Yashica GL, and some problem ..

[pb908]

Hi, just acquiring a mint condition Yashica Electro GL from local store (around 25$) with case. as the store doesn't have any battery to check, so I just bought it and would try at home.

I try to look for any information/manual on this model but only find a little information that this model is quite rare, capable to do 1600 iso, 40mm f1.7 lens, and have moving paralax in the Vf. How rare is this model compare to GX ??

At home, I try to cock the film winder and just at the end of the stroke when the winder lever is almost in the normal position, the camera shoot by it self (very hi speed, maybe 1/500s). I try several times, it always the same, the camera shoot by itself during cocking the wind lever.

Is there anyone know how to fix this problem? If someone have softcopy of this Yashica GL user manual, can you share it to me, thanks a lot !

 

[btgc]

GL is rare beast.
Don't know more about it as Yashica Guy mentions on his site.

heck, 25$ 🙂

 

[wintoid]

It's extremely rare compared to the GX. Took me a long time to find mine. Most weeks there are one or two GX for sale on the auction site, but a GL shows up very rarely indeed. I don't have the manual, sorry.

 

[bawang]

Hi. I have 2 Yashica RF, a Black GX and a GL. The GX does not work due to stucked self-timer but the GL is working fine so far. Here is a thread I posted over at another forum from the first roll I ran through it to test it. Since then it has gone through a few rolls of BW. Gallery 1 and gallery 2. I think I have a manual somewhere that I got from the internet, but cannot seem to find it anymore.

Anyway, I believe this is the only Yashica RF that is capable of 1600. I do not know how rare the GL is but I hardly see any on sale. The GX is a collectors piece because they make some of them in Black.

I am sorry, I can't offer much help, but I hope you can get yours repaired. Perhaps some of the veteran members here can offer some help.

 

[btgc]

The GX is a collectors piece because they make some of them in Black.

Most of Electro variations are made in black version. Professional, G-series (GT, GTN), smaller CC/CCN, GX, MC too.

I haven't seen black GL, maybe that would be collectible (whatever it means) ?

I think, GL deserves to be sent for repair and get some use after years of rest.

 

[pb908]

thanks all for your feedback

I just try to google around here and there and got this usefull link :
http://personal.inet.fi/koti/picnet/Y35G/

inside I already download few schematic related to Yashica GS (N ?), let see if I can understand some of them to fix my new GL

hopefully the link will be usefull for other member.

anyway, is there any clue about why the shutter fire by it self ???
looks like a mechanical problem to me, something is not latched yet maybe. let see if I can fix it by my self..

 

[pb908]

Finally, after few weeks trying to fix it my self, my GL is almost fully alive!!

1st problem, shutter firing by it self : I try to open the lens up to shutter mechanism, after few trial winding and shooting I finally know that the shutter actuator is stuck in full press position.(outside I can play with the shutter button,but not internally). That makes the wind mechanism is not holding the shutter ready (and later on by the push od shutter button, the shutter will be released). Few light drops of wd40 fix the problem..well, actually the shutter blade did not open fully at that time (it opens like start shaped opening), so carefully I put wd40 on almost all the mechanical joint, and it fix the problem also..

tested with battery, the lowlight is working, but the highligh is not. Speed seems to respond as I change the aperture/light. And more, the selft timer sometime refuse to be triggered so I need to open again the shutter assy. Well, at least now I can use it by neglecting the highlight warning and not using selftimer.. i hope I can fix the other problem as soon as possible..

 

[btgc]

Finally, after few weeks trying to fix it my self, my GL is almost fully alive!!

Congratulations! while I'm not camera repairer though I think WD40 isn't best thing to use in camera. To loose hardened grease lighter fluid works great - after doing job it evaporates not leaving oily traces.

Tiny drop of fine watch oil for oiling few points in mechanical shutters. For winding department I sparingly use lithium grease which most probably isn't best.

 

[pb908]

and here it is !!!