Newbie Queries about Yashica's RFs

[Frontman]

You can't really go wrong with any of the Yashica RF cameras, provided you find one in good condition. The GX was the high point of the Electro series, it featured an excellent lens, a great meter, and parallax correction. After the GX, the quality of Yashica cameras seems to have declined a bit, the materials and parts were of poorer quality, and the cameras were not as well assembled. The later cameras include the GL, FC, and MC. The GL is a great camera if you can find a good one, but good GL cameras are few and far between.

I have been collecting/servicing/selling Yashica cameras for awhile, and my personal favorites are the CCN or GSN/GTN. The CCN is simply the best built and most reliable of all the Yashica rangefinders. The earlier CC looks identical, and is an excellent camera, but about one-in-three CC cameras I come across are no good. With the CCN the ratio is one-in-thirty. The full-size Electros are great picture takers, and are reasonably reliable if the POD isn't rotten, or the camera corroded from an old battery being left in.

Yashics Electros in working condition are pretty much fool-proof, just set the aperture you want, focus, compose, and shoot, you will get a great picture.

 

[genez]

Just keep in mind - sub-f/2 lenses and compact size don't come together, most of times, and when come then at some cost. Be prepared also to spend some money on CLA (or invest your time/labour) as these 40-50 y.o. cameras aren't supposed to work flawlessly after idling in closet for decades.

Yeah, trade-offs in some shape or form should be expected, thus why as much as I wish the CC/CCN had manual I think its as good a match for what I'm looking for. CLA is something I'm prepared to have to spend some time/money on to get the camera to its best if it needs some TLC.

I have been collecting/servicing/selling Yashica cameras for awhile, and my personal favorites are the CCN or GSN/GTN. The CCN is simply the best built and most reliable of all the Yashica rangefinders. The earlier CC looks identical, and is an excellent camera, but about one-in-three CC cameras I come across are no good. With the CCN the ratio is one-in-thirty. The full-size Electros are great picture takers, and are reasonably reliable if the POD isn't rotten, or the camera corroded from an old battery being left in.

Yashics Electros in working condition are pretty much fool-proof, just set the aperture you want, focus, compose, and shoot, you will get a great picture.

Nice to hear your experience with the CCNs and all. I've just PM-ed you if that's alright, just to get some input on one that's available online.

I wonder if the ASA rating of up to 500 (IIRC) would be a wee bit too unforgiving for night/low light Black & white photos?

 

[Aristophanes]

The Yashica GSN is a vehicle for an exceptional lens. Little creatiev control, but the lens is phenomenal.

Canon QL 17 III is smaller, feels more solid, and has more creative controls. Lens is excellent.

Hard to tell the 2 apart IQ-wise.

Price? So cheap I got one of each!

 

[genez]

The Yashica GSN is a vehicle for an exceptional lens. Little creatiev control, but the lens is phenomenal.

Canon QL 17 III is smaller, feels more solid, and has more creative controls. Lens is excellent.

Hard to tell the 2 apart IQ-wise.

Price? So cheap I got one of each!

Haha the quintessential issue isn't it? When in doubt, buy em all (if possible)

Leaning towards a more compact body like the CC/CCN or GX rather than the GSN then...

 

[camperbc]

Another vote for the amazing Yashica GSN! A truly outstanding camera that, after considerable searching, I was finally able to locate in absolutely pristine condition for well under $100. Yes, it is admittedly a bit on the bulky/heavy side, but one should not consider this to be much of a deterrent. It's a lovely camera, looks fantastic even after all these years, and you would indeed be hard pressed to find better optics anywhere, at any price.

Here is a photo of my much cherished GSN.

Glen

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Between a Canonet and a GSN/GTN, the Canonet is a MUCH better tool... (I own a GTN and not a Canonet).

With the Canonet you have your meter inside the lens barrel, so you'll filter easily all your life. Try that with my GTN... 🙂 And with a Canonet you have manual speeds! (Apart from autoexposure)... Yet I haven't found the speeds dial on my Yashica... 🙂 And with a Canonet you have a real tool for autoexposure: it has AE lock... My Yashica has not shot a backlight scene correctly in 40 years... So, Canonet $100, the same thing -or close- by Voigtländer $1500, and the same thing -or close- by Leica $5000... One day I'll get a black Canonet! 🙂

Cheers,

Juan

 

[btgc]

Juan, all your troubles will go away once you get decent small body Electro with meter cell on the barrel, there are no many choices actually. For backlit scenes avid photographer like you are, just slide ISO level for a stop or couple and that's it. With electrical shutter, if it haven't been dropped or stored in wet laundry room, one has chances to never worry about shutter or aperture reliability - not case with Canonet which may require cleaning (not the end of world, of course, but extra labour or expenses).

Guys, I'm serious - leave GSN for conversions to use on digital cameras and use small body Electros with film. Unless you have extra large hands and you simply can not handle smaller Electros, there's no reason to go for GSN....well, and unless 45mm FOV is your fate and meaning of life. But then Lynxes or Ministers are much more enjoyable cameras, probably they not for everyone, but personally I'd choose them over GSN any day. Even if RF patch is not as articulated, yes. But I can't choose woman because she has pretty hair but overall isn't what I'm looking for 🙂

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

I'll love to change ISO from 1000 to 400 or 200 depending on the backlight: I'm about to get my GTN back from Russ (camerarefurb.com) and I'm happy 'cause I'll be able to shoot a working Yashica for the first time... New light seals, and new pad... I went for a GTN ("half of my cheapest kit") just for low light/selective focus when I go to dangerous streets and light is not OK for the usual f/8-f/11 shooting with my OlyXA, so I'll use my GTN at f/1.7 and ISO1000 basically, outdoors and indoors...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

I have all these cameras. (Too many, that's another story.) All are great, excellent lenses, produce great images. Here are a few comments:

The Canonet is compact and let's you do manual exposure. Focusing is very nice; setting the shutter speed manually is a bit awkward. If you really want to do manual exposure, I don't think this has the best handling.

In the Yashicas, I like the GX: wider ASA range, it has a real iris (not like the CC/CCN), and the meter cell is inside the lens barrel. Like other Electros (other than FC/CC/CCN), it is great for fill-flash at any shutter speed. For aperture-priority compact rangefinder shooting, it's my favorite.

The GSN/GTN operate like the GX, except they are much bigger and are harder to use with filters.

 

[Frontman]

I like Canonets too, and I have several, but in my experience the Yashicas have better lenses. The Canonet does have a built in meter, and an auto exposure function, but if I take any four of the 20-odd Canonets I have, I will usually end up with four different meter readings. The shutters on the Canonets are built to tight tolerances, which sounds good, but even a little dirt or oil will affect the accuracy of the shutter. The final problem with the Canonet is that Canon used a poor quality coating on their lenses. This coating is very susceptible to fungus, and the fungus generally causes permanent damage to the coating. On Yashica or Nikon lenses, fungus can usually be easily removed without leaving a trace.

For manual control cameras, the old Lynx or Minister cameras are great, though I prefer the older Yashica 35 cameras where were styled after the Contax rangefinders.