Electro 35: too good to be true?

[jackieman402]

A couple weeks ago, on a wild guess, I searched for "Yashika camera" on ebay and got a dozen or so results. One was a black Electro 35 with the leather accessory case, and only one bid. One blurry picture; it only had a couple days left. I ended up getting it for $29; it arrived today.

When I unwrapped the camera I took it out of the case -- which was in pretty fair condition -- and looked it over. Enamel looked ok, but where was the lettering on the front of the body? No "G", no "GT", only a tiny "Yashica" on the leatherette just below the meter cell. And on the back, below the battery check, a small "Professional". The film speed dial has ASA and DIN numbers on it up through ASA 400. It has a working mercury battery, too which I have never seen before ( I have a GSN and a GT).

I have seen a picture of the Professional model on Joe Wolff's Yashica Guy site, but it has the word "Professional" on the front of the camera, not the back. What gives? Any ideas? The shutter seems to be working fine. Also, I noticed a perfect "clunk" when winding on; I removed the top to clean the filthy glass, and noticed that the Pad of Death had been replaced. Unusual, it seems to me.

Sorry if I'm rambling; just kind of thinking out loud...I wasn't looking for a Professional, I just thought it would be a GT or GTN...

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Sometimes life is good!

I think the cosmetics and features of the long-run camera evolved over time, from batch to batch, as is normal. My early GT retains many of the features attributed to the earlier "professional". If it were a nikon F, collectors would go crazy over the slightest deviation in cosmetics. Such as location of "Japan" engraving, style of self-timer lever, etc.

 

[JohnM]

The Professional is essentially a black Yashica G. There were a lot of minor variations of the G models and the Professional was one of them. I've owned several GTs and GSNs and there were slight cosmetic differences even among cameras of the same designation!

 

[George S.]

I can concur with John. There were several changes in cosmetics during each model's run. Possibly internal differences too. Kind of like the old VW bug. During the last month of production in each model year, your car would be identical to the next year's model, but retain the "old" year's model year.

And the mercury batteries can last decades if not put in use. I have an original one in a yellow box with all japanese writing on it from the mid sixties that when I take it out and test it, it still tests as new. I'm beginning to think it'll still have juice left after I'm gone.