Ever heard of Yashica cameras?

[mjs1973]

I ran across a Yashica 35mm SLR kit at a garage sale today. It seemed to be in pretty good shape, and came with a couple of zoom lenses 42-70mm (or something like that) and a 70-200mm or there abouts, some filters, flash, some film and a bag for $75. I didn't buy it, but I was a bit intreaged by it. I have never heard of that brand before, so I didn't really know if that was a good price or not, and I didn't think I would use another manual film camera since I shoot more and more with digital.

Anyway, the one thing that I found really interesting (read odd) is how the zoom lenses worked. They were just the opposite of every lense I have ever seen before. As I extended the lens outward, away from the camera body, the field of view got wider. As I pulled the lens back towards the camera, it zoomed in on the subject. I don't remember the brand name on the lenses, but it just seemed odd. Anyone ever seen or used lenses like this before?

[EOSThree]

I used to have a Yashica T4 35mm point and shoot for my back up. It's was a good little camera. I have never seen the lenses you describe, interesting. I think Kyocera bought Yashica.

[Chunk]

Back in the pre pentaprism days there were a lot of Yashica TLRs around. They were an entry level / advanced amatuer medium format camera that had an excellent reputation and you'd see them being used by a lot of advanced amatuers, tourists, and highschool yearbook types. I think they were late getting onto the SLR bandwagon because they were so successful with the TLR and probably couldn't make up the momentum that Pentax, Nikon, Canon, Minolta and others had developed. I would guess that their SLR gear would be pretty good but google I'm sure would tell you a lot more.

[mattp]

I've got a Yashica T4 Zoom compact camera - as EOSthree says, they are owned by Kyocera, and are sold as a sort of (very) budget version of the Contax brand name. The lens on the little T4 is by Zeiss, its a great little camera but not sure if that helps you at all!

[almo]

I ran across a Yashica 35mm SLR kit at a garage sale today. It seemed to be in pretty good shape, and came with a couple of zoom lenses 42-70mm (or something like that) and a 70-200mm or there abouts, some filters, flash, some film and a bag for $75. I didn't buy it, but I was a bit intreaged by it. I have never heard of that brand before, so I didn't really know if that was a good price or not, and I didn't think I would use another manual film camera since I shoot more and more with digital.

Anyway, the one thing that I found really interesting (read odd) is how the zoom lenses worked. They were just the opposite of every lense I have ever seen before. As I extended the lens outward, away from the camera body, the field of view got wider. As I pulled the lens back towards the camera, it zoomed in on the subject. I don't remember the brand name on the lenses, but it just seemed odd. Anyone ever seen or used lenses like this before?

Woulda been a real good buy if you coulda talked em down to 50 bucks.

[mjs1973]

Woulda been a real good buy if you coulda talked em down to 50 bucks.

I thought about it, and they even told me if I see anything I like, to make them an offer. I was tempted, but like I said, I had never even heard of that brand before, and I don't think I would use another manual film body that much. Especially since it doesn't match any of the gear that I already have. Now if it was an old Canon A1, I would not by posting this, cause I would be playing with my newly acquired toy. I'm sure they didn't sell it, so if I change my mind, I can always pay them a visit.

[another view]

As I extended the lens outward, away from the camera body, the field of view got wider. As I pulled the lens back towards the camera, it zoomed in on the subject.

A long time ago, I had a Pentax K1000 and one of my lenses was a Vivitar tele zoom (about 80-200 range). It worked that way too. That's really the only push-pull zoom I've really used except for a Nikon 35-70 that I had for a short time (playing camera broker). I think that one worked the way you describe too. Nikon made the first of their many versions of 80-200 f2.8 as a push-pull but I've never used it. I like two-ring zooms better though, especially with AF.

Yashica was a pretty popular brand "back in the day". I think that was correct about that name being bought by Kyocera (along with Contax) and I think I read recently that the Yashica name is being phased out. As long as it worked properly, it should be a good camera to use - but if it doesn't match any of your other lenses then it might not be too useful.

[Michael Fanelli]

I ran across a Yashica 35mm SLR kit at a garage sale today.

Not really relevent, but my first real camera was the fixed lens Yashica 35-GSN that took wonderful photos back in the days when the model was current.

[Photo-John]

I used to have a Yashica T4 35mm point and shoot for my back up.

The Yashica T4 Super - That was one of my favorite cameras ever. I had two of them and both were stolen. I'm positive the thieves had no idea what they'd stolen. The Zeiss 35mm lens was awesome and the spot meter was good enough for shooting slides. That's almost all I ever shot with mine. Some of my favorite mountain bike photos ever were taken with that camera. The Yashica T4 Super had a secret cult following among pro skateboard photographers. You could always have it with you, and it would never let you down. I sure miss those cameras.

[Axle]

$75.00 for that kit!!!!! wow, why, why, why didn't you buy that???

As a garage saler myself, and having picked up my SRT-102 and most of the equipment for only $20.00 I would have at least extended an offer of $60.00, but would have paid $75.00 for it to!

[Lemming51]

$75.00 for that kit!!!!! wow, why, why, why didn't you buy that???

As a garage saler myself, and having picked up my SRT-102 and most of the equipment for only $20.00 I would have at least extended an offer of $60.00, but would have paid $75.00 for it to!

Agreed. Just about any clean working 35mm SLR is worth ~$75-100, even w/o a lens. Some of the Yashica models were pretty sweet. Older models had the Pentax "universal" M-42 screw mount. The later bayonet mount was shared with Contax. Some Yashica/Contax lenses were Zeiss-design, such as Zeiss Planar T* 50mm f/1.4.

User manuals are available here: http://www.butkus.org/chinon/.

[mjs1973]

I did consider making an offer on it, but chose not to in the end. I thought it was pretty cheap at that price, and I'm sure I could have gotten it even cheaper. Everything that I own now is for Canon EOS, or FD, FL mount manual gear, and a totaly new system would just end up being neglected in the closet. I don't us my manual Canon gear all that often, and I know that had I bought this new set up, it would get used even less than the Canon manual gear does now.

But on the other hand, a backup film body would be nice to have just in case... See what you have done... I want to go look at it again now... :S

[mjs1973]

Ok, I broke down and called the people with the camera to find out exactly what model it was, and if it was still for sale. It is a Yahica FX-3 Super. Here is a link to the specs if you are interested. Turns out they sold the telephoto lense, but they still have the body, the shorter zoom lens, teleconverter, flash, close up filters and the bag and will sell it for $50. Had they not sold the telephoto lens, I might consider it, but now it's out of the question. If anyone is interested, keep your eye on ebay, because she said that's where it's going.

[setiprime]

In 1964, I bought a Yashica 8mm movie camera. It was powered by 6 AA batteries and had a powered zoom lens built in the unit.. Looked kind of like a 3M tape dispenser, the one with the handle sticking straight down. It took the standard 400ft reel of Kodak 8mm sprocketed film, B&W was not too bad but boy was the color stuff expensive! I shot dozens of reels and showed them on an old Bell&howell projector. If you paused the film for more than 5 seconds, the heat from the bulb burned the film right up.
Yup - them were the good old days.

[megan]

My recently exxed has a Yashica, too bad he's not talking to me, otherwise, I could help with some more info. I've only got a TLR, not a 35mm. But I do love my Yashica Mat!

Megan