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Another camera from a bygone age and bygone manufacturer. As usual, I like what most people don’t like and so, I like Yashica cameras. Back in the beginning of 80’s, before the Kyocera takeover, Yashica was technologically on par with just about everyone else. This appropriately named Autofocus model was the last of the first generation of AF compacts of the brand (preceding Nikon by some years). By this time it had gained a motorized film advance and a pop-up flash. The camera is very similar to the ugly Pentax PC 36 AF M in specs terms. The Yashica shows its age in the exterior focusing AF info (like the Konica C35 AF), and the tinny viewfinder, a sign of what was coming.
The camera is fully automatic, no manual input is possible save for focus lock and film sensitivity, no DX coding yet. This one is the Diary version with a LCD databack that records the date and film speed, if it is 400 ASA or if it is black and white. This databack is still functional in my camera, but I still haven’t quite understood why would anyone record the speed of the film in the image or black and white, when obviously the picture would be in black and white. Either I am missing something or this is quite daft. Still, there is a nice looking 38 /2.8 Yashinon of Tessar design, I suppose that it might be a decent performer.
D19628. The view from a 5th floor room in the Hotel Mercure Gare de Lyon in Paris looking down the tree lined Rue de Lyon.
This leads to the Place de la Bastille with its Colonne de Juillet (July Column) built between 1835 and 1840 to commemorate the French Revolution and the 1789 storming of the famous prison that once stood there.
Monday, 3rd September, 2018. Copyright © Ron Fisher.
Plastic is cheap, why spare on it? This Yashica T3 is big and not particularly beautiful, but at least you do have plenty to hold on to. Looks aside, the Yashica T3 is interesting because it features a Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. This is a bit snob, as this lens must have the same performance of the Mju2, but I will shoot a film with it to be sure! Still, this is the only T series having a 2,8 Tessar, the rest was fitted with the 3,5. Perhaps this was just invading too much the Contax T territory?
Well, perhaps, but hardly form the specs point of view. The T3 is a full auto camera, period. You get to choose the flash modes and that's it.
The main technical high light(besides the lens) is that the T3 is a weather proof camera, à la Olympus, which is great news. Another lovely touch is the micro waist level finder on top of the camera. It is really small, but for street photography is just great.
Lightleaks give a normal town scene a new, exciting feel. Exciting things beaming out of ordinary windows. 24th September 2018, Ricoh R1 and expired Kodak BW400CN film.
Around 6.45pm, 12th October 2018, Ricoh R1 on self-timer, propped on a shelf, using expired Kodak BW400CN film.
Here you can see Canon's first point & shoot camera with autofocus and the two successors. In fact it was the world's first camera with active infrared AF.
So you have (in brackets the name of the camera in the USA/Japan):
1979: AF35M (Sure Shot/Autoboy)
1983: AF35M II (New Sure Shot/Autoboy 2)
1986: Top Shot (Sure Shot Supreme/Autoboy 3)
All cameras have in common a 2.8/38 mm lens with 4 elements and shutter speeds from 1/8 s to 1/500 s. Some differences are:
AF35M & AF35M II: 0.9 m nearest focus distance, 25 - 400 ASA, 2x AA batteries
Top Shot: 0.55 m nearest focus distance, 50 -1600 ASA (DX), 6 V 2CR5 battery
In every review about these cameras you can read about the feeling of cheap plastic they give. I must confirm that, especially the Top Shot feels like a toy. Nevertheless, the quality and reliability seem to be good.
About the AF35M and AF35M II
When you are shooting the first time with these cameras you may think there is something wrong with the autofocus system. There is a pointer in the viewfinder which shows you the distance with symbols: single person, group, hill. But it indicates the distance after your shot! And now it becomes weird. Because of this peculiar behaviour you can't lock the focus distance with a halfway pressed shutter button like on all other cameras. The Canon way to lock the distance is called Pre Focus and goes like this: 1. turn the self-timer lever 2. aim the autofocus spot in the viewfinder at a subject in the right distance 3. press the shutter button completely down. Now the distance is set and indicated 4. move the camera to the subject you want 5. take your shot by pressing the shutter button a second time. You have only about 10 s to do this, otherwise the self-timer will release the shutter.
As a successor the configuration of the AF35M II didn't change a lot, though the camera body was more compact: instead of a lens cap and a filter thread (48 mm) the lens protection was integrated, the film transport indicator was dropped and later versions have an ASA range up to 1000 ASA.
I find both cameras have a decent shutter release button and I like the crispy sound of the AF35M II's motor.
Almost every AF35M I had in my hands had a broken battery compartment door, always the same failure. Exactly: a tiny part of the bottom broke off, so that the door can't be locked anymore. I solved the problem with some superglue. Canon changed the design for the AF35M II and it doesn't cause any trouble.
The Top Shot
It looks like a prototype of a point & shoot camera of the late 80ies. Fully automatic, a pure industrial product with newest technologies to keep the costs low. The shutter button is made of rubber with an electroconductive layer, which connects contacts on a circuit board, it works like a button on an older cell phone. It has a small LCD for the frame counter and battery status, but it hasn't features of later cameras like red-eye-reduction and the shortest focus distance is slightly too long for selfies. But this camera has some other quirks. First of all, you need a screw driver to open the battery chamber cover. The Top Shot has a funny plastic thing in its bottom, called tilt knob, you can turn it out to adjust the angle of view when the camera is placed on a table. That means, this knob replaces coins or other things you use to keep the camera in a tilted position when using the self timer. The flash operation is also old fashioned: to force the flash on you have to darken the light sensor, but you have to it while taking the photo. For this purpose there is a tiny light meter cap attached to the lanyard. You can switch the flash off with a button at the camera bottom, you need a strong finger nail on your left thumb to push it. You also have to press the button while taking your photo, so you can't use it in combination with a tripod and the self-timer. Those camera designers, I don't think they use their own cameras.
Rollei 35 S with Rollei-HFT Sonnar 2.8/40
Rollei 35 T with Tessar 3.5/40
A very popular and successful camera made by Rollei. It was designed by Heinz Waaske and there are some interesting stories about its development (they can be found in the German book "Heinz Waaske - Kameras für Millionen"). It was introduced in 1966 just as Rollei 35, because the Sonnar version wasn't available yet. In 1971 the production was moved to Singapore, both cameras above were made there.
BTW, after editing that photo I checked the colors of the camera bodies: the 35 S really is somewhat blueish.
For all you George fans out there :~}}
This was taken with a pocket casio camera, I have just bought off ebay for less than £30 !
Please check my friends pictures out of Georges under study, 'Finlay'
Mirror, mirror, is there a chromed camera prettier than me? No my Lady, there is not!
Absolutely stunning and intriguing Olympus Mju I. Limited edition to 50.000 units worldwide. The camera is chromed, shinny and very stylish. Comes with a beautiful leather case and leather strap.
Tech wise it is a regular Mju, except that it has a data back as standard.