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 Picture courtesy of Wikipedia The Yashica Electro Thread Today we are going to be talking about a very special camera indeed: The Yashica Electro 35. Why should you care about this old, stinky fixed lens rangefinder you might ask? Simple: It takes really drat good pictures.  IMG_20141020_0001 by kgao1989, on Flickr IMG_20141020_0020 by kgao1989, on Flickr IMG_20141020_00019 by kgao1989, on FlickrNot bad for a camera that can usually be purchased for 20 bucks at flea markets. All were shot on mediocre film (Superia 400) and have poor composition. Still, you can see just how punchy, sharp, and contrasty the legendary Yashinon 45mm lens is. For less than the price of a cheap prime lens, you can buy a full camera with extremely excellent optics that can be stopped down all the way to 1.7. The Electro is also the first camera to have an electronically coupled shutter. This means that the camera actively records the amount of light in the scene and closes the shutter after the circuit has calculated that the exposure is adequate. This means this camera has no manual control except for the aperture. There are two lights telling you when the shutter speed is too slow or when the scene will be over-exposed. However, despite this limitation, the unique metering system has proven to be very reliable at metering all kinds of scenes, ranging from broad daylight to dark scenes. Although I have personally never used the camera at night, the Electro can accurately meter scenes for up to 30 seconds. Unlike an SLR camera, the image is taken through a viewfinder box. This means that you frame the image by the framelines, which are very bright and simple on the Electro. Also, there is a parallax error especially a close distances. Yashica Electros have a parallax compensation, which is very nice. Focusing on the Electro is accurate and pictures come out tack sharp. If you already have an Electro, post your pictures here! If not, these can be picked up extremely cheaply. 200-300k cameras were made in the 70s when it first debuted so they are very popular at garage sales, flea markets, and family attics. Ask your parents, uncles, and family friends, otherwise you can find them for pretty cheap online (I picked mine up for 20 bucks on craigslist). If you manage to find a good deal on one, I recommend first testing it to see if the metering system works. Then, I would remove the top cover to check on the condition of the pad (see below). If it is firm and visible then you are probably fine, if it is falling apart it may need to be replaced. These cameras are 40+ years old by now and any old camera needs some love before it can work to its full potential. Overall this camera is great and one of the best bang for your bucks in photography. You can obtain results equal to fancy cameras with 500+ dollar glass with something you can scavenge at a yard sale. It's also an opportunity to cheaply own a rangefinder if you don't already have one. Troubleshooting  20141013_211151 by kgao1989, on FlickrView of the Electro with the top cover taken off. The pad can be visible right above the "A" on the "Yashica" lettering. On many Electros, especially non-GSN versions, there is a switch coupling pad that tends to be eroded over time. This causes a poor connection with the camera's metering system, and makes the exposures very wacky. This problem is called the pad of death (POD). To check the condition of your pad, the easiest way is to see if the camera makes a dull clunking sound when winding (this is the only camera where a clunking sound is normal and desired!). If the sound is absent, the pad may be worn. Also, you may take off the top cover and directly inspect the physical condition of the pad. There are two methods of replacing the pad, an invasive method which involves taking apart the entire camera, or a micro-surgery method where the pad can be replaced without a full disassembly. I managed to replace the pad on mine with the micro surgery method. A guide to the full method and the micro surgery method . When taking off the top cover to perform either of these methods, you may as well clean the rangefinder glass cover and adjust the rangefinder mechanism (also in one of the above links). Once you replace the pad, the rods may need adjusted. This is especially true if you are having wonky shutter speeds (camera fires at 1/500, or stays open forever until you hit the wind lever). The best instructions for rod adjustment are found here. lollybo fucked around with this message at 17:44 on Oct 31, 2014 |
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Oct 31, 2014 17:30
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 09:32 |
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pity reply <---
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Nov 4, 2014 07:09
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Always found electros pretty charming. Have one on my shelf that was gifted to me in immaculate condition that I've been meaning to try out, but where do you get batteries for these things? Or are you supposed to get adapter casings to fit newer batteries or something? The only thing that doesn't look pristine on mine seems to be the battery chamber which had a burst battery sitting in it for several years by the looks of it, there's some corrosion on the inside of the cap and some gunk on the spring inside the camera body itself. Is the yellow diamond in the viewfinder supposed to be dead center too? mine sits a little up and to the left of center for some reason.
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Nov 6, 2014 05:30
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diddy kongs feet posted:Always found electros pretty charming. Have one on my shelf that was gifted to me in immaculate condition that I've been meaning to try out, but where do you get batteries for these things? Or are you supposed to get adapter casings to fit newer batteries or something? The only thing that doesn't look pristine on mine seems to be the battery chamber which had a burst battery sitting in it for several years by the looks of it, there's some corrosion on the inside of the cap and some gunk on the spring inside the camera body itself. Get a bunch of q-tips and a bunch of water, then a bunch of iso. It's not that hard to clean corrosion out, usually. If it's horrifically bad it might need a nailfile or a tiny piece of sandpaper.
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Nov 6, 2014 05:55
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I'd start with the iso and skip water entirely.
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Nov 6, 2014 20:41
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An antique shop near me had one of these for $100 and the lowest they would go was $80. I passed because it seemed a bit much and they go it in right after I had picked up a Lynx and had it CLA'd by Mark Hama. How's the finder patch on your lollybo? I had to put a piece of tape over mine so that the yellow green box stands out in moderate to low light.
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Nov 6, 2014 22:09
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diddy kongs feet posted:Always found electros pretty charming. Have one on my shelf that was gifted to me in immaculate condition that I've been meaning to try out, but where do you get batteries for these things? Or are you supposed to get adapter casings to fit newer batteries or something? The only thing that doesn't look pristine on mine seems to be the battery chamber which had a burst battery sitting in it for several years by the looks of it, there's some corrosion on the inside of the cap and some gunk on the spring inside the camera body itself. The battery is a common problem and mine had burst as well leaving residue everywhere. The standard trick is to use vinegar, perhaps use a q tip and dip it in some. It pretty much dissolves the gunk instantly. If the cap is fused and doesnt open don't force it. It is better to unscrew the bottom compartment (you will see three tiny screws, a jeweler's screwdriver or any small screwdriver should do the trick) and reveal the entire compartment versus forcing it off. Does the rectangle move when you turn the focusing ring? The rectangle is actually coupled to the focusing ring and moves when you focus, it goes from the top left of the viewfinder to the bottom right as you focus from infinity to close. if it moves chances are the mechanism is intact and your lens is probably just focused near.
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Nov 19, 2014 22:45
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 09:32 |
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voodoorootbeer posted:An antique shop near me had one of these for $100 and the lowest they would go was $80. I passed because it seemed a bit much and they go it in right after I had picked up a Lynx and had it CLA'd by Mark Hama. How's the finder patch on your lollybo? I had to put a piece of tape over mine so that the yellow green box stands out in moderate to low light. Haha that is a bit much I think, it is pretty easy to pick these up for 20. At least that is how much I paid for mine. The finder on my electro is pretty bright- I actually took off the top cover to clean the glass and it made a little bit of a difference. I actually went up to charleston last weekend and took some pics, looking forward to getting the roll developed and seeing how they turned out.
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Nov 19, 2014 22:47
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