My parents bought me this camera in 1976 with the DSB 50mm1.9 and YUS 135mm 2.8 lenses. I've since added several ML lenses to use on this camera, that I still own. With my Nikon Z5 with an adapter, all of these vintage lenses are still getting a lot of use. I took some of the best pictures in my town during the late 70s with this camera. We had much better processing then, as digital wasn't an option, and people actually cared about quality. I miss those times. When we want to go back... it isn't to put anyone down, it's to live a better life than we have now. It was better. People were better to each other.
This was the model camera I bought in high school in 1977. It was a big deal for me as it was the first thing I ever purchased that wasn't candy or comics! I still have it, but a few decades ago I tried to clean it and got bits of paper towel stuck in the tiny ridges of the Fresnel lens. I need to dig it out of storage some day and run that lens through an ultrasonic cleaner, then she'll be good as new.
Outstanding!!! I just got one of these yesterday and am dying to push a roll of film through it. And to now know that the Zeiss lenses fit this, I'm really excited to get some film!!!!
Glad to find your video. Got this camera handed down to me from my dad. Think he got it in 1976. The inner view finder has a good deal of dust. Anyone know of a tutorial of how to clean this easily ? Recently got an adapter for the c/y lens to Sony a7 adapter to try on my mirror less. Looking forward to the results.
This was my first camera i almost through it in the river. I got frustrated with it and traged it in after less than 30 days.for the yashica FR 1. It was my own fault though i just didnt know how to use it properly. Would like to have go at another one. Contax-Yashica made great cameras and lenes. The FX2 is built like a tank.
Do you know where I could get the mirror for the inside of the camera. Mine didn't come with. Would it affect my camera ability to take pictures or just the ability for me to see? Thank youuu
Sorry for the late reply I didn't receive a notification for your comment! The only way you can skip a frame is if you advance the film, take a picture with the front of the lens completely covered, then advance the film again. So in your situation no, there will not be a skipped frame! Hope this helps
Wow this means a lot! Thank you! Yeah I realize now that I definitely should have listened to it with headphones on, the audio is waaay left. I actually just used the mic on my phone so I'll try a different position. Also gonna do some stereo mic testing. Thanks again, Marco
Well, if you used your phone than it's most probably just due to where it was positioned. A quick tip, if I can: dialogue is actually recorded in mono, so don't be afraid to convert the recorded track to mono ;)
Glad you found it helpful! Here is a link to the app I use, called Light Meter - Lite play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.willblaschko.android.lightmeterv2.free
Picked one up at a thrift store, mine has some sort of dried up residue, hair and dust whenever I look through the viewer… any tips on removing it? It’s not on the lens but rather that white square with the circle in the center (visible when you remove the lens) new to all of this lol
So that white square actually called the focusing screen and can be fully removed, however I have never done this. Generally speaking most of the dirt you will see through the viewfinder will be on the outer side of the focusing screen (the one that you described). To clean this, remove the lens, use compressed air or a rocket air blaster to remove the bulk of the dirt/dust, then I use an extremely soft brush and carefully remove the more stubborn bits. If there is some sort of sticky residue you can try using 99% isopropyl alcohol and a q tip but take extreme care. Hope this is helpful to you!
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138 Legend! Thank you so much for the help, will look into it soon. Had the camera sitting here with 4 new rolls of film for it just ready to be used. Appreciate it!
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138 Opened it up and unlike cameras like the Olympus OM-1 or other similar ones, the Yashica doesn't have a latch to open up and reveal the focusing screen. However I am led to believe that the few screws inside right below the screen are holding up the part that keeps the screen in place. Just my findings and thoughts lol
@@DashCameraEye that sounds about right, unfortunately I am no longer in possession of the FX-2, otherwise I would have tried to pull it apart for ya. Were you able to remove most of the debris or is it stuck behind the screen?
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138 Ordered a precision screwdriver set since I didn’t have one available lol, opened it up today and what I found wasn’t just the focusing screen, the focusing screen seems to be “connected” more or less to another part of the camera that appears to be bulging outwards, sort of like older TV’s before the flat screen was invented. This bulging piece seems to be facing the prism. Both of these parts seem to be held together by some sort of iron/metal band for lack of better words. I wish there was a way I could show you lol. I’m pretty lost on how to get access to the focusing screen now. Most cameras would simply have a latch to expose the focusing screen but it isn’t that simple in the Yashica.. I’m going to attempt to open up the whole thing and try that way (while also giving it a good cleaning) any help/knowledge on this, friend? Appreciate the support thus far, not ready to give up yet!
I have a Yashica FX-2 that I bought five years ago off EBay for roughly $45-00, here in England. Everything works perfectly with it, except for the light meter; and I've recently replaced the light seals. The 50mm Yashica lens it came with was great, but I basically bought the FX-2 as a mechanical back-up to my Contax RTS and it's Zeiss lenses, with which it is stunning. If the FX-2 has any shortcoming, then it's probably it's lack of a split prism focusing screen.
on mine there is something about when you have it set on 1/60 of a second it tends to malfuncion and not open and close the shutter properly ...i am thinking that is meant for flash only ...did you find anything more about that ...i notice that all the other speeds are in white and the 60 is in yellow ...it has got to mean something
60 is the flash sync speed but it should operate just like the other shutter speeds. Will the shutter fire if you pull out the film advance lever slightly after you do a full advance?
@@nealblackburn8628 that is extremely strange, I'm not sure there is any advice I could give you without actually having the camera in my hands. If all of the other speeds seem to be working okay and it doesn't bother you too much I would just not use 1/60th, but I would recommend taking your camera in for a CLA (clean, lubricate and adjust).
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138 something definatley wrong with it now it faults at 125 i am going to try to fix myself . worst thing that can happen is i wreck it ... i think i will need to peel back the front black vinyl to get to fixing screws is that right
@@nealblackburn8628 I don't believe that you have to peel back the vinyl to take apart the camera, but I would advise getting a technician to do it unless you don't mind having a broken camera. They are extremely complicated and it sounds like there is something wrong with the shutter assembly itself, which is the most delicate part. If you do decide to attempt it yourself, find as many videos/forums/articles on repair of the FX2 as possible. Good luck!
You can try opening up the bottom of the camera and very gently moving the gears, also check to see if your mirror or shutter is stuck. If any of those things work I would recommend taking your camera in for a CLA (Clean, lubricate and adjust) to make sure it keeps on working!
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138 That's what I ended up doing I was shitting bricks thinking I was gonna f something or the whole camera . Thank you SO MUCH amor
My parents bought me this camera in 1976 with the DSB 50mm1.9 and YUS 135mm 2.8 lenses. I've since added several ML lenses to use on this camera, that I still own. With my Nikon Z5 with an adapter, all of these vintage lenses are still getting a lot of use. I took some of the best pictures in my town during the late 70s with this camera. We had much better processing then, as digital wasn't an option, and people actually cared about quality. I miss those times. When we want to go back... it isn't to put anyone down, it's to live a better life than we have now. It was better. People were better to each other.
This was the model camera I bought in high school in 1977. It was a big deal for me as it was the first thing I ever purchased that wasn't candy or comics! I still have it, but a few decades ago I tried to clean it and got bits of paper towel stuck in the tiny ridges of the Fresnel lens. I need to dig it out of storage some day and run that lens through an ultrasonic cleaner, then she'll be good as new.
This is clear, concise and informative. Well done.
Thanks so much! Your channel is a big reason why I started making videos.
Just picked one up. this is my first camera I’ve bought, I have a feeling I will remember it well.
Great! Hope you're enjoying it so far
Outstanding!!! I just got one of these yesterday and am dying to push a roll of film through it. And to now know that the Zeiss lenses fit this, I'm really excited to get some film!!!!
Good to hear! Enjoy :)
Just got one today as well! I can’t wait and I’m clueless how to even turn it on 🤣
i picked one up for around 60 at a local film developing shop, your video was super helpful!
Glad to hear it! Enjoy
Glad to find your video. Got this camera handed down to me from my dad. Think he got it in 1976. The inner view finder has a good deal of dust. Anyone know of a tutorial of how to clean this easily ? Recently got an adapter for the c/y lens to Sony a7 adapter to try on my mirror less. Looking forward to the results.
Very cool vid
Great video. Thanks mate.
This was my first camera i almost through it in the river. I got frustrated with it and traged it in after less than 30 days.for the yashica FR 1. It was my own fault though i just didnt know how to use it properly. Would like to have go at another one. Contax-Yashica made great cameras and lenes. The FX2 is built like a tank.
Do you know where I could get the mirror for the inside of the camera. Mine didn't come with. Would it affect my camera ability to take pictures or just the ability for me to see? Thank youuu
It's meant to take a mercury battery? I put an LR44 in and the meter was bang on when I compared with my DSLR. Lucky me!
Thanks a lot the video was very helpful !
Glad I could help you out!
What is the app that you use? And what exactly is the purpose and how do you use it? I’m very new at this haha
I’m curious about this too!
do you know if my lever to advance film gets stuck with a roll loaded, will it skip a frame after being able to get it to click back again?
Sorry for the late reply I didn't receive a notification for your comment! The only way you can skip a frame is if you advance the film, take a picture with the front of the lens completely covered, then advance the film again. So in your situation no, there will not be a skipped frame! Hope this helps
This is a very well made first video! It looks good and the audio is clear (although a bit to the left, did you use a stereo microphone?). Keep it up!
Wow this means a lot! Thank you!
Yeah I realize now that I definitely should have listened to it with headphones on, the audio is waaay left. I actually just used the mic on my phone so I'll try a different position. Also gonna do some stereo mic testing.
Thanks again,
Marco
Well, if you used your phone than it's most probably just due to where it was positioned. A quick tip, if I can: dialogue is actually recorded in mono, so don't be afraid to convert the recorded track to mono ;)
Oh cool will do! Thanks for the tip
hey man, great video! What was the name of the light meter app you use? Appreciate it!
Glad you found it helpful! Here is a link to the app I use, called Light Meter - Lite
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.willblaschko.android.lightmeterv2.free
Thanks this was helpful
my grandpas getting me one!
Thanks
My pleasure!
Does this model require batteries?
Picked one up at a thrift store, mine has some sort of dried up residue, hair and dust whenever I look through the viewer… any tips on removing it? It’s not on the lens but rather that white square with the circle in the center (visible when you remove the lens) new to all of this lol
So that white square actually called the focusing screen and can be fully removed, however I have never done this. Generally speaking most of the dirt you will see through the viewfinder will be on the outer side of the focusing screen (the one that you described). To clean this, remove the lens, use compressed air or a rocket air blaster to remove the bulk of the dirt/dust, then I use an extremely soft brush and carefully remove the more stubborn bits. If there is some sort of sticky residue you can try using 99% isopropyl alcohol and a q tip but take extreme care. Hope this is helpful to you!
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138 Legend! Thank you so much for the help, will look into it soon. Had the camera sitting here with 4 new rolls of film for it just ready to be used. Appreciate it!
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138 Opened it up and unlike cameras like the Olympus OM-1 or other similar ones, the Yashica doesn't have a latch to open up and reveal the focusing screen. However I am led to believe that the few screws inside right below the screen are holding up the part that keeps the screen in place. Just my findings and thoughts lol
@@DashCameraEye that sounds about right, unfortunately I am no longer in possession of the FX-2, otherwise I would have tried to pull it apart for ya. Were you able to remove most of the debris or is it stuck behind the screen?
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138 Ordered a precision screwdriver set since I didn’t have one available lol, opened it up today and what I found wasn’t just the focusing screen, the focusing screen seems to be “connected” more or less to another part of the camera that appears to be bulging outwards, sort of like older TV’s before the flat screen was invented. This bulging piece seems to be facing the prism. Both of these parts seem to be held together by some sort of iron/metal band for lack of better words. I wish there was a way I could show you lol. I’m pretty lost on how to get access to the focusing screen now. Most cameras would simply have a latch to expose the focusing screen but it isn’t that simple in the Yashica.. I’m going to attempt to open up the whole thing and try that way (while also giving it a good cleaning) any help/knowledge on this, friend? Appreciate the support thus far, not ready to give up yet!
Does this camera only take black and white photos?
It takes 35mm film which you can get in both colour and black and white!
I have a Yashica FX-2 that I bought five years ago off EBay for roughly $45-00, here in England. Everything works perfectly with it, except for the light meter; and I've recently replaced the light seals. The 50mm Yashica lens it came with was great, but I basically bought the FX-2 as a mechanical back-up to my Contax RTS and it's Zeiss lenses, with which it is stunning. If the FX-2 has any shortcoming, then it's probably it's lack of a split prism focusing screen.
I have to agree the lack of a split prism is a bit annoying, though the microprism circle still does quite well
on mine there is something about when you have it set on 1/60 of a second it tends to malfuncion and not open and close the shutter properly ...i am thinking that is meant for flash only ...did you find anything more about that ...i notice that all the other speeds are in white and the 60 is in yellow ...it has got to mean something
60 is the flash sync speed but it should operate just like the other shutter speeds. Will the shutter fire if you pull out the film advance lever slightly after you do a full advance?
every speed works ok except 60 ..the mirror doesn't return when set to 60 pulling the film advance lever after advancing the film doesn't help
@@nealblackburn8628 that is extremely strange, I'm not sure there is any advice I could give you without actually having the camera in my hands. If all of the other speeds seem to be working okay and it doesn't bother you too much I would just not use 1/60th, but I would recommend taking your camera in for a CLA (clean, lubricate and adjust).
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138 something definatley wrong with it now it faults at 125 i am going to try to fix myself . worst thing that can happen is i wreck it ... i think i will need to peel back the front black vinyl to get to fixing screws is that right
@@nealblackburn8628 I don't believe that you have to peel back the vinyl to take apart the camera, but I would advise getting a technician to do it unless you don't mind having a broken camera. They are extremely complicated and it sounds like there is something wrong with the shutter assembly itself, which is the most delicate part. If you do decide to attempt it yourself, find as many videos/forums/articles on repair of the FX2 as possible. Good luck!
My lever is stuck do you have any ideas to make it to work
You can try opening up the bottom of the camera and very gently moving the gears, also check to see if your mirror or shutter is stuck. If any of those things work I would recommend taking your camera in for a CLA (Clean, lubricate and adjust) to make sure it keeps on working!
@@mechanicalslrlounge5138
That's what I ended up doing I was shitting bricks thinking I was gonna f something or the whole camera . Thank you SO MUCH amor
Love
Does this camera only take black and white photos?
It depends on what film you put inside! You can get colour film or black and white film in the 35mm format