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Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
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on Oct 19, 2021 17:40:31 GMT
Posted: Oct 19, 2021 17:40:31 GMT
Hi lumiworx Absolutely magical - such immaculate condition! What a delightful catch...some superb Yashica classics. Thanks, Graham... and everything works to spec, which was an unexpected bonus for being 55+ years old.
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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 Nov 18, 2021 15:45:03 GMT
Posted: Nov 18, 2021 15:45:03 GMT
This little beauty is another walk down Memory Lane - the Minox 35 GL. Minox 35 GLThe Minox cameras such as this one were the smallest full frame 35mm cameras being made; this one dates from 1979/80. I had one which got broken when I had a major accident on my Honda CBX750 in 1985; it was crushed as the bike and I were squeezed under the back of a parked sports car. I had a Minox-shaped bruise for a fortnight. But it's a pleasure to be able to use one again. Despite what the instruction manual says (35 GT), this is the earlier GL - you can tell this from the orange shutter button; the GT's button is yellow. The name is also stencilled in white on the front plate. Although not quite as sophisticated as the much later ML model, it nevertheless is capable of producing exceptional images; the tiny 35mm f2.8 Color-Minotar is a beauty, being a 4 element Tessar-style design. It operates in aperture priority mode only, selecting the correct shutter speed for the selected aperture; speeds available are from 15s to 1/500s. The early Minox models have a reputation for unreliability but if you find one that is working properly today, with care, there's no reason it should not continue to work for another 4 decades. It remains one of the most pocketable 35mm cameras ever made. Its dedicated FC35 flash will arrive shortly but I very rarely used to attach it as the Minox was seldom used indoors or in poor light.
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on Nov 19, 2021 7:37:23 GMT
Posted: Nov 19, 2021 7:37:23 GMT
I bought a second hand 35GT while I was an Architecture student and really bonded with that camera and XP-1 film. I basically wore it out over the course of the 90s as went places I'd not normally have taken a camera due to it's tiny size. I later tried an XA but, in spite of the rangefinder, it's fiddly to focus in comparison. The classic 80's Contax T clearly owes a debt to the design of these classic little Minox/Balda drawbridge cameras and brought a jewel like refinement to the concept. Yet, while I now own a lovely black paint Contax T I'd rather take the functional, workmanlike 35GT out with me. Minoxes are now relatively cheap as the price have dropped over the last 10 years while other compacts have shot up. For instance, I bought a very clean 35GT 'Golf' for only £32 + postage a few weeks back. Much better than a £100+ Olympus Trip 35 with flashy leather. Reliability of these old Minoxes, I suppose, is a genuine issue. The common shutter problems are generally an easy fix and there's plenty of advice on them out on the web. Sadly the other major problem the film wind mechanism is also prone to fail and I don't think that's so easily repairable. There is also the niggle of the easily rubbed away ASA indications on the base and the hard-to-find PX27 battery to replace with a harder to find adapter. A couple of pics of a Green one! Minox 35 GT Golf Edition by bp reid, on Flickr Minox 35 GT Golf Edition by bp reid, on Flickr Minox 35 GT Golf Edition by bp reid, on Flickr
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,040 (563 liked)
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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 Nov 21, 2021 12:55:13 GMT
Posted: Nov 21, 2021 12:55:13 GMT
I bought a second hand 35GT while I was an Architecture student and really bonded with that camera and XP-1 film. I basically wore it out over the course of the 90s as went places I'd not normally have taken a camera due to it's tiny size. I later tried an XA but, in spite of the rangefinder, it's fiddly to focus in comparison. The classic 80's Contax T clearly owes a debt to the design of these classic little Minox/Balda drawbridge cameras and brought a jewel like refinement to the concept. Yet, while I now own a lovely black paint Contax T I'd rather take the functional, workmanlike 35GT out with me. Minoxes are now relatively cheap as the price have dropped over the last 10 years while other compacts have shot up. For instance, I bought a very clean 35GT 'Golf' for only £32 + postage a few weeks back. Much better than a £100+ Olympus Trip 35 with flashy leather. Reliability of these old Minoxes, I suppose, is a genuine issue. The common shutter problems are generally an easy fix and there's plenty of advice on them out on the web. Sadly the other major problem the film wind mechanism is also prone to fail and I don't think that's so easily repairable. There is also the niggle of the easily rubbed away ASA indications on the base and the hard-to-find PX27 battery to replace with a harder to find adapter. Thank you for the photos of the 35GT Golf - it looks great in green; and quite a bargain at £32 plus postage! You are absolutely right about the reliability problems but if you can find a working model, it's a delightful and simple camera to own and operate. Thankfully both the battery adapters and replacement ASA stickers are now regular items on Ebay listings, making the Minox a more viable option for someone looking for a very portable and discreet film camera. I might try for a later model if I can find one at a sensible price. I'm delighted to know that you are the owner of a black Contax T; a superb, elegant and under-appreciated part of the Contax range.
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,040 (563 liked)
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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 Feb 1, 2022 15:07:17 GMT
Posted: Feb 1, 2022 15:07:17 GMT
While the Minox is a lovely little camera I could no longer resist the urge to grab one of the smallest SLR system cameras - the Pentax Auto 110.
Pentax Auto 110 24mm f2.8 Seen here alongside an AA battery to give you a better idea as to its truly diminutive size, this camera came with a Pentax-110 24mm f2.8 lens attached. Towards the foot of the photo is one of the many 110 films that can now be bought; 110 is truly back... This dwarfs the Yashica 110 Electro!
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,040 (563 liked)
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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 Apr 2, 2022 13:56:27 GMT
Posted: Apr 2, 2022 13:56:27 GMT
The camera may weigh a metric tonne (well, it sometimes feels like it) but it is a superb piece of engineering from Zeiss along with the beautiful Planar 50mm f2 lens. And now, at long last, the arrival of the Zeiss Ikon Bellows (and its Slide Copier attachment) will allow some macro work with this behemoth of a camera. Contaflex_50mm f2 Planar_Zeiss Ikon BellowsAnd yes, for the eagle-eyed among you, that is a Mamiya Tripod Adapter II it's sitting on...
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Join date: January 2022
Status: old digital compact enthusiast, owns several kyoceras
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on Apr 8, 2022 7:15:10 GMT
Last Edit: Apr 8, 2022 7:16:42 GMT by sofi
My current collection! (Yashica/Contax/Kyocera only in this pic, maybe the rest some other time)
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,040 (563 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 Apr 9, 2022 0:28:49 GMT
Posted: Apr 9, 2022 0:28:49 GMT
My current collection! (Yashica/Contax/Kyocera only in this pic, maybe the rest some other time)
Now that is a very fine collection of digital equipment! And now I see you have the hat to accompany them; very cool...
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on Apr 9, 2022 9:08:43 GMT
Posted: Apr 9, 2022 9:08:43 GMT
Seeing the S3 in the same shot as the i4R and SL400R really puts it in perspective to now small the S3 is for a "conventional" shape digital camera! Nice group of C/Y/K cameras
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,040 (563 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 Apr 21, 2022 13:43:42 GMT
Posted: Apr 21, 2022 13:43:42 GMT
This is really going back to basics: a Kodak 2A Brownie, Model B from about 1919-1921. Kodak 2A Model B BrownieIt is in exceptional condition and was kindly gifted to me by a fellow regular diner at a local eaterie, along with a camera from the 1950s. More on that one anon. This is in incredible condition for a camera that is more than a century old, and with a body made from cardboard and a thin leather covering. The glass in the meniscus lens remains clear and the camera's very clean inside. Even its canvas and leather case is in superb condition along with the leather strap and buckle - no signs of fraying which suggests the ensemble has been carefully stored. Apparently it last saw action in the early 1930s. Everything appears to be working properly and I've just bought a 116-120 Film Adapter for it. It'll make a nice accompaniment to my tiny Kodak 'Hawkeye' Ace De Luxe which dates from 1938 and takes 127 film.
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on Apr 22, 2022 12:34:08 GMT
Posted: Apr 22, 2022 12:34:08 GMT
Pretty good-looking for a 101 years old camera
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on Apr 23, 2022 11:29:48 GMT
Posted: Apr 23, 2022 11:29:48 GMT
Pretty good-looking for a 101 years old camera Hi ArielI was most surprised at its condition when it was removed from its case. I'm really excited at the prospect of getting the film adapter so 120 can be used; there's a fridge full of monochrome reels just waiting so some experimentation beckons....
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on May 10, 2022 2:56:59 GMT
Last Edit: May 10, 2022 2:59:45 GMT by ridgeblue99: Additional information
This is a camera I've wanted ever since the day they were announced. I traded a box of point-and-shoot cameras for it. Mamiya M645 by P F McFarland, on Flickr Building up a kit around it now. Had to replace all the seals, and added a bumper kit for the mirror. The shutter speeds are way off, so until I get a tester to reset them I'm using the PD finder which has correct settings. PF
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Group: Moderator
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on May 10, 2022 11:52:09 GMT
Last Edit: May 10, 2022 11:52:46 GMT by biggles3
Hi ridgeblue99 Now that's what I call a classic! It's certainly worth the effort and cost of a full CLA. And you are absolutely right in seeking to build a kit around it; M645 lenses can be had cheaply (though not all of them!) and there are innumerable accessories available at sensible prices. The sheer range of lenses makes it one of the most versatile medium format systems out there. An excellent choice...
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on May 10, 2022 16:16:37 GMT
Posted: May 10, 2022 16:16:37 GMT
Hi ridgeblue99 Now that's what I call a classic! It's certainly worth the effort and cost of a full CLA. And you are absolutely right in seeking to build a kit around it; M645 lenses can be had cheaply (though not all of them!) and there are innumerable accessories available at sensible prices. The sheer range of lenses makes it one of the most versatile medium format systems out there. An excellent choice... Thanks, Graham. The M645 is a gearhead's dream with all the accessories that are available, making it a versatile system. I've been able to arrange it so my deteriorating right wrist is of little issue while handling the camera by use of the Deluxe Left Hand Grip, and the Focus Lever attached to the lenses.
PF
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