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on Oct 29, 2021 19:08:51 GMT
Posted: Oct 29, 2021 19:08:51 GMT
This beautiful example of the Yashicaflex C - arrived today. Introduced in 1955, this particular camera is probably a 1956 model as it has the later variants of the PC-sync on the front (on the side with the first version) and the later-style focusing knob. Unlike the 1954 YashicaFlex S (the S stands for Sekonic who made the camera's selenium light-meter), the C is unmetered. I have no idea as to what the C designator refers. Yashicaflex C completeIt is rare to find these almost unused and still boxed, so it will be an opportunity to see just what it must have felt like to own a new one some 66 years ago! A particularly pleasant bonus is the small Yashica leather case which houses the hood for the taking lens. Curiously, the camera uses different lenses for viewing ( Tomioka Tri-Lausar 80mm f3.5) and taking ( Yashikor 80mm f3.5). Shutter speeds from B, 1 to 1/300s are all operating properly.
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on Oct 29, 2021 20:48:50 GMT
Posted: Oct 29, 2021 20:48:50 GMT
... I have no idea as to what the C designator refers. I'm guessing that in the early days there wasn't much of a marketing effort yet, and once a particular model was finished and in production, it just became another in the TLR line with a simple designator to mark its place. It may have gotten marked like the S, only if it had something extra that needed the additional explanation. The same thing seems to have happened at the standard TLR series under the Yashica name, for the A, B, C, D, and E models, where there were feature upgrades (i.e., extended shutter speeds, or faster/better taking lens, etc.), but not additional features, like those in the LM, the 635, the 12 or 24, or the Auto, where they got more than just a slot in the lineup. Very nice example and very clean and tidy condition, and great that it still had its box too.
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on Oct 30, 2021 8:59:27 GMT
Last Edit: Oct 30, 2021 9:00:14 GMT by biggles3
Hi lumiworx , You make some fair points. As for finding one in good condition and boxed, I have come to realise that the best chance to find such cameras is to go back to the source so I now spend a few hours each day searching Japanese websites and it's starting to bear fruit. I also discovered that if you wish to start a conversation with strangers, do what I just did: take out a TLR and snap away. During a lull in the rain, I popped out with the Yashicaflex and ran a roll of film through it; some of the fellow old-timers who were out-and-about were just pleased to see a TLR again but most of the younger people actually put down their phones (!!) to ask about this strange-looking, two-eyed box... What had been planned as a quick 5 minutes to take a few snaps ended up taking two hours and an invitation for a coffee. A nice way to start the weekend.
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on Oct 30, 2021 9:51:17 GMT
Posted: Oct 30, 2021 9:51:17 GMT
Just a thought.
The "C" might just mean a change from the "B" model -- if there was one. It could also mean "Copal". There are several Fuji lenses of the same time period that added "C" or "S" to their label to designate Copal or Seiko shutters.
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on Oct 30, 2021 16:36:35 GMT
Last Edit: Oct 30, 2021 16:37:55 GMT by lumiworx
xkaes .. Yes, there indeed was a B model. In looking through Paul's pages on features for the series there's a progression of sorts through each one. It's not fair to say they occured in alphabetical order, since there were different alphabet models released in different years -but- one year's releases bettered the previous batch to some extent.. The A is the most basic, and fairly limited in some respects, with only a 1/300 shutter, no self timer, and only with Yashikor or Yashimar lenses, as an example. The A, A2 and C were the first in the series, and were released in the first wave of "Yashica" branded TLR's of 1956-57. The B didn't show until 58', along with the D; then the E followed later in 1960. The E was the odd man out, and had the full-on electronics with its meter around the lens rim and a set speed of 1/60, and included a built-in flash (ala' the Flash-O-Set style). It was an 'Auto' camera for calculating exposures in much the same way as the Electro 35's did, and devoid of any manual override. It was the 1960's equivalent to a P&S camera.
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on Jul 22, 2022 9:00:32 GMT
Posted: Jul 22, 2022 9:00:32 GMT
It is such a nice camera to use but a back-up is a good idea so, despite having an earlier serial number than the boxed one above and so being at least 66 years old, this new one arrived from Japan last week. Near mint, both camera and case are in top condition and I can't wait to run a film through it. Yashicaflex C and ShigaShiga is looking on approvingly which always fills one with confidence....
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on Jul 26, 2022 13:50:16 GMT
Posted: Jul 26, 2022 13:50:16 GMT
Those two beauties are like travelling through time, congrats!
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