Yashica Minister-D Video Manual 

Thank you!

Thank you! And I literally laughed at the beat up case story. That's fabulous.

Thank you!

These are great cameras and oler cameras like these were fantastic for learning the relationship between exposure and result.

Thank you! Yashica made awesome rangefinders back in the day. Their lenses still hold up to scrutiny today.

@@DavidHancock I also have a Yashica A tlr that I love and a Flash o Set that I haven't tried yet. I also have an Electro 35 that I bought on an online auction but is suffering from the dreaded "pad of death" and will need to be repaired. The Minister D is my go to film camera for walking around taking street photography or out driving around looking for old abandoned farms and houses. (a passion of mine).

Thank you! Just make sure that everything works mechanically before you put film in it and you should be okay. Also, with as long as the camera has been sitting, it may be worth replacing the light seals. I have a tutorial on how to use cotton yarn for that.

Another really nice Yashica camera!

Nice find! These are a lot of fun to shoot with, too. Enjoy!

I do have a question about the battery. I purchase a 625A battery and the light meter is not working. Do i need to get the brass adapter for it to work?

@@edwardshane6219 I would suggest there should be some response even if it means the metering may be inaccurate. Possible circuit corrosin or prior damage. I also did the same and no response with a PX625A battery. My camera was repaired by experienced repairman and circuit was calibrated to PX625A battery. Works a treat now.

Yashica made amazing rangefinder cameras. Many of them still work and they're great heirlooms. That's a nice way to remember your grandpa. My grandpa left me an Amica Eyelux, so these old cameras are a nice way to remember.

+David Hancock You are right. My grandpa is still with me, but my father got very old german camera from his too, that was the first film camera I ever used. Unfortunately after two rolls of 120 film (one I never got developed) it didn't work anymore (my father never took care of it)... but I'm still happy to have it. :)

Full Google. LOL. I've never heard that before, but I love it.

btw could you show how to compensate for a 1.5v battery?

I will do a video on that, yes.

Very nice!

Thank you!

Thank you! I think my next two rangefinders will be the Amica Eyelux (Taron Auto EE) and the Petri CC. I'm also working on videos for the Leica III and Zorki.

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

They do indeed. They were well corrected and really capable performers.

Thank you! These are really enjoyable cameras.

@@DavidHancock Do you know how I could know if it's actually taking pictures without ruining a 35mm film? It's going to be my first camera.. I don't know much about these stuff. I am worried that i am going to develop a blank filmroll

Yeah, definitely. With the film back open, look through the lens and take a few photos. You should see a flash of light when the shutter activates. If you'e indoors, point it at a light and have the aperture at the smallest number (largest opening) and that will help you see the flash. For knowing if you have proper exposure, try the camera outside. There's something called the Sunny 16 Rule. That means that, in full sun with your back to the sun, a scene should be properly exposed if the aperture is at f/16 and the shutter speed is the closest setting to the film speed. So if you have 100 ISO film, f/16, and a shutter speed of 1/125th, the exposures should be pretty close. If the test to look through the lens works, then test the meter versus that Sunny 16 rule. I think this uses an older style of battery so the voltage will be different so the meter reading will probably indicate that the exposure should be way UNDER what the Sunny 16 rule says. So for your first roll, shoot on a sunny day using the Sunny 16 rule (if you want to shoot at 1/125th, f/16, 1/250th, f/11, and 1/500th, f/8 with 100 ISO film.) Then see how the photos look. If there are no issues, it may be worth checking into a voltage-adapting battery adapter to use the camera's light meter. Or if you're interested, I can describe how to compensate for the battery voltage meter difference if the video didn't explain it.

@@DavidHancock Oh thank you! I will definetly give you an update next week when I pick it up.

@@DavidHancock I had some great trouble finding time to pick it up but found a agfa selectronic at a local market. I love it but the film roll keeps being ripped by the edged so i have to manually roll the filmroll back so i have light leaks... do you know what i can do about this? here are some pictures i've taken with it (as a thank you for your help) www.flickr.com/gp/165239251@N07/3Yt06k

Thank you!

People took really good care of cameras back in the day. Even a Minister, which wasn't a super expensive camera compared to the SLRs of the time, would have cost someone a month's salary, may be more. These were huge investments for people and they cared well for them.

David Hancock I don’t think that’s it. SLRs of similar vintage and indeed just something like an Konica Auto S2 are often in less than ideal, to pretty bad shape. It looks like they’ve been dangling around a drunken mans neck, and often reek of fungus spores from bad storage. Ministers seems to have been put in the back of a closet or drawer hibernating since sometime in the sixties and only now emerge squinting at the sun.

Thank you!

Holy cow. An f/1.4 on a rangefinder would be really hard to use.

You don't want it anymore?

Why? I'd say it one of rangefinders greatest traits that they are easy to set of you can find any kind of contrasty vertical edge, even under murky lighting conditions where it would be hard to use an SLR..

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

There were often mid-run construction changes in cameras back in the day. If they found a way to make a body for less, needed to replace tooling, or for any of a number of other reasons, makers would make a small tweak to the camera design between production runs.

Could be, or a different variation. There were a handful of Minister cameras.

Thank you!

Thank you! You can use the 1.5V batteries but you need to adjust the ISO dial to obtain a correct reading. On most cameras, the 1.5V underexposes images by two stops. So to compensate, head outside on a sunny day and point the camera at a sidewalk, tree, or grass in full sun with the sun to your back. Set the shutter speed to the number closest your film's ISO and your aperture to f/16. Then adjust your ISO dial until you have a proper meter reading. Another thing you can do is modify the circuitry to (if you're handy with a soldering iron) and the Fix Old Cameras channel has a good tutorial on that. Also, there are voltage-adapting battery adapters for A76 batteries (these run about $40 and if you're like me it's be easy to lose three of these a year) but they allow A76/S76 batteries to work properly. The 1.35V WeinCell, if that's the kind you bought, typically last about 90 days after they're put into a camera.

Thanks for your reply! The weinCell is the one I bought indeed. I'll use the Duracell 1.5V one for now because I can't wait to see if it works because it has been in the loft since the early 70's! It's a completely mint Camera so I won't be modifying it at all really it's just one of my Collection :) Also, when I look through the view finder and turn the Focus ring nothing happens. The view finding is in constant Focus and turning the ring does nothing. I'm sure this is an issue? Cheers!

Hmm. Look around the periphery of the focusing screen and see if that comes in and out of focus. The split ring in the center is likely to stay in focus all the time.

Thanks mate you've beena great help!

These are nice little cameras with good image character and ample lens sharpness. There are a few good camera repair people who tackle rangefinders. Mark Hama is probably the guy for Yashicas.

Any 35mm film will work, but some will be better than others. Because this has a relatively slow shutter speed, it's best to go with a 100 r 200 ISO film. Much faster and, most of the time, there will be too much light for the film to work properly.

Thank you and for a repair like that I'd recommend the Fix Old Cameras channel.

Thank you! Any 35mm film will work, but a 100 ISO film will help you get the most out of this camera's shutter and aperture range when shooting outside during the day.

Thank you! The battery only powers the light meter so you can use the camera without a battery and also without the light meter. All you'd need to do is have a handheld light meter, a light meter app, or use the Sunny 16 Rule. As for which number, it can be any number, but if the light meter gives you an exposure value the further you are from that exposure value the more over- or underexposed your image will be. In general, it's a good idea to stick with the light meter's suggestion until you're really comfortable with when the light meter isn't accurate (there are cases, for instance subjects with very bright or very dark backgrounds.)

De nada, mi amigo!

Thank you! And 50 cents is a fantastic price! Great find.

Nice!

I believe that the flash on this camera worked. If not, that's probably a loose or disconnected wire inside the camera. You can still find repairs for these Mark Hama in the U.S. is probably the most well known Yashica expert.

Oh, I saw an explanation down here. Thanks!

Thank you! The shutter will work without a battery. The battery only powers the light meter.

Gracias y el casete de película está cargado al revés.

Not silly at all and you can. Everything is mechanical and you dial in the settings yourself, so as long as your settings are correct, your images will turn out properly exposed. You can use a smartphone light meter app or a handheld light meter and then just dial in what that light meter says.

@@DavidHancock Oh brilliant! Thanks so much for this :) Any recommendations for a light meter app?

@@tiffanygoh1742 I forget the name of the one I use, maybe just light meter, but it looks like an old-timey light meter with a circular interface. It's a good one and should be a top search result in the app store.

@@DavidHancock Thanks again :)

Thank you! They are not hermetic and dust will, in time and with use, get into them. They can be cleaned but i think you need to disassemble the top to do it. The Rangefinder Forum online will likely have people who know how to do this in a manner that lets you also put your camera back together so that it works.

It could be the actual photo cell. Those wear out with time and use and aren't aided by being exposed to light all the time. With some of the old photo cells, as the photoelectric reaction occurs, the cell loses efficacy.

The Minister-D uses a battery that isn't made any more. The easiest thing to do is to get a voltage-correcting PX to A76 adapter and using an A76 battery. There are also camera repairmen who will modify the circuitry to allow modern batteries to work in the camera. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BYdXD7EeUgY.htmlm32s

thank you

Yesterday I rediscovered my Mindy after it had been in storage for 20 years. The original-style battery still worked.

For the exposure, you can select the settings yourself. The Sunny 16 Rule is a good starting point outside. That rule is that at f/16 your shutter speed should be the number nearest your film speed on a sunny day with the sun to your back. So let's say you have 100 ISO film, set the lens to f/16, and have the sun behind you. Your shutter speed would be 1/125th because that's the number nearest your film speed. You can then adjust to get other settings. If you want to have 1/500th of a second, which is two stops (1/125>1/250 = one stop, 1/250>1/500= a second stop) LESS light you need the aperture to have two stops MORE light, so f/8 (f/16>f/11 then f/11 to f/8). You might notice that these settings also have click stops on the lens for easy reference. To see if the lens is good you don't need film and should definitely check that before using film. Set the shutter speed to bulb and open the camera back. Press and hold the shutter button and look through the lens at a light bulb or open window (but not at the sun) and do this from both directions. The lens should look clear without any dirt, cloudiness, or spider-web looking tendrils. Also check the shutter speeds this same way to see that the shutter is working well. Those are good tests before putting film into any camera because it's cheaper than finding an issue with the camera after paying for film and developing.

@@DavidHancock Lens looks fine and the shutter works perfectly! Thanks for the clarifying explanation and the clear video, can't wait to shoot my first photos!

1- The Weincell will work just fine. 2- Not sure. I'd give it a try without and see if it works as is.

@@DavidHancock Thank you very much!! I'll give it a try then, amazing video, I already saw it a few times! Congrats

If a new battery doesn't fix the issue, there's either a problem with the meter cell or the wiring inside may have come loose.

@@DavidHancock Hi David. Thank you and keep up the good work. Danny.

It is a possible repair, but not easy. I'd check to see if the Fix Old Cameras channel can recommend a repair person for that. For the 625, it fits in the camera but is not compatible. The voltage is 1.5V and the camera was designed for 1.3V. So your best bet is a voltage-reducing A76 (S76, LR44) to 625 adapter or a modification of the camera's circuitry. If you have the battery contact repaired, the repair shop should be able to easily modify the circuitry by adding a diode to reduce the voltage, allowing use of modern 625 batteries.

Thank you. Is the dirt on the inside of the viewfinder or outside?

@@DavidHancock It is inside cheers

@@sgphotographics That requires a bit of disassembly. I'd ask the Fix Old Cameras channel hope intense that is. Sometimes they're easy, sometimes not.

@@DavidHancock Too easy thank you!

Looking forward to hearing from you

Thank you! The X flash is for any modern flash that you could buy today or that was made in the last 40-or-so years. The M is for bulb flashes that use replaceable bulbs. You're not likely using one of those so keep the camera in "X".

@@DavidHancock Thank you so much! Unfortunately, I cant change the flash to the X flash. It is stuck om the M flash. I bought the camera on saturday and it is stuck probably because it is old. I will see with the store if there is a way to fix it. Does it plays a difference on photos having the M flash?

@@Mag-iw6jf If the switch can't be unstuck then you won't be able to use a flash. The switch changes the sync timing. If you use an X flash on M the flash won't fire at the correct time. There's almost certainly a way to unstick it with some light cleaning. But everything else will work fine until the switch is freed if that's the only issue.

@@DavidHancock Okey. Thank you so much for your time in responding and for your help!

Well, to answer the repair question, if you're in the U.S., repairs will be anywhere from $60 to $90, depending on needs. For the f question, does it say f=45mm of f/4.5? If it's f= then it's probably the focal distance not the aperture.

David Hancock thanks for that! Also on the inside of the lense its printed as f = 4.5 cm

Got it, yes. That's the focal length. 4.5cm = 45mm. So it's probably and older camera with a 4.5cm f/2.8 lens.

The ADA UV 46mm black ring is probably just a UV filter. Thread is 46mm and it will screw off. I have the HOYA UV black 46mm filter on the front of my minister-D. Hope you got it going :)

The rangefinder, if coupled correctly, will let you know where the lens is focused.

Anything well padded would work. As long as you carry it on to a plane, you're in better shape. Don't check it. If you're driving, then you have lots of flexibility. So for a carry-on, I wrap my gear in clothes and use a backpack. OR I have a padded camera bag that I use. Depends on if I have to take my laptop on the trip or not. If I travel overseas, I carry my gear and FedEx my large equipment, like tripods, sometimes. Other times, when I travel domestically, I FedEx my laptop so that I don't have to choose between checking it and checking my camera gear. But in short, just pack it decently well inside a bunch of clothes or in a camera case and you should be fine.

Here's a link to the eBay search that shows them. Full disclosure, I'm selling the $10.50 ones. www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=a76+px&_sop=15&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xa76+px+adapter.TRS1&_nkw=a76+px+adapter&_sacat=0 None of the adapters for sale now alter voltage, so all will throw off the camera's light meter. You can compensate for that by changing your ISO setting. Using the Sunny 16 rule, set your shutter speed to the setting nearest your ISO and then your aperture to 16. Take a meter reading. Adjust the ISO until you have a proper exposure reading. You can also, if you're comfortable with a soldering iron and taking apart the camera, modify the circuitry to accept a 1.5v battery. the FixOldCameras channel has a video showing that. Your viewfinder sounds like a loose part. I concur with your diagnosis there. That should not affect photos unless the part is falling back into the wrong position and giving you incorrect framing in the viewfinder.

Thanks for that David, I'll give that a shot and see how things go. I might put off any modification to the camera itself and the converters until I see how this first lot of photos turn out.

For starting out, nothing beats a free camera. If the K1000 works well, 100 Euros is a really good price.

Your best bet is to gauge your light meter reading off the Sunny 16 rule (on a sunny day with the sun to your back, point the camera at a neutral area like a sidewalk or a bush. Set your shutter speed to the number nearest your film ISO and the aperture to 16. Then adjust the film ISO until you have a proper meter reading. That will calibrate your light meter. You should do that every time you put in a new rolls (unless you shoot multiple rolls the same day) because alkaline batteries change voltage over their life and you'll need to adjust compensation periodically.

@@DavidHancock Thank you!

Yes, but it probably requires a professional repair. The Lynx 5000 has a parallax-coupled viewfinder. So something in it is probably askew. Mark Hama is the Yashica repair expert. There are some other shops that can also perform that repair.

Hmm. Does that only happen when you focus or does that happen if, for instance, you shake the camera?

@@DavidHancock when I shake the camera, clearly

@@MrBentoTube I was checking to see if it was a parallax movement. Definitely sounds like it's not. I'd check Photrio to see if there's are repair resources or guides there. I think that would be a relatively easy repair but nothing with rangefinders is truly easy in terms of repairs.

Nice! And good work with it, too. There are some nice images in your set.

@@DavidHancock Thanks!

There are a couple of possibilities, mostly pretty benign. So if you just recently had it shipped, it could have gotten slightly jammed in shipping. Also, it could be that the light seal foam has turned very sticky. The fix for both is to hold the film back release while gently prying at the opening side (not the hinge side) to free it. If that doesn't work, I'd take it to a local camera shop and see if they have someone who can open it.

@@DavidHancock thank you so much! also was wondering if the battery is needed to be able to take pictures

@@23deagosto1 Nope. The battery only powers the light meter.

I prefer the Electro for using, but I think the Minister-D looks better.

It's not vital but can hold the film in place better. Give it a go without and if the images have weird and blurry parts then it may be worth trying to replace it or fabricate a replacement.

Ah okay, thanks! By the way, great video and super helpful!

Hello again, i'm just wondering if the battery is only necessary for the light meter of if it affects anything else

In this camera it is only for the light meter, so if you want to use the Sunny 16 rule and no battery, you can do that, too.

I'd go with a slow or medium film, certainly nothing faster than 400 ISO. 100 ISO is probably ideal given the shutter and aperture range.

I order them off eBay. I'd look for a PX625 brass adapter and then use 675 hearing aid batteries (any pharmacy or grocery store will have them) because those give you a proper meter reading.

@@DavidHancock I was looking into the Weincell mrb625 replacement battery for px625 because on eBay the product titles confuse me. Would the Weincell work? It's there a battery I can buy without having to buy adapter?

@@jessicaguerrero7909 They do but they're expensive and don't last very long. I tend not to recommend them.

Yes. Just load color film in it.

The video's description will have an index and one of those items will be for changing the battery.

Yup

Thank you! And nice shots, too. The first one you linked to is very nice. I really liked the panorama, too.

David Hancock Thanks for that. I really enjoy shooting film, more so than Digital to be honest. Those were my first attempts at shooting and developing etc myself. I'm slowly improving in both I think, and I still love Tri-X.. Especially at 640 or 1250 ASA with an X(0) Filter.. Metering at 200 or 400 ASA, respectively to compensate.. :) Thanks again, and great videos.

I meant T starts the serial number.

I wondered what you meant. That makes sense.

I have a Zorki that I use off and on. At some point (probably not soon), I'll do a video on that.