lighthunter
Newbie
Hello,
I'm going to buy a Yashica RF camera but am not sure about the model yet.
From some google search I know the Electro GX is the youngest model right?
My question is: could you also recommend the GS/GSN and GT/GTN and what is the difference between the versions with and without 'N' ?
Thank you for your help.
I'm going to buy a Yashica RF camera but am not sure about the model yet.
From some google search I know the Electro GX is the youngest model right?
My question is: could you also recommend the GS/GSN and GT/GTN and what is the difference between the versions with and without 'N' ?
Thank you for your help.
Rob_NL
Because I can !
Hi
The GS and GT are the same, exept for colour T = black
GSN and GS are the same exept GSN has a hot shoe for flash.
GX are hard to find, GS(N) in abundance.
All are great picturetakers with nice glass.
Rob
The GS and GT are the same, exept for colour T = black
GSN and GS are the same exept GSN has a hot shoe for flash.
GX are hard to find, GS(N) in abundance.
All are great picturetakers with nice glass.
Rob
tunznath
Established
I have 2 yashica electro 35 G and a GSN and I think the older G have a better fit and feel, they feel tighter and more solid than the GSN, that said I have serviced and replaced the podson the older electros and Have seen all three cameras up close and personal.They are great cameras, check that they KLUNK before you buy or you may have to replace the POD
Nathan
Nathan
3js
Established
That would be the YF. No other choices, really.
pesphoto
Veteran
Personally I like the 5000e best. The GSN is great, but I like the full manual control of the 5000e and the lens seems to me to be just as sharp
lighthunter
Newbie
Thank you guys, you realy helped me a lot.
I'm new with rangefinders and wanted to enter the scene with a not so expensive camera. I saw some pictures at flickr taken with Yashicas, Canonets and Minoltas... and I'm realy impressed by the quality of those old cameras.
I think the GS or GT will be the right choice for me. I don't need a hot shoe - I hate flash light
I'm new with rangefinders and wanted to enter the scene with a not so expensive camera. I saw some pictures at flickr taken with Yashicas, Canonets and Minoltas... and I'm realy impressed by the quality of those old cameras.
I think the GS or GT will be the right choice for me. I don't need a hot shoe - I hate flash light
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pesphoto
Veteran
Here is a great site for all the yashica camera info you could need.
http://www.yashica-guy.com/
http://www.yashica-guy.com/
Mikael.N
Established
I will recomend a GTN or a GT whitout the battery check bulb back they are 1000asa vs 500asa you can check the front lens color yashinon=1000asa
JeffGreene
(@)^(@)
I'll put in a vote for the 14e. Great low light lens, a trifle bulky, and a little flare prone, but to know her is to love her!
pesphoto
Veteran
JeffGreene said:
HArd to argue against it for low light work.
Terrence
Established
Hoping to get myself these:
- Lynx 14
- Electro 35 GTN
- Electro GX
- Electro CC
I have already gotten myself a GSN, the only things is it hasn't arrive yet.
- Lynx 14
- Electro 35 GTN
- Electro GX
- Electro CC
I have already gotten myself a GSN, the only things is it hasn't arrive yet.
Jester_rm
Member
3js said:
I'd have to agree.
Of course, that's because it's the only one I've got....
3js
Established
Jester_rm said:
And quess what, I just broke the counter, oh dear oh dear:bang:
Dfin
Well-known
I`d say GSN, simply because of the numbers made. The Yashica Guy for batteries and information, a roll of your fav 400 B&W / colour and away you go. A fantastic F1.7 45mm lens, excellent build quality, a great little camera for a minimum spend. Try and buy the equivilent in digital, and see the price!!
mtscherning
Member
I find my GSN to be quite handy, and as far as I've heard it's not really that hard to come by these days either. All in all, it's a very reliable camera with a nice lens attached to it - and possibly most important, not one you'll have to spend big bucks on
If you get one, and it needs a new POD, it's not that hard to fix it, and not that expensive to get it fixed. If the foam inside needs renewal, 10$ and it's made for you, if you need a battery replacement, 5$ and you have a converter, really, it's a fine camera
If you get one, and it needs a new POD, it's not that hard to fix it, and not that expensive to get it fixed. If the foam inside needs renewal, 10$ and it's made for you, if you need a battery replacement, 5$ and you have a converter, really, it's a fine camera
ErnestoJL
Well-known
I had:
MG1: a well made camera fitted with a SLOW lens (2.8).
Lynx 14: a nice performer, but front heavy and worse, flare prone. You´ll need a 58 mm hood and accept to trade flare vs. viewfinder blockage.
I keep my GTN. Lens difference with the Lynx isn´t that much, just 1/3 stop, the camera is lighter and smaller, and the primitive aperture preferred automation works a charm.
Ernesto
MG1: a well made camera fitted with a SLOW lens (2.8).
Lynx 14: a nice performer, but front heavy and worse, flare prone. You´ll need a 58 mm hood and accept to trade flare vs. viewfinder blockage.
I keep my GTN. Lens difference with the Lynx isn´t that much, just 1/3 stop, the camera is lighter and smaller, and the primitive aperture preferred automation works a charm.
Ernesto
NickTrop
Veteran
I have the following Yasicas:
GSN
Lynx 14e IC
CC
Here's how I rate them:
1. Lynx 14e IC
2. GSN (very close second)
3. CC
Why?
1. The Lynx 14 has a "poor man's Summilux". It has the best lens - a 7element 5 group f1.4. Some say that it's only a 3rd of a stop away from the 1.7 GSN but remember, each stop lets in twice the light as the previous stop, and you would be surprised how often that 1/3 of a stop means the difference between being able to take a natural light pic - or not, when you need those precious photons.
With parallax correction, what I consider a very sharp (sharper than the GSN by a tad, imo) high-end "professional" level lens, and all manual operation, a leaf shutter enabling hand-held at 1/15th and flash sych at all speed, I consider this a professional-level photographic tool that gives the photographer complete control and accuracy. Downsides? Yup. It's a handful and the lens is flare-prone. A lenshood is a must. Not the brightest rangefinder or most contrasty patch but certainly servicable.
2. A very, very, very close second it the GSN. If you're of the Henri Cartier Bresson "decisive moment" school of street photography, there's simply no faster operating camera to capture that "decisive moment" due to its aperture priority operation (but shhhh, don't tell the Leicaphiles : ) Taking shutter speed settings out of the equation means you focus, quickly "check" aperture and fire, a semi-manual oeration that strikes a good compromise between control and speed of operation. It's shot for shot faster than - literally, any camera ever I've ever used, perhaps ever made. And, it accepts up to 1000 speed film. Doubt you need to shoot at 1600 with this camera. You would only be buying grain and lose contrast. How ever they designed the meter back then, it's very accurate to the point of spookiness. It is also unique in that the shutter will calculate and stay open up to 30 seconds, so you can take virtually no-light pics on a tripod and get a good exposure. Fun to play with, and unique, but it does drain the batteries. The shutter is barely audible, quiter than the Lynx IC.
I love how this camera's lens paints images. Very pleasing, sharp, and with a "painterly" quality with color film. In fact, I like how this camera does color so much, it's not one of my "black and white" cameras.
3. Yashica Electro CC. Very good street shooter. Small, unobtrusive, and the 35mm/1.8 is a bargain relative to the few semi-wides of that speed available. Sharp, well-behaved in low light. It has the same aperture priority operation as the GSN, so speed of operation also applies. But I find the max 250 shutter speed annoying. If you happen to have 400 speed film in the camera and are in very bright outdoor conditions, you'll need a ND filter or Y2 filter, absolutely. I also don't understand why film speed was capped at 400. The rangefinder, however, is the best ever made by Yashica, and the shutter might be quiter even than the GSN.
For these reasons, however, I prefer the Konica Auto S3 to the CC when I want to use a small rangefinder. The 35 vs 38 lens is negligible from a practical standpoint, but the S3 shutter speed goes to 1/650 and it accepts 800 speed film. I also like and use its fill flash capability. Both the CC and the S3 lenses are excellent - comparible, with the S3 maybe a hair better wide open. Thought about selling the CC, since I usually reach for the S3 but I can't bring myself to do it.
FWIW, Karen Nakamura on her terrific "Photoenthography" site calls the Yashica GX "the best" fixed lens rangefinder, period. But these are elusive beasts as are the GLs. I've got all the Yashicas I care to have for now, so I doubt I'll live to compare these.
GSN
Lynx 14e IC
CC
Here's how I rate them:
1. Lynx 14e IC
2. GSN (very close second)
3. CC
Why?
1. The Lynx 14 has a "poor man's Summilux". It has the best lens - a 7element 5 group f1.4. Some say that it's only a 3rd of a stop away from the 1.7 GSN but remember, each stop lets in twice the light as the previous stop, and you would be surprised how often that 1/3 of a stop means the difference between being able to take a natural light pic - or not, when you need those precious photons.
With parallax correction, what I consider a very sharp (sharper than the GSN by a tad, imo) high-end "professional" level lens, and all manual operation, a leaf shutter enabling hand-held at 1/15th and flash sych at all speed, I consider this a professional-level photographic tool that gives the photographer complete control and accuracy. Downsides? Yup. It's a handful and the lens is flare-prone. A lenshood is a must. Not the brightest rangefinder or most contrasty patch but certainly servicable.
2. A very, very, very close second it the GSN. If you're of the Henri Cartier Bresson "decisive moment" school of street photography, there's simply no faster operating camera to capture that "decisive moment" due to its aperture priority operation (but shhhh, don't tell the Leicaphiles : ) Taking shutter speed settings out of the equation means you focus, quickly "check" aperture and fire, a semi-manual oeration that strikes a good compromise between control and speed of operation. It's shot for shot faster than - literally, any camera ever I've ever used, perhaps ever made. And, it accepts up to 1000 speed film. Doubt you need to shoot at 1600 with this camera. You would only be buying grain and lose contrast. How ever they designed the meter back then, it's very accurate to the point of spookiness. It is also unique in that the shutter will calculate and stay open up to 30 seconds, so you can take virtually no-light pics on a tripod and get a good exposure. Fun to play with, and unique, but it does drain the batteries. The shutter is barely audible, quiter than the Lynx IC.
I love how this camera's lens paints images. Very pleasing, sharp, and with a "painterly" quality with color film. In fact, I like how this camera does color so much, it's not one of my "black and white" cameras.
3. Yashica Electro CC. Very good street shooter. Small, unobtrusive, and the 35mm/1.8 is a bargain relative to the few semi-wides of that speed available. Sharp, well-behaved in low light. It has the same aperture priority operation as the GSN, so speed of operation also applies. But I find the max 250 shutter speed annoying. If you happen to have 400 speed film in the camera and are in very bright outdoor conditions, you'll need a ND filter or Y2 filter, absolutely. I also don't understand why film speed was capped at 400. The rangefinder, however, is the best ever made by Yashica, and the shutter might be quiter even than the GSN.
For these reasons, however, I prefer the Konica Auto S3 to the CC when I want to use a small rangefinder. The 35 vs 38 lens is negligible from a practical standpoint, but the S3 shutter speed goes to 1/650 and it accepts 800 speed film. I also like and use its fill flash capability. Both the CC and the S3 lenses are excellent - comparible, with the S3 maybe a hair better wide open. Thought about selling the CC, since I usually reach for the S3 but I can't bring myself to do it.
FWIW, Karen Nakamura on her terrific "Photoenthography" site calls the Yashica GX "the best" fixed lens rangefinder, period. But these are elusive beasts as are the GLs. I've got all the Yashicas I care to have for now, so I doubt I'll live to compare these.
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