Finally I know what for Electro 35 FC is made

[btgc]

Long time ago I've seen pics of FC and didn't care to look closer. So I couldn't figure out place of FC in Yashica RF model hierarchy.

Recently I took a look at some pics of FC and were surprised that it doesn't have distance scale on lens barrel, symbols only (head, whole [wo]man, distant rocks - easy to guess).

So FC is somewhere between MC (scale focus compact with numbered distance scale) and...what's upscale? MG-1 - "slow lensed" RF with numbered distance scale?

Yashica guy mentions speeds limit to 1/30th when flash is attached. That's weird, though.

So for now I think about FC as intermediate model between MC and MG-1, combining elements from both them and having it's own specialty (flash issue, that said).

 

[sevo]

Yashica guy mentions speeds limit to 1/30th when flash is attached. That's weird, though.

The CC has that "Auto Flash" feature as well.

Sevo

 

[bawang]

The GL has AF too. But the fun with GL is bumping up to iso 1600.

 

[btgc]

Do you like oldies? Old threads, I mean 🙂

Since then I've got 35FC. It's not bad, at all. It's smaller than full-sized Electro RF's but also little bigger than 35MC. It's midsize, fits everyone. Yashica wanted to make another distinctive model, and they did - 1/1000th top speed down to 4sec. makes it good daily user. Only Electro that goes over 1/500th (you know, mechanical Lynx 1000 and 5000 also do same trick).

Lens barrel is optimized for scale focusing - symbols on top of barrel and numbers on bottom, to be sure. If you want focus to be spot on, old good Yashica magic spot in VF will serve you well. Oh, VF is great, and contrasty but parallax frame is fixed, though.

On this model Yashica used electronic self-timer - lever on lens barrel looks like mechanical, but it engages electromagnet instead of spring. Little lamp next to VF glass comes on when ST releases. Not that it is very appropriate solution on this kind of cameras, but...35FC were last (or almost last) of Electro RF's, I think, so Yashica wanted to impress market, I guess.

But wait...what FC stands for? Maybe "flash camera"? In flash mode, and set GN of flash (lever on lens barrel, values 10..40), Flashmatic adjusts aperture as you focus lens - just like on Oly 35RC. Only issue is that shutter speed defaults to 1/30, not very useful. I don't like construction of hot shoe - construction allows to move flash though it, leaving mark from flash contact on top cover.
Frontman has suggested pin at PC contact can be adjusted so camera doesn't enter "1/30" mode. I have to check what happens when flash without PC cord is used.

First roll went on included PX640 mercury cells, but now I see one has gone flat. I will make adapter to use 2xSR44 cells with diode and put another roll through it.

 

[btgc]

Since last update I've made adapter w/ 1N4148 diode to use two SR44 cells. While 35FC is light, plasticky and has slower lens overshadowed by G-series, I still use small 35FC and 35MC more than larger and heavier 35G (which I recently sold). This both are exactly what I want from P&S cameras - Av exposure and fast manual focusing. 35MC is built and feels a bit better and is more reliable than 35FC, plus 35MC has more round aperture than 35FC which has romb-shaped opening (but can deliver certain effect).


Sugar glaze by mm35exp36, on Flickr

What I love in 35FC is smooth advance lever, it's heaven after full-bodied 35G - it had stiffer and louder advancing, with it's "thump" (one of reasons I sold it). After G-series Lynx feels like a precision camera with superb controls 🙂

 

[Ranchu]

Thank you for the report, I like your flickr pics too!

 

[btgc]

You are welcome Ranchu, and yet more - I like release button of 35FC better than on G-series. Much lighter and even relatively long travel (as it is on Electros) isn't disturbing. Smooth, thus easy to keep steady during slow speeds.

 

[farlymac]

I always wanted to get one of those, but they are rare from what I have seen. I don't believe it was a USA market camera, much like the GL. But that sugar cube bokeh is really nice.

PF

 

[btgc]

In Europe they also aren't too common. I think it were last model (or one of) of Electro small non-SLR cameras and weren't made in large quantities. I think they are more common in Japan (not surprisingly).

 

[Shahin]

Why would anyone buy a FC ??? Is there any particular reason why this is worth buying?

 

[btgc]

Technically, there's no reason.

From viewpoint of Yashica junkie it's only Electro RF with 1/1000 top speed, same applies to Flashmatic.

It's smaller than GSN and MG-1, lens is compact (and of same speed as on MG-1), has better release button, has better advance lever. It's more practical if one doesn't need large apertures.

As you see, there's still no real reason, but it's interesting camera.

 

[Shahin]

the whole point in getting a "old" analog camera is the great picture quality because of the great lenses+film but if you just want a handy camera for normal snapshots you can buy a small digital camera .....
I think that in the 70s this was a good "small" camera, still not as small and great as the rollei 35.

 

[farlymac]

Maybe that's why they quit making them, is that folks would look at it and say to themselves "Why do I need this?". Didn't help that it came at the tail end of the market either. For me though, today I would want one, if only for the fact I don't have one. So it's a collectable that can be used as a shooter. Not as streetable such as an ME or MC, but still nice to have around, and darn good looking too.

PF

 

[btgc]

It's streetable (I like your term, haha), though. Just a bit different style than MC, which is palm camera. FC is neck camera. Raise, frame, lower, raise. After a shot I quickly lower it and leave hanging. MC goes to pocket, FC goes under jacket. Hey, another fool with film camera 🙂 Yeah, and that thing captures shots of you without being noticed. Fine.

 

[bundok]

I am really surprised that noone has mentioned the similarities of the FC to the GX so far. They have nearly the same body. I read that the FC came out in '73 and the GX in '75. If you look at the bodies, it seems quite plausible that they reused the FC's body for the GX, but tweaked it here and there. It looks a bit better but is essentially the same.

Does anyone of you have some background information?

 

[farlymac]

Just slightly OT, but if you take the top and bottom covers off of the Yashica 35-ME, and the Minolta Hi-Matic G, and cover the lenses with generic caps, you would be hard pressed to tell the difference. So it doesn't surprise me that Yashica would have made the GX out of the FC. Seems they made enough upgrades to not call it the FC-2. But then, I always thought it was the other way around, and the FC was a downmarket version of the GX.

PF

 

[ForestCap]

Forgive me to dig this up, but I haven't seen any new posts about this camera.

I bought an FC yesterday and did some searching about this little camera. I happened to see a page from a Japanese optic book on someone's blog, with some information about the 60-70s fixed lens rangefinders. I highlighted the lines about Yashica CC, GX ,and FC, and tried my best to resolve the Japanese with my Chinese language skill, then translate them roughly to English.

On the Internet you're likely to see FC's lens described as a "4 elements in 3 group, Tessar". But here in this book it's described as a "4 elements in 4 group, modified Tessar". Also the resolution of FC's lens is not too much behind its two cousins.

Many other compact rangefinders are listed on the page too. Quite interesting to read/guess.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

nukecoke, your table is very interesting. Can anyone translate the first line, what camera is that?

 

[ForestCap]

nukecoke, your table is very interesting. Can anyone translate the first line, what camera is that?

I believe it's Minolta HI-MATIC E with Gauss type lens.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

Thanks!……..