Camera Porn Friday

[jamesmck]

The Contax.

[GrahamS]

If I had owned one, it would have had to be prized from my cold dead hands......

[PFMcFarland]

A tale of three Nikkormats: Left to right, FT, FS, and FTn. The FT was the original variant, but had a sort of clumsy way to sync the lens to the meter. The FS is the second version and has no meter or mirror lock-up as it was an economy model. The third version is the FTn with an improved lens/meter connection which can visually be determined by the ramp on the metering ring coupling pin, and an "N" above the meter window next to the rewind knob.


Three Classic Nikkormats by P F McFarland, on Flickr

Left to Right: FTn, FS, and FT

Three Classic Nikkormats by P F McFarland, on Flickr

The FS is somewhat scarce so it commands a higher price.

PF

[GrahamS]

Good gollygosh, I never knew that the FS existed! I learn something new every day.

[PFMcFarland]

Yashica Penta J from October 1963 with clip-on meter.


Yashica Penta J by P F McFarland, on Flickr


Yashica Penta J by P F McFarland, on Flickr

This was the third model of Yashica's SLR's, using the M42 mount instead of the proprietary bayonet lens mount on the Pentamatic, and Pentamatic S.

PF

[GrahamS]

Good looking camera.

[Julio1fer]

Beautiful camera - the meter is not too elegant!

[Todd G]

Nice looking example. I actually have one of these myself - minus the meter. But mine has an M42 thread mount, rather than a bayonet mount. I ran a roll of film through it a few years ago, but the shutter is showing its age.

The lens is a nice, compact and heavy piece of glass with the oddity of being what I'd call semi-automatic. It will stop down when the shutter button is released, but like some early Pentax lenses you have to open the aperture back up with the lever around the lens. And the rear elements extend so far back that it won't work on many thread mount cameras when focused at infinity. The mirror hits the rear of the lens. It works on Yashica M42 cameras, and on Chinon made ones like a GAF L-CS. But won't work on Spotmatics nor Praktica LTL3 cameras.

Mine doesn't have the over the penta prism cold shoe, but rather has one mounted on an aluminum block that slips over the rewind knob with a thumb screw to tighten it down.

Interesting differences on a camera model only made for about 3 years.

[PFMcFarland]

Nice looking example. I actually have one of these myself - minus the meter. But mine has an M42 thread mount, rather than a bayonet mount. I ran a roll of film through it a few years ago, but the shutter is showing its age.

The lens is a nice, compact and heavy piece of glass with the oddity of being what I'd call semi-automatic. It will stop down when the shutter button is released, but like some early Pentax lenses you have to open the aperture back up with the lever around the lens. And the rear elements extend so far back that it won't work on many thread mount cameras when focused at infinity. The mirror hits the rear of the lens. It works on Yashica M42 cameras, and on Chinon made ones like a GAF L-CS. But won't work on Spotmatics nor Praktica LTL3 cameras.

Mine doesn't have the over the penta prism cold shoe, but rather has one mounted on an aluminum block that slips over the rewind knob with a thumb screw to tighten it down.

Interesting differences on a camera model only made for about 3 years.

You're correct, it is M42 mount. Tells you how long it's been since I have used this camera. I changed the original post to reflect that.

PF

[PFMcFarland]

In honor of the Olympics:


Zenit TTL with Helios-44M by P F McFarland, on Flickr

PF