Yashica J-3 info needed

[olroy2044]

Anyone know anything about this camera? Trying to figure it out for a colleague at work. Found the manual online at the Butkus site, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to me. It appears that the camera is a "semi-automatic" in that it requires the lens to be preset prior to exposure? The aperture blades in the OEM lens are extremely s-l-u-g-g-i-s-h! BTW, these photos of it were taken with the old Mavica mentioned in another thread.







Thanks, Roy

[Just Plain Curt]

Hi Roy,
Yes, semi auto as the lens must be cocked as well as the shutter by winding. As the shutter is pushed the lens should fire or close first to stop down the aperture then the shutter fires. I have three semi auto Yashicas, a couple semi auto Pentax as well as three Tower 32/37/Sears Mamiya Prismats that use the same pre-cocked lens system. Only my Tower 37 has a sluggish lens. It should work fine with either T mount or M42 though.

[casualcollector]

Roy,

Curt has everything right. I have several old Tower/Prismat bodies and lenses with the semi-auto aperture. Some work, some don't! Interestingly, the Argus/Mamiya SLR is built on the same Prismat body with a different lens mount. It has a fully auto diaphragm.

Early 60s SLRs are interesting machines. Have fun with that J-3!

Bill

[olroy2044]

H-O-O-O-O BOY did I scare myself tonite! Mounted the J-3's Yashinon lens on my Spot F, just for grins, and to see if the Spottie would fire the iris. Spottie did not fire the iris, so I removed, or rather-- I tried to remove the Yashinon----and tried------and tried--------and tried----------and TRIED!!! It would turn about 20 degrees, then hit solid. Opened the back (empty camera, thank goodness), held the shutter open with a cable release and "B" setting. Saw that the trigger plunger on the lens was hitting something in the lens mount. A piece of brass shim stock bent into an "L" shape held the plunger down, and the lens came off. Whew! Won't pull that stunt again!! Ol(relieved!)Roy

[Just Plain Curt]

Hi Roy,
At least it came off in one piece. I've had similar happen with Pentax lenses getting stuck on some Zenits as a small pin on the lens loves to hide in a screw hole for the lens mount and refuse to let go. Once on awhim I tried a Nikon lens on a K mount camera as I'd heard they fit. Not only did it fit but it even operated properly when I fired the shutter. I made sure I used an older body I didn't care too much about and a third party lens but was I ever happy when the lens came off none the worse for wear.