Post by yashica1943 on Mar 29, 2013 10:23:38 GMT -5
I have been interested in photography and cameras since I was a boy, about 55 years now. I live in the South of England and am retired.
My first proper camera was a 16 on 127 Zeiss Ikonta folding camera, I then progressed through a Voigtlander Vito B and then far too many cameras, of different mostly 35mm , but also couple of 120 rollfilm cameras to the 80's when I was able to buy a new Minolta 9000 with some nice lenses. At times I have had my own darkroom and early on, with a friend was dabbling in double 8mm cine, making short films, developing our own Russian B&W film and splitting it. I did have some footage of a factory fire shown on BBC news in about 1965., I went straight out and bought a Quarz camera with the proceeds (7 guineas!). I also have been a member of various camera clubs over the years. Had some experience of photography in the Arctic in Winter (long story)
I bought my first modest compact Digital camera about 9 years ago and thought about buying a more ambitious camera, but the rapid obsolescence put me off. I then looked at the new Konica Minolta DSLR bodies coming out, to use with my lenses, but as soon as I did that, Minolta announced that they were dropping out of the market. Then Sony took over, but I had lost patience with the scene and decided to sell off my lenses whilst they still had some value.
Now we come to the recent past. I bought a Canon Powershot SX110 for everyday use a couple of years ago and am pleased with it. I sold the Minolta 9000 body on eBay and started looking at classic manual focus SLR cameras, to use on 'special trips' and bought a very nice clean working Olympus OM-1 , not because I had had one before, but because I like the look and feel of the camera and the quality lenses. I then started off buying some modest aftermarket lenses for it. I then found a very nice Vito B on Ebay and purchased that at a good price for sentimental value.
Now we come to the last few weeks. I was looking on eBay for lenses for the Olympus and came across a local sale of a Yashica FR1 with 'three' lenses all Tamron Adaptall fitted. I knew very little about Yashica but found out that the FR1 was a well regarded camera and put a bid in on it, thinking hat I could use the lenses on the Olympus and sell the rest on.......
What arrived was a very clean working body with a short zoom, a 80-200 and a 135mm Tamron plus a remote and 2x converter and a Yashica 50mm f1.4 standard lens that is worth more than I paid for the whole outfit. So I now am keeping it all to use and retaining the OM 1 minus the cheap lenses. So I looked for a forum where I might find some like minded individuals in respect of Yashica especially. I also have a mint Canon AE-1 that was my brother's that I will never sell. I am interested in technical subjects to photograph rather than people, aircraft, machinery, motorcycles buildings. More to follow!(Hope that is not too much?)
My first proper camera was a 16 on 127 Zeiss Ikonta folding camera, I then progressed through a Voigtlander Vito B and then far too many cameras, of different mostly 35mm , but also couple of 120 rollfilm cameras to the 80's when I was able to buy a new Minolta 9000 with some nice lenses. At times I have had my own darkroom and early on, with a friend was dabbling in double 8mm cine, making short films, developing our own Russian B&W film and splitting it. I did have some footage of a factory fire shown on BBC news in about 1965., I went straight out and bought a Quarz camera with the proceeds (7 guineas!). I also have been a member of various camera clubs over the years. Had some experience of photography in the Arctic in Winter (long story)
I bought my first modest compact Digital camera about 9 years ago and thought about buying a more ambitious camera, but the rapid obsolescence put me off. I then looked at the new Konica Minolta DSLR bodies coming out, to use with my lenses, but as soon as I did that, Minolta announced that they were dropping out of the market. Then Sony took over, but I had lost patience with the scene and decided to sell off my lenses whilst they still had some value.
Now we come to the recent past. I bought a Canon Powershot SX110 for everyday use a couple of years ago and am pleased with it. I sold the Minolta 9000 body on eBay and started looking at classic manual focus SLR cameras, to use on 'special trips' and bought a very nice clean working Olympus OM-1 , not because I had had one before, but because I like the look and feel of the camera and the quality lenses. I then started off buying some modest aftermarket lenses for it. I then found a very nice Vito B on Ebay and purchased that at a good price for sentimental value.
Now we come to the last few weeks. I was looking on eBay for lenses for the Olympus and came across a local sale of a Yashica FR1 with 'three' lenses all Tamron Adaptall fitted. I knew very little about Yashica but found out that the FR1 was a well regarded camera and put a bid in on it, thinking hat I could use the lenses on the Olympus and sell the rest on.......
What arrived was a very clean working body with a short zoom, a 80-200 and a 135mm Tamron plus a remote and 2x converter and a Yashica 50mm f1.4 standard lens that is worth more than I paid for the whole outfit. So I now am keeping it all to use and retaining the OM 1 minus the cheap lenses. So I looked for a forum where I might find some like minded individuals in respect of Yashica especially. I also have a mint Canon AE-1 that was my brother's that I will never sell. I am interested in technical subjects to photograph rather than people, aircraft, machinery, motorcycles buildings. More to follow!(Hope that is not too much?)
