GSN vs. Lynx

[JeffGreene]

I have several GSN's one of which has been in the family since it was new. They all have been maintained and CLA'd. There is a Lynx for sale at my local club. The owner has proposed a swap for one of my cameras. It looks to be in good condition. Could someone educate me on the differences and any issues I should be aware of. Thanks. Thanks.

 

[ErnestoJL]

Most noticeable difference between th GSN and the Lynx: GSN is automatic aperture preferred, the Lynx (any, the 5000 or the 14 or 14 e) is fully manual.
Another diff: the GSN comes with a 45 mm f 1.7, the Lynx 5000 has a 45 mm f 1.8 and the 14 or 14e 45 mm f 1.4.
Batteries for the GSN are a pain in the a*s unless you have the coversion fixture to allow use of a PX28 alkaline battery. The Lynx 5000 and 14 are very easily converted to use 625 alkaline batteries. The 14 e may require some more work to get it working due to the electronics inside (two small lamps instead of a moving coil meter and an IC to drive the lamps).
Regards.
Ernesto.

 

[RichardS]

I think the Lynx, along with the Minister D, were the best Electro models made because they give the user complete control over both aperture and shutter speeds. My only complaint with the Lynx is with the battery compartment cover. It helps to have a pair of pliers handy.

Dick

 

[bmattock]

There are actually three Lynx basic models that I'm aware of: 1000, 5000, and 14. The 1000 did not need a battery for the meter and had a 45mm f1.8 lens (per YashicaGuy's website). It also sported a '1/1000' speed leaf shutter (maybe, eh?).

I have a 5000 and find it average at best. I have two 14's and love the one that I have taken out and shot with. Very nice 1.4 lens; rare on a fixed-lens rangefinder (see also the Mamiya/Sekor Super Deluxe with a 1.5). The lens is a monster, and the camera is not small. However, I find it performs well.

GSN's are wonderful - great lenses. They tend towards the 'dime a dozen' realm just because so many of these lovely cameras were made. Lynxes are a tad harder to come by, especially the 14/14e. The GSN, as mentioned has a stepless automatic shutter speed - you cannot control it beyond taking out the battery and getting a default 1/500 speed. The Lynxes have actual shutter speed controls, no automatic anything.

I'd be happy with either GSN or Lynx 14. Given my love of the odd and unique, I like the Lynx 14 quite a bit.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[dreilly]

I had a 14E that I rescued off of Ebay and refurbished...it's in the hands of a Danish RFFer who, I hope, is enjoying it. I then had a GSN briefly. I didn't like the GSN as much as the Lynx. I'm used to manuall exposure setting and the GSN felt uncomfortably ambiguous to me, even though the shots came out fine. I know others love this camera and I got some nice images with it, but I think I preferred the Lynx in the end...it just felt natural. It's also build like a brick *house, and I liked the solidness. But too big in the end, too, so I sold it, and the same for the GSN. I got out of SLRs because of the size, so I couldn't justify such large cameras.

But I'd say it's worth trying out for the different user interface (since you still have two more GSNs) and, if its a 14E or 14, a wonderfully fast 1.4 lens. It's also a fun camera to take apart and work on.

 

[ErnestoJL]

No doubt, all the mentioned cameras are suitable for "available light" photography. The Mamiya SD 1.5 and the Lynx because of their huge lens, which is very rare in a fixed lens RF as Bill said, and the YE 35 GXX for their unusual capability (for the late ´60s) of giving extremely long exposure times due to the electronic circuitry of the Copal shutter. The YE35 has only one disadvantage: there is no way to know what speed did the auto system choose, it only tells you if it´s slower than 1/30 sec.
There is another interesting camera, the MG 1 with a 45 mm f 2.8 and lacking RF parallax correction, however remarkable in terms of ease of use and lens sharpness.
The extra weight of the Mamiya and the Lynx , or the disadvantages of the YE35 and MG1 are IMO worth the benefits they usually bring.
Unfortunately, none of them have ISO setting higher than ISO 800 (1000 in the GSN) and it is a definite limitation.

 

[bmattock]

Unfortunately, none of them have ISO setting higher than ISO 800 (1000 in the GSN) and it is a definite limitation.

Good point there - thanks for mentioning it! The GSN of course requires a properly functioning meter to work at all - since you can't set the shutter speed. The Lynx has a meter and a max ISO setting of 800 as you said (high for that time period), but I tend not to trust ancient meters anyway. I use an external meter, and then of course the ISO setting does not matter at all - so I can shoot whatever I like.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[ErnestoJL]

Both the Mamiya and the Lynx have the same shutter and use (I guess) the same method to transfer shutter speed and aperture to the meter.
I´ve opened my Mamiya and found that after almost 40 years the carbon strips (variable resistor) in the lens barrel were of course dirty, and the contact "fingers" needed also a good cleaning. I didn´t open yet the Lynx but suffers from the same disease: age.
I will try to repair both as per factory specifications, and I´m in doubt that another spare parts camera won´t suffer fron the same. Worst of all, none of those cameras have a strightforward calibration procedure for the meter (e.g. no potmeters, just fixed resistors) so a modification of the original circuit is mandatory to ease recalibration and repair.
I agree with you in regard of old meters, specially selenium meters which usually suffer from the accumulated effects of age, heat and humidity, but those made during the ´60s and ´70s used first class CdS cells, most of them perfectly sealed in a metal glass housing. I´ve checked many of them to be still alive and responding well to light changes. Cameras fitted with those cells type deserve IMHO some effort to bring the meter back to life.

One thing that´s impossible in both cameras (as far as I´ve examined them) is to modify the meter to allow higher ISO settings (it would be desirable up to ISO 3200).
The only way is to redesign it from the very beginning and this implies addition of some electronics inside, and also some mechanical modifications.

The YE 35 GSN / MG 1 and the whole Electro family are completely different as no manual shutter speed control of any kind is possible unless a serious modiffication is done.
I think it´s not desirable, as the original design allows the user to obtain perfect exposures in almost any lighting situation without the need for very high sensitivity film. You just need a tripod.

One thing that I didn´t mentioned is that I´m always looking for restoring the cameras to their original condition. A handheld meter or better (at least for me) a shoe mounted one will solve many of the problems or limitations of original meters, and besides it can also be used on different cameras. Another point is that I´m not used to "force" film very often, so a limit of ISO 800 is not a serious limitation. But of course, this is something of personal preferences!

 

[bmattock]

Ernesto,

I think we just have a different point of view regarding the vintage fixed-lens rangefinders. I also would prefer if the meter worked - but I would not rely on it for 'serious' work. On the other hand, if the shutter and aperture are in good shape, I have no trouble using a vintage fixed-lens rangefinder for real work; I just always use a modern external meter in such cases. I realize I'm the Lone Ranger here - no one else seems to think that way.

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[RichardS]

The YE 35 GSN / MG 1 and the whole Electro family are completely different as no manual shutter speed control of any kind is possible unless a serious modiffication is done.
!

At least two models of Electros allow you to set any aperture and any shutter speed you want to set.

Dick

 

[Sonnar Brian]

The Electro 35 SLR's let you set shutter speed and Electro Super-8 Movie cameras let you set filming speed. Do any of the 35mm RF's let you set shutter speed and aperture?

 

[RichardS]

Check the Lynx, the Minister D and the J. Of course I suppose you can argue that the J is not an Electro because it has no meter or battery.

Dick

 

[ErnestoJL]

Well, it´s just a matter of personal preferences, but I agree with you Dick in regard of serious work, so you´re not the Lone Ranger!.
Most of the RFs´s built in meter are a compromise in regard of measuring range and angle of view, no to mention about limitations of ISO range (and the room available within the camera), so a handheld meter (I´m using a Pilot II and a Luna Pro) is of choice.
I use the built in meter only when I can feel 100% confident on it´s performance.
Of course, I have no choice with the YE35 GT and the MG 1, as the Auto system can´t be switched off).
You´re right in regard of the TL Electro X SLRs, they allow you to set manually shutter speed and aperture. I didn´t see any other models of RFs of the Electro series which allow the user to set both shutter and aperture as will. The argentine market is/was very reduced in size, so many models weren´t imported.
Not to disagree with you, I´m used to call Yashica Electro series to all those cameras based on the electronic shutter timing, that was automatic for the YE35 , the MG1 and some other models.
The other models you mention (Minister D and Y J) don´t have any alectronics inside (AFAIK), and the Lynx 14 e has an electronic "meter" but the shutter is mechanically controlled.
Anyway I´m designing a small meter to be mounted on top of my old cameras, just like the Vogtländer...

Best Regards!
Ernesto