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Post by belgiumreporter on Sept 22, 2017 5:21:39 GMT -5
Simultaniously with the Contax range, Yashica launched a "cheaper" parallel range of slr's. So is this fully manual 1976 FR a skimmed down version of the RTS. The later FR1 comes closer to the RTS specs because it's got the same aperture priority automation. Now the FR, while not high on the desirability list of most photographers is actually a fine camera with aperture and speed info in the bright finder and a nice focussing screen with a handy 45° split image center circle. These Yashica's seem to be more robust and problem free than their Contax counterparts, wich makes you wonder if Yashica has bitten of more than they could chew in trying to produce high end feature laden cameras... 1976 FR with Yashica ML 50mm 1:2 ( the Zeiss lenses could also be used and imo. would these days,be a better or more fail safe combination than the RTS)
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hansz
Lifetime Member
Hans
Posts: 697
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Post by hansz on Sept 22, 2017 13:55:20 GMT -5
I completely agree... a CZ Planar 1,7 or 1,4 would be nice:-)
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Post by belgiumreporter on Sept 26, 2017 6:39:46 GMT -5
The 1979 Yashica FX-3 is all manual with a 3 LED metering readout in the finder. When i tripped the shutter, the "noice" produced by it was very familiar to me, i wasn't wrong when i recognised that typical sound. And so it comes to show this is just another Cosina in disguise, still it was a very popular "Yashica" model. Strange thing is, even the Cosina made Voigtlander range finder cameras, though they haven't got a mirror slapping around, produce the same not so discreet (metal) shutter sound. FX-3 with Yashica ML 50mm 1:2
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Post by belgiumreporter on Sept 27, 2017 3:48:59 GMT -5
While we're on the subject of Yashica i thought i should mention the Yashica TLR series. No 35mm slr's but classics all the same... Ever since the early fifties Yashica has bee producing TLR's they were to be "cheap" or more affordable copies of the famous Rolleiflex/Rolleicord. A lot of variations were produced throughout the years and i guess you could start an extensive collection should you want all models. i only got a few, like this (presumably) 1957 model "C" with both 80mm 1:3.5 Yashikor taking and viewing lens.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Sept 28, 2017 6:37:16 GMT -5
Yashica TLR's were produced untill 1986, by then the public lost interest in the TLR concept. A 1980-ties transition model between the mat-124 and Mat-124-G it its in black trim like the G but hasn't got the gold contacts. Viewing lens is 80mm 1:2.8 and taking lens 80mm 1:3.5 Yashinons
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Post by belgiumreporter on Sept 29, 2017 2:34:12 GMT -5
Being at it making Rollei copies, Yashica decided it would be a good idea to make a copy of the 1957 "Baby" Rollei (127 4x4 format) the similarities with the Rollei were such that it got them a lawsuit. After the Baby grey 44 was renamed Yashica 44 and Yashica made a promise that it would be made in other colors than (Rollei) grey,things got straightened out. Allegedly 7 diffrent color variations were made and it would be a collectors challenge to find all seven of them. Burgundy colored 1958 yashica 44 with Yashikor 60mm 1:3.5 both taking and viewing lenses. When not taking inflation into account it was a lot cheaper then (29$ list price), than the ones you can find now.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Oct 1, 2017 8:38:29 GMT -5
After some of the copies, now here's the original: 1952 Rolleiflex 2.8 C with Schneider xenotar 80mm 1:2.8 taking and Heidsomat 80mm 1:2.8 viewing lenses As far as i know none of the Rolleiflex TLR copies ( Yashica, Zeiss, Ricoh, Minolta.....) were ever made with a 2.8 taking lens, exept for the Mamiya c series.
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hansz
Lifetime Member
Hans
Posts: 697
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Post by hansz on Oct 1, 2017 10:59:05 GMT -5
Icarex III, prewar, sported a Tessar 2,8.... also a Van Albeda viewer and crank transport. Hans
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Post by belgiumreporter on Oct 2, 2017 3:41:27 GMT -5
Icarex III, prewar, sported a Tessar 2,8.... also a Van Albeda viewer and crank transport. Hans Thanks once more Hans, i must admit i know next to nothing about the ikoflexes, got one C1 to go with the rest of my modest TLR collection, but there it stops.
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Post by belgiumreporter on Oct 5, 2017 4:46:49 GMT -5
Though Rollei pioneered the TLR concept and it was their main product, they did make some other types of cameras. There was this slr range, starting in 1970 and ending in 1981 with the bancrupty of rollei (Singapore) The latest version of the SL: the Singapore made 1978 SL35E With Rollei HFT (zeiss) Planar 50mm 1:1.8 These SL have beautifull designed bodies, sadly they aren't very reliable...
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Post by belgiumreporter on Oct 6, 2017 4:45:19 GMT -5
The Voigtländer Bessamatic may not be one of the great classics of all time, but the lens on this one certainly deserves a place in classic camera history. It's the 1959 Voigtländer 36-82mm 1:2.8 Zoomar, the first comercially available zoom lens for 35mm cameras. it became available in 1960 in Exakta (wish i had that one) and Voigtlânder mount. Later in it's production run other mounts became available. Bessamatic with Zoomar 36-82 1:2.8.
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hansz
Lifetime Member
Hans
Posts: 697
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Post by hansz on Oct 6, 2017 10:49:45 GMT -5
Ah, the Zoomar, that IS history! And a real classic. Very nice to show us! (I wished I had one...) Hans
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Post by belgiumreporter on Oct 9, 2017 13:06:31 GMT -5
Topcon produced their first 35mm slr in 1957, 2 years before Nikon or Canon introduced theirs. The real breakthrough came in 1963 with the RE Super, the first SLR with ttl metering at full aperture. The RE Super was chosen by the US Army over Canon and Nikon to be their battle camera as it came better out of the tests than the two "big" makes. So Topcon could have been one of the top brands up there with (or above) Nikon and Canon it had the lenses, motor drives and all the accesoires you could wish for. But Topcon didn't (or were unable) update the RE to match the offerings of the other brands and by the mid '70ties the RE (now called super DM) was unable to compete anymore. Topcon did make a few amateur slr's but they where a far cry from the visionary RE Super and not enough for topcon to survive as a camera maker. In 1981 the curtain fell for Topcon cameras and the wonderfull RE became a footnote in camera history known only to true classic camera enthousiasts. 1963 Topcon RE super with RE Auto Topcor 1:1.8 f=5.8cm
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Post by belgiumreporter on Oct 12, 2017 4:58:41 GMT -5
One of Topcons later attempts at the slr theme, the 1973 IC-auto didn't exell in anything, it was the last camera made by Topcon before they stopped making cameras. black 1974 (first model) IC-Auto with topcor 50mm 1:2 ( later version had 1:1.8)
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Post by belgiumreporter on Oct 13, 2017 3:09:02 GMT -5
Ever since 1952 the Russian KMZ has been producing Zenit slr cameras. The perception on these cameras is that they are "build like tanks" well if tanks were build like Zeniths they wouldn't have much advantage on the battlefield. A (any) Zenit is a very basic slr with a limited range of shutterspeeds, very crude operation, a dim viewfinder and conceptual years behind any of the competition. Still its merit and succes lay in the fact that it was the cheapest slr on the market and for many was their the first "real" camera. Sales of the Zenits in it's diffrent variations was in the multi millions so one can't deny this camera was a succes and a classic in it's own right. One of the later versions, the 12XP ( with the helios 58mm 1:2) produced between 1983 and 1994. the previous owner must have been ashamed for walking around with a Zenit so he blacked out the Zenit name on the camera.
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