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Re: Yashica SLR Digest V1 #10
Cees,
I think your best bet on the simulated leather body for your FX-3 is
some gaffer tape. It will look OK and will need to be replaced once in
a while but it will be serviceable. The simulated leather on Yashica is
one of their weak points.
Regarding macro lenses and short telephoto lenses there is a 100mm f/4
Yashica macro. I've seen this lens listed but have never tried it out.
Cannot remember if it is an ML.
Robert
Yashica SLR Digest wrote:
>
> Yashica SLR Digest Thursday, September 18 1997 Volume 01 : Number 010
>
> In this issue:
>
> FX-3 leather?
> Yashica FAQ
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 13:33:06 +0200
> From: Cees de Groot <cg@pobox.com>
> Subject: FX-3 leather?
>
> Hi,
>
> Just bought, for US$60, an FX3, 50/2ML and 135/2.8ML (talk about bargains
> :-)). The FX-3 is ok mechanically, but the top layer of the leather on the
> body is almost gone. Leave it (and point the lower layer black), glue new
> leather on it, any hints?
>
> Regards
>
> Cees
> - --
> Cees de Groot http://pobox.com/~cg <cg@pobox.com>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Thu, 18 Sep 1997 14:13:48 +0200
> From: Cees de Groot <cg@pobox.com>
> Subject: Yashica FAQ
>
> What follows is the current version of the Yashica SLR FAQ, any additions are
> welcomed. If you prefer another format, please visit the Yashica corner on my
> homepage, http://pobox.com/~cg/photo/yashica/. Yashica SLR FAQ
> Cees de Groot <mailto:cg@pobox.com>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
>
> Table of Contents
>
> 1. Introduction
>
> 1.1 What info about Yashica is available on the Web?
> 1.2 Should I buy Yashica?
> 1.3 The brand Yashica
>
> 2. What Yashica 35mm SLR bodies are available?
>
> 2.1 FR-1
> 2.2 FR-2
> 2.3 FX-3
> 2.4 FX-3 Super 2000
> 2.5 109MP
>
> 3. What lenses are available?
>
> 3.1 What's the difference between Yashica DSB and Yashica ML lenses?
> 3.2 Wide-angle
> 3.3 Normal
> 3.4 Moderate telephoto
> 3.5 Telephoto
>
> 4. And what about accessories?
>
> ______________________________________________________________________
>
> 1. Introduction
>
> Welcome to the Yashica SLR FAQ. This FAQ, a work in progress, is meant
> to collect knowledge on the range of 35mm SLR cameras, lenses and
> accessories made by Yashica. This is $Revision: 1.3 $ of the FAQ.
>
> This FAQ is available on the World Wide Web, in several formats:
>
> o HTML format <http://pobox.com/~cg/photo/yashica/yashica-slr-
> faq.html>
>
> o SGML format <http://pobox.com/~cg/photo/yashica/yashica-slr-
> faq.sgml>
>
> o plain text <http://pobox.com/~cg/photo/yashica/yashica-slr-faq.txt>
>
> o PostScript <http://pobox.com/~cg/photo/yashica/yashica-slr-faq.ps>
>
> If you have any problems, suggestions, or questions, please contact
> the maintainer, Cees de Groot <mailto:cg@pobox.com>.
>
> 1.1. What info about Yashica is available on the Web?
>
> Probably more than I'm aware of. Here's my list:
>
> o I'm maintaining a mailing list, the Yashica SLR Digest. You can
> subscribe to the digest by sending a mail to
> majordomo@evrl.xs4all.nl with in the body the line:
>
> subscribe yashica-slr-digest
>
> o I've also dedicated a part of my homepage
> <http://pobox.com/~cg/photo/yashica> to the topic. Information on
> the mailing list and the FAQ is over there and more might be added
> in the future.
>
> o On the Usenet, these newsgroups are relevant:
>
> o rec.photo.equipment.35mm, about 35mm equipment in general. Lots of
> this is of course about the big brands, but you'll find something
> about Yashica as well, occasionally.
>
> o rec.photo.marketplace, where buyers and sellers meet. Yashica stuff
> is regularly offered over here.
>
> o Information about the currentl line of Yashica SLR products can be
> found on Yashica's corporate Website <http://www.yashica.com>.
>
> 1.2. Should I buy Yashica?
>
> As usual, it depends. I started with Yashica because I lend my fathers
> camera and I didn't want to spend a whole lot on new equipment.
> Actually, I did spend a whole lot on a Nikon camera a year ago, but I
> found that autofocus didn't really work with me and that I couldn't
> afford the Nikon glass I wanted anyway. So I sold that and bought a
> lot of Yashica stuff for the money.
>
> The great thing about Yashica is that it is completely underrated. The
> market is so small and demand is so low, that prices are way below
> what you pay for other brands, with comparable quality. Most people
> are quite positive about the quality Yashica delivers (both mechanical
> and optical).
>
> The bad thing about Yashica is that the market is so small and supply
> is so low, that it can be quite hard to find something you need. More
> often than not, you are stuck with the option of forgoing a particular
> accessory or buying something with Contax on it, which is a quite
> expensive brand.
>
> With mentioning Contax, there's the second great thing. The upgrade
> path is unique. You start with a Yashica body and Yashica glass, then
> upgrade to Carl Zeiss lenses, and finally upgrade to Contax bodies. In
> the meantime, you have your old Yashica stuff as a backup system,
> everything is completely interchangable.
>
> 1.3. The brand Yashica
>
> I need some history here. Yashica has been around for quite a while,
> and some old camera's, especially the twin-reflex camera's for the
> medium format, are still quite popular. Nowadays, Yashica is a part of
> Kyocera, and fills in the low half of the photo market for this
> corporation (Contax fills in the upper half).
>
> Yashica has been making 35mm cameras for a long time; the current line
> started with the introduction in the 70's of the Yashica/Contax mount
> (which we'll call the Y/C mount from now on) that is still in use.
> Older cameras are probably just collectors items by now, but I'd like
> to be filled in here.
>
> 2. What Yashica 35mm SLR bodies are available?
>
> All Yashica bodies are manual focus. This list is probably incomplete,
> and I can only describe the FR-1 because that's the body I own. Please
> fill me in here.
>
> 2.1. FR-1
>
> A body with an electronic shutter and TTL metering put onto the market
> together with the Contax RTS, with which it can share most accesories.
> It's a very simple classic body, with an aperture-priority mode and
> manual modes with shutter speeds from 1/1000th to 1 second and bulb.
> Exposure compensation is possible +2 to -2 in full steps, film
> sensitivity can be set from 12 to 3200 ASA. The front of the body
> sports a flash connector, the self-timer and a depth-of-field preview
> button. The rear has a button to activate the meter, which can be
> locked by the film winding lever. Next to the meter is the socket for
> the remote control cord. The 92% viewfinder shows diafragm, metered
> shutter speed and a manual mode indicator. You can attach an FR winder
> to the bottom and replace the back with a databack.
>
> 2.2. FR-2
>
> I once held one briefly, and it looked to me as an FR-1 with some
> cosmetic changes. Anyone out there who knows the differences?
>
> 2.3. FX-3
>
> A fully mechanical body with a simple metering system. I have never
> seen a more basic body: you can set shutter time and film speed, there
> is a button to switch on the TTL meter, a film wind lever, the shutter
> release, a timer lever, and a lens unlock button. That's all there is.
> Nice points: it's very compact and light-weight, you have mirror lock-
> up with the timer, and it doesn't need batteries to operate.
>
> 2.4. FX-3 Super 2000
>
> Current version of the FX-3. Differences?
>
> 2.5. 109MP
>
> A body with a built-in motorwinder. I assume that this is supposed to
> be the replacement for the FR line?
>
> 3. What lenses are available?
>
> Yashica shares its mount with Contax, which means that you can use
> Contax Zeiss T* lenses, which are rated most of the time somewhere
> between Nikon and Leica. Furthermore, most aftermarket brands support
> the Y/C mount so you can add Tamron, Tokina, Vivitar and Sigma lenses
> to your system. There is a brand named Sun that I only have seen on
> Y/C mount lenses - maybe somebody can tell me more about them.
>
> This FAQ will only discuss Yashica lenses; we'll discuss other brands
> only where the Yashica lens line leaves gaps.
>
> 3.1. What's the difference between Yashica DSB and Yashica ML lenses?
>
> According to Gary Schloss <mailto:schloss@datadepot.com>:
>
> [...], my understanding is that the DSB lenses are single-
> coated, whereas the ML ones are multicoated (ML = Multi-
> Layer).
>
> Question: what about macro lenses?
>
> 3.2. Wide-angle
>
> 28/2.8 DSB
> I bought mine second-hand for around US$70. It seems quite
> sharp, and the photographer I bought it from agrees with me:
> before he had made the investment in a Zeiss 28mm, he used it
> for wedding stuff on his Contax and found the results quite
> satisfactory.
>
> I think there are more wide angle lenses. Which ones?
>
> 3.3. Normal
>
> 50/2.0 ML
> Basic 50mm glass. I have one, but never use it.
>
> 50/1.9 ML
> I have one as a backup, but I don't use it much so I can't tell
> anything about it.
>
> 50/1.7 ML
> Mine looks busted, because I had to take it apart in order to
> clean the aperture blades and had to damages a couple of screws
> in the process. At least this inside look left me with a good
> impression of the lens innards - I couldn't discover any
> significant parts in plastic, everything was metal. I can't
> complain about its sharpness, I think it is a very fine lens.
>
> 50/1.4 ML
>
> 3.4. Moderate telephoto
>
> 135/2.8 ML
>
> Is there a shorter telephoto as well, say 90mm?
>
> 3.5. Telephoto
>
> 200/4 ML
> A nice piece of glass. It's not very big, it feels rugged, and I
> think the lens is quite sharp. I've made great hand-held shots
> wide-open, which look sharp and show a very pleasing ``bokeh''
> (bokeh is how the out-of-focus stuff looks like, in short). As
> usual, it is dead cheap.
> I've heard of a 300/5.6 and a 500/8 (mirror). Am I correct?
>
> 4. And what about accessories?
>
> To be setup. Could probably mention the components of the Yashica
> Dental system, remote control cords, flashes, teleconverters,
> extension rings, etcetera. Any information is welcome.
>
> - --
> Cees de Groot http://pobox.com/~cg <cg@pobox.com>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of Yashica SLR Digest V1 #10
> ********************************
>
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