Latest repair job test pics

[br1078lum]

I finally finished making repairs to the YF, and took it for a spin around the nearest park. My first few shots were metered with a BEWI Piccolo (selenium).  I think it's finally wearing out, since I didn't get one good frame while using it.  Halfway through the roll I switched to Sunny 16, and did much better, but need more practice at it.  Film is Fujifilm 200 ISO 24 Exposure (comes in a four-pack), processed and scanned at a local drugstore.  Post processing recovery work done in Photoshop Elements 8.


Summers Last Splash by br1078phot, on Flickr

A nice mix of wildflowers showing off.


Old Bridge by br1078phot, on Flickr

Has a nice, comfortable charm to it.  Sturdy, yet elegant.  Starting to blend in with the surroundings.


Where's The Toad? by br1078phot, on Flickr

Wish I'd had a macro lens with me to highlight the beads of moisture on top.  This was as close as I could get.


Another Oops! by br1078phot, on Flickr

Did this a few times too, but was able to crop it out of the scenes.  I think this is from me not winding it all the way.


Yashica YF With Canon 50mm f1.8 by br1078phot, on Flickr

All cleaned up, and ready to rock 'n roll!

And Pete has already tried to talk me out of the lens.

Rest of the shots at http://www.flickr.com/photos/7699588@N07/sets/72157627659841601/

PF

[Dean Williams]

That's a neat food bridge.  I've always liked those, ever since I was a kid.

Dean

[jamesmck]

Nice, Phil!  I am partial to the footbridge and the winding path.  I was mostly unaware of this camera until your post, and I just looked at the write-up on Cameraquest (http://www.cameraquest.com/yashiyf.htm).  Seems like a neat, though rare, machine.

James

[Julio1fer]

Beautiful shooter, I had never heard about a Leica screw-mount Yashica. Well done!

In my monitor, the pictures look somewhat washed, as if they needed a bit more contrast.

[shadowfox]

That's one rare LTM mount rangefinder.
I wonder how it compares with a Canon P.

[br1078lum]

It's so rare, I about croaked when I saw it on the shelf.  And I couldn't even purchase it right then because I was about to go on a trip to back home (in Indiana).  Luckily, it was still there when I got back, and luckier still, I scrounged up enough cash to get it.  The other model they got from Nicca looks more like a Leica IIIf, and was called the YE.  This one was made for only one year ('58 or '59), and only somewhere between 7,000 and 10,00 were produced, mostly for the home market.

Walron is my favorite park, and it has some features like the older footbridge that interest me a lot.  They've made quite a few changes this last year, mostly for the better, such as completing the gravel path.

I think there may be some reliability issues with the YF, as that is one of the things I have read is a knock on them.  But that may just be from some folks who like their cameras with a more German twang.  The Canon P is a very good camera, with a better function set than the YF, and much sleeker.  The P has three framelines in the viewfinder (35,50,90), and the YF has only the 50 and 90.  But the entire viewfinder can be used for the 35.  Seeing as the YF is a combination of the old and new Leica designs, I believe that put some people off buying one.  And they only made it one year, after seeing what Nikon came out with (the venerable F).  Then there is that aluminum brow hanging over the front.  Sure, it protected the viewfinder and rangefinder windows, but it took a beating itself, being as malleable as it is.  Who wants a camera that looks all dented?

Well, I do. But at least mine has only a couple of dings in the brow.  And it now joins my GTN, GL, and GX as the rangefinders I always wanted from Yashica.  But I never thought I'd find, or get one of these.  Now all I need is a Lynx 14E.  But that can wait.

PF

[jamesmck]

Luckily, it was still there when I got back, and luckier still, I scrounged up enough cash to get it

Phil - I was shocked to see what these are going for on Ebay.  Nice find!

James

[br1078lum]

I had read that part on Steve's site too, and it always stuck in the back of my head.  The camera I really missed out on was a Leica IIIf in an antique store that was priced at $150.  It sat there for the longest time, and I kept telling myself I wasn't going down that road, knowing how much the older gear costs.  But it was before I started messing around with my Zorki, so I wasn't caught by the Leica bug yet.

It's value alone will make me send it to Mark Hama for an overhaul, especially since today it appeared to malfunction in the film transport area.  I need to do a test on it first to see if that is what happened, or if it was actually working properly.  I'm going to load one of my old test rolls in it, take the lens off, and mark each frame as it goes through.  I should be able to see if there is any slippage as soon as it happens.

Mark sold one of these (body only) not too long ago on an auction, and I don't think he was very pleased with the results (less than $250).  His next one went up on a BIN price.  The Canon lens alone usually garners at least $175, and someone ran one up to $1,358 the other day.  That got a lot of folks talking over on RFf about some of the lunacy on eBay.  So, yes, I feel very lucky I found it when I did.  And I'm also glad it's the first of the month, and I can go off the rice and beans.  :p

PF