Yashica GSN Mods, finder NOT good enough.

[Field]

I recently tried to shoot a local fashion contest thing with my GSN...

It should be warned that.

1. If you are in a room that has extremely white modern lighting you will get almost no ghost image to line up because of the natural yellow tint to it (halogens provide a lot of what you need).

2. You get even less of a ghost if you turn the camera vertical. If you play around you can improve it a little by placing your eye correctly but still get very little.

Solutions?:

Cut the glass off that is in front of the magnification glass piece. Then apply the black dot trick. I even bought special pens that you can apply black with to glass or remove it with the other solvent.

Anyone got any thoughts?

Too much effort for a GSN?

Whatever, Leica quality lens for $50. Until I go into the magical thrift store with an M2/3/4 and a misplaced $250 for a CLA in the pocket of the camera bag, the GSN is all I can rock. I love the speed of the shutter, how quiet it is, and how I can pretty fearlessly fire at 1/30th which means I can use almost any F stop I want whenever I want.

There is a fair chance I get a flash bracket w/release and mount the camera vertical, and slap a Vivitar 283 on top of the flash bracket w/release.

 

[Chinasaur]

I hear ya...

I was out with the GX today in bright sun on my right side. I had to hold my hand up to block the light coming into my right eye in order to see to focus.

Anyone know of an aftermarket hood that would work on the Electro's?

 

[Field]

Eyehood? That would be nice, sure.

I found a blow up picture of glass etc removed.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LBti2B_OhGw/TS46REoiNoI/AAAAAAAAAD4/8t2IHU216vU/s1600/photo.JPG

Basically I think I am going to cut the glass in front of the magnifier box. All it does now is prevent me from using the Black Dot trick that I need for quick focus anywhere lacking the sun or halogen light.

 

[Chinasaur]

Uh...to quote Chris Rock from "How NOT to get your a.. beat by the Police".

"I wouldn't do that .... if I was you..."

 

[n5jrn]

I found even the old Barnack body Leicas (which, except for the IIIg, are much more affordable than the M bodies) have rangefinders that are easier for my eyes to use than the Japanese fixed-lens RF's I've tried. Though focusing my IIIf when held vertically is still difficult for me -- what I do is hold the camera horizontal to focus than rotate it to shoot.

No reason you couldn't use that trick with your Yachica. Of course, it does add to the time it takes to focus.

 

[Field]

I think maybe just a new beam splitter will do, but I could be wrong.

 

[Frontman]

This is one of the main shortcomings of rangefinder cameras. In the case of aperture-priority cameras like Yashicas, you can scale focus the camera quickly with a little practice. Get yourself used to where infinity and minimum focus positions on the focus ring, and then practice foucsing different distances using guesstimation, then check your accuracy with the rangefinder. I normally pre-set my focus and aperture to the conditions, and I know how much I need to turn the focus ring (1/4-1/2 turn) to get other things in the frame in focus if necessary. In many cases technique can outweigh shortcomings in your gear.

 

[Chinasaur]

Good point/idea.

 

[arthur sadowsky]

...you may need to clean-up your viewfinder (my was CLA'ed by Mark Hama). Anyway, I've never focused vertically - only horizontally and then recompose, it works for me every time 🙂

Yashica Electro 35 GS and FUJICOLOR PRO 400H

 

[TaoPhoto]

I love my Yashica GSN, but I have to agree on the rangefinder patch. It can be very difficult to find. Even my Fed-2 is easier to focus, but the results from the Yashica keep me at it. Nice image. That lens does seem to love Fuji Pro 160S and 400H.

 

[arthur sadowsky]

Nice image. That lens does seem to love Fuji Pro 160S and 400H.

Thanks 🙂 Do you have any Fuji Pro 160S shots you took with you Electro? Please up-load them here (big files)!

 

[TaoPhoto]

I'll see if I have others that would be good to upload, but if you look at my portfolio site here: http://www.normankraft.com/Events/Year-of-the-Rabbit

That shoot was done with the GSN and Fuji Pro 160s.

 

[Keith]

I've cleaned the rangefinders on two electros I've owned and the contrast was hugely improved ... BUT ... the coating on the rf mirrors can be destroyed very easlily! Proceed with extreme caution when going anywhere near these!

Getting to the rangefinder itself is very easy on these cameras with nothing more needed than a screwdriver and a pair of pointy tweezers to undo the screw on the shutter speed dial.

 

[Paolo Bonello]

Now I'm gonna have to try the black dot trick to see why it doesn't work.

Can I ask, are you starting with a perfectly clean finder? Have you removed the tin lid on the beamsplitter (separate the glue with a sharp blade) and cleaned your glass and beam splitter?

Edit: Seems Keith was thinking the same thing as I wrote that. And the beam splitter is something you clean at your own risk. I had some very mild lens cleaning solution so I used that and it did not harm it but again be confident or accepting of responsibility of damage if you try to clean the beam splitter coating.

 

[arthur sadowsky]

That shoot was done with the GSN and Fuji Pro 160s.

Very nicely done, sir! Thanks for the link! BTW, how did you focus your vertical shot or it's just a crop?

 

[TaoPhoto]

Thank you, Arthur! As to the vertical shot, I focussed it first on the horizontal, then turned the camera. Even with good rangefinder spots, like on the M6, Bessa, or even Fed-2, I find it difficult to focus when the camera is vertical. On the other hand, I once focussed my GSN on the horizontal, and while turning it to the vertical, being sure not to change the distance, I didn't notice the soccer ball heading right at my head. Don't worry, the camera was fine, I lowered it quickly enough to take the ball on my nose.

 

[arthur sadowsky]

Thank you, Arthur! As to the vertical shot, I focussed it first on the horizontal, then turned the camera. Even with good rangefinder spots, like on the M6, Bessa, or even Fed-2, I find it difficult to focus when the camera is vertical. On the other hand, I once focussed my GSN on the horizontal, and while turning it to the vertical, being sure not to change the distance, I didn't notice the soccer ball heading right at my head. Don't worry, the camera was fine, I lowered it quickly enough to take the ball on my nose.

I'm on the same page with you - I always focus horizontally and then recompose (I've figured this simple trick a long time ago). And please!! watch out for the flying soccer balls next time you taking your pictures 😛!!

 

[Frontman]

Cleaning the rangefinders on the old Electros is not difficult, you just need a pointed lens spanner, or a pair of tweezers with sharp points to remove the ASA dial on the top of the camera. The only other tool you need is a Philips screw driver.

If you remove the top cover to the camera, you can clean out the insides of the glass windows on the cover, and the outside glass on the front and rear of the viewfinder. If there is dust or crud on the inside, you can remove the sheet metal cover which is held onto the top of the rangefinder by a couple drops of glue.

You can use a Q-tip and a blower to remove dust and dirt. You can wet the Q-tip with lens cleaning fluid to clean the insides of the front and rear lenses of the viewfinder, but I don't recommend using wet Q-tips on the mirrors; the coating tends to come off easily.

There is a small mirror to the right side of the rangefinder, somewhat below the exposure lights. This mirror often gets dusty, and if so, contrast can be reduced. Clean this mirror with a dry, or slightly wet Q-tip.

 

[Field]

The black dot works a little bit. The primary reason why it does not is the fact that there is the glass and then the magnifier lens. Too much light gets in-between them. You can see the effect but it is nothing like on cameras that lack the double glass where it becomes no image at all out of focus.

This is all a bit troubling since I want to make a mount to focus vertically and cable release, while using a flash. The quick focus is sort of important for certain events.

Perhaps I will clean it up a bit. Although I might just have it CLA'd for good measure. I do not get a loud clunk when winding but I get a little bit of one; the POD is probably old.

 

[Paolo Bonello]

Just wondering why you don't pop the top off the camera as the front protector glass comes off with the top cover then put your black dot on the magnifier glass and then reassemble the top. Am I missing something with that idea?