greysonj
Newbie
Thanks for checking out this thread. I am quite new to rangefinder photography so please pardon my beginner question 
I recently purchased a Lynx 14 and, other than the shutter being stuck, it seems to be in really good condition. My question is most likely due to a misunderstanding of how the focusing works with the camera. I understood that focusing with rangefinders involved lining up two images of the object you are attempting to focus on. When I look through the rangefinder, all I see are the frame lines. Does the superimposed image only appear with a fresh battery? I thought that was just for the metering.
Also, the filter ring has a slight dent in it which is barely keeping the name plate from coming off. Any advice as to how I should go about evening that out?
Greyson
I recently purchased a Lynx 14 and, other than the shutter being stuck, it seems to be in really good condition. My question is most likely due to a misunderstanding of how the focusing works with the camera. I understood that focusing with rangefinders involved lining up two images of the object you are attempting to focus on. When I look through the rangefinder, all I see are the frame lines. Does the superimposed image only appear with a fresh battery? I thought that was just for the metering.
Also, the filter ring has a slight dent in it which is barely keeping the name plate from coming off. Any advice as to how I should go about evening that out?
Greyson
btgc
Veteran
If you can't align two images, there are two possibilities - beamsplitter has faded to degree when without experience it is hard to see second image. Another option is - mirror in RF optical path has fallen off place it should be, this would mean no scond image at all.
raid
Dad Photographer
Russ at Camerarefurb is known to work on Lynx cameras for a low cost. Is ent him my stuck Lynx ten days ago.
ColSebastianMoran
( IRL Richard Karash )
The only thing electrical on this camera is the meter.
Look for some illustrations of the rangefinder spot. In bright light look at some things with vertical lines while turning the focus ring. If you don't see anything move then btgc probably has the right explanation.
See this thread for how to fix the dented filter ring.
Look for some illustrations of the rangefinder spot. In bright light look at some things with vertical lines while turning the focus ring. If you don't see anything move then btgc probably has the right explanation.
See this thread for how to fix the dented filter ring.
Dwig
Well-known
You might give the manual a read. It has an adequate illustration of the rangefinder's operation.
If you don't have a manual then check out this site:
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica/yashica_lynx-14e/yashica_lynx-14e.htm
The manual they have is for a slightly newer version, the Lynx 14E, which had some improvement in the meter circuits.
If you don't have a manual then check out this site:
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica/yashica_lynx-14e/yashica_lynx-14e.htm
The manual they have is for a slightly newer version, the Lynx 14E, which had some improvement in the meter circuits.
kuzano
Veteran
There is another possibility....
There is another possibility....
Anyone who uses rangefinders eventually finds out that the placement of the eye in reference to the viewfinder is also somewhat critical. If you don't place your eye relative to where it should be to get the best dual image past, you won't see the path of concidence.
Try, in a bright circumstance and sharp line like a corner of a wall or a fencepost, to move your eye around behind the viewfinder. At the same time move your focus lever around considerably so that you may force the two images to move relative to each other. This is a common problem for Newbys to RF cameras. Even if the RF is out of alignment or just dim... this exagerrated action should produce a view of the dual images.
If you don't get your answers from these posts... go to the web site
www.yashica-guy.com. Before I got frustrated with the whole Yashica G series exercise in futility, I found out a lot on that site.
IMEO, you could do 500% better than deal with the whole Yachica G experience.
Yashica made great lenses and some great cameras like the Yashica Mat and many good SLR's. Yashinon lenses in whatever shutter including Large Format are wonderful and are a primary reason for keeping Yashica in the camera business. The G model cameras.. not so much.
In fact, in my estimation, when the Yashica G rangefinders were designed, built and sold, someone in the company decided to turn the project over to some diminished young upstart in the family. And I had a Lynx 14 among others.
Essentially, what I am saying is that none of the Yashica G series cameras lived up to the promise and reality of the lenses. The metering system is a night mare, worsened by the over/under method of arriving at proper exposure and mostly DEAD Leds. The smartest Yashica owners strip the lenses out of their shutter/mounts and have them re-set in mounts for better cameras. I have seen quite a bit of this done. Save the glass, throw out the junk camera.
Ask me to tell you how I REALLY Feel.
I remember the hours sitting in front of the tv of an evening dabbing a bit of Ronsonol lighter fluid into lens joints and cranking the charge lever and shooting the shutter until the shutter blades finally started working.
Friends who would visit and watch me while we watched TV would just say to me, "WTF ARE YOU DOING???"
That was a low point in my life and hobby of photography and I consider it a huge self administered dose of Masochism.
Now the Yashica CCN, was a whole nother experience. I loved those, although they still had that damnable over/under metering system. Mostly they worked and had the fastest shortest focal length lens of most of the small or compact rangefinder....
Find a good CCN and you'll have fun....
If you persist with that lynx, do yourself a favor and make sure there are NO razor blades or loaded handguns in the room.
There is another possibility....
Anyone who uses rangefinders eventually finds out that the placement of the eye in reference to the viewfinder is also somewhat critical. If you don't place your eye relative to where it should be to get the best dual image past, you won't see the path of concidence.
Try, in a bright circumstance and sharp line like a corner of a wall or a fencepost, to move your eye around behind the viewfinder. At the same time move your focus lever around considerably so that you may force the two images to move relative to each other. This is a common problem for Newbys to RF cameras. Even if the RF is out of alignment or just dim... this exagerrated action should produce a view of the dual images.
If you don't get your answers from these posts... go to the web site
www.yashica-guy.com. Before I got frustrated with the whole Yashica G series exercise in futility, I found out a lot on that site.
IMEO, you could do 500% better than deal with the whole Yachica G experience.
Yashica made great lenses and some great cameras like the Yashica Mat and many good SLR's. Yashinon lenses in whatever shutter including Large Format are wonderful and are a primary reason for keeping Yashica in the camera business. The G model cameras.. not so much.
In fact, in my estimation, when the Yashica G rangefinders were designed, built and sold, someone in the company decided to turn the project over to some diminished young upstart in the family. And I had a Lynx 14 among others.
Essentially, what I am saying is that none of the Yashica G series cameras lived up to the promise and reality of the lenses. The metering system is a night mare, worsened by the over/under method of arriving at proper exposure and mostly DEAD Leds. The smartest Yashica owners strip the lenses out of their shutter/mounts and have them re-set in mounts for better cameras. I have seen quite a bit of this done. Save the glass, throw out the junk camera.
Ask me to tell you how I REALLY Feel.
I remember the hours sitting in front of the tv of an evening dabbing a bit of Ronsonol lighter fluid into lens joints and cranking the charge lever and shooting the shutter until the shutter blades finally started working.
Friends who would visit and watch me while we watched TV would just say to me, "WTF ARE YOU DOING???"
That was a low point in my life and hobby of photography and I consider it a huge self administered dose of Masochism.
Now the Yashica CCN, was a whole nother experience. I loved those, although they still had that damnable over/under metering system. Mostly they worked and had the fastest shortest focal length lens of most of the small or compact rangefinder....
Find a good CCN and you'll have fun....
If you persist with that lynx, do yourself a favor and make sure there are NO razor blades or loaded handguns in the room.
kuzano
Veteran
And while I am psychoanalyzing ... the only way I would work on a Yashica G for anyone is out of the sadistic pleasure I would receive from fixing a camera that would simply break again.
In addition, charging money also to do such a thing, would be insult on top of injury.
Lars
ColSebastianMoran
( IRL Richard Karash )
Kuzano, we hear your frustration with the G models. I tried a few times to get a working bargain camera; finally I gave up and had Mark Hama put a couple bodies into perfect working order.
Yes, the G's were aperture preferred auto only. Some like that, some don't.
But, what does all this say about the Lynx? It's a different camera, fully manual, real solid heft, a fast real rangefinder. Use a modern meter and I think you have a very good fixed lens rangefinder camera.
Yes, the G's were aperture preferred auto only. Some like that, some don't.
But, what does all this say about the Lynx? It's a different camera, fully manual, real solid heft, a fast real rangefinder. Use a modern meter and I think you have a very good fixed lens rangefinder camera.
raid
Dad Photographer
The lens of the Lynx allows low light photography, and the prices for these 1.4 cameras are still low. This is not a junk camera that is kown to break. It is worth professional service.
btgc
Veteran
Recently I strolled through completed listings and were surpised to see how low prices were. Sure, there were bought also few expensive ones but generally market still is low. Especially when some plasticky auto-only P&S's go for much much more....
btgc
Veteran
I feel your pain
While I generally agree on conclusion G* series aren't superior to Lynxes, I base my statement on ergonimical impressions. Lynxes are straight to use, fast and snappy tools while G* series can slow down with long travel release and AE light show. But where I do not agree is Ronsonol sessions. Having gone both routes, I've come to conclusion Ronsonol helps to make shutter responsive only when blades are cleaned while removed, one by one. Massaging blades with Ronsonol earbuds is like trying to bath in clothes - while one part gets cleaner, dirt flows back from another part. Some people report they have got shutter working this way, but probably this also depends on climate - maybe in dry continental climate, but not near coast with high humidity. Remaining crud accumulates moisture and does it's dirty job...again....and again....and people become frustrated of camera, but this is not camera fault. This is human error, sorry. You can't cure a tooth without opening mouth, so shutters respond better to cleaning when dismantled.
But I absolutely love Lynx series and 35MC, small scale focus Yashica. I don't have G* Electros anymore.
kuzano
Veteran
Maybe not a fair shake on my part....
Maybe not a fair shake on my part....
I will admit that perhaps I did not give the Lynx a fair shake, because by the time I got my hands on a Lynx, I had literally thrown away so many G series Yashica's. So the problems I had with the Lynx were interpreted by me as MOTS (more of the same). the camera was also a real "Chunk" because of that fat 1.4 lens. (good lens). However, my tastes fell to smaller RF cameras, so when I found both a CC and a CCN... I considered them Yashica Nirvana...
Re: the "Ronsonal Flush" I eventually learned the temporary nature of that fix short of a real CLA. However it is a QED solution to finding out if a shutter WILL work befor spending money on the real CLA solution. Therefore, because of the temporary nature of the process, I only use it now to assess whether a shutter is simply functional and worth the price of a CLA.
It's kind of like the temporary nature of another process I used to use, but learned better. When I was a younger man, and used to use Condoms, both my girl friend and I were sensitive to latex, but we both knew that latex was much safer. So, for my comfort, I used to put on a sheepskin condom, then for safety a latex condom, and then for her comfort another sheepskin condom. This achieved three positive results. Comfort AND safety, and a much longer time to my orgasm, which was a plus for both of us.
Eventually, much like the cumbersome and temporary nature of the Ronsonol Flush, I moved to a more permanent solution, just as a CLA is a more permanent solution to problems in a camera shutter.
Isn't life strange in how we learn better ways to do things????:bang:
Maybe not a fair shake on my part....
I will admit that perhaps I did not give the Lynx a fair shake, because by the time I got my hands on a Lynx, I had literally thrown away so many G series Yashica's. So the problems I had with the Lynx were interpreted by me as MOTS (more of the same). the camera was also a real "Chunk" because of that fat 1.4 lens. (good lens). However, my tastes fell to smaller RF cameras, so when I found both a CC and a CCN... I considered them Yashica Nirvana...
Re: the "Ronsonal Flush" I eventually learned the temporary nature of that fix short of a real CLA. However it is a QED solution to finding out if a shutter WILL work befor spending money on the real CLA solution. Therefore, because of the temporary nature of the process, I only use it now to assess whether a shutter is simply functional and worth the price of a CLA.
It's kind of like the temporary nature of another process I used to use, but learned better. When I was a younger man, and used to use Condoms, both my girl friend and I were sensitive to latex, but we both knew that latex was much safer. So, for my comfort, I used to put on a sheepskin condom, then for safety a latex condom, and then for her comfort another sheepskin condom. This achieved three positive results. Comfort AND safety, and a much longer time to my orgasm, which was a plus for both of us.
Eventually, much like the cumbersome and temporary nature of the Ronsonol Flush, I moved to a more permanent solution, just as a CLA is a more permanent solution to problems in a camera shutter.
Isn't life strange in how we learn better ways to do things????:bang:
raid
Dad Photographer
I have never used a Lynx before, and I will start using the camera if and when it gets repaired. It looks like new, and maybe it was just sitting there without use.
I like the Yashica G with its 1.7 lens.
I like the Yashica G with its 1.7 lens.
ColSebastianMoran
( IRL Richard Karash )
I've turned to the pros for fixing these cameras.
Mark Hama (Google him) has parts for most of the Yashicas including the smaller bodies and can return most of them to you functionally perfect, no matter how screwed up they may be.
Russ Sisco camerarefurb.com does a nice job with the larger bodies (Lynx and full-size Electros) and can handle most mechanical problems.
Their prices are moderate.
I say: If you like the camera body and it's in good shape, let the pros put it into good working order.
kuzano
Veteran
So many Cameras, So little time....
So many Cameras, So little time....
Being 69 years old, and living on a limited income, and also having Car Modding and motorcycles, and sailing as hobbies as over riding factors, I am not prepared to spend much money on all the camera's I drag home.
I did my time with the Yashica G camera's, and I am not tearing camera's down like I used to. So there I am.
But, your opinion is valued by me, and I surely respect any persons right to spend money on camera's I have worked with and rejected.
I've heard very good things about Mark Hama, and while I don't recognize the other name, I consider your opinion valid. Thanks for posting.
So many Cameras, So little time....
Being 69 years old, and living on a limited income, and also having Car Modding and motorcycles, and sailing as hobbies as over riding factors, I am not prepared to spend much money on all the camera's I drag home.
I did my time with the Yashica G camera's, and I am not tearing camera's down like I used to. So there I am.
But, your opinion is valued by me, and I surely respect any persons right to spend money on camera's I have worked with and rejected.
I've heard very good things about Mark Hama, and while I don't recognize the other name, I consider your opinion valid. Thanks for posting.