[magkelly]

Zebras as in plain black leather and chrome. That's what they're called sometimes old SLR's like that, zebra cameras. Petri Racer I think it is? I'm not sure I haven't even looked at it but once. It's in the junk box. I'm definitely not a rangefinder fan. It's cute I guess, even has it's case but I have absolutely no interest in using it. I think it works. The other cameras I got from that guy did. They were in pretty good shape so likely it works fine but I haven't really checked it out much. There doesn't seem to be a lot of them on Ebay. I don't know if that's good or bad?

Yeah, this is it.

http://photo.net/classic-cameras-forum/00YHKm

Batteries are easy enough to find. Checked the manual. I'll try it out I guess and see if it works.

[Na Horuk]

Before the C/Y mount, all Yashica SLRs were M42 with a huge selection of available lenses. It was a big selling point back-in-the-day.

You are right, I was thinking only of the C/Y cameras.

[ChrisPlatt]

According to Ken Rockwell Yashica sold eight million Electro 35 series rangefinder cameras in the 1960's and 1970's.

Chris

[stevebrot]

Zebras as in plain black leather and chrome...

Oh...you mean the standard chrome finish. I fiddle around a bit with vintage gear, but have not run across that term before as applied to camera bodies.


Steve

[stevebrot]

Petri Racer I think it is? I'm not sure I haven't even looked at it but once. It's in the junk box. I'm definitely not a rangefinder fan. It's cute I guess, even has it's case but I have absolutely no interest in using it. I think it works. The other cameras I got from that guy did. They were in pretty good shape so likely it works fine but I haven't really checked it out much. There doesn't seem to be a lot of them on Ebay. I don't know if that's good or bad?

Looks like a cool little camera. Petri got a lot less respect than Yashica back-in-the-day and the lack of representation on eBay may reflect poor sales when the camera was new. From the looks of the article you linked to this would have been a fairly premium product at the time it was made (mid-1960s) at a higher price than people may have been willing to pay for the brand. It may well be worth your while to see if the little thing works -- or -- you could simply send it to me


Steve

(BTW...while the article says the camera has a split image rangefinder, the user manual at butkus.org indicates that it is the conventional, super-imposed image, type.)

[magkelly]

Maybe it was sold with both? I don't know. I'll take a look at it and see I suppose. I've got a lot on my plate. Got company coming end of the month and I'm still cleaning my arse off from the oven smoke mess besides. I'll get to it soon though, make a report on it's condition. Honestly I'll have to figure that out and if it works I'll have to see what they are going for. I'll probably list it somewhere if it's actually worth anything to someone and it's in great shape. I could really use the $$$ if it is.

I try to put every spare penny I can find these days into stuff for my studio and there are still a few things I need before I can really call it one. I still need a decent black and a white backdrop screen and a beauty dish. If this rangefinder can pay for my backdrops? It's going on auction or whatever. Half the lot I bought at Goodwill last week is going to pay for me buying it plus I'm going to try to make a bit more. The only thing I am definitely keeping out of that lot is the Vivitar and coupler. I may keep the Chinon stuff, might not, but the K1000 et all, it's going and I've decided my other K1000 and a lens are going too. I'm not using it enough to make it worth having.

I really need to start flipping some gear. I've got six cases of stuff and maybe two cases of stuff I actually use. It's stupid. Things are finally starting to move on my local CL. That's got to be a good sign. So I'm going to start listing some stuff in various places and see what happens. The rangefinder will definitely go if it turns out it's viable. I'll never use it. I know I won't. It's just wasted on me. I'm going to have to do my homework on it see what it's going for. I have no idea on that one. I don't pay any attention to rangefinder gear...

[Old Man]

Since everyone was posting photos of their Yashica camera's, I thought I would post mine. This is probably the step-child of the TLR's. But I rescued it from a garage sale, still in the original Yashica brown leather case with all components to convert to 35mm film. It seems to be in pristene condition, for the grand total of $5.00. I have had it about 16 years now and have been very happy with it.

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[magkelly]

I've always liked the looks of those. Not something I think I'd want to play with. I'm an SLR person, definitely, but I think the design on those is just plain sweet. I love the antique cameras up on a shelf. But they present too many challenges for me using them for real. I have enough trouble just getting 35mm film and getting it developed these days.

[RioRico]

I've always liked the looks of those. Not something I think I'd want to play with. I'm an SLR person, definitely, but I think the design on those is just plain sweet. I love the antique cameras up on a shelf. But they present too many challenges for me using them for real. I have enough trouble just getting 35mm film and getting it developed these days.

The Yashicamat 635 takes 135 carts, no problem. And I'm not sure about MF Yashicamats, but some 120|220 TLRs can also take 135 carts (using cheap simple adapters) for "sprocket-hole panos", always good fun. Processing 120|220 B&W film ain't no big thang. 620 cameras are another matter; some can take 120 spools, some can't, and respooling 120-->620 is a bit tedious. But AFAIK no Yashicamats were 620.

[rt22306]

One thing I'm planning to do this year is to fix a slight problem I've noticed on Pbase. I have a couple of Yashicas
for which there are no photos or only one posted as taken with them. My MG-1 (the test roll was fine last year), the FX-103, and the "new" 300 AF come to mind first. I also have the only images posted there from the T4 Zoom, and the Contax NX, and also another p&s-the Zoomate 110W. Not that many images from the GS. Kind of shocking how few there are from several Contax models. The NX is a large camera, and the controls take some learning; the lens tends to make images look almost as if there paintings, not photos.



I've got a Zeiss and some Retinas that need using also.

[grhazelton]

The thread jogged my memory. Somewhere around 1958 to 1961 a friend got a Yashica interchangeable lens rangefinder. We were all very impressed, as high school students would have been. Problem is it was based on the screw-mount Leica, and of course the M-3 had changed the world only a few years ago. Here's a link to a site which pictures it, a handsome beast based on the Nicca which Yashica had acquired.

(Yashica Electro G Variations and Accessories)

The site also has repair tips, etc, which would be of interest to Yashica owners out there, in addition to furnishing an excellent history of the marque.

I've always liked the baby Yashica, although finding film would be a problem. I really should see about getting my KomaFlex S repaired, it is a 127 leaf shutter SLR, to my knowledge the only one of its kind ever made. Any fellow owners out there?

BTW, I gather that Mark Hama is the go-to guy for Yashica repairs, he worked in the factory. http://markhama.com/

[ChrisPlatt]

I almost bought a Komaflex-S once. TLR repair specialist Karl A. Bryan has some experience with them.
I don't think he currently repairs them but he may know someone who does. Send me a PM if interested.

Chris