Excellent video..I sold these way back in the 60's here in Melbourne and have a "G" and the lenses..I have just acquired a new Fuji XV100V1 which interestingly uses the Aux lens system ...Always loved the old Yashy's ..Great units..Cheers..
my father bought in Japan a Yashica Electro 35 in 1970. I learned to use it. Brings a wonderful experience that my digital cameras don't which is the surprise element. Thanks for you video
I am not a pro. in photography but I am an engineer and know a bit about good and bad design... Electro 35 is like a ford mondeo with a collision avoidence system that is sold for a bicycle price and is continuously being critisized for not being quite an aston martin (Leica). It is a marvelous lens attached to a rugged metal body. Manual focus, automatic exposure.. That is it.. Who needs shutter priority anyway... I can hardly think of situations where manipulating the depth of field would have a secondary importance to for example handling speed and movement. Sports photography? ..(!) Otherwise "aperature" is actually where you want your hands to be on ; not the shutter ... Things I like about this camera: 1- All the right things are automatic, all the right things are manual. 2- Feels rugged and upscale in the hand. Also the mechanics sounds and feels reliable and upscale. Winding the film gives a great satisfactory feel. Sounds like a swiss clock. 3- Shutter button has a long travel and a nice satisfactory feel too. You are motivated to press it slowly since the viewfinder has a pedagogical approach regarding your choice of apperature. It may choose to guide you with arrows when you have pressed halfway that long travel. 4- Oldschool Japanese electronics is very reliable and precise too. The camera does everything to prevent you from losing a frame of your film. 5- Photo quality is just like that of an expensive camera. Things that can be critisized (if you really have to.. ) (in fact you can just forget them) 1- Those adapters .. (are high quality lenses) but you will NEVER need them. (Unless you just crave some extra weight and extra trouble.) They barely make any change to your angle. Need wider view? So much easier to take a step back 99% of the time... But they look nice in their leather bag. There is also an extra visor you can use with them by attaching to the shoe. These are just collector items. Will most probably not be used at all. 2- Battery problem needs to be hacked.. There are many ways to do that. Very minor problem... Just google it. 3- Focusing is done via a rhombus shaped "cross hair" seeing which may require a sharp eye in certain lighting conditions. But when you turn the focusing ring right and left, it moves back and forth and you can see it better. Overall in my view it is the ultimate beginner's camera.
I've gotten the black "Professional" version a few weeks ago at a local store, and it's become one of my favourite analogue cameras. So far I've only put one roll of film through it, in a challenging setting - dark forest and hand-held, so I was forced to use F/1.7 or F/2.0 most of the time, still the images came out decent and sharp, a testament to the lens quality. It's a bit larger than the rangefinders I'm used to, but still easy to hold. Personally I don't think aperture priority only is a problem, since you hardly ever need shutter priority, and implementing manual controls would've made the electronics more expensive and ergonomics more challenging to design. As it is, it's a great camera that almost anyone can use without much analogue experience.
Excellent explanation - and thanks for the video! I still use a Yashica 35 from my father today. Greetings from Berlin and all the best in these times.
Always enjoy your videos. Nicely comprehensive without bowing down to the silly Leica hype that so many other TH-cam camera videos have. Someone gave me Yashica Electro GSN which is a little bit of a later camera but essentially the same except for some minor upgrades like a hot shoe and a larger shutter release lock. It "appears" to work but of course the battery is dead, so I am not absolutely sure of its condition. Your video convinced me to invest in the ten bucks into a battery. It does seem to be a good carry around camera. Lens focal length is a matter of taste. I like a camera with a 45mm/50mm rather than 35mm. I often use 35mm but only as a second choice, especially in a crowd. I also find that 100mm for me is a great "normal" focal length when walking around. Its perspective on a face is much better than a 35mm or 50mm and if need be, one can always back up. But again, this is a matter of taste. Keep your great videos coming!
I purchased a Yashica Electro 35 for £5 just a couple of weeks ago. Mine is identical to yours bar the base is different. It doesn't have that curve. I'm wondering if mine is the first gen as it's not stamped made in Japan it's not stamped at all bar a serial number starting with the letter "H"..
Hi, First of all, great images! I really like how you compose your shots. Question one, on the black and white photos does the camera produce the Vignetting naturally or is that done in post? 2. I just purchased an electro 35 GSN, but mine looks like it has a hot shoe rather than a cold shoe. I assume mine is a different model In the G family? Lastly, You referred to the top wheel as ISO which is kind of confusing because I was under the impression that ISO is completely different from setting your film speed i.e. 100 400 800 etc. Technically you can’t change the ISO settings on this camera like you could newer cameras, correct?
Thank's for the thought through questions! 1. The vignetting was produced by the lenses, not in postprocessing. 2. Only the GSN & GTN had a hotshoe, so you must own one of these 2 models. 3. The top wheel is the ISO setting, which you set to the film speed loadedin the camera. It is directly connected to the internal lightmeter to give correct exposures. So setting your ISO is indeed the same as setting your film speed i.e. 100 400 800 etc. Good luck, if you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask!
@@ThePhotographyMinimalist Actually on the camera, the film speed is the ASA setting, which was the American standard film speed. The Soviets had a very similar equivalent standard called GOST. The European DIN system was much less logical and intuitive and did not double as film speed doubled like the American and Soviet systems did. Eventually, from my understanding the ASA system was universally adopted and was called ISO (I am assuming for International Standard.)
That is an interesting question! When you set the camera to flash exposure, (or x-mode) it uses a fixed shutter speed of 1/30 of a second. In this setting you can still control the aperture. So yes, you can use this method as a "work around" for manual exposure. Take into account though that 1/30 of a second is a relatively slow shutter speed and you have this risk of camera shake and/or unsharp moving subjects. I will certainly try this next time I photograph with the Yashica!
@@ThePhotographyMinimalist I got an adapter, 2 batteries and a light seal replacement kit for 13 euros in e-bay from a Spanish seller, it works and metring looks ok, also bought the tele/wide/ovf kit, but its a bit complex to focus except infinity
Excellent video..I sold these way back in the 60's here in Melbourne and have a "G" and the lenses..I have just acquired a new Fuji XV100V1 which interestingly uses the Aux lens system ...Always loved the old Yashy's ..Great units..Cheers..
my father bought in Japan a Yashica Electro 35 in 1970. I learned to use it. Brings a wonderful experience that my digital cameras don't which is the surprise element. Thanks for you video
I have a yashica Electro 35 gl 1600 ASA model bought as Mint from Japan and i LOVE IT.
I am not a pro. in photography but I am an engineer and know a bit about good and bad design...
Electro 35 is like a ford mondeo with a collision avoidence system that is sold for a bicycle price and is continuously being critisized for not being quite an aston martin (Leica).
It is a marvelous lens attached to a rugged metal body. Manual focus, automatic exposure.. That is it..
Who needs shutter priority anyway...
I can hardly think of situations where manipulating the depth of field would have a secondary importance to for example handling speed and movement. Sports photography? ..(!)
Otherwise "aperature" is actually where you want your hands to be on ; not the shutter ...
Things I like about this camera:
1- All the right things are automatic, all the right things are manual.
2- Feels rugged and upscale in the hand. Also the mechanics sounds and feels reliable and upscale. Winding the film gives a great satisfactory feel. Sounds like a swiss clock.
3- Shutter button has a long travel and a nice satisfactory feel too. You are motivated to press it slowly since the viewfinder has a pedagogical approach regarding your choice of apperature. It may choose to guide you with arrows when you have pressed halfway that long travel.
4- Oldschool Japanese electronics is very reliable and precise too. The camera does everything to prevent you from losing a frame of your film.
5- Photo quality is just like that of an expensive camera.
Things that can be critisized (if you really have to.. ) (in fact you can just forget them)
1- Those adapters .. (are high quality lenses) but you will NEVER need them. (Unless you just crave some extra weight and extra trouble.) They barely make any change to your angle. Need wider view? So much easier to take a step back 99% of the time...
But they look nice in their leather bag. There is also an extra visor you can use with them by attaching to the shoe. These are just collector items. Will most probably not be used at all.
2- Battery problem needs to be hacked.. There are many ways to do that. Very minor problem... Just google it.
3- Focusing is done via a rhombus shaped "cross hair" seeing which may require a sharp eye in certain lighting conditions. But when you turn the focusing ring right and left, it moves back and forth and you can see it better.
Overall in my view it is the ultimate beginner's camera.
I just got one from my grandpa and am waiting to get my first roll of film developed. Gonna be fun.
@@natesenft5376 Asian Leica with proven results.
I've gotten the black "Professional" version a few weeks ago at a local store, and it's become one of my favourite analogue cameras. So far I've only put one roll of film through it, in a challenging setting - dark forest and hand-held, so I was forced to use F/1.7 or F/2.0 most of the time, still the images came out decent and sharp, a testament to the lens quality.
It's a bit larger than the rangefinders I'm used to, but still easy to hold.
Personally I don't think aperture priority only is a problem, since you hardly ever need shutter priority, and implementing manual controls would've made the electronics more expensive and ergonomics more challenging to design. As it is, it's a great camera that almost anyone can use without much analogue experience.
Excellent explanation - and thanks for the video! I still use a Yashica 35 from my father today.
Greetings from Berlin and all the best in these times.
looks like some pretty serious vignetting with the wide adapter. thanks for the video, great stuff.
Thank you and you are correct. There is indeed quite some vignetting with the wide adapter!
Congratulations 👏
Thank you! as always, a great review with test shots
Always enjoy your videos. Nicely comprehensive without bowing down to the silly Leica hype that so many other TH-cam camera videos have. Someone gave me Yashica Electro GSN which is a little bit of a later camera but essentially the same except for some minor upgrades like a hot shoe and a larger shutter release lock. It "appears" to work but of course the battery is dead, so I am not absolutely sure of its condition. Your video convinced me to invest in the ten bucks into a battery. It does seem to be a good carry around camera. Lens focal length is a matter of taste. I like a camera with a 45mm/50mm rather than 35mm. I often use 35mm but only as a second choice, especially in a crowd. I also find that 100mm for me is a great "normal" focal length when walking around. Its perspective on a face is much better than a 35mm or 50mm and if need be, one can always back up. But again, this is a matter of taste. Keep your great videos coming!
This camera is amazing for dead on exposure of slide film.
I purchased a Yashica Electro 35 for £5 just a couple of weeks ago. Mine is identical to yours bar the base is different. It doesn't have that curve. I'm wondering if mine is the first gen as it's not stamped made in Japan it's not stamped at all bar a serial number starting with the letter "H"..
Mooie foto’s!
Dank je wel!
Hi,
First of all, great images! I really like how you compose your shots.
Question one, on the black and white photos does the camera produce the Vignetting naturally or is that done in post?
2. I just purchased an electro 35 GSN, but mine looks like it has a hot shoe rather than a cold shoe. I assume mine is a different model In the G family?
Lastly, You referred to the top wheel as ISO which is kind of confusing because I was under the impression that ISO is completely different from setting your film speed i.e. 100 400 800 etc. Technically you can’t change the ISO settings on this camera like you could newer cameras, correct?
Thank's for the thought through questions!
1. The vignetting was produced by the lenses, not in postprocessing.
2. Only the GSN & GTN had a hotshoe, so you must own one of these 2 models.
3. The top wheel is the ISO setting, which you set to the film speed loadedin the camera. It is directly connected to the internal lightmeter to give correct exposures. So setting your ISO is indeed the same as setting your film speed i.e. 100 400 800 etc.
Good luck, if you have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask!
@@ThePhotographyMinimalist Actually on the camera, the film speed is the ASA setting, which was the American standard film speed. The Soviets had a very similar equivalent standard called GOST. The European DIN system was much less logical and intuitive and did not double as film speed doubled like the American and Soviet systems did. Eventually, from my understanding the ASA system was universally adopted and was called ISO (I am assuming for International Standard.)
love the grain you got with the Agfa...Did you meter at a different ISO? shot at box speed? or pushed the film?
Thank's shot at box speed.
What is the Flash Sync Speed when it is set to Flash on the lens and can this speed be used as a "work around" for manual exposure?
That is an interesting question! When you set the camera to flash exposure, (or x-mode) it uses a fixed shutter speed of 1/30 of a second. In this setting you can still control the aperture. So yes, you can use this method as a "work around" for manual exposure. Take into account though that 1/30 of a second is a relatively slow shutter speed and you have this risk of camera shake and/or unsharp moving subjects. I will certainly try this next time I photograph with the Yashica!
@@ThePhotographyMinimalist Thanks, that is the same with many cameras from that era, Olympus Trip, Canonette 28 etc. etc..
Could you please add a link to buy the battery shown in video?
Good question! I was lucky to still have this battery. I would go for the adapter, which works absolutely fine!
@@ThePhotographyMinimalist I got an adapter, 2 batteries and a light seal replacement kit for 13 euros in e-bay from a Spanish seller, it works and metring looks ok, also bought the tele/wide/ovf kit, but its a bit complex to focus except infinity
@@yiannisvasilopoulos5761 Good luck!
Also buy LR44, easily.
Which camera do you use to shoot your videos?
It depends… sometimes it is the IPhone 6 Plus and sometimes the Fuji X10.
Can color film be use in this version?
Yes, any 35 mm film can be used.
I have a gsn where the meter is dead. Can I use it and assume it is shooting only 500 speed? Thanks.
Good idea. I have a dead battery too. I should try that using Sunny 16. I tried the flash but it doesn't seem to without a battery.
Using a lightmeter app on your phone is pretty convenient
Check the battery terminals. It may be a simple fix to clean them.