Yashica Y16 Bulb Flash Gun

I have one of the Y16's flashes that's NOS and still in the box, and I just bought a Y16 Gift kit that includes the camera, flash, and accessories. I'll have to dig out the flash and see what cord(s) came with it... and the gift kit hasn't shipped yet, so it may be a few days before its here. The seller's photos don't show any cords at all, so I'll have to wait on it's arrival to know more.

After looking at a pic taken and posted earlier, the outer shipping box on the standalone flash attachment is prominently labeled "Flash Gun B.C Type", which seemed strange to see at the time, but now it might make more sense if there were two different models with different connectors, for use on differing Y16/16EE cameras.

I have a 16EE too, but have never tried to connect a flash to it, so I'll need to dig that out as well and see what it has, and then compare it to the Y16. Other than the possibility of a different flash socket type, would there be any other differences to identify which version is which?

EDIT: I just had another look at the photo, and the inner box has a notation on it - "For Yashica Y16 Only".

With a preliminary check on 2 Y16's and 2 16EE's, I can say for certain that all 4 flash connector sockets are identical in size and type. I didn't want to open the baggie on the Y16 gun, but instead used the bulb flash I got before snapping the photo of a YK rangefinder last July, and it had no trouble mating with every socket. I presume it's from roughly the same timeframe as the submini flashes. It's connector does visually match the one on the Y16 flash, so in my case, they are physically connectable, no matter which camera model is used.

However... as you mention the Y16's attached pigtail is far too short to insert into the 16EE's socket if the flash were to be physically mounted to the camera. The flash socket on the 16EE is on the opposite side of the camera from the Y16, so it's certainly out of reach. The Y16's tripod mount and flash socket are an inch away from each other, so the 3-ish inch pigtail works fine when it's properly mounted.

There's one flash related oddity with the Y16's that I never paid attention to until they were right next to each other today. One of them (in Charcoal grey, #10302313, w/ "Made in Japan") has a red X stamped under the flash socket, while the other camera (Teal Blue, #39803139, "Japan") has no 'X' at all. Of the 2 16EE's, they are wildly different in serial numbers (5010310, and 4120584) but there's no other differences at all - although, I have no idea when each was actually produced, or where, so I can't offer any explanation on possible connector type differences, and if their might be multiple hardware updates making for more than one camera model. If there were more than one, I'd presume these would both be later models.

The only flash I have out and handy that has a PC sync cord, is an SCA3000 based Metz 40MZ-3i w/ G15 grip. It fits everything as well, so I'm sure it's a standard PC socket across the board for me. I'll assume the gift kit has the same wiring setup, with the short pigtail attached, and probably won't offer more detail in and of itself. The Y16 flash gun came with no other accessories aside from a "2-M adaptor" for the bulb socket, but I suppose it's possible that the gift kit may have some extras that I won't know about until I open the box. I just got a notification that it shipped as I type this, so if it gets here next Tuesday as estimated - I'll be able to answer that question too.

The Y16 first appeared in 1959 -- five years before the EE. I have several Y16 and they all have a standard PC connection -- for use with the Y16 FLASHGUN. None of them have an "X" next to the socket. Its cord is so short, it can only be used on the Y16. For the 1964 EE, Yashica made a cold flash shoe that screws into the tripod socket -- I use it on my Y16, so I can use a flash instead of bulbs. Why they moved the location of the flash plug on the EE is anyone's guess. Around 1965/66 Yashica came out with the EE Deluxe -- the "DELUXE" only appeared on the box & perhaps the user manual. The only difference I can tell is that the original EE had four ASA settings (32-320), while the DELUXE had nine (25-320).

If the variations in stamped markings of the 2 Y16 cameras I have might mean their were at least 2 models of them produced, then I couldn't discount the idea that there were 2 (or more) models of the 16EE made. Here's the 4 of my samples together, with the 2 16EE's at the top, and the 2 Y16's at the bottom, where one carries the red X. The one from the kit isn't pictured, but it doesn't have the red X.



On the idea that there's a difference between the instruction booklet's photo of the connector and what's actually on a Y16 flash... I tried looking at the photo with an 8X loupe, but the halftone printing and heavy contrast doesn't make it easy to decipher what the inside contacts look like - at least on my copy, anyway. There's an obvious difference in the page photo's straight connecter and the gun's right-angled one, but it's hard to compare the 2 and know for certain if there's any connection type difference between them. I think it's possible that they're both PC sockets, but the photo just shows a straight one. Forgive the lousy focus on an extreme crop, but here's the noted page in the manual...

The PC cord on my Y16 FLASHGUN is a 90° model -- unlike the picture above -- but both could be standard PC connections. My guess is that Yashica marked some models with an "X" to clarify the type of synch.  Since both the Y16 and the 16EE had FLASHGUNS that used bulbs, it suggests that the synch was originally FP -- and at some point, this was changed to "X-synch" at least on the Y16 for electronic flash synch.  Seems in-congruent, however.

I'm sure you've hit the nail on the head, but it leaves open the question of whether there were two versions of the Y16. Was the original vercion "FP", and the later version, marked "X", "X" synch? I don't have an "X" version, so I can't tell. Anyway, it seems odd since the Y16 appeared five years before the 16EE.
Plus, it begs the question, was the original 16EE "FP", and the later 16EE DELUXE version "X" synch? I have both of those so I can check -- in my spare time -- but maybe it's in the owner's manual!?!?

It is definitely odd the the FLASHGUN with the longer PC cord -- long enough for use on the 16EE -- is marked "Y16 FLASHGUN". I would have assumed that the Y16 was no longer being made when the 16EE appeared -- given the change in the cassette from the "CLIP LOAD" style to the Minolta 16 copy.

As a side question, has anyone any evidence that the Y16 ever appeared with an f2.8 lens? I've seen that stated, but no actual evidence. I doubt it.