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Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Oct 24, 2022 18:18:02 GMT
Last Edit: Oct 25, 2022 9:30:15 GMT by biggles3
Although the Atoron Electro is a superb sub-miniature camera, I have a real soft spot for the original Yashica atoron (please note the lower-case). Yashica Atoron filmThis little beauty arrived fresh from Japan last week alongside two boxes of original atoron film. Thankfully, its selenium-powered meter is working but while the film is almost certainly unusable, I found the packaging interesting. The unopened box with the all-yellow face and blue Yashica logo has a clean elegance to it while the other box is very busy and unsophisticated. I love the fact that the closed box carries the correct lower-case font for the atoron too. While both boxes contain 2 cassettes of identical ASA 100 b/w film, what surprised me was that more elegant design of packaging was from the 1960s and the other from the early 1970s. I don't know why, but as a child of the very early 1950s, it pleased me to see the more minimalist and elegant design coming from the earlier decade. Remembering the Sixties and the 1967 'Summer of Love' is always a pleasing journey down Memory Lane: the Mamas & the Papas (who can forget the beauty of Michelle Phillips and the voice of Mama Cass...), the Mini car, mini-skirts and, as we see here, mini cameras! One of the joys right now is the ready availability of Minox 8mm film so both versions of Yashica's sub-miniature camera are able to enjoy a new lease of life. And that 18mm f2.8 lens is no slouch!
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on Nov 3, 2022 12:46:04 GMT
Last Edit: Dec 2, 2022 15:05:01 GMT by xkaes
This is a great find! While the ELECTRO version has a focusing lens and a CdS meter, the exposure is fully automatic. On the original, you can adjust the exposure as you wish. I hope the meter is accurate.
<<"Perhaps the best known Minox offshoot is the Yashica Atoron. Yashica first developed its own submini 16mm camera -- the Y16 -- and clip-load cassette. When that attempt failed to sell, they made a camera -- the 16EE -- that used the more popular Minolta cassette. That also failed to sell well. They then attempted a submini with the Minox cassette -- the Atoron -- in 1965. It had a fixed-focus 18mm Yashinon f/2.8 lens (closes down to f/16). Shutter speeds of 1/45-1/250 and B. Built-in selenium meter. The meter provides a match-needle, programmed-type of exposure system which sets the f-stop and shutter speed in tandem -- just like on the Minolta MG. First, you dial in the film speed. Then, you point the camera at the subject. Lastly, you match the meter needle with a follower needle by turning a dial. This makes the exposure settings -- from 1/45 at f2.8 to 1/250 at f16. There are no manual settings for the aperture or the shutter speed, but the dial is marked in EV units. You can use a hand-held meter which reads out in EV (most older ones do), or simply remember that EV 12 is approximately the same as sunny-16. The meter face is marked with a "sunny day" symbol at EV12. Built-in sliding yellow filter. Other slip-on filters (80A and ND4) were available that covered the lens and the meter. Other accessories, such as a case and an AG flash unit were available. Shutter lock ring around shutter release. The Atoron came in two body styles; one was smooth, the other had a waffled surface. Many people report that this camera is a quality shooter. It did not have the push-pull film advance of the Minox, but used a film-advance tab -- a style later used on many 110 cameras. While the Atoron lens had a variable aperture (which Minox models lacked ), the Atoron lacked a focusing lens (which the Minox had). The Atoron depended on depth-of-field to get everything in focus.">>
I've never seen atoron (or ATORON) film cassettes (or boxes) before. The Yashica version of the Minolta 16mm cassette was the best -- in my opinion. There were other makers as well, like FR, Kiev/Vega & Mamiya, but the Yashica 16mm cassette was the best. I only have one, however.
I wonder how the Yashica version of the Minox cassette compares. Minox started out with metal cassettes -- hard to find, but more durable -- and produced several types of plastic cassettes. These came in two types -- one need tape to keeps the tops in place, while the newer ones clip on. The taped ones are more difficult to work with but are a little more secure. And Minox cassettes came designed for different amounts of film -- some up to 50 exposures.
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,033 (561 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on Dec 2, 2022 10:08:12 GMT
Posted: Dec 2, 2022 10:08:12 GMT
OK - I can't really justify it but when I found a UK seller of both versions of the atoron in their boxes, my resistance crumbled and now here they are... Atoron setAtoron Electro boxedIt's another atoron with a working meter and what looks like an unused atoron Electro complete with its very, very old Ever Ready 15v and 6v batteries for the flash and camera respectively. Thankfully, neither battery was left inside of them but it's also noticeable that there's no sign of them leaking regardless. Those old 1960's graphics on the batteries are rather pleasing; the current 15v ones are very bland by comparison.
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on Dec 2, 2022 15:04:00 GMT
Posted: Dec 2, 2022 15:04:00 GMT
AND THE VERY HARD TO FIND RIGHT-ANGLE, SPY-FINDER!!!!!
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on Mar 18, 2023 13:55:02 GMT
Posted: Mar 18, 2023 13:55:02 GMT
I just found a couple of Atron's. I'm a big Minox fan and thought these would be interesting (and the price was right). I'm running a cartridge of Delta 400 for some low light shots. Looking forward to processing it to see how it works. One of the cameras has a dirty yellow filter and I haven't quite figured out how to get to it for cleaning. The local camera repair just laughed when I asked them what it would cost to clean it. The one I'm shooting with is very clean. I'm having fun!
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on Mar 18, 2023 16:56:52 GMT
Last Edit: Mar 18, 2023 17:00:30 GMT by lumiworx
I just found a couple of Atron's. I'm a big Minox fan and thought these would be interesting (and the price was right). I'm running a cartridge of Delta 400 for some low light shots. Looking forward to processing it to see how it works. One of the cameras has a dirty yellow filter and I haven't quite figured out how to get to it for cleaning. The local camera repair just laughed when I asked them what it would cost to clean it. The one I'm shooting with is very clean. I'm having fun! Welcome to the forum, bsdunek ...! I'd have to dig out my Atoron box to double check, but if memory serves, the filters slide on but I'm unsure if the filter material is fused/glued to the back of the chrome frame, or if it has some tabs or clips to hold it in place. iI may not be possible to get it entirely clean from edge to edge if it's permanently positioned, but I think it may not be needed with the angle taken from the lens and size and distance from the filter. Loose filters like these can get a bit crusty, so if there's any texture to whatever patch of dirtiness there might currently be - or if a simple wipe down with alcohol on a cotton swab fails to remove enough gunk on the front or back to make it usable - you might consider removing the old yellow material and refurb it with a new gel sheet. The gel is still available new in correction colors and ND, and they are easy to cut. I'd think that already having the frame to refit is 95% of the battle if that's what you'd need to do.
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Join date: February 2024
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on Feb 4, 2024 9:56:19 GMT
Posted: Feb 4, 2024 9:56:19 GMT
I just found a couple of Atron's. I'm a big Minox fan and thought these would be interesting (and the price was right). I'm running a cartridge of Delta 400 for some low light shots. Looking forward to processing it to see how it works. One of the cameras has a dirty yellow filter and I haven't quite figured out how to get to it for cleaning. The local camera repair just laughed when I asked them what it would cost to clean it. The one I'm shooting with is very clean. I'm having fun! Welcome to the forum, bsdunek ...! I'd have to dig out my Atoron box to double check, but if memory serves, the filters slide on but I'm unsure if the filter material is fused/glued to the back of the chrome frame, or if it has some tabs or clips to hold it in place. iI may not be possible to get it entirely clean from edge to edge if it's permanently positioned, but I think it may not be needed with the angle taken from the lens and size and distance from the filter. Loose filters like these can get a bit crusty, so if there's any texture to whatever patch of dirtiness there might currently be - or if a simple wipe down with alcohol on a cotton swab fails to remove enough gunk on the front or back to make it usable - you might consider removing the old yellow material and refurb it with a new gel sheet. The gel is still available new in correction colors and ND, and they are easy to cut. I'd think that already having the frame to refit is 95% of the battle if that's what you'd need to do.
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Join date: February 2024
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on Feb 4, 2024 10:14:16 GMT
Posted: Feb 4, 2024 10:14:16 GMT
Hi there, thought I might add that I have taken two first model Atorons apart to fix and c.ean. They are quite straight forward if you have a few small screwdrivers and some calipers such as those for lens repairs. You can get to to the internal sliding yellow filter (if thats the crusty one) by unscrewing all the external screws that hold the back cover on and the sliding winder, which is a real pain to get back in place!, slide the back away from the frony plate a little bit. Then there are three small screws two one end , one the other. Undo these and the front plate with sliding yellow lens just comes away easily. From there its just a straightforward job to clean thr lenses. I use naptha on a cooton tip or lens cloth. Then reverse the process and its all back together for more fine photographs. I love these little Atorons, have two complete boxed sets (alas no spy viewfider like yours). Hope my brief instructions are useful to clean the crusty internal lenses. Good luck, just take your time and don't force anything. Cheers
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