Yashica-Mat differences?

Paul Ron · Sep 8, 2007

I have 2 Yashicamats in my reapir shop and want to know the differences and maybe a date of manufacture and which is more desireable.

The older Yashicamat....
It has a different logo on the hood, not the typical Y in a circle.
The serial number on the top of the viewfinder is 65427.
There are no markings on the winder side tank.
The lens is a Lumaxar 75mm 3.5, taking lens s/n 42755, viewer s/n 62806
The door clasp in the front is more like a hook shape flat metal.
There are 4 steps up to the front oval YASHICA MAT logo
Everything else seems typical of Yashicamats

The newer looking Yashicamat...
It has a tyical logo on the hood, the Y in a circle.
The serial number on the top of the viewfinder is 5871381
There are markings on the winder side tank, says
Yashima Opt. IND. CO. LTD, made in Japan.
The lens is a Lumaxar 80mm 3.5, taking lens s/n 30486, viewer s/n 63658
The door clasp in the front is a square shaped metal.
There are 5 steps up to the front oval YASHICA MAT logo
Everything else seems typical of Yashicamats.

I haven't been able to find these differences listed anywhere on the internet and would like to know a bit more about the differences?

Thanks,
Paul Ron, NYC

Mitica100 · Sep 8, 2007

Paul, there are some variations with same name cameras, I wish I knew more about what you describe. I can only direct you to the one and only Mark Hama, whom used to work for Yashica and guaranteed knows a lot about them. His website is:

http://www.markhama.com/

Send him a query. Good luck and if you find out, let me know, I would like to know also.

Paul Ron · Sep 8, 2007

Spent all day doing Google n forum searches adn all I can find is this from PhotoNet...

Tom O'Brien, Jul 29, 2007; 05:42 a.m.

Hello Dmitri,

The Lumaxar lenses were only used by Yashica for about one year. Very few were 75mm and I would think that 95% of all Lumaxar lenses used were 80mm. I also have a Mat with Lumaxar 80mm lenses. Both the lenses and the shutter used with them are odd and unlike all other Yashica TLRs. Differences are: (1) Above the Y on the name plate you will see the ? registration symbol. (2) The shutter speed settings are: B, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500. All other Yashicas are: B, 1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250 and 500. (3) All other Yashica TLR lenses were make by the Tomioka Optical Company but the Lumaxar were made in West Germany. Some people say the Lumaxar lenses were made by Tomioka but Mark Hama says they came from Germany and were installed in the Nagano, Japan factory. I also read an article, written by a professor of photography at SMU in Texas, in which he stated that the color coating used on the Lumaxar was only available in German at the time they were used. When the Lumaxar was used the best Yashica lens was the 3 element/3 group Yashikor and the 4 element/3 group Yashinon was not being produced. The Lumaxar was however a 4 element/3 group lens very similar to the Zeiss Tessar. All Lumaxar lenses are rare but the 75mm is more rare than the 80mm. Your can remove the viewing screen by removing 4 tiny screws. Once removed you can clean the mirror and the back of the viewing lens but you will not be able to clean the rear of the taking lens. That job should be left to a professional camera repairman. The serial on mine is 70434 and I would think that your's is lower ... let me know.

Tom

Mitica100 · Sep 8, 2007

I looked at mine and it seems to be like your newer version, 5 step viewfinder, SN 75350 and it has the <EP> to the left of it. It's a 80/3.5 Lumaxar SN 118161 and the viewing lens is also a Lumaxar SN 119319. It has the yellow Y in front of a silver triangle, all enclosed in a black with silver rims medallion that sits on top of the folding viewfinder.

I believe the gentleman that inquired about it, his name is Dmitri, also asked me a few questions about a Yashica with Lumaxar a few months ago and I directed him to the PhotoNet. We kept in touch briefly, since we do share a very similar first name.

I do think that Mark Hama might have the right answers...

Paul Ron · Sep 9, 2007

Another interesting responce is this one on PhotoNet which is very interesting about the name change...

Hi, Paul Your newer-looking Y'Mat is actually a very early model, mate. The first Y'Mats from around 1957 had "Lumaxar" lenses, which was changed to "Yashinon" after a couple of years reputedly because of legal threats from a British lens maker (Wray?) who had used a similar name for years. Apparently though, despite the change of name, they are optically identical being the same excellent Tessar-style 4 element design.

It's all coming together, how much is actual fact is another mission. Thanks, lets see what else we find.

.

Mitica100 · Sep 9, 2007

Oh, that is interesting, I didn't know that about Wray. Worth looking into it.

Thanks for sharing.

Mitica100 · Sep 9, 2007

More info I found:

According "The Evolution of the Japanese camera", Condax and others NY 1984, Yashicamats never used a German lens, the Lumaxar used for the Yashicamat was made by Tomioka; Tomioka was the exclusive lens supplier for Yashica from late 1949, becoming a Yashica affiliate/subsidiary in 1968, and named the Tomioka Optical Corporation from 1969. Tomioka was lens provider for other cameras manufacturers too; after the war Tomioka developed a triplet called "Tri-Lausar" for the mass market. Tomioka became the Kyocera Optics division on 1983 and it was in the Tomioka plant where Carl Zeiss lenses were manufactured for Japanese cameras. The Lumaxar is a Tessar copy and it became "Yashinon" when Japan was allowed to export cameras to countries where there were registered names very similar regarding the name "Lumaxar", it seems one of the countries with this name issue was UK. Tomioka manufactured Japanese lenses from 1933 despite it was cheaper to import German lenses, but situation changed after the war."

...from the Rangefinder Forum.

Mitica100 · Sep 9, 2007

And yet more info...

...the Lumaxar 80mm/f3.5 emerged in early 1959, the older version of it, the Lumaxar 75mm/f3.5 was being made around 1956-57.

About manufacturer of lens:

The manufacturing company was founded around 1924, when Masashige Tomioka started the Tomioka Kogaku Kenkusho area Shin-agava, Tokyo, a company for photographic lenses for military and industrial purposes. In 1932, they changed the name to Tomioka Kōgaku Kikai Seizōsho. In 1933 they started being the lens manufacturer for various TLR camera makers in Japan, including the Yashica. They made lenses such as: Tominon, Tominor, Tri-Lausar, Tomi-Kogaku, Auto-Tominon, Tomi-Yashinon, Yashimar, Yashikor, Yashinon, Heliotar and Lumaxar. In the end, the company produced the best lenses for Yashica and was their exclusive supplier. Yashica acquired Tomioka Kogaku in 1968. Tomioka changed its name to Tomioka Kōgaku K.K. (Tomioka Optical Co. , Ltd). in 1969. The same factory produced lenses for some German cameras (licensed by Carl Zeiss) made in Japan, such as the Contax. In fact, they made lenses with the direct participation of some specialists and equipment brought from Germany by Zeiss. In 1983, Tomioka became part of a group of companies under the name Kyocera, following the recent merger with Yashica. Finally in 1991, they became Kyocera Optec Co. , Ltd.