The diagonal split screen is so easy to use. Most things we photograph have either vertical or horizontal focal points which makes the diagonal split simpler. The same system is used on the older, cheap and cheerful Ricoh SLRs as well. I have three of them.
Hi Paul, yes, the diagonal split screen seems like a completely logical idea, I'm surprised it didn't appear on more cameras. I quite like the Ricoh cameras - my main SLR was a Ricoh XR-X for many years, right up until I went digital in fact - can't remember what the viewfinder/focusing aids were like on that model, I'll have to check.
Nice video as usual . I like the look of that camera and the potential for nice performance from that model. I may need to restrain myself from seeking one out though because realistically I DO NOT need another lens system to worry about. I already have M42, Pentax K, Exakta, Nikon F, Minolta MD, Canon EF , Minolta /sony A mount , canon FD and the M39 FED… I get a little too enthusiastic collecting cameras
Hi Conrad, Yep, I know what you mean, there's a few formats I'm avoiding simply because I don't need yet another lens system. I initially got a 24mm Contax/Yashica bayonet lens because I wanted a 24mm to use on mirrorless, and it was cheaper getting the C/Y mount lens and an adapter than getting a 24mm in the other mounts that I already had. Then I figured I'd get a couple more lenses to use with the adapter, and from there getting a Yashica camera body seemed logical........and so it continues.
Wow, that would have been very exciting Mike, if I could travel back in time I would have loved one of those, maybe slightly second hand in the early 80s.
Hi Michael, that will be exciting getting your J5 back from the repair shop - I need to fix mine sometime so I can use it again - I wouldn't have had the skill/knowledge when I was a kid, but I should be able to tackle it now.
If you want to glue nylon with c/a glue you should use an adhesion promoter on the nylon to promote bonding because nothing wants to stick to nylon. Yashica - emphasis is on the first syllable - Yashi-ka, not Ya-shee-ka.
I always regard Nylon as un glueable, but on the odd occasion that I do have to glue it, I always make the surface as rough as possible to increase the chances of success. I haven't tried an adhesion promoter, I might get some one day. I can't believe how well my dramatic reconstruction repair worked - still haven't managed to get it apart!
@GrumpyTim Nylon and similar plastics are near impossible to bond because of low surface energy. That's where the adhesion promoter helps. I'm impressed that your repair has held up. I'd probably try to source a little brass pinion or have one 3-D printed out of polycarbonate.
I was asking myself if you might know the answer to my problem. When cranking the shutter it just rattles, and the curtain at the back doesnt turn. The electronical button wont react either, thanks in advance.
Hi petruska, the first, and probably obvious question, is there a battery in the camera and does the LED light up when you press the test button? Assuming all that is ok, I have a few thoughts: Sometimes when a camera gets jammed someone will attempt to force the film advancing crank, breaking it in the process - if your camera was faulty when you got it, that's always a possibility - I've received a couple in that condition (not Yashicas). It could be as simple as a winding pawl on the film advance ratchet is sticking and not engaging (unlikely but not impossible). There might be a problem that can occur on the FR-1 where something gets sticky causing the camera not to finish the complete cycle of taking a photograph, and until the cycle is finished, advancing the film cannot commence. There is a problem of this type with many Pentax ME Super cameras - something in the mirror box assembly gets sticky, the photo cycle doesn't complete and the film advance just keeps winding without cocking the shutter (I have an ME Super in that condition that I'll need to completely disassemble to fix the issue). Can you tell if the shutter is actually in the cocked position (on the right) or the released position (on the left) (sometimes you can see a little bit of the curtain edge metal by peering into the side of the image frame in the back of the camera). Is the mirror stuck up or is it in it's rest position? I haven't had to do anything more than the simple counter repair on my FR1, so I haven't examined the entire workings of the camera, but my guess is that there is something sticking, stopping the camera from completing it's cycle.
I had Contax gear years ago but had reliability issues with the camera bodies. I bought a manual FR body which accepted the C/Y mount Zeiss lenses and never let me down.
Hi Kenneth, I think all makes of camera can suffer from reliability issues at times, and there's bound to be people out there who had issues with the Yashica FR cameras, but I'm definitely a fan of them. Glad your FR served you well.
I'm sure I'll end up getting myself a Minister D one of these days - I have a few Yashicas in the collection already, but there's always space for one more!!!
