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on Nov 11, 2022 11:15:55 GMT
Last Edit: Nov 12, 2022 9:59:11 GMT by biggles3
This delightful example of the Yashica-Mat, a precursor to the 124 & 124G, arrived yesterday along with a couple of Yashica FRs and other Yashica goodies.  Yashica-MatI'm not 100% sure of the date of production but I think it's quite a late model as the serial number starts MT 202xxxx which suggests it could be from February 1972. Its lenses are a View-Yashinon 80mm f3.2 and a Yashinon 80mm f3.5 as the taking lens. It features a Copal-MXV shutter with 5 blades. If it's as late a model as may first appear, then the missing twin-lens cap is a plastic one, unlike the earlier versions which had the folding metal type. Thankfully, I have a plastic cap somewhere in one of the many boxes of Yashica accessories. Cameras produced just before production ended in 1973 had a f2.8 viewing lens. What confuses me about the production date is that post-1960 Yashica-Mats were supposed to have dropped the View- prefix on the f3.2 lens which could make this a February 1962 model; I'm hoping Paul Sokk may help with this. It's such an easy camera to use; just grab some 120 film, a light-meter and you're in business. Small wonder that it was one of Yashica's most popular TLRs having enjoyed a production life of over 15 years. I'm going to keep an eye out for one of the earlier models as I'd like to be able to compare the image quality of the 75mm or 80mm Lumaxar lens with that of this 80mm Yashinon and find one of the versions that used the 10-bladed shutter mechanism to check on any bokeh advantages. EDIT: Paul Sokk has kindly confirmed that this is a February 1962 model. It's impressive that this nearly 61 year-old camera is in such fine condition... |
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on Nov 12, 2022 17:29:08 GMT
Posted: Nov 12, 2022 17:29:08 GMT
Nice one!... it must be of the first models, since it is all metal, mine has the focus wheel made of plastic.
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on Nov 13, 2022 12:27:07 GMT
Posted: Nov 13, 2022 12:27:07 GMT
Nice one!... it must be of the first models, since it is all metal, mine has the focus wheel made of plastic. Thanks Ariel If your model is a very late one, does it have the f2.8 viewing lens which the last productions models used? I've yet to see one of those, |
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on Nov 13, 2022 18:10:03 GMT
Posted: Nov 13, 2022 18:10:03 GMT
I'm not sure how much help it might be, but of the only 2 MAT's I have (as parts cameras), neither has a proper serial number, and they came with no paperwork to establish any age of sale or manufactured date. Both do have Lumexar lens sets, and both have view lenses prefixed with "View-".
One has what must be a repair/replacement name plate, with a capital R in a circle near the top edge, and a very short serial of 64765. The view lens is a 75mm f/3.2 (#62855), and the taking lens is a 75mm, f/3.5 (#24334).
The no-numbered one has no nameplate at all, and the lenses are 80mm, not 75mm... with an f/3.2 view (#69891) , and an f/3.5 taking lens (#34740).
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on Nov 15, 2022 3:25:26 GMT
Last Edit: Nov 15, 2022 3:29:27 GMT by ridgeblue99: More information
That would be a second series logo as seen on my 635 (left hood is from a third series 635).  Logo Comparison by P F McFarland, on Flickr The first series had a very stylized logo which kind of looked like a Y but could have been a Japanese calligraphy character. I had to replace the missing name plate which was probably ripped off to keep the camera from being traced, so I wrote a note inside the mirror box for anyone who might be in there cleaning it after I've passed away. PF |
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on Nov 15, 2022 12:29:28 GMT
Posted: Nov 15, 2022 12:29:28 GMT
I'm not sure how much help it might be, but of the only 2 MAT's I have (as parts cameras), neither has a proper serial number, and they came with no paperwork to establish any age of sale or manufactured date. Both do have Lumexar lens sets, and both have view lenses prefixed with "View-". One has what must be a repair/replacement name plate, with a capital R in a circle near the top edge, and a very short serial of 64765. The view lens is a 75mm f/3.2 (#62855), and the taking lens is a 75mm, f/3.5 (#24334). The no-numbered one has no nameplate at all, and the lenses are 80mm, not 75mm... with an f/3.2 view (#69891) , and an f/3.5 taking lens (#34740). I think it may be possible to get an approximate date for both of your Mats by looking at other features. Your first one with the 75mm Lumaxar lenses sounds like it's from mid-1957; does it have a Copal-MX or -MXV shutter? The serial number would also be appropriate. The second one with the 80mm Lumaxar lenses is probably from December 1957. What, if anything, is printed on the wheel behind the winding cranks of each camera? |
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on Nov 20, 2022 18:16:55 GMT
Posted: Nov 20, 2022 18:16:55 GMT
...If your model is a very late one, does it have the f2.8 viewing lens which the last productions models used? I've yet to see one of those, Here is my Mat, sorry about the bad quality of the pictures:  And here is a close-up of the viewing lens, it is f/2.8:  I think this camera is a kind of Frankenstein's monster, since it is all metal except for the focusing and the back cover open/close wheels that are made of plastic, not sure if it was sold like that by Yashica or maybe the previous owner changed it. And on top of that, the back cover was in bad shape, so I changed it for a better one, but with a metallic open/close wheel. |
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on Nov 21, 2022 11:31:58 GMT
Posted: Nov 21, 2022 11:31:58 GMT
Hi Ariel , Thank you very much for the photos - I can't see why you think the picture quality is poor; they look fine to me and show exactly what I hoped to see perfectly! The Mat you have is the final version and yes, Yashica changed those items to a plastic finish; well done on changing the back cover mechanism to metal. I have an early 1957 Mat with Lumaxar 75mm lenses and a Copal MX shutter on its way so between us we will have the alpha and omega of Yashica-Mat cameras - pretty cool. Thank you again for sharing your piccies. |
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on Nov 21, 2022 19:14:23 GMT
Posted: Nov 21, 2022 19:14:23 GMT
I'm not sure how much help it might be, but of the only 2 MAT's I have (as parts cameras), neither has a proper serial number, and they came with no paperwork to establish any age of sale or manufactured date. Both do have Lumexar lens sets, and both have view lenses prefixed with "View-". One has what must be a repair/replacement name plate, with a capital R in a circle near the top edge, and a very short serial of 64765. The view lens is a 75mm f/3.2 (#62855), and the taking lens is a 75mm, f/3.5 (#24334). The no-numbered one has no nameplate at all, and the lenses are 80mm, not 75mm... with an f/3.2 view (#69891) , and an f/3.5 taking lens (#34740). I think it may be possible to get an approximate date for both of your Mats by looking at other features. Your first one with the 75mm Lumaxar lenses sounds like it's from mid-1957; does it have a Copal-MX or -MXV shutter? The serial number would also be appropriate. The second one with the 80mm Lumaxar lenses is probably from December 1957. What, if anything, is printed on the wheel behind the winding cranks of each camera? Thanks for that, and excuse my late reply. Another 'senior moment' must have leaked out! :) My intent was to offer some context in providing details, and not so much in gaining insight on my two scratch-n-dent specials, but in answer to the questions... Both have an MXV shutter, and the one without the nameplate and serial has printing on the winder side, of "Yashica OPT. CC. LTD. / Made in Japan". As for the viewfinder top plate, they both have (what I assume to be) the earliest fancy script "Y" that's in goldtone and chrome, on an inverted triangle shaped background. I won't be bidding on it, but I did find an active auction on Goodwill for a MAT with Yashinon lenses. Here's the listing page, with photos: shopgoodwill.com/item/155081605 |
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on Nov 22, 2022 10:55:31 GMT
Posted: Nov 22, 2022 10:55:31 GMT
Hi lumiworx Sorry to be a pain but if you can find the time, could you upload a piccie of the winder showing the 'Yashica OPT. CC. LTD. / Made in Japan' maker's name as it's most unusual. Your 75 Lumaxar model is from the period between June and November 1957 but the 80mm model almost certainly dates from December 1957. That winder nameplate is a poser though... |
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on Nov 23, 2022 10:51:04 GMT
Posted: Nov 23, 2022 10:51:04 GMT
Hello again lumiworx I wrote to Paul Sokk for further clarification on your un-numbered Mat and he avers that it dates from July or August 1957 - certainly no later than September. However, he seems deeply sceptical about the Yashica OPT. C.C. LTD. as it's a use of the Yashica company name that's completely unknown to him and he's not been able to find any such company registration. I really hope you can supply a photo of the name as I have a feeling he will need to make a few changes to his otherwise excellent and highly informative website! |
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on Nov 27, 2022 3:12:36 GMT
Posted: Nov 27, 2022 3:12:36 GMT
It's beyond my senior moment from earlier, as I got in a rush ending in a typo on the last post (CC, instead of CO), and beyond that I didn't fully look for detail and ended up missing the mark considerably. Pictures would have kept my faux pas from occurring, so hopefully I can make amends. The pair of cameras, and the close-up for the labeled winder side...   |
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on Nov 27, 2022 11:24:33 GMT
Posted: Nov 27, 2022 11:24:33 GMT
Hi lumiworx Many thanks for the piccies; mystery over. The good thing is the Yashima label ties in nicely with Paul's estimation of the time of manufacture as it would have been right at the beginning of those dates he suggested. And I wouldn't worry too much about those 'senior moments'; twice yesterday I found myself upstairs and forgot on both occasions why I'd gone there... |
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on Nov 27, 2022 20:22:29 GMT
Posted: Nov 27, 2022 20:22:29 GMT
... And I wouldn't worry too much about those 'senior moments'; twice yesterday I found myself upstairs and forgot on both occasions why I'd gone there... Obviously it was of the utmost importance, since you were compelled to do it a second time! |
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