pentaxpete
Junior Member
Old FILM Bloke but 'Gone a Bit Digital ' sometimes
Posts: 83
|
Post by pentaxpete on Jan 6, 2023 14:22:52 GMT
'SAVED FROM THE DUMP' !! I got a phone call from our Hon Sec at Brentwood Photo Club saying that if I got to West Horndon 'Sharpish' there was a Bloke who was going to DUMP his Deceased Dad's 'Old Camera gear' -- so I rushed there and bloke brought out a dusty box ( Wife would DIVORCE me if she saw me bringing home Other People's Old Rubbish-- ) BUT inside were filthy cameras lenses winders etc etc -- A YASHICA FR-1 with 3 lenses, CONTAX RTS II Quartz with flash , winder and 50mm f1.4 PLANAR T* -- well I SMUGGLED it into my Darkroom while Wife was out and cleaned it all up and ENJOYED -- YASHICA FR-1 outfit  Yashica gear by Peter Elgar, on Flickr CONTAX RTS III QUartz  Contax RTS II Quartz by Peter Elgar, on Flickr  Contax with Flash by Peter Elgar, on Flickr |
|
|
|
Post by gray1720 on Jan 8, 2023 18:11:12 GMT
Dunno about the Yashica, but the Contax gets a PHWOAR! From me!
|
|
|
|
Post by John Farrell on Jan 8, 2023 18:37:22 GMT
Dunno about the Yashica, but the Contax gets a PHWOAR! From me! The Yashica was a reasonable camera - made by Cosina, I think. A lot of SLR cameras were made by Cosina, in the latter days of film. |
|
|
|
Post by nickr on Jan 8, 2023 22:19:44 GMT
Dunno about the Yashica, but the Contax gets a PHWOAR! From me! The Yashica was a reasonable camera - made by Cosina, I think. A lot of SLR cameras were made by Cosina, in the latter days of film. No, the FR1 was very much Yashica-made. It's basically a somewhat simpler version of the original RTS, from the exact same factories. The FR series comprised the FR, FR1 and FR11 - the FR was a manual exposure only SLR, the FR1 an aperture priority/manual one, and the FR11 an aperture priority only one. All had an electronically controlled shutter. The cameras were capable of sharing lenses and accessories, including winders, with the RTS. The FR1 was the camera I lusted after at the time, as a cheap(er) way into the Contax system. And it's quite nice, but I've come to much prefer the Contax 139 Quartz instead. I quite like the FR, too, although in general, I think the idea of a manual exposure only SLR with an electronic shutter is barmy. The RTS III is an astonishing bit of kit. Bloody heavy, though! That's saved me from trying to buy one.  |
|
|
|
Post by John Farrell on Jan 8, 2023 22:28:39 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by nickr on Jan 8, 2023 22:39:19 GMT
Indeed. Much more basic than the FR range, but not without their own charm. |
|
|
|
Post by zx9 on Jan 9, 2023 10:14:17 GMT
The FR was a great manual camera which I really enjoyed using, I also had a FR1 which was a slightly crippled mk1 RTS the RST was a great camera in manual mode with all the viewfinder info needed. From memory, it is over thirty years since I had the FR1, in manual mode it would show you its shutter speed that it would have used in Auto but not what speed you had set, not a major thing but sufficiently less good than the FR or RTS that I quickly sold the FR1 and bought a 137MA.
I used the 137MA for twenty plus years until the mirror slipped causing it to lock up when using certain lenses.
|
|
|
|
Post by nickr on Jan 9, 2023 10:34:29 GMT
The FR was a great manual camera which I really enjoyed using, I also had a FR1 which was a slightly crippled mk1 RTS the RST was a great camera in manual mode with all the viewfinder info needed. From memory, it is over thirty years since I had the FR1, in manual mode it would show you its shutter speed that it would have used in Auto but not what speed you had set, not a major thing but sufficiently less good than the FR or RTS that I quickly sold the FR1 and bought a 137MA. I used the 137MA for twenty plus years until the mirror slipped causing it to lock up when using certain lenses. A very Contax thing to happen - my RX's mirror slipped, but I was able to glue it back in place. |
|
|
|
Post by zx9 on Jan 9, 2023 12:13:45 GMT
The FR was a great manual camera which I really enjoyed using, I also had a FR1 which was a slightly crippled mk1 RTS the RST was a great camera in manual mode with all the viewfinder info needed. From memory, it is over thirty years since I had the FR1, in manual mode it would show you its shutter speed that it would have used in Auto but not what speed you had set, not a major thing but sufficiently less good than the FR or RTS that I quickly sold the FR1 and bought a 137MA. I used the 137MA for twenty plus years until the mirror slipped causing it to lock up when using certain lenses. A very Contax thing to happen - my RX's mirror slipped, but I was able to glue it back in place. So I understand, it was a nice camera to use. I replaced it with an Aria and 45mm tessar which is both horrible and plastic and really well specified, though I enjoy using it I have not fallen in love with it. |
|
|
|
Post by nickr on Jan 9, 2023 12:58:21 GMT
A very Contax thing to happen - my RX's mirror slipped, but I was able to glue it back in place. So I understand, it was a nice camera to use. I replaced it with an Aria and 45mm tessar which is both horrible and plastic and really well specified, though I enjoy using it I have not fallen in love with it. It's a lovely camera, the 137MA. Got mine for an absolute steal as non-working, the place I got it from had put one of the batteries in the wrong way round (could be more than one, I'm struggling to remember, and had semi-jammed the base plate on), and it had a really mangled leatherette cover. It was cheaper than the 50mm f1.7 Planar it came with would have been on its own. If the shop owner hadn't been such a patronising git I might not have snapped his arm off quite so quickly. I did a rotten job on replacing the body cover, but 25 years later it's still on. |
|
|
|
Post by zx9 on Jan 9, 2023 16:08:30 GMT
The body cloth was quite fragile, mine was destroyed by mosquito repellent when we were on honeymoon in Turkey (as it was then) in 1995, the RTS was in the bottom half of a never-ready case and came back to England in much better shape than the 137 did. My 50mm f/1.7 is still optically good but the focus helicoid is now as loose as a loose thing, not nice to use. If I ever come across a cheap 1.7 or 1.4 I will buy another but I doubt that will happen as the Sony full frame users seem to like the old C/Y lenses.
|
|
|
|
Post by John Farrell on Jan 9, 2023 17:28:53 GMT
A very Contax thing to happen - my RX's mirror slipped, but I was able to glue it back in place. So I understand, it was a nice camera to use. I replaced it with an Aria and 45mm tessar which is both horrible and plastic and really well specified, though I enjoy using it I have not fallen in love with it. I've read of mirrors slipping on other Yashica SLRs, and I have an Electro-X ITS with a mirror which has moved. |
|
|
|
Post by John Farrell on Jan 9, 2023 17:38:11 GMT
The body cloth was quite fragile, mine was destroyed by mosquito repellent when we were on honeymoon in Turkey (as it was then) in 1995, the RTS was in the bottom half of a never-ready case and came back to England in much better shape than the 137 did. My 50mm f/1.7 is still optically good but the focus helicoid is now as loose as a loose thing, not nice to use. If I ever come across a cheap 1.7 or 1.4 I will buy another but I doubt that will happen as the Sony full frame users seem to like the old C/Y lenses. It's possible that the looseness in the lens is due to internal screws - I fixed a 50mm f1.4 yashica lens by tightening the screws in the brass ring - Attachment DeletedThe leatherette on Yashica cameras from the 70s and 80s often has the outer layer flaked off. I replaced the leatherette on the FX-7 above with a cut down set from a scrapped Yashica rangefinder camera. |
|
|
|
Post by zx9 on Jan 9, 2023 18:11:03 GMT
The body cloth was quite fragile, mine was destroyed by mosquito repellent when we were on honeymoon in Turkey (as it was then) in 1995, the RTS was in the bottom half of a never-ready case and came back to England in much better shape than the 137 did. My 50mm f/1.7 is still optically good but the focus helicoid is now as loose as a loose thing, not nice to use. If I ever come across a cheap 1.7 or 1.4 I will buy another but I doubt that will happen as the Sony full frame users seem to like the old C/Y lenses. It's possible that the looseness in the lens is due to internal screws - I fixed a 50mm f1.4 yashica lens by tightening the screws in the brass ring - View AttachmentThe leatherette on Yashica cameras from the 70s and 80s often has the outer layer flaked off. I replaced the leatherette on the FX-7 above with a cut down set from a scrapped Yashica rangefinder camera. Thank you John, I have rebuilt a few Jap bike engines and a Rover V8 but any time I have taken apart anything photographic it has ended in tears. I shall stick to the big stuff it is a safer bet.
|
|
pentaxpete
Junior Member
Old FILM Bloke but 'Gone a Bit Digital ' sometimes
Posts: 83
|
Post by pentaxpete on Jan 10, 2023 11:47:39 GMT
Ok - one more Camera with a 'Story -- behind it --- years ago before I Retired from Local Press Photography I used to do lots of Photo Jobs about the Local Rotary Club and got to know members - one who owned a Shop one day said " Peter, I have a ROLLEIFLEX now, got from Peter White " ( Photographer on the 'Romford Recorder' ) -- he knew I did NOT have a ROLLEIFLEX --- " OK Well if you want me to Check It Out Free I will" I replied but Tony would never let me 'See' the Famous ROLLEI ---- Years later - got a call from his Wife -- " I don't know if you know but TONY died and there is a Box of Photo Gear if you want it in the Shop" -- so I Rushed there to Hutton and she brought out a Filthy Dusty Box ( OH NO -- Trouble with WIFE if she sees me bring home a Dusty Box full of Other Peoples Rubbish) -- but gingerly opened and inside was a MINT OM-10 in case +2 Olympus XA-2 's in Presentation Cases -- further down a Filthy Brown Case -- inside was the INFAMOUS ROLLEIFLEX 1959 era 2.8 Xenotar --- -- after Smuggling It all into darkroom had a look -- taking lens scratched -- base pin broken off bottom latch -- tried out out -- good but a Light Leak -- so Paid a Few Clams to a Bloke in Rayleigh Ex - ROLLEI Technician -- got it back all mended - Lubed, Meter works Pin Replaced no light leaks and f2.8 XENOTAR PIN SHARP at FULL APERTURE !  Rolleiflex 2.8E Xenotar (A) by Peter Elgar, on Flickr  Rolleiflex 2.8E Xenotar (B) by Peter Elgar, on Flickr Have a look at Snaps taken with this Wonderful Machine -- click on small white Rectangle at Top with black arrow for Slide Show-- www.flickr.com/photos/25850987@N03/albums/72157709770568042/with/3376014774/ |
|
