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Yashica body for Vario Sonnar
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PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 7:48 pm    Post subject: Yashica body for Vario Sonnar Reply with quote

I have two lovely Vario-Sonnar lenses (35-70 and 80-200) and was wondering if they can be used on a Yashica FR1 body.
If so it seems a bloody great and cheap way to use these lenses on film. Smile

Anybody know if this would work? I assume it does but want to double check...

R


PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yup, it would work very well. The FR-I is a great little camera with a nice big finder that shows shutter and aperture values. The chassis and shutter are similar to the RTS but without the 1/2000th top shutter speed. It has a couple of idiosyncratic features, for example you need to slide a lever over to see the meter reading. Thee is also an issue with the frame counter which has almost always failed due to a poor quality plastic gear, parts from which can, apparently, cause internal problems.

Personally I'd spend a little extra and pick up a Contax 139 which is more compact and has a more modern feature set including TTL flash metering.


PostPosted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

barryreid wrote:
Yup, it would work very well. The FR-I is a great little camera with a nice big finder that shows shutter and aperture values. The chassis and shutter are similar to the RTS but without the 1/2000th top shutter speed. It has a couple of idiosyncratic features, for example you need to slide a lever over to see the meter reading. Thee is also an issue with the frame counter which has almost always failed due to a poor quality plastic gear, parts from which can, apparently, cause internal problems.

Personally I'd spend a little extra and pick up a Contax 139 which is more compact and has a more modern feature set including TTL flash metering.


Nice one.
That is the other question really, What other affordable but good camera should I consider? Smile


PostPosted: Wed Jul 22, 2015 11:04 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Given this some further thought. What I'd recommend would depend on how you want to use the camera.

If you only want to work in manual I'd recommend either the Yashica FR-I or FX-3 Super 2000. There's a choice between a better viewfinder and a more compact body with a faster top speed to be made here. I'd probably go for the smaller body of the FX-3. Both should be cheap off eBay and you may get a 50mm in the deal.

The Contax 139 and Yashica FR-I remain good options if you want aperture priority, however... As your lenses are both late introductions and have the MM pin it might make sense to buy a more modern Contax body to give full benefit from the auto modes.

The best value out there in later Contax bodies is probably the 167MT a camera which has spot metering, auto bracketing and several other modern features, though the handling is quirky and not to everyone's taste. I like the 159MM a lot, it's the only manual wind contax body with program modes and has a useful 1/4000 top speed and TTL flash with a useful 1/250th sync. It does however lacks the advanced features like spot metering and bracketing of the 167 and later bodies.

The other interesting Contax film bodies (S2, RTS III) are all pricier but the RTS II and the Aria are reactively affordable. The RTS II is a more refined version of the FR-I/RTS platform and is more reliable. The Aria is a lot like a 167 with the rough edges knocked off and handles very nicely.

Personally I run with a 139, a 159 and an RTS III (an accident really, it came along with my 25/2.8 Distagon for under £200). I pick up the 159 first every single time.


PostPosted: Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Excellent feedback, many thanks!
I will keep my eyes open for these cameras.

In the mean time I came across a FX-103, for silly money, so I purchased it for now.
Smile


PostPosted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The 103 is a cut down version of the 159MM and quite a nice, lightweight body with TTL flash. Enjoy!


PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2015 8:09 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks! I replaced the rotten leather with a new red replacement kit and it looks damn spiffy now. Can't wait to try it!


PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 10:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was GIVEN a Yashica FR1 and a CONTAX RTS II and BOTH suffer from 'frame counter' trouble - the RTS had been banged on the corner near the frame counter which now sticks on 'S' and the FR1 counter doesn't move off 'S' either so I have to guess ! But cameras work OK other than that and the leather on FR1 is still good.