Yashica FX-3 - genesis of the new 35mm rangefinders
Jul 30, 2023 11:36:14 GMT
on Jul 30, 2023 11:36:14 GMT
Posted: Jul 30, 2023 11:36:14 GMT
Hi folks.
Did you know that the humble Yashica FX-3 has been in a significant way responsible for the Millennial renaissance in 35mm rangefinders which continues to this day? The (expensive) models from companies such as Konica, Nikon and Voigtlander that started to appear as we entered the new Millennium owed their creation to the self-declared 'smallest camera manufacturer in the world' and his familiarity with the Yashica FX-3 series. I assume the 'smallest' referred to the size of his company and not his physical stature and the man concerned was a Mr. Yasuhara who, at the age of 33, left Kyocera and ventured to China to find a commercial partner to help him develop his own rangefinder.
Many members of this Forum will be familiar with the name Phenix, a Chinese company which used the FX-3 Super 2000 chassis as the basis for a number of 35mm SLRs sold under a variety of names including their own. Well, with Phenix helping to fund, develop and manufacture his design, the T981 rangefinder camera was born. What surprised me, and started this ramble, was looking at one being repaired; the chassis looked somehow familiar - it was not a clone but very similar to that of the Yashica camera. It was then explained that Phenix had been able to take the Yashica chassis with some modifications (who needs a mirror box in a rangefinder for example...) and a slightly tweaked rangefinder unit from their 205/205D/205DS models and that was the basis of the Mr. Yasuhara's new rangefinder. Although his camera is not perfect - light leaks have proved to be an issue - it has a dedicated following to this day and still commands a decent price; a limited-edition model of 500 units, the Phenix JG50, will prove pretty costly for one in its original box. It was produced in 1999 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Peoples Republic of China (and is engraved accordingly), so in the current international climate it might see a slight drop in collectability...
Such was the interest in Japan when he announced the T981 that other companies woke up to the recognition that there was a pent-up demand for rangefinders and the aforementioned manufacturers starting work on their own models. And so, the rangefinder renaissance started - and in part, this was thanks to the availability of a chassis developed by Yashica and then Kyocera and which still bears fruit today.
When you look at the eye-watering price today for a Voigtlander Bessa R4A, for example, it's hard to imagine that if it was not for Mr. Yasuhara and the humble Yashica FX-3 series, it might not even exist.
Did you know that the humble Yashica FX-3 has been in a significant way responsible for the Millennial renaissance in 35mm rangefinders which continues to this day? The (expensive) models from companies such as Konica, Nikon and Voigtlander that started to appear as we entered the new Millennium owed their creation to the self-declared 'smallest camera manufacturer in the world' and his familiarity with the Yashica FX-3 series. I assume the 'smallest' referred to the size of his company and not his physical stature and the man concerned was a Mr. Yasuhara who, at the age of 33, left Kyocera and ventured to China to find a commercial partner to help him develop his own rangefinder.
Many members of this Forum will be familiar with the name Phenix, a Chinese company which used the FX-3 Super 2000 chassis as the basis for a number of 35mm SLRs sold under a variety of names including their own. Well, with Phenix helping to fund, develop and manufacture his design, the T981 rangefinder camera was born. What surprised me, and started this ramble, was looking at one being repaired; the chassis looked somehow familiar - it was not a clone but very similar to that of the Yashica camera. It was then explained that Phenix had been able to take the Yashica chassis with some modifications (who needs a mirror box in a rangefinder for example...) and a slightly tweaked rangefinder unit from their 205/205D/205DS models and that was the basis of the Mr. Yasuhara's new rangefinder. Although his camera is not perfect - light leaks have proved to be an issue - it has a dedicated following to this day and still commands a decent price; a limited-edition model of 500 units, the Phenix JG50, will prove pretty costly for one in its original box. It was produced in 1999 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Peoples Republic of China (and is engraved accordingly), so in the current international climate it might see a slight drop in collectability...
Such was the interest in Japan when he announced the T981 that other companies woke up to the recognition that there was a pent-up demand for rangefinders and the aforementioned manufacturers starting work on their own models. And so, the rangefinder renaissance started - and in part, this was thanks to the availability of a chassis developed by Yashica and then Kyocera and which still bears fruit today.
When you look at the eye-watering price today for a Voigtlander Bessa R4A, for example, it's hard to imagine that if it was not for Mr. Yasuhara and the humble Yashica FX-3 series, it might not even exist.
