kind of a puppy love. You know how you just gotta love the puppy, even though it pee's on the carpet.

And I really think that big ole Yashy hangin on my neck like a baby or a puppy or something, causes me to have better interactions with my photographic surroundings. More up front and open. But that's just me.

I'm just blabbering away.

 

[raid]

Yes, the GT has no hot shoe, as you said. The lens is awesome.

 

[raid]

Hey raid, I live in Florida also. We're kinda like neighbors. So Howdy.

I don't think the GSN is more advanced. I'd guess they take pictures pretty much the same as the black GT's. If anything, the GT was billed as Yashica's top of the line, but was mostly eye appeal for that more modern 70's cool bad fad look.
I'm a sucker for the classic brushed chrome. What can I say. It reminds me of the 60's, and I think the 60's were way cooler than the 70's, but that's just me and my silly emotional childhood attachments.

I love my GSN. It is simply awesome. But I'm not sure it would make a good travel camera though. It's clunky. It's cludgy. It's got a flimsy aluminum lens filter ring that juts out there and begs to be banged and bent. It's big and sort of delicate feeling where it tends to make me feel sort of overly protective of it. Kind of like it's a baby, a big metallic cycloptic baby.

I really think I have a love/hate thing going on with my Yashica GSN. I hate that long squidgy shutter button. I hate that kind of cheesy hollow feel of the camera body and I hate that flickery red under expose light that comes on briefly every time I press the button down.

But I love the results. I love the lens. Kind of a puppy love. You know how you just gotta love the puppy, even though it pee's on the carpet.

And I really think that big ole Yashy hangin on my neck like a baby or a puppy or something, causes me to have better interactions with my photographic surroundings. More up front and open. But that's just me.

I'm just blabbering away.

Hi Jack,

You obviously like your GSN. The chrome Yashica looks as fancy as the black one. The camera is rather large for a travel camera, so I have to agree with you on that one. Which battery do you use with the GSN?

 

[Jack Conrad]

I've been using a 6v PX28A from Radio Shack, but 4-SR44's work fine, as well as 4-675 zinc airs. It's easy to stack them together with electrical tape and then slip the four nestled together into a paper tube also taped in electrical tape, so that it all fits in the compartment properly. Then use a clump of foil or spring to fill the space up to the cover. The foil also acts as a resistor, reducing the voltage just a little. Of course it may also be reducing the life of the battery. I read somewhere that the zinc airs will last longer if you drill a tiny air hole in the battery cover. I don't know for a fact if that works though.

The PX28A i've been using only lasted a couple months for me, but it's possible my camera has some internal electrical resistance. Old camera. Or just the way I had the battery rigged.

I've cleaned up the camera top and bottom, but never opened up the lens which has plenty of contact points that may be ever so slightly tarnished.

I sure am a blabber mouth tonight.

 

[b1bmsgt]

It's got a flimsy aluminum lens filter ring that juts out there and begs to be banged and bent.

If you put a Skylight 1A filter on it, you won't have to worry about it. The filter will take the shocks and protect the ring.

I hate that kind of cheesy hollow feel of the camera body

I always thought they felt very solid. Having been inside so many of them that I lost count, I know that they are solid, all metal construction. Later GSN's have some plastic parts in place of previous metal ones, but nothing structural...

The PX28A i've been using only lasted a couple months for me, but it's possible my camera has some internal electrical resistance. Old camera. Or just the way I had the battery rigged.

Do you get the required "clunk" when you wind the film after taking a picture? If not, that could be the cause of your battery's short life. If the rod with the electrical brushes does not latch in the down position (which causes the "clunk" when it is released during winding) then the electronics remain active all the time, leading to short battery life. No "clunk" would be an indication of a badly deteriorated POD.

I hate that flickery red under expose light that comes on briefly every time I press the button down

This is an indication of dirty contacts. See below...

I've cleaned up the camera top and bottom, but never opened up the lens which has plenty of contact points that may be ever so slightly tarnished.

Did you clean the contacts in the camera body?

Just some friendly observations...
Hope they are of some help...


Russ

 

[btgc]

I always thought they felt very solid. Having been inside so many of them that I lost count, I know that they are solid, all metal construction. Later GSN's have some plastic parts in place of previous metal ones, but nothing structural...
Russ

I also think earlier G's are more substantially built than GSN's but diff is not day and night and mostly under hood.

I guess that stiff advance lever, accompanied by "CLUNK" and stiff, long travel shutter release are factors, building up feeling of clumsiness. Lynxes aren't built like hi-end cameras though they make completely different feeling, would you agree?

 

[b1bmsgt]

I guess that stiff advance lever, accompanied by "CLUNK" and stiff, long travel shutter release are factors, building up feeling of clumsiness. Lynxes aren't built like hi-end cameras though they make completely different feeling, would you agree?

I agree that the Lynxes feel totally different. All you are doing when you press the shutter release is releasing the shutter. With the Electros you are moving a set of contacts over a circuit board, ending with the shutter being tripped at the bottom of the travel.

I also think earlier G's are more substantially built than GSN's but diff is not day and night and mostly under hood.

I disagree. From personal experience with well over 150 Electros, I can tell you that the basics are the same on all the models. The later GSN's started getting a little cheapo with plastic ASA dials, rewind knobs, etc. but the bodies were still cast metal, the top and bottom still metal as well.


Russ

 

[btgc]

I disagree. From personal experience with well over 150 Electros, I can tell you that the basics are the same on all the models. The later GSN's started getting a little cheapo with plastic ASA dials, rewind knobs, etc. but the bodies were still cast metal, the top and bottom still metal as well.

Russ, I don't pretend to have experience like you do. I have worked on one 35 G and one 35 GSN. Sure they have same cast metal bodies, as I said, they differ in small details, I observed some under top plate. Users not opening cameras are not aware of them.

While I don't really use flash and thus don't rave about hot shoe on GSN, I really appreciate much better shutter lock knob in GS/GSN - one can turn it with one finger.

 

[b1bmsgt]

While I don't really use flash and thus don't rave about hot shoe on GSN, I really appreciate much better shutter lock knob in GS/GSN - one can turn it with one finger.

I would definitely agree with you about that!!

Russ

 

[MrJuancho]

I too have a GSN and a GT, the main difference (aside from body color, natch) seems to be that the ASA rating tops out at 500 on the GT versus 1000 on the GSN. Not fantastic for really pushing film either way, but you get the idea.

 

[zuikomaniac]

I agree, GSN has lots of Plastic pcs replacement that once was solid metal on the GT and GS i.e. rewind knob, RF frame etc... I personally like the older GS and GT than the GSN

The only feature that I like on the latter GSN and GTN is the matt finish on the shutter ... this is genius design that virtually eliminated sticking shutter (notorious on older RF cam).

I have swapped couple of my GSN lenses onto GS body to make a perfect electro ... for me

I also think earlier G's are more substantially built than GSN's but diff is not day and night and mostly under hood.

I guess that stiff advance lever, accompanied by "CLUNK" and stiff, long travel shutter release are factors, building up feeling of clumsiness. Lynxes aren't built like hi-end cameras though they make completely different feeling, would you agree?

 

[btgc]

I agree, GSN has lots of Plastic pcs replacement that once was solid metal on the GT and GS i.e. rewind knob, RF frame etc... I personally like the older GS and GT than the GSN

ummm...I think my early 35 G has silver-grey painted plastic frames arounf meter and RF/VF windows (if it's same you referenced). GSN has metal rewind knob, I'm sure. Black models have plastic rewind knob to avoid painting/enamel works, I guess.

The only feature that I like on the latter GSN and GTN is the matt finish on the shutter ... this is genius design that virtually eliminated sticking shutter (notorious on older RF cam).

That's interesting. Could you please be more specific about that matte finish? If it ensures better ability to resist sticking - do you mean surfaces of blades? Or else?

Today I received black 35 FC, also has plastic rewind knob and a lot of plastics on lens barrel. Body and top/bottom covers are metal, just like on GT/GTN I suppose. And black is black, I knew this already from using black scale focus 35 MC and now I'm believer

EDIT: Oh, no!!! Black FC has plastic top and bottom covers....so no brassing possible and it eventually will always look like an unused amateur camera? Well, at least black 35 MC shows little brassing, so I can use it when show factor is important.

 

[b1bmsgt]

GSN has metal rewind knob, I'm sure. Black models have plastic rewind knob to avoid painting/enamel works, I guess.

Yeah, the earlier GSN's did have metal rewind knobs along with metal ASA dials. The later ones went to plastic on both.

And then, of course, there's the $#@&$ plastic lens trim ring!! (The one with the lens info printed on it) They always slip a thread or two when you try to remove them. What a pain!!!


Russ

 

[zuikomaniac]

btgc, Yup the blades surfaces are matte finish on the newer GTN and GSN (they prob learnt this from oly rf i.e. 35SP), very settle different visually, but if you put an GS and GSN lense side by side you will see right away.

For the rewind knobs on gsn and gtn , the lever is metal yes, but the wheel knob is a metalic plastic (could easily foul your eyes ... yashica did a good job @ covering it).

The front square frame around the view finder on the older GS and GT was made of metal welded into the chasis . The latter made of painted plastic glued onto the body.

those details I just mention are 100% correct at least on all of the electro I handled... 5 years ago, I was so crazy about these gems and bought at least 15 of them (they are so cheap - most of them usually DOA lol) to really work on, had only one done the overhaul by "greyhoundman" (?), I had fun with the rest of my electros, sold some and still have about 7 left....Anyhow ... still love them now .

 

[btgc]

Thanks both Russ and zuikomaniac! I Briefly had GSN, it has metal rewind knob and have not seen late ones so I just assumed, haha. Also have not compared blades, but this is very interesting point.

Raid, I'm sure you as a user of manual cameras would like Lynx 5000. You can get nice clean sample for $10. I think US-based RFF'ers working on them could help with revival, if you don't want to go big route.