Lynx 14E with Strange Battery Compartment

[Abbazz]

My Lynx 14E has a battery compartment which differs from the usual type. This one has the + post on the inside of the camera and is fitted with a tabbed cap, instead of the common threaded type. The cap is black anodized aluminium and might not be the original one, as it doesn't seem to lock in place. G-Man tells me that he has never seen such a beast. Here are some pictures, in case someone has a spare cap to replace the one that I have. Sorry for the crappy digital shots (truism?).

Abbazz

 

[Time Freeze]

I have one with the same battery compartment configuration. I bought it at an antique store in Cape May about six weeks ago. The serial number is 1043012. Japan is to the right of the serial number as opposed to under on my other 14E. The battery cap on mine is a threaded black plastic. If Dave (Greyhound) has never seen one then it must be uncommon.

John

 

[Abbazz]

I have one with the same battery compartment configuration. I bought it at an antique store in Cape May about six weeks ago. The serial number is 1043012. Japan is to the right of the serial number as opposed to under on my other 14E. The battery cap on mine is a threaded black plastic. If Dave (Greyhound) has never seen one then it must be uncommon.

That's good to know that I am not the only one with this ugly little duckling 😀

Mine is number 1037555 and also has "Japan" written to the right of the serial number.

I found the following description on the Yashica Guy website:
"In the Yashica Lynx 5000 and 14 series, the case is the conductor of the + positive, or in a limited number of cameras, the - negative electric current."

So I guess that a "limited number of cameras" in the first batches of Lynx 14E made by Yashica had "Japan" written to the right of their serial number and were fitted with an inverted polarity battery compartment with an unthreaded tabbed cap and the negative post connected to the body of the camera. That could also indicate some differences in the layout of the CdS photocell electronic circuitry.

I wonder how many of these early type Lynx 14e were produced,

Abbazz

 

[gitarzan]

That's interesting about the polarity.

However, I don't think that's a tabbed cap.

Someone has wrested the frozen on cap with a pair of pliers and ended up breaking out the crimped-on threaded socket from the body of the camera. Look inside a "normal" screw capped Lynx. You'll see the "tab".

Don't ask me how I know this information. 🙁

If you look closer at your cap you can see the plier marks.

 

[Abbazz]

That's interesting about the polarity.

However, I don't think that's a tabbed cap.

Someone has wrested the frozen on cap with a pair of pliers and ended up breaking out the crimped-on threaded socket from the body of the camera. Look inside a "normal" screw capped Lynx. You'll see the "tab".

Don't ask me how I know this information. 🙁

If you look closer at your cap you can see the plier marks.

Hi Gitarzan,

The battery cap looks indeed twisted, like it has been forced open. I had the chance to compare this cap with the original 14e cap that G-Man sent me, and it is very different. On mine, there is positively no sight of a threading, neither on the cap itself, nor on the body of the camera, and I don't think that anything has been broken out from it or from the camera. There is no screwing involved, this cap just clips in place, at least it was supposed to do so before being damaged.

Abbazz

 

[Time Freeze]

The battery cap on my reversed polarity 14E is a black plastic threaded cap. The cap on my normal 14E is a metal threaded cap. The threading is identical and both caps will screw onto either camera.

 

[Fedzilla_Bob]

Hy Abbazz- You might want to swab out the chamber and the cap with white vinegar to get rid of the corrosive salts there.

 

[gitarzan]

Hi Gitarzan,

The battery cap looks indeed twisted, like it has been forced open. I had the chance to compare this cap with the original 14e cap that G-Man sent me, and it is very different. On mine, there is positively no sight of a threading, neither on the cap itself, nor on the body of the camera, and I don't think that anything has been broken out from it or from the camera. There is no screwing involved, this cap just clips in place, at least it was supposed to do so before being damaged.

Abbazz

Check out these images.
LEFT: A Lynx14e with battery cap the unscrewed, note threads on both sides. Note the notch.
RIGHT: A Lynx5000e that I wrested the whole two parts out. It's not a push on, it's a busted. The cap threads and body threads are frozen by muscle, time and battery acid and were twisted out together by whatever made those plier marks.

 

[Abbazz]

Check out these images.
LEFT: A Lynx14e with battery cap the unscrewed, note threads on both sides. Note the notch.
RIGHT: A Lynx5000e that I wrested the whole two parts out. It's not a push on, it's a busted. The cap threads and body threads are frozen by muscle, time and battery acid and were twisted out together by whatever made those plier marks.

I had a closer look to my battery cap and I realized that you were right Gitarzan: mine definitely looks like your second picture. I have soaked it in vinegar overnight and I will try to fix up this mess later (maybe the threaded socket can be glued back on the body?).

Thanks for the tips everyone.

Abbazz

 

[Rob]

mine is a reverse polarity model with the black screw on cap, had + on the battery compartment part deep inside. Odd.

 

[Time Freeze]

mine is a reverse polarity model with the black screw on cap, had + on the battery compartment part deep inside. Odd.

Mine is the same.

I guess some 14E's have alternative lifestyles 🙂