Yashica FX-3

[GreenEggs_n_Ham]

Just dug out this from the old cupboards!
manual... F2.0 50mm lens, ratio 1:2


i'm a digi-freak. can anybody explain WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS? like, is this camera useful? does anybody know if i need batteries to run this oldie? i've been snapping blankly...took out the lens, saw the mirror...put the lens back...



i need mentorship on old, manual cameras... amzingly. this cam doesn't have any fungus or dust! well, i found it in a box with silica gel anyway..

help anyone?

 

[Nikonian Foo]

This is an old junkie to some, treasure to others. This is the camera when I first started out with SLR. Very good, totally manual camera. All shutter speeds does not require battery to operate, unlike some higher end Nikon MF camera. The batteries (2x LR44) operates only the spotmeter.

 

[xmen1977]

here's some info abt FX3
a gd back up camera for contax lens mount

http://home.infi.net/~hudsonch/contax.htm

:gbounce:

 

[GreenEggs_n_Ham]

so i've got a piece of semi-precious stone here? haha...

i meant usable semi-precious stone...

anyone else?

hey, nikonian, did it work well for you? i really hopes this one works well for me..heh...n intend to keep it for my future generations! haha...then hopefully it'll be a valuable antique! it is, afterall...23 years old already!

help?

 

[mervlam]

Originally posted by GreenEggs_n_Ham
so i've got a piece of semi-precious stone here? haha...

i meant usable semi-precious stone...

anyone else?

hey, nikonian, did it work well for you? i really hopes this one works well for me..heh...n intend to keep it for my future generations! haha...then hopefully it'll be a valuable antique! it is, afterall...23 years old already!

help?

well... i'm still using mine. My Yashica FX3 Super 2000 is, however, only 15 years old.

Antique? Maybe~~ Worth? Only $150 with lens in the second hand market.

If you can make it, bring it down to SEED next week. I can show you how it works.

 

[james m]

Originally posted by GreenEggs_n_Ham


Just dug out this from the old cupboards!
manual... F2.0 50mm lens, ratio 1:2

help anyone?

I can help you with it .....


send it to me and I will make good use of it

 

[Nikonian Foo]

Originally posted by GreenEggs_n_Ham
so i've got a piece of semi-precious stone here? haha...

i meant usable semi-precious stone...

anyone else?

hey, nikonian, did it work well for you? i really hopes this one works well for me..heh...n intend to keep it for my future generations! haha...then hopefully it'll be a valuable antique! it is, afterall...23 years old already!

help?

Since you "found" it, make good use of it. My first roll was a dud because I don't know overexposure/underexposure. It forced me to learn everything from basic.

 

[GreenEggs_n_Ham]

Originally posted by mervlam
well... i'm still using mine. My Yashica FX3 Super 2000 is, however, only 15 years old.

Antique? Maybe~~ Worth? Only $150 with lens in the second hand market.

If you can make it, bring it down to SEED next week. I can show you how it works.

okie!

 

[yellow_kiwi]

nice fully mechanical camera. mine is the FX3 Super 2000 also. got it from a fellow CSer. i like it, especially the manual focussing part. using it now.

 

[guanguan]

Yap. It is probably the cheapest fully manual and mechanical camera without resorting to stop down metering. Good as a back up to any system as you don't have to worry about the camera stop working if the battery goes flat. Learn to use it, it will be a very good training tool for your photography....

 

[Nikonian Foo]

Oh yeah, you can also get Carl Zeiss lens for this camera.

 

[guanguan]

That's the best thing of this cam, as the similar spec Contax camera is the S2, which is selling at $1k+ used.

 

[apalah_u]

Hi

I just bought cheap Yashica FX3 to learn manual photography with it.

Anyone has the manual guide (hardcopy or softcopy) for it?

Please help

Thanks

 

[whoelse]

Hi

I just bought cheap Yashica FX3 to learn manual photography with it.

Anyone has the manual guide (hardcopy or softcopy) for it?

Please help

Thanks

Nah, give ->
http://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica_fx-3_7/yashica_fx-3_7-splash.htm

 

[patch17]

Hi

I just bought cheap Yashica FX3 to learn manual photography with it.

Anyone has the manual guide (hardcopy or softcopy) for it?

Please help

Thanks

Well, for one thing, the camera's operations are so simple, one doesn't really need a manual.

the camera uses 2 x LR44 batteries to power the meter, which is centre-weighted metering, and that's about it. The rest of the camera's operations are fully manual. You select the film speed (no auto DX), you set the apreture (no automatic exposure modes), you focus manually (no AF) and set the shutter speed. IMHO, it's a wonderful camera to learn the basics of photography, be it film or digital. My only gripe is that there's no DOF (Depth Of Field) preview button. Other than that, it's a real gem.

Looking through the view finder you'll see 3 symbols, a red "-", a green "o", and a red "+". Select your aperture and shutter speed, point the camera at your subject, half depress the shutter. see which symbol lights up. if it's the "-" your underexposed, if it's the "+" you're over exposed. If the green "o" lights up, your exposure is spot on.

Recently got an FX-3 Super 2000 together with a 50mm f1.9 for $79. Body and interior are in excellent condition, the lens is an original Yashica MC, but with a "flimsy" plastiky mount. Just a touch of spider web at the corners of the lens, doesn't affect overall picture quality. it's surprisingly light weight, due to extensive use of plastics in it's construction, so i hardly notice it even though it hangs on your neck all day. it's my current "user" at the moment.

Best thing about these cameras is that their compatible with CZ lenses used by the more expensive Contax, if you can afford them.

 

[apalah_u]

Thanks to whoelse for the online manual.

Also thanks to patch17 for sharing information on Yashica FX3 which is very useful and helpful.

Patch17, you got Yashica FX3 for a very good price. I got mine for $200 with Vitacon F3.5 28-70mm lens plus an Achiever variable flash from a second-hand shop in Peninsular Plaza. But no original Yashica lens, no neck strap, no case.

I dunno if I have been tricked by the high price or given a faulty camera as I don't find any damage, fungus, mould or scratch to the interior/exterior of the camera/lens except for the wear mark on the exterior body.

Anyway, I have not tested it yet and will only test it this weekend. One thing about the camera that I am not comfortable is the matte screen inside the viewfinder looks slightly blur (not clear and sharp) even the split-image is focused or not focused. Is this normal?

Can you help advise on what and how should I check the camera if the camera is OK? Which ISO film should I buy? Which shutter speed and aperture settings should I test? I have 2 weeks to return it to the shop if it is found to be faulty.

Thanks in advance to those Yashica FX3 users again.

 

[patch17]

Thanks to whoelse for the online manual.

Also thanks to patch17 for sharing information on Yashica FX3 which is very useful and helpful.

Patch17, you got Yashica FX3 for a very good price. I got mine for $200 with Vitacon F3.5 28-70mm lens plus an Achiever variable flash from a second-hand shop in Peninsular Plaza. But no original Yashica lens, no neck strap, no case.

I dunno if I have been tricked by the high price or given a faulty camera as I don't find any damage, fungus, mould or scratch to the interior/exterior of the camera/lens except for the wear mark on the exterior body.

Anyway, I have not tested it yet and will only test it this weekend. One thing about the camera that I am not comfortable is the matte screen inside the viewfinder looks slightly blur (not clear and sharp) even the split-image is focused or not focused. Is this normal?

Can you help advise on what and how should I check the camera if the camera is OK? Which ISO film should I buy? Which shutter speed and aperture settings should I test? I have 2 weeks to return it to the shop if it is found to be faulty.

Thanks in advance to those Yashica FX3 users again.

Well, i got the Yashica from Cash Converters, it's really a hit or miss affair. Sometimes you're lucky, sometimes you get crap all. :bsmilie:

hmmm... just a quick question, have you ever used an SLR before? There are some people who pick up an SLR for the first time and complain that the thing's not working because the whole scene is blurred. You have to adjust the lens' focusing ring till you get a sharp image. The split-image viewfinder takes a bit of getting used to for most people. A trick i can suggest is to focus on an edge of the subject, that way it'd be easier to align the straight lines and get an image in focus.

Another good habit is to check the distance scale on your lens once you've focused on your subject. You can more or less judge the distance to the subject and check just to make sure the lens is also focused at the same distance.

As for testing the camera, i'd normally take a roll of film, doesn't really matter what ISO, and snap away. Print film has very wide exposure latitude so you'll still get some decent shots even if you're over or under exposed by as much as 2 -3 stops. You may want to try using slide film, you'll need spot on exposure to get good shots. (exposure latitude can be as little as 1/3 of a stop either way.)

Check the self timer, with the FX-3 Super 2000, the mirror flips up 1st when the timer is activated, around 10 sec later the shutter opens at the selected speed.

have fun...

 

[OzOn3]

Hey, all this talk reminded me of my friend's father's Pentax camera. It has the similar Matt surface, and a inverted image in the center. Pretty cool, except that the lens has discolored, i think.. it's orange.. and the lens and focusing rings are a little hard to turn.. The shutter planes gets stucked and the camera smells a little weird. And it's heavy too. hahahah..

But it was very interesting, working that camera, though it's not useable. Just checking out an old equipment.. ahahah..