What's with the exorbitant pricing for the Electro 35 GSN?

[btgc]

Really, a properly working Konica C35 or one of its many clones is a lot better camera (and smaller by far), and if you need a fast lens the Hi-Matic mentioned or a Konica S2 will be better choices for less money. My vote goes for the S2 because it's built better than the C35. It's a bit big and heavy also, but has exposure lock and a pretty flare proof sharp lens. Fun cameras!

And here starts the journey 🙂 C35 is even more automatic than Electro, but much smaller. KAS2 has manual controls but release travel is long and stiff like on most of AE-assisted FL RF's, yet DOF scale is very small and placed in a weird way not allowing to read it without raising camera lens up.

In this sense I like Lynx series and pre-Auto series Konicas better.

 

[Frontman]

Is the surprising quality the cheezy top made of thin stamped metal? Or the goofy logos? Or the cheap imitation vulcanite body?

How is the Yashica lens remarkable? Because it's a lens? I'm sorry, but you could say the same things about an Argus C-3 brick or a Petri 7S. They where cheap cameras with a surprising level of quality and a remarkable lens. But that doesn't mean they're half as good as a Canon P, A Voigtlander Vitessa, Nicca 5L, or any Leica. Those have quality and great lenses. The Yashica has an OK lens and OK quality. So their prices are just OK.

The top and bottom covers of the Yashica are made from stamped brass, just like the Leica M, the body is cast from aluminum, again, just like Leica. What is "genuine" vulcanite? The funny smelling rubber type stuff which keeps chipping and falling off my Leica M and Barnack cameras? The "vulcanite" covering used on Yashicas is much more durable than the stuff which Leica uses.

Other makers like Canon and Konica made similar cameras, but Yashica used better glass and coatings than Canon. About half the QL17 cameras I come across have lenses which are too deteriorated to save, this is almost unheard of with Yashica glass. The Canonet also frequently suffers from galvanic deterioration due to it's mix of materials and wide seals. The later Konica cameras were made of cheap stamped aluminum, and though the glass is very good, the metering system is not reliable.

There is a man here in Tokyo who modifies Yashinon 45/1.7 lenses into the Leica M mount. He is quite backlogged with orders, and his asking price for these lenses rivals later used 50mm Summicrons. I have one on order myself, and I am curious to see how well it will work with my M cameras.

The Cintar lens in the Argus cameras is mediocre at best, Yashica has never produced a lens as poor as the Cintar in any of it's models. I have come across several Petris (I have a box full of them), their build quality is not as good as the Yashicas. The Nicca 5L (I have one) uses Nikkor lenses, though ironcally enough, Nicca was taken over by Yashica, and the most advanced Nicca became the Yashca YF (which I also have) which was fitted with a Yashinon lens.

The Yashica Electro is one of the top selling rangefinder cameras of all time, so there must have been something not too bad about them. I am not a camera snob, though I have a lot of more expensive cameras, I have great fun shooting with Yashicas.

 

[Thardy]

I got gassed up over various old cameras a couple of years ago- mostly from net forums and other sources.

Save your money. I see them now as just old junk sitting around gathering dust.

 

[valdas]

I got gassed up over various old cameras a couple of years ago- mostly from net forums and other sources.

Save your money. I see them now as just old junk sitting around gathering dust.

Are there any issues with those cameras or yourself not using them? I have many old cameras bought at 1-5€ on various flea markets - I love using them an they are very capable to produce quality photos.

 

[raid]

The lens on the Yashica is excellent, though.
$50 is a fair asking price for a working example.

 

[anjoca76]

"…can do 90% of what a Leica can do…"

Huh? A Leica what? A body? The countless lenses, many of which are exemplary? I don't see the comparison. This sounds like the kind of thing Ken Rockwell says that winds up driving up prices for something that is commonplace and pedestrian. I don't mean to sound disrespectful--to each his own, of course; some people really like them--but, really, if this was such an incredible camera, you wouldn't find them in thrift shops and garage sales everywhere. I have an Electro 35 GSN in gorgeous cosmetic condition. I bought it for $25 on fleabay from a guy who had about a dozen others for sale roughly the same price. It's had one roll through it and now sits in a box. It's an unnecessarily huge point-and-shoot.

 

[raid]

It is a good beach camera that may get exposed to sand and salt water.

 

[btgc]

It is a good beach camera that may get exposed to sand and salt water.

I have parts GSN with rough moving helicoid, probably it also were destined as a beach camera. Myself I'm hesitant to use my best cameras at beach. Air masses move sand particles (most of them invisible to naked eye) around, iven if no storm is blowing.
Cameras without moving lenses are great for beach, I have couple of several makes.

 

[02Pilot]

It is a good beach camera that may get exposed to sand and salt water.

That's very true - I'd be hesitant to bring some of my others into a potentially harsh environment.

My thinking for my GSN, at least for the moment, is to use it as a party camera. When I have people over, put it out on the table and let folks fool around with it. Get some potentially interesting photos of the event from different perspectives, and if something happens to it, no big deal.

 

[mburns]

I am having my GSN refurbished. It has no problem competing for my attention against my other cameras. In it's day I had great fun with handheld phototography at night, even in parking lots lit at LV 2 or 3.

 

[f16sunshine]

$150 for any camera that has had a quality CLA is worth it IMO.
What do you think a good tech should be paid? It's 2014 who will stay in the camera tech biz for $20 per hour.
Not to mention parts inventory, shop over head, etc....

If folks want to take a chance on a 40YO camera for $15 go for it. If you want a real tool overhauled by a pro... don't complain about exorbitant prices please 😛\

As far as the Electro itself. It's a great camera and fun to use. Produces excellent results with a really beautiful render.

 

[btgc]

$150 for any camera that has had a quality CLA is worth it IMO.

CLAed, that's another story. Couple of years ago people happily paid top $$ for dusty sub-f/2 fixed lens rangefinders like Minolta 7S II, Yashica CC and GX without any notice it even works, not even speaking about black models which raised real bid wars.

This days probably people got reasonable, I haven't watched auctions of this for a time.

 

[kdemas]

I actually like the GSN. For someone who wants an inexpensive fixed lens rangefinder with a nice lens (yes, it is a "good" lens) they're kind of fun.

Can be quirky but fun.

 

[b1bmsgt]

Other makers like Canon and Konica made similar cameras, but Yashica used better glass and coatings than Canon. About half the QL17 cameras I come across have lenses which are too deteriorated to save, this is almost unheard of with Yashica glass.

I'll second that...

I have refurbed a couple of hundred (literally!) Electro's and I don't recall one with any sort of lens coating deterioration other than fungus, which could happen to any of them under the right conditions.

The reflective coating on the beam splitter in the Electro rangefinder is much stronger as well. I have attempted to clean other brands and had the coating come off with the slightest touch of a Q-Tip. I can rub the coating of an Electro beam splitter for 5 minutes without any loss whatsoever.

Russ

 

[kiss-o-matic]

Get a GX.
The daddy.
You want black or silver?
Could sell you either!

Agreed. I own both -- either of which cost me < $20. I got the ES-20 auto flash w/ the GX which was more like $80 though, and just yesterday the part that slides in the horseshoe broke. Going to try my luck w/ super glue but I'm sure it's screwed. 🙁

For the record, I like the GX better. I like 40mm better, has flash, and is smaller.

....because it's underquality. A clean [insert any rangefinder from Japan, Germany, or the Soviet Union] any camera is going to be able to take some really nice photos and do 90% of what a Leica can do (which is take pictures and focus by rangefinding). It's a fad, hype, or posts like this if the prices are going up. They're cheap and everywhere, I passed 2 in a antique store this afternoon. Used one a while, they're big and klunky and cheap looking. I'll keep passing, and let the hipsters buy them.

Cheers for that. For hipsters or not, the lenses are excellent performers. An old timer at a local large format shop (which happens to be the only guy in town selling Rodinal) about peed in his pants when I showed him what I was shooting with. Told me the factory t was made in, who it was designed by, etc. Was all around excited (for me). At Burning Man 2013 I shot 90% of my photos with a GSN (B&W) & a GX (Color).

I'd love to see a list of < $50 cameras that have an excellent lens on them and has Aperture Priority mode. I've looked - there are few. The Ae is a must for me.

 

[kiss-o-matic]

If folks want to take a chance on a 40YO camera for $15 go for it. If you want a real tool overhauled by a pro... don't complain about exorbitant prices please

I've actually done that here w/ a few cameras, and usually come out on top. I have an Electro 35CC I got for $5, and it works just fine. Well, fine enough -- the LED light could be more accurate. It does expose right and the lens is great. I just have to think to myself "am I going to under/over expose here"? For $5, it's great for conditions I don't want to take a nice camera. The max shutter speed totally sucks though.

For what it's worth, I'd never, ever buy anything as-is in the US. Japan? Another story completely. Self-deprecating I know, but I'm basing that off of years of online experience.

 

[Sejanus.Aelianus]

I've actually done that here w/ a few cameras, and usually come out on top.

That's my experience as well. Most cameras are much tougher than some people would appear to believe. Out of all the many cameras I've bought and sold, only two have been real dogs on delivery and one of those was a late model Rolleiflex, from a well established dealer. In that case, it was repaired promptly, without charge and returned quickly.

 

[RBruceCR]

I had mine overhauled by non other than Msgt Russell Cisco and brought back to life my first camera! It was bought to me by dad in 1979 at the Miami International Airport for $120. I declined the Canon QL17 for some reason, that I can't remember, perhaps the Canon was more expensive.. It was an awesome present that accompanied me from middle school into my Masters Degree in 1989. You can do minor adjustments by turning the ASA dial to over expose or under expose. Dad and I even shot Ektachrome 64 with her to make one page calendars that we sold in our printingshop! I thoroughly recommend one!

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

You can try it two ways:
1. Look for a $20 bargain. Good luck. I think all these need work.
2. For $100-$150 you can have an excellent camera that's been put into good working order by someone who knows. Probably work well for many years.

I've tried both ways. #1 always failed. #2 from B1BMsgt or Frontman have been fabulous cameras; they've done a lot of these. Ditto for Mark Hama.

(Oops, maybe there's an option 1a. Buy a $20 camera and fix it yourself. It's a good project and there are lots of notes on how to. Not for me. I'll do seals, but not much more.)

 

[mwoenv]

Just for some perspective, according to an old National Camera 1975 ad, a new GSN sold for $77.95 ($94.50 with a case, flash, and film). Using the Consumer Price Index, that's $342 in March 2014 dollars for the camera. So if you find one refurbished and near-mint (like new), it's not unreasonable if it costs a lot. If one is in very good condition for $100 or less, it's an excellent deal.

If you look at the cost of film in this way too, it is not really more expensive today, or not much more expensive, and today's films are better.