let's see your yashica rf

I got an unexpected and very nice gift. My friend Beedee is moving to a new house and she has been sorting and packing. She came across her late mother Olive's camera in the bottom of a linen cupboard and asked me if I would like to have it. I told her that I would be honored and thrilled to have the camera. She said that her mother had taken it on her trips to many places around the world.

Olive took very good care of her Electro 35 and it is in fine working order. I just put in a new battery, exercised the shutter a couple of times and it is ready to shoot more pictures. It came with the case and instruction book. I never planned to get an Electro 35, but I look forward to using it.

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My latest acquisition:

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Kind of a strange story about this camera. I bought a camera bag at a thrift store several months ago. In the bag was a couple of off-brand lenses, an off-brand flash, and a couple of camera owners manuals, one of which was for the Yashica Electro GSN/GTN. Now, I've been peripherally familiar with the Electro 35s for many years -- they're so popular and were made in such great quantities that they are still ubiquitous. Well, at least the chrome ones are. But anyway, here I was with a GSN/GTN manual but no camera. And suddenly I wanted one. But I didn't just want the chrome GSN model. I wanted a GTN.

I'm also a cheap bastid, so I'm always looking for good deals. Finally I ran across a good deal on this GT. Not a GTN, but close enough to satisfy the urge. The camera is in super nice shape. I've just recently acquired it, so I haven't rigged up a battery substitution for it yet, but I will soon -- probably tomorrow. And then I get to run a roll of film through it and see just how well its reputation for having an amazingly accurate meter holds up.

So, this is the latest in my modest but growing collection of Rangefinder/P&S cameras. Next is a Lynx. I wonder if I can find one of those in black . . .
 
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Just in:
- All manual, no meter, nothing.
- All metal, except the accents and the plastic (!) shutter release button
- Focusing tab, very nice feel
- Shutter is alive and accurate
- Cosmetically clean and nice
- The film rewind is on the bottom
 
Lovely, shadowfox. I've been looking for one of those along with the YK. If I have those, I'll have all of the mechanical fixed-lens Yashica rangefinders made (excluding model variations, like the f1.9/f2.8 Minister I etc.)
 
Yes, I usually don't collect Yashica rangefinders, but seeing this camera, its look is kinda unusual. I didn't even know if it takes batteries or whatnot, finding out that it's completely manual is a plus for me.

Too bad the rangefinder's mirror has de-silvered quite heavily, the patch is faint. I wonder if anyone could replace it within reasonable cost.
 
What an interesting looking camera, Will. First time I've ever seen one. So of course I googled "yashica yl" and got hits. One of them is Butkis's site. He has a manual for it, in case you're looking for one:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica/yashica_35yl/yashica_35yl.htm

Also, regarding the desilvering of your mirror -- do you know about the KY Photo repair site? There are a lot of very experienced techs who hang out there, and somebody in the repair forum might be able to give you some good advice. Go here and click on Maintenance and Repair:

http://www.kyphoto.com/cgi-bin/forum/discus.cgi
 
shadowfox said:
Yes, I usually don't collect Yashica rangefinders, but seeing this camera, its look is kinda unusual. I didn't even know if it takes batteries or whatnot, finding out that it's completely manual is a plus for me.

Too bad the rangefinder's mirror has de-silvered quite heavily, the patch is faint. I wonder if anyone could replace it within reasonable cost.
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Best thing to do is replace it. I've done this with two of my RFs now (Minister I 1.9 and Lynx 1000). You can buy 50% mirror stock of the correct thickness often from Surplus Shed here: http://www.surplusshed.com/pages/item/m3013.html

I bought a decent stack at the time.


Film rewind on the bottom! Seems to be a Yashica thing for their first few fixed-lens RFs. The Minister I is like that too. Very cool pop-out thing. Half of the reason why I bought it!
 
I would like a GL, but it's almost impossible to find one which works. I've picked up 4 of them, and had to toss them all. They are interesting enough cameras, but I have doubts about their reliability. The only "bullet-proof" Yashica I have seen is the CCN. I have come across many, and every single one has worked well.
 
Frontman said:
I would like a GL, but it's almost impossible to find one which works. I've picked up 4 of them, and had to toss them all. They are interesting enough cameras, but I have doubts about their reliability. The only "bullet-proof" Yashica I have seen is the CCN. I have come across many, and every single one has worked well.
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Your problem is that you're looking at their fragile and clunky electric products.

They made very well-made mechanical 35mm RFs for years earlier. These are typically very reliable and bullet-proof. Highlights: Lynx 1000 and 5000; Minister I and Minister D.

The Lynx 1000 might interest you, as they have essentially the same lens as the Electros (Yashinon 45/1.8 -- not 1.7, but all but identical) with different coating. As a bonus, it's much smaller, feels 100% nicer in the hand, has a mechanical shutter (so no Electro Pad of Death, contacts, arrows that won't light up...), has a lovely shutter release that doesn't require half a metre of travel like the Electros, and a butter-smooth wind lever that doesn't go "CLUNK". Oh -- and no braindead aperture priority automatic metering. Use whatever ISO film you like, choose the exposure you want.

If you require better metering (Lynx 1000 is selenium), then the 5000 has a CdS cell and viewfinder help like the Electros. It is slightly larger than the 1000 though and doesn't feel so nice, so I normally pick up my 1000.

I love Yashica cameras. I have 15 or so of their 35mm rangefinders now. The only ones I've sold? Two Electro Gs, a 35CC, and a 35GX. To rub salt in the wounds of the terrible Electro ergonomics, the 35CC's 35mm and 35GX's 40mm f1.7 Yashinons seemed noticeably less sharp than the 45mm and 50mm (Leica Screw Mount) f1.8 Yashinons. May have just been my samples, though.
 
The 1000 sounds nice but as the only Yashica I have ever used is my mint GSN I would not know where to start :( What's a Lynx 1000 worth and what are the things to look for when asking questions online?
 
bgb said:
The 1000 sounds nice but as the only Yashica I have ever used is my mint GSN I would not know where to start :( What's a Lynx 1000 worth and what are the things to look for when asking questions online?
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A good Lynx 1000 can be had for less than $45 and sometimes for less than $25! Ditto for a Lynx 5000. The 14 and 14E bring premium prices due to the f/1.4 lens.

A few notes and considerations:
  • The meters seldom work, though some have been known to spring to life after disassembly and cleaning of the strip resistors in the lens/shutter assembly
  • The slow shutter speeds may lag due to aging lubrication
  • Ditto for the self-timer
  • The aperture mechanism is prone to a bent rod that will render it useless
  • The rangefinder half-mirror is prone to coming loose as is the reflector for the meter display
Here is a link to pictures of/from my Lynxes:

Steve

(Has one working Lynx 5000 and a repairable Lynx 1000 (recent aperture issue) and three broken Lynx 5000 received DOA from eBay purchases...)
 
Thanks Steve
Mmmmmmmmmmm well i guess that's what happens when you buy from auctions sites huh?
I got lucky with my GSN and so far no POD issues, I do know a good repair guy but the cost might be more than it's worth ... or maybe not :) Guess it depends on how well the camera and i get on before the POD issue raises its ugly head.
The older Yashica's look nice too and with a small clip on meter might be interesting.
 
xwhatsit said:
Your problem is that you're looking at their fragile and clunky electric products.

They made very well-made mechanical 35mm RFs for years earlier. These are typically very reliable and bullet-proof...
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... snip ...

For those who may not know, Frontman has a real knack for putting old rangefinder cameras into great working order, especially Yashicas. He's done many, many of these. I have two superb GXs from him.

If Frontman discarded four GLs in a row as un-repairable, that says something to me.
 
A GL is a fantastic camera if you can find one that works. In my mind it's the creme de la creme of the Yashica rangefinder line. Still, I'd like to have one of those black CCN's....
 
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