Joined the Yashica Crowd Today

The GT, GTN sure looks cool but I won't pay the extra dough for it. They're the same camera except for the color. I would rather pay extra for one that's been serviced. My GSN was $40 on eBay - new light seals, new POD, cleaned and adjusted RF... etc.

eBay is silly, imo, like that sometimes...

Another example, I bought a Konica Auto S3 (outstanding camera), for 80. The seller was a camera repair co, that put new seals on it, cla'd it, put a resistor in it for proper votage for correct metering... Plus it has a six month warranty. I was one of two bidders because the starting bid was 79.00...

I've been watching these cameras for a few months. I've seen them go for 100, 120, etc in worse condition where the seller didn't know how to test he camera and was being sold "as is"... But because it had "no reserve" or "low reserve".... bidding wars, with 6, 7, 8 bidders.

Go figure...
 
Howdy folks!

My first RF was a GS on flea-bay. It had been totally restored for $46.00 plus shipping.
That started something.I now have 6 rangefinders of various types. That GS was a sweet camera, but I traded it to a fellow RFF member for a real nice Zorki 4 & I61 LD.
I missed it so much that I got another on flea-bay. This time a GT (always wanted the black model) for $25.00. It was really pretty, but the shutter and electronics needed help. I sent it to get an overhaul, new seals, POD, the works, for about $50.00. Now it both looks great and works beautifully!! I am very happy to have another Electro back in my collection.

Charles
 
Hi all,
Well, this is my first thread here.
I've also bought (an almost unused) yashica electro 35 GSN and my first test roll is just simply fantastic.
Next week I'm going to buy the extra lenses for my yasica. by the way it seems to me that using the extra lenses for this camera is a little bit complex I mean you need time for. What is your opinion?
 
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Hi Superbus and welcome. You know I have the extra lenses but have never used them. They looked a little rough and from what I have read they don't really work all that well. I supose that one day I will take them out and play with them to see what they can do.
 
Originally you asked for some tips - I'm not sure if anything this obvious counts but thought I'd throw it out. When I'm using my GT in low and changing light I tend to half-cock the shutter and roll the aperature up from 1.7 until the under-exposure lamp comes on then shoot. I find that with the copal shutter and solid body I can easily hand-hold 1/15th shots without any motion blur.
 
I've bought this camera because it's famous in low light conditions. But I shoot the first roll in a sunny day with kodak 200 iso film...
Now I'm planning to use a better quality B&W film - in low light conditions. Every user like to say about the extra lenses that these are not useful but I have to buy and own them even when I know that I will use it just very occasionally.

I just have seen a few pictures from the members, done with the yashica electro 35 and I just want to make great photos like that!
 
Well, the first impressions on the yashica electro 35 extra lenses (I bought it a few days ago):
These are really serious ones! Looks like a professional thing for me who is a really amateaur. There is no difficulty to use them but you need time for it. So, I've realised that you can not make good pictures of your child for example because after you have done everything the kid just not there....:bang:
But if you are planning to do something when you have enough time there is no problem.

What is your oppinion?
 
Well, ho0nestly, my oppinion is, that theose extra lenses were made only for marketing reasons. Why i really like my yashica GSN is its simplicity of use combined with the lens and shutter it has, delivering excellent results. I do have more complicated cameras for more complicated shots, but that's a different question.

Anyway, jo szorakozast a yashicaval, siman vagy extra lencsekkel, es majd tolts is fel ezt-azt hogy lassuk, mi az eredmeny :)
 
... I would like a black GTN but every time I spot one on eBay some lunatic seems determined to pay silly money for it. :bang:[/QUOTE said:
That's true, and the lunatic was me .... couple times :p
 
Pherdinand said:
Well, ho0nestly, my oppinion is, that theose extra lenses were made only for marketing reasons. Why i really like my yashica GSN is its simplicity of use combined with the lens and shutter it has, delivering excellent results. I do have more complicated cameras for more complicated shots, but that's a different question.

Anyway, jo szorakozast a yashicaval, siman vagy extra lencsekkel, es majd tolts is fel ezt-azt hogy lassuk, mi az eredmeny :)

Yes you are absolutely right: easy to use - I can share my experience with the wide and tele lens after my first test roll with them.

Well, hát igyekszem is majd jó képeket készíteni, majd ha egyszer szkennelek és feltöltöm láthatod, de erre még várni kell egy kicsit! :)

What kind of other cameras are you using for more sophisticated purposes? Rangefinders or slrs? I also have a yashica fx3 super 2000 (lighter than the GSN...) which is my other favourite camera.
 
I'm a bit of a camera nut, so I have plenty other cameras...:( I can't convince myself to get rid of them.
So if i want to go wider I use an SLR with 24 or 17 mm lenses, affordable and easy to use...or a 135mm for longer. For full manual control i have older beasts like a Rolleiflex from the 1930s or a 20 y "younger" contax iia... Also acquired a 6x6 SLR a few months ago with a normal and a wide lens (Kowa) but have not used it yet...
And the list continues.
But fact is, the GSN gets a lot of use. In the last month i've shot 4 rolls with it and i know i will never sell it...
 
I purchaesd an excellent condition black GSN with the additional lenses ,instruction book , case and finder yesterday at a camera fair in the UK for £12
Waiting for the battery adapter.Works at 1/500 so I am hoping it is OK
Reading the other threads I think it was a very reasonable price.
 
WOW!!! YOU'RE LUCKY to find such a bargain!!!! am still waiting for my GSN to arrive and am eyeing on a GTN's costing me GBP50 (after conversion) am waiting for the seller to further drop the price!!!
 
My first GSN was $5 out of a box of old rangefinders in Portland, OR. This was before eBay, so they were dirt cheap. My next one was from eBay, and I got a minty GSN with the extra tele and wide lenses and viewfinders for $50 shipped. That was 6 years ago.

I wish I could get an affordable black GT/GTN.
 
sohc, this is going to make you sick, I bought a Black GT at the recent Sydney Camera Market for $10.00 AUD.
 
Dfin said:
sohc, this is going to make you sick, I bought a Black GT at the recent Sydney Camera Market for $10.00 AUD.
Lucky you! I just watched two on eBay go for over $100 each. I want one so bad, so it'll match my aux lenses and viewfinders. The all-black Yashica attack!
 
I've just joined the RF crowd -- received a minty GSN a couple of days ago. $35 from eBay, which I regard as a deal because there's hardly a scratch on it, everything works, and the test roll of shots shows no problems. Even found a like-new Yashica lens hood for it for $5. What a great camera!
 
Woo... found a GSN at the flea market today, and picked it up for $20. (The dude originally wanted $25.)

Quite a steal... it's in excellent overall condition, very little wear or dirt... complete with case and a Hoya Skylight filter that someone must have just left on there... The seals need a little work, though.

Not bad. I am happy with that.
 
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I picked up a GTN for $71 on ebay but when it arrived it needed an overhaul. Even the door refused to open after I closed it the first time. Also got a GT for $47 that worked okay, but sent it to Mark Hama at the same time for a complete refurb. Now I have 2 great looking, great acting black Yashica Electro 35s and one in chrome I got for $30 from a forum member that worked fine as it got to me. Can't afford another visit to Mark's shop, anyway.
 
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