My new baby!

[BTilson]

Picked up a 100% functional Yashica A TLR at the local "real" camera place today. Haven't shot anything with it yet, but I fully intend to! Got it for $100, the nice guy there had it tagged at $120, gave it to me for $100 and threw in a free roll of 120 Tri-X.

I'm pretty stoked!

Here is the camera I got (not MINE, specifically, but one just like it)

 

[BTilson]

And here she is!

 

[Miss Sony]

That is really cool. I love buying stuff from the "good ole days".

 

[BTilson]

I agree completely. There's just something more "real" about it all. They were actually cameras, instead of computers with a lens attached.

 

[Paul Ron]

I love those Yashicas. They are such great, and very overlooked, cameras. The picures will blow you away. What I enjoy are all the comments I get when shooting it on the street. People always seem to remember their father or grand parents having one.

The other thing you will imediately notice when shooting it is... how quiet it is. You are never really sure if you took the pictures or not because there is no feedback like my RB or ETRS confirms when the barn door of a mirror comes slamming up, telling you it's done. All you will hear is a very faint zit and the deed is done.

BTW The old crispy leatherete, very common on these oldies, can be replaced. The leatherete can be bought from MicroTools or any other camera supply as a self stick stuff. It's easy to do and your camera will look brand spanking new again.

Enjoy and be sure to post some of the pics here?

 

[BTilson]

I totally agree about how quiet it is. I actually sacrificed a shot just so I could be in front of the lens to make sure the shutter was actually working. Should be an interesting self portrait, at least.

Thanks so much for the link to microtools! The leatherette on the front of the camera is completely gone, and it is probably 95% gone off of one side, and is missing from several of the knobs. I really appreciate it.

As soon as I can scrape together the cash to get my first roll developed, I will definitely share!

 

[RyanLilly]

Cool, I just got a Yashica C from a member of this forum. I'm only 4 shots into a roll, but I cannot wait to see my first shots(and find out if I need to reseal the back for light leaks)

 

[Paul Ron]

It is very rare to do seals since htey are the velvet type and never seem to go. The major problem with Yashicas is the shutter needing a good cleaning. Few have advance problems but the part that goes is easy enough to make new. If yours is working, shoot the hell out of it and enjoy the great pics. This is probably one of the most overlooked TLR on the market. Everyone wants a Rollie but they have no idea what they are missing.

 

[beala]

Beautiful. I'm just now learning how to develop BW 35mm film. The next step of the addiction is, of course, to start shooting and developing medium format. Nice find! I hope to have one soon, too.

 

[stephen]

I can't see your picture here at work through our firewall but I've got an old Yashica 635. It has the 35mm conversion kit, wide angle and telephoto converter lenses, cover and case, and is one of the 4 element lenses according to the serial number. I've had a blast using it. So much so that I bought a Mamiya c330 just so I'd own two TLR cameras. Now I'm learning how to use both.

Right now I'm concentrating on the Mamiya C330. But a neighbor who has been big into photography for decades wants to go out shooting with me, using my two TLR's and some black and white. So in a couple of weeks we plan to do it. Should be fun. I'm hopefully about to acquire the last accessory I want for the Mamiya and then stop spending $$$ on it!

Right now I'm waiting for my second run of film on the Mamiya to come back. Hopefully I've corrected the problems I encountered on the first roll in not accounting for Parallax and a slight light leak. I've replace the light seals and actually taped the back of the camera with black electrical tape after loading to make sure no light got in. The door on mine is a little twisted and that might have let the light in. Electrical tape is cheap compared to the cost of buying and developing film and new seals may not be enough to do the trick so what the heck, I'll also use a little tape each time to make sure nothing goes wrong.

 

[Big]

What year is that thing?! (or century! lol)

 

[compur]

The leatherette on the front of the camera is completely gone, and it is probably 95% gone off of one side, and is missing from several of the knobs. I really appreciate it.

A pre-cut custom leather kit for your "A" is available at low cost from:
Cameraleather Yashica TLR page

 

[Josh66]

Congrats!

Where's my cigar?