Recent Purchase

[Harlee]

A week or so ago I picked up a Yashica Diary zone focus camera which I think is actually a Yashica ME [I think that's the model] or perhaps a MF. I was quite surprised when I opened up the CD [I don't order prints], because they were quite sharp IMHO! It wasn't working when I first received it, but after a bit of tinkering with it, removing the top to clean the viewfinder, etc., it works really well. It's a Japanese made camera, not Chinese, but the main difference between the Diary and the ME/MF is that the Diary has a date print feature, which unfortunately only goes from year "79" to around "90" something. I don't use that feature so I'm not sure what the last year is on the date set. Here are a couple of pics from it.

 

[Harlee]

I thought I put some pics in of the Yashica Diary - don't know where they went to so here they are again!

 

[btgc]

Same 38/2.8 lens as used on numerous Yashica compacts, probably used also by other makers. I have Yashica ME 1 (Yashica Snap in Japan), it has left thumb advance wheel instead of regular advance lever on right top corner. Obviously, Diary has date imprintig.

ME1 has meter active all the time, there is no OFF switch except lens cap, slowing down cell. How about Diary?

 

[Harlee]

Same thing! I must keep a lens cap on it all the time, but that's not too much of a problem.

 

[Steve M.]

Nice little camera there. I've started shooting the Kodak Retinas, many of which are scale focus also. I carry a little pocket rangefinder and visually guess the distances, then ck w/ the rangefinder. Hopefully I'll get good enough to leave the rangefinder at home with enough practice.

 

[Harlee]

I recall when the Retinas were just about the absolute best and a bit more affordable, when I was in the US Navy in the early 50s. I'm wondering if anyone can tell me the shutter speeds of the Yashica Diary, ME/MF? I believe it has two shutter speeds, one for daylight and one for flash, silimar to the Olympus Trip 35, but I may be wrong. Only the F-stops are visible in the viewfinder.