Your manual camera is really shutter priority! Electros - best cameras EVER?

[d_ross]

"camera like Konica C35 will allow you to shoot 1/30 sec at 2.8"

you could of course, just put the yashica electro on the flash setting and you have 1/30 sec 🙂 or use the asa ring to compensate. but the other cameras still cant compare with the speed of the electro in most situations where speed is the element!

 

[NickTrop]

LOL... you're not getting it. Ask yourself, "what is a RF designed for"? Ask yourself what camera design gives that to you, and what doesn't? There's really only one.

If you agree with me 100%, you understand RF photography, 100%
If you agree with me 50%, you understand RF photography, 50%
If you disagree with me 100%, you don't understand it at all, and probably just like collecting gear.

Or, you're just "offended"... Your photographic "world view" has been shaken to the core, and you're reacting like so many 17th century "Cardinal Bellarmine's" ordering Galileo not to "hold or defend" that the Earth moves and the Sun stands still at the centre.

This is a maximize/minimize problem, almost like linear algebra or simple algebraic matrices. What camera, by design, maximizes creative control and, by design, minimizes the amount of time it takes to compose and shoot reaqured for RF-style photography? It has to be "aperture priority" design with a master/slave relationship between aperture and shutter speed (respectively). It has to be a manual focus, RF-designed camera (no mirror) with a sub-f2 lens, and ability to rate film up to 1000 asa, with a top-plate metering capability so's to pre-meter. No other camera ever made meets these requirements. Furthermore, either the aperture or the shutter must be stepless for perfect metering.

In use, say you're in a room, you premeter using the under/over lights on the top plate to get your stop-range for that particular environment. You select the aperture within that range for the aesthetic you want. Focus, fire, with the highest probability of capturing the decisive moment, with the greatest amount of aesthetic control.

Only the Electro series, the GSN in particular, enables you to achieve this. It's thE only design.

As evidence, Karen Nakamura rates the "GX" as the best rangefinder - period, on her site, and she's a gearhead if ever there was one. She rates the GSN as the best rangefinder "under $100". However, I think this qualifier shows her bias toward more expensive gear and smaller cameras...

... and like most/many of you, are unwilling to admit what any fool can plainly see, that the Electro outperforms, by a wide margin, gear that is far more expensive because it is engineered and designed better with a brilliant use of automation. You are biased too, that a camera that costs 1/10th of what you might own - or more, is a far better tool for the style of photography you allege to be your passion.

I dub you all "Cardinal Bellarmine" -s.
|

 

[NickTrop]

" but the other cameras still cant compare with the speed of the electro in most situations where speed is the element!

Correct. It is the fastest RF camera in operation, which maximizes creative control. It is therefore, the best photographic too ever designed far and away, hands down, bar none, for what RF-style photography is intended to achieve. Speed is always eminent for RF photography but the other ingredient is 100% control over aperture. (Along with a fast lens, silent operation, and manual focus) Otherwise, there would be no need for RFs and we'd all shoot with point-n-shoots. (Like the Yashica T4, the best point-n-shoot ever made...)

 

[dukovac]

Well, to be honest, my best moment-capturing-shots I did NOT made by

1) seeing the moment
2) raising the camera to the eye level, framing, focusing and shooting as fast as possible

because the moment is already gone far away by then, with the fastest autofocus or with the best rangefinder

but by

1) seeing a potential moment
2) deciding about exposure/aperture
3) focusing
4) framing
5) waiting for the moment
6) shooting just in the right moment
7) having adrenaline flush


This is the way Bresson did it too, and this is why rangefinders survived in spite of SLRs, because with the SLRs you:

1) have a blackout just during the decisive moment, so you are not sure you got the moment and therefore cannot get the adrenaline flush🙂
2) waiting for the right moment while looking through the viewfinder is more difficult as you don't see any action happening outside the frame which could come into the frame and make your moment

Yashica T4 has an eternal shutter lag so it can be only the best camera for capturing the moment after the decisive moment.

By the way, to capture the life just as you see it without real framing or thinking whatsoever I recommend Lomo or Oly XA2/XA3 which have a great lens, full AE, no need to focus at all (in good light) and no shutter lag at all. But, decisive moments you don't get by shooting like that.

 

[Dfin]

Nicky,Nicky,Nicky, let èm go old son, none so blind as those that will not see. Look at it this way, it was only in production for 17yrs, with over 1mil. sold. So some of us got it!!! Spreading the word is only going to drive up the price for us Enlightened ones. I have just deved a few rolls of HP5, the ones shot with my GSN have nice even exposures, the ones with the F2 whilst not all over the shop, nowhere as even as the GSN`s.

 

[MikeL]

I think I'm going to get one (me join club too!), but first:

1. Does Luigi make a half case for it in brown or green?
2. Does a light blue soft-release work with it?
3. Which strap is the best, a braided leather one or metal chain with it?
4. Are there any special edition/limited production versions of it?
5. Is it full frame?
6. Why do folks want the best?
7. Does anyone have a link to the Yashica-owner-cult-secret-handshake on the internet?

Thanks for any help with these questions. Yay, Yashica!

 

[Dave Wilkinson]

Before I read this thread I would have been keen to buy an Electro RF. After reading it I think I will think a bit longer...

Get one!......exellent lens, fun and easy to use, dirt cheap,- my mint example was £16 - so you won't loose much if you don't like it!, but not the wonder-tool some would have us believe!! 🙂

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Dfin]

MikeL; No jacket required.

 

[chikne]

LOL... you're not getting it. Ask yourself, "what is a RF designed for"? Ask yourself what camera design gives that to you, and what doesn't? There's really only one.

If you agree with me 100%, you understand RF photography, 100%
If you agree with me 50%, you understand RF photography, 50%
If you disagree with me 100%, you don't understand it at all, and probably just like collecting gear.

Or, you're just "offended"... Your photographic "world view" has been shaken to the core, and you're reacting like so many 17th century "Cardinal Bellarmine's" ordering Galileo not to "hold or defend" that the Earth moves and the Sun stands still at the centre.

This is a maximize/minimize problem, almost like linear algebra or simple algebraic matrices. What camera, by design, maximizes creative control and, by design, minimizes the amount of time it takes to compose and shoot reaqured for RF-style photography? It has to be "aperture priority" design with a master/slave relationship between aperture and shutter speed (respectively). It has to be a manual focus, RF-designed camera (no mirror) with a sub-f2 lens, and ability to rate film up to 1000 asa, with a top-plate metering capability so's to pre-meter. No other camera ever made meets these requirements. Furthermore, either the aperture or the shutter must be stepless for perfect metering.

In use, say you're in a room, you premeter using the under/over lights on the top plate to get your stop-range for that particular environment. You select the aperture within that range for the aesthetic you want. Focus, fire, with the highest probability of capturing the decisive moment, with the greatest amount of aesthetic control.

Only the Electro series, the GSN in particular, enables you to achieve this. It's thE only design.

As evidence, Karen Nakamura rates the "GX" as the best rangefinder - period, on her site, and she's a gearhead if ever there was one. She rates the GSN as the best rangefinder "under $100". However, I think this qualifier shows her bias toward more expensive gear and smaller cameras...

... and like most/many of you, are unwilling to admit what any fool can plainly see, that the Electro outperforms, by a wide margin, gear that is far more expensive because it is engineered and designed better with a brilliant use of automation. You are biased too, that a camera that costs 1/10th of what you might own - or more, is a far better tool for the style of photography you allege to be your passion.

I dub you all "Cardinal Bellarmine" -s.
|

What is it? Coke? Crack?? Speed??? I want some!

 

[breathstealer]

Anyone responding to the thread jokingly gets internet posting 100%
Anyone responding to the thread 50% seriously gets internet posting 50%
Anyone responding to the thread 100% seriously doesn't get internet posting at all and is probably a photographer. 🙂

That said, I'd like to propose that Nick is somewhat off target and has misidentified the universe's best RF. Clearly, the best RF is the OM-2. Aperture priority, all controls on the lens barrel, and you can mount a motor drive and a 250 exposure back so you'll never miss a decisive moment.

 

[Peter_Jones]

😀 Breathstealer , there should be a smiley for laughing so much you spill tea on the keyboard. Nice one !

 

[NickTrop]

Nicky,Nicky,Nicky, let èm go old son, none so blind as those that will not see. Look at it this way, it was only in production for 17yrs, with over 1mil. sold. So some of us got it!!! Spreading the word is only going to drive up the price for us Enlightened ones. I have just deved a few rolls of HP5, the ones shot with my GSN have nice even exposures, the ones with the F2 whilst not all over the shop, nowhere as even as the GSN`s.

You got it. You understand RF photography 100%, as did the million or so others worldwide, during its 17 year virtually unchanged (why mess with perfection?) production run. Leave the overengineered in terms of build quality, underengineered in terms of capabilities... red dot for the doctors and the dentists. It's all about the Electro, bebe!

...the center of the RF universe.
|

 

[NickTrop]

Anyone responding to the thread jokingly gets internet posting 100%
Anyone responding to the thread 50% seriously gets internet posting 50%
Anyone responding to the thread 100% seriously doesn't get internet posting at all and is probably a photographer. 🙂

That said, I'd like to propose that Nick is somewhat off target and has misidentified the universe's best RF. Clearly, the best RF is the OM-2. Aperture priority, all controls on the lens barrel, and you can mount a motor drive and a 250 exposure back so you'll never miss a decisive moment.

The OM2 has its place, as do SLRs, for interchangeable lenses. SLRs are better types of cameras than RFs for interchangeable lenses above the 50mm focal length. RFs with interchangeable lenses are better for wide angles but this has fewer practice "real world" applications. Big wides are like F1.2 or F1.0 50's. They're for people who get "spec drunk", buy expensive glass, use it a couple times, then leave it setting in a drawer after they got their fix in search of their next fix.

I use my SLR mainly with my DIY Pentax-K adapted Jupiter 9 for portraits. It's my portrait lens/camera combo. I also have a couple inexpensive wides 24 and 19 mm respectively, for those rare instances.

 

[d_ross]

put a red dot on it and eveyone would want one 🙂

 

[MRohlfing]

Finally - I got one! The best camera ever made, a GSN!!

Cost me Euro 5.00
I had to wash the battery chamber with vinegar and to replace the light seals. The camera looks almost mint and works great!

When I advance the film, there is a little sound like "clonk" - is that normal?

 

[pesphoto]

Finally - I got one! The best camera ever made, a GSN!!

Cost me Euro 5.00
I had to wash the battery chamber with vinegar and to replace the light seals. The camera looks almost mint and works great!

When I advance the film, there is a little sound like "clonk" - is that normal?

Yes, very normal. A good loud "clonk" is part of the camera's beauty!

 

[Pherdinand]

I had double success a few days ago.
A friend of mine was curious why i shoot film. He seems to like some (too many!) of my shots. I told him, one thing why i like film cameras is they respond quick and they are simpler to use. He got enlightened - he says this is exactly what he does not like in his digital PS, and he always thought film cameras can only be more complicated.
So he expressed his will to try out a film camera. He would like to just shoot a bit around, maybe on the market, on the streets, at some festivals, nothing special. I promised to help him buying one which is a good deal. This was step one.

We went to a local photo shop, wher ei knew they have second-hand film gear for reasonable prices.
They had several old retina's etc, generally overpriced. They had some film slr's - nikon f80, other autofocus machines with kit lenses - , reasonable priced. But then i noticed they have a yashica gs. 🙂
I told the guy that is what i would get (did not even know the price or if it works, but looked clean).
We came home, i gave him mine to try, he seemed to like it.
Two days later he called me to tell that he bought it, and bought "some black and white film roll) (tmax 100). He needed a battery and wanted me to check if it is fine. I asked him: does it clunk when you wind? he said yes. I said, then it is fine, buy a 4SR44 or 4LR44 and come over.
I cleaned the contacts for the shutter, put the battery in with some cardboard and tin foil (the guy was a bit skeptical), cleaned and replaced the light seals, and told him it is a great camera and works perfectly. I promised to develop the film with him.
He took a shot of me and went off with a big smile.
Of course he did - he owns the best camera ever! He does not know that yet, but he feels it.

 

[ampguy]

You know, very few people know that this lens design is the exact same as the Summilux pre-asph. I forget which version, but the best one. They had to make the lens 45mm in order to put the leaf shutter inside, but otherwise the lenes is basically the Summilux 50/1.4, but at 45mm/f1.7.

Well, there go the prices... I'm glad mine is working, was fun to use for 30 second exposures last night on the tripod.

 

[tunznath]

Hi Nick
I got it - thats why I have 3 electros - and a carry everwhere XA2

 

[racoll]

I'm still learning to love my GSN; currently I love my Lynx 1000 quite a bit more for the reasons Nick mentioned. Another one very similar to the Lynx series is the Minolta AL. Beautiful camera--you should try one if you haven't before! And Nick, what about your beloved Fujica Compact Deluxe? Where does it rate in comparison to the GSN?