New camera, electro 35 GSN

Nein-reis · Oct 3, 2007

Just picked up this new toy.

1973 Yashica Electro 35 GSN

This guy is sweet.

Lens: Color Yashinon DX 45mm 1:1.7-16 (WOW!)

Shutter speeds B, 1/30, 30s-1/500 aperture priority (Yes thats 30 seconds)

:thumbup:

ZedU54 · Oct 3, 2007

:stun: ...it's been 30 years since I've seen one of these!!...when I was in USAF basic training (in 1978), a fellow in my flight bought one...which helped pique my desire to get a 'real' camera (which went unfulfilled until very recently)...that's a rangefinder (right?...I know it isn't an SLR...)

usayit · Oct 3, 2007

WoW... looks EXACTLY like mine... mine also came with the wide and telephoto screw on lenses too. Unfortunately, I haven't obtained a battery to make use of it yet.

Nein-reis · Oct 4, 2007

ZedU54 No its not a SLR. Seems these were really sought after in the 70's. Glad I could bring back a memmory for you.

usayit Mine came with two batteries, and I'm shooting a roll of monochrome with it now. I took it apart yesterday, and everything looks great... the seals are perfect and there is no corrosion. The 1:1.7-16 blows me away! This is a fun little camera.

ThomThomsk · Oct 4, 2007

Nice! Those Yashica's have a few common issues which sound like they haven't happened on your camera yet, but after 30 years there's a chance they will. This website has useful information on how to repair the "pad of death" and other problems yourself:

http://www.yashica-guy.com/document/repair.html#nine

I bought a battery adapter for a GSN from this guy, so I could use a modern battery in mine, and he seems to know what he is talking about.

Thomsk

Nein-reis · Oct 4, 2007

Wown thanks Thomsk. I'll check that out, how does your adapter work? I cant find replacement batterys for this.

ThomThomsk · Oct 5, 2007

Nein-reis said:
Wown thanks Thomsk. I'll check that out, how does your adapter work? I cant find replacement batterys for this.

It's a piece of plastic tubing with a washer and copper stud in one end, and a modern 6 volt S28 size battery slides inside it. The whole thing then fits in your Yashica's battery compartment. See this page:

http://www.yashica-guy.com/document/battery.html

malkav41 · Oct 9, 2007

I have 2 of these cameras. They are super sweet RF's. For batteries I use 28L's from Duracell, I wrapped a piece of a 5 roll film box around the battery until it fit snug (a cereal box piece will also work) , and then I used a spring to go from the battery post to the battery cover. It works like a charm.

I hope you are enjoying your new toy. I do mine.

Here's one of them:

luis_relampago · Oct 29, 2007

Here is my mint condition Yashica Electro 35 GSN

EZzing · Oct 29, 2007

You have ONE BEAUTIFUL CAMERA THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish mine came with all the goodies yours did!! WHAT A GREAT FIND!!!!!!!

I did basically the same thing as Malkav41. I found a duracell 28L. Then I got a small cone shaped spring from ace hardware and I stretched the spring a bit to make good contact. Mine fired right up with everything working perfectly!

I'm not sure I made the best battery choice, but it works and the adapter spring was .40 cents.

I'm going to try and find a couple of O rings to fit the battery and keep it centered in the compartment, but not be so tight as to make removing the battery difficult. In the meantime, the cardboard works great!!

Bill

Blackbelt93 · Dec 10, 2007

hey i found my dads old gsn electro from 68' but where do u buy the lens from i've been looking for them and i cant find'm. also battery? can i just use a AA warped in some cardboard?

malkav41 · Dec 29, 2007

Blackbelt93, the lens on the Electro 35 GSN is not interchangable, but there were some screw-on tele and wide angle lenses.

Double A batteries will not work as the camera requires 5.6 to 6 volts to operate.

jwkwd · Jan 1, 2008

Great looking camera! Not to be off track, but ZedU54, I was in USAF basic training in 1978.

MadisonWI · Jan 4, 2008

I have owned three of these and they're one of my favorite cameras. The pictures it can take are amazing, even with cheapo film! Seems like they have less problems than a lot of my other old cameras, too.

I also have a like-mint set of the auxilliary lenses and they're great as well (Hmm... I guess I haven't tried the telephoto yet ...)

If anybody is interested, I'll be selling a GSN with a set of Auxilliary lenses and finder soon on eBay (will probably start this weekend - user name "BoardBikeWake"). For the money, I don't think you can get a nicer camera!

PS - Cut out a small piece of the cardboard that lightbulbs come in and wrap it around the battery - this works well teamed up with a spring to hold the battery in place!

gsga · Jan 15, 2008

weird, was just reading up on these... beautifully designed, strange cams! i saw 2 of these last year in a 2nd hand shop... now i'm kicking myself for not picking them up!