What is a Film Camera?

Yashica Lynx 1000 Review

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Richard Kraneis

This is my review for a like new Yashica Lynx 1000 that is over 50 years old. To be brief, if you can purchase it at a good price and it works, enjoy. It’s a nice rangefinder.

Here’s a taste of what a Yashica Lynx 1000 can do with ASA 200 speed film.

Walkers in Kilbourn Park, Chicago, IL

Yashica Lynx 1000 Technical Details

Most of what I have learned about the Yashica Lynx 1000 has come from someone I’ve never met: Yashica Guy. Read what he has to say about the Yashica Lynx 1000.

First made in 1960, the Yashica Lynx 1000 runs off of its own power. There’s a power source towards the top of the camera (I think it’s selenium). As a kid I was fascinated with solar batteries, so its no surprise I wanted a camera that kind of uses a solar battery, the Lynx 1000.

Yashica Guy tells us that the camera has a Copal SV shutter. I’m not sure what that really means. But to me it means that the shutter is quiet. You could easily use this indoors and nobody would hear the shutter. A nice advantage.

The aperture ranges from a max of 1.8 to a tiny f22. I’m still new at this, and maybe you are also. The large 1.8 aperture means you can take photographs in less light than some other cameras. The f22 or tiny aperture means you can experiment with depth of field and producing photos with nice bokeh.

Read what Yashica Guy has to say about the Yashica Lynx 1000. He’s the best source that I know of regarding Yashica rangefinders.

Provenance or History

Sorry, I don’t know where it’s been. Purchased it in June 2011 from eBay for $22 plus shipping. It looked good in the photos and I had reason to believe the camera might be in good condition.

Purchasing from eBay is always a risk. If someone goes into technical detail about the condition of their film camera, you have an expectation that it’s a good camera. And, the ultimate price will be higher (others are reading what you are reading).

Some sellers just say: “I don’t know cameras. Buy the camera as is.” In that case, you might get a bargain or a bust on eBay or other places.

So no fancy provenance on this camera, just a short history. It’s from eBay.

My Repairs for the Yashica Lynx 1000

I was pretty excited when the camera arrived via USPS. Beautiful lens, shutter and apertures worked correctly, meter responded to light differently as expected. But then I put in a test roll of film (I always “fake” shoot a roll of expendable old film to test film transport).

The film does not advance. The film advance lever feels smooth as silk, but the film does not coil or advance as it should. I researched the problem on the Internet, found a few possible fixes, but I felt hesitant in tearing down a beautiful old film camera.

I took it to my camera repairman Mr. Lee. He seemed impressed to see a Yashica Lynx 1000.

$50 for a CLA: clean, lubrication, and adjustment. Also, Mr. Lee my repairman fixed the film advance so it works. Also, holding the camera I had accidentally pressed in on the rangefinder window and it had collapsed a bit. I guess the cement was old. Mr. Lee took care of that problem also.

Morning Strolls with the Yashica Lynx 1000

I take photographs on morning strolls in my Chicago neighborhood. You might want to read my article, am I a good photographer where I write in great detail about a stroll with my Yashica Lynx 1000.

Nice features of the Yashica Lynx 1000.

It just feels good. It has a nice weight and a nice balance to it.
There’s absolutely no camera shake at lower speeds.
It’s forgiving. I shot the first half of my ASA 200 roll of film with the camera set at ASA 100. I thought the photos would be ruined. The photos were fine, the camera forgiving.

Some trouble with bright horizons (half bright, half dark) as you might find in a park. But these exposure problems were photographer related.

Exposure Problem, Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL

Will I use the Yashica Lynx 1000 Again?

You bet. I had the Yashica Lynx 1000 with me when I did my best street photography yet. It’s the camera I used to photograph Oly the homeless man of Kilbourn Park. This is Oly as I first met him at 7:30 AM on a Sunday morning in August, 2011. He was reading his precious notes at a picnic table at the north end of Kilbourn Park, Chicago, IL. Oly knew perhaps more about the Yashica Lynx 1000 than I did.

Yashica Lynx 1000, Meeting Oly the homeless man of Kilbourn Park

If you can find a Yashica Lynx 1000 at an affordable price, buy it.

Thanks for reading my Yashica Lynx 1000 review at What is a Film Camera today.

Salvation Army Film Cameras

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Richard Kraneis

Visiting the Salvation Army on weekends for film cameras is both a pleasure and a sadness. First the sadness.

Count Your Blessings when you visit the Salvation Army

At first when I visited the huge Salvation Army store on Clybourn Avenue in Chicago, IL, it was a candy store of cameras given away by their owners.

But after a while I progressed beyond my film camera fervor and looked at the people shopping. Most people weren’t looking for camera bargains.

Yes, there are patrons looking for bargains. A camera collector looking for cameras, a young college couple purchasing used appliances for their first household, people like that.

But mainly the shoppers are just plain poor, trying to survive in the big city. Mothers purchasing bright clothing, hoping to please their little children. The little children in the store smile with glee testing out old toys while the older children in the store have sterner faces as they try on clothing. The older children know why they’re at the Salvation army shopping that day: they can’t afford to shop at Wal-Mart.

Sorry, no photos from the inside of the Salvation Army store. They don’t allow it. And I respect their rules.

So count your blessing when you visit the Salvation Army looking for cameras and other collectibles. I do.

The Camera Counter at the Salvation Army

My Salvation Army has a camera counter on the 2nd floor. I seem to visit it once a month

It’s a glass counter about 2 X 2 X 3 feet in dimensions stuffed with cameras so tightly you have no idea what’s in there. You look as much as you can but you really need to get your hands on everything, if only the staff will let you.

I’ve been to the store 3 times asking for permission to “go behind the counter”. Three times they said no.

Today they said yes.

An Olympia camera is easily visible at the front. I pull it out and show it to the 2 counter ladies answering questions from the throng of customers. “It’s a Chinese fake of an Olympus camera,” I tell the ladies. They smile nicely. They don’t care (and why should they).
Minoltas everywhere. I can’t even keep track of all the Minolta SLRs that I see in re-sale shops. I wouldn’t know a good one from a bad one. I just try each one out to see if they work without a battery, they don’t.
Canon AF 35ML, $45 dollars. I have one of these cameras already and wouldn’t mind having another. They have a 1.9 aperture and are a great low light camera. No stealth though. They are as loud as blender when you take a photo. “It’s only worth $5 I plead.” No, $45. Just because it’s more modern they want more money.

Sears TLS and Asahi Pentax Spotmatic

Buried in the camera counter I find two bodies: Sears TLS and Asahi Pentax Spotmatic.

I missed out on a Sears TLS with 3 lenses earlier this week for $63 plus shipping and I’m still thinking about it. But you just can’t get into bidding wars on cameras. Unprofitable, unpleasant. Matt Denton has a nice write-up on the Sears TLS and you might read it.

I remember what Karen Nakamura wrote about the rock solid Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SLR and I wanted one.

I test them as best I can. No lenses, just bodies.

Shutter speeds work.
No lenses means no aperture to test.
Film transport seems to work.
Camera seals are not too bad, may not need replacement.
Meter dead as a doornail.

I try to open both battery covers and they won’t budge with my borrowed penny from the counter ladies. Corroded batteries are a possibility. If so, the meter will never work.

Ten Dollars for Each Camera

The cameras have no price tag. I ask the lady what they want for the two cameras. “Ten dollars a camera.”

I tell her the batteries may be corroded and they have no lenses (both true). She just smiles. “Ten dollars a camera.”

I offer seven dollars. Yes, she said, “Ten dollars a camera.”

“OK, ten dollars a camera. I’ll take both.”

They lady I thought could barely speak English smiles, jumps a little off the ground (honest) and says to the other counter lady, in English: “I won. I won.”

Good camera deals at the Salvation Army?

You bet. It was almost worth $20 just watching the counter lady jump for joy when she won our camera negotiation. I’m happy with two used camera film bodies that I can test with a lens and film.

At home I worked on the Sears TLS and the Asahi Pentax Spotmatic battery covers. The Sears TLS is definitely corroded. But I can always shoot the Sears TLS manually. The Spotmatic batter cover came off with a good screwdriver. No corrosion.

I tried one of my screw mount lenses on both cameras and they seemed to work fine. The threads are still working. I have two new cameras to test, in time.

What is a Film Camera?

Yes, I will answer that question more technically as this blog evolves. I’ll talk about 35, 120, 220 formats and more.

But “What is a Film Camera?” for me is an opportunity to collect film cameras, take photos, meet people, and count my blessings at the Salvation Army store.

Am I a Good Photographer?

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Richard Kraneis

This blog article could have had many titles. But ultimately it’s a blog article about how photography can enrich your life, and the lives of others.

I’d like to become a better photographer. I don’t obsess about it, but I do own about 10 photography books that I read again and again. (I think it’s time to take a photography class.)

I want to be good at photographing…

People.

Photographing your wife on the back porch is easy. My wife is getting used to it.

Perhaps you want to become better at landscapes, or sports photography, or bird photography (like my friend Kim). Or, do you prefer commercial, aviation, or portrait photography. I’m self taught so I can’t describe all the different types of photography.

I want to photograph people that I meet on the street. I just realized why. I never knew why before. It’s a connection to my Dad who died 40 years ago. My father could walk up to anybody, anywhere, anytime and strike up a conversation. On Sundays during the late 1950’s when he didn’t work, my Dad would take me to soccer games in Chicago at Winnemac Park. I never understood soccer but I learned how to establish a rapport with complete strangers, watching my Dad.

I want to walk up to total strangers, strike up a conversation, and take their photo if they’ll let me. I’m not looking to take a secret photo of someone without their permission. The skill is in making contact, establishing a rapport, and commemorating the moment with a photo. One friend said one of my hidden skills is walking up to strangers and chatting with them amiably for 5-10 minutes. (A priceless talent I learned from my Dad.)

July 24, 2011 – Yashica 1000 Test Roll

I purchased a pedometer and now take walks as much as I can (becoming healthier). Today was a Sunday so I started my walk at about 7:15 AM. I normally walk about 1.5 to 2 miles in the morning around Kilbourn Park on Chicago’s northwest side. This Sunday, storm clouds are building in the west. (An hour later a new rainfall record would be set at O’Hare airport in Chicago.)

I took my refurbished Yashica 1000 with me for its first roll of film (ASA 200, generic film).

I’ll write about the Yashica Lynx 1000 on another day. Let’s just say that it’s as beautiful now as it was when it was made 51 years ago in 1960. The question remains: Is the camera usable, is the photographer good?

Look behind you, you’re missing good shots

As I crossed under a train viaduct approaching Kilbourn Park, I learned something for becoming a better photographer: look behind you for good shots.

So many times we look forward as we walk hoping for a good photograph. We see only 180 degrees forward. Did it ever occur to you that there’s a great photo or perspective if you just look behind you? More importantly, pause for a moment and do a complete circle. You may find a very good photo behind you, waiting for a good photographer.

Street Photographer Basics

As I wrote before, I want to become good at photographing people, especially strangers.

As I entered the park I met a woman who was finishing her morning walk/run. I said hello, she said hello, and I asked her if I could take her photo. She said no. I gladly accepted her wishes. People have the right to decline having their photo taken. She and I parted on good terms.

The Park this Morning

It’s a Sunday and there are more walkers than normal taking laptops around the running track.

One person walks ahead of me as the train roars past on its way to downtown Chicago. To the left you can barely see one hoop of the basketball court. It’s empty today.

Kilbourn Park, Chicago, IL, Train passing by

Meeting Oly, a Homeless Man

I walked through the park and as I neared Addison street I saw a man at a picnic table reading some plastic covered pages in a 3 ring notebook thick with documents. His tobacco pipe was near his hand. Next to him by the picnic table is a large box, perhaps 3 feet X 3 feet X 4 feet.

Yashica Lynx 1000, Meeting Oly in Kilbourn Park, a homeless man

I had seen this man before in the near distance on another day, and had walked on by.

RK – Good morning. How’re you doing today?
Stranger – Fine. How are you doing?
RK – Great. I’m taking my morning walk taking photos. Mind if I take your photo?
Stranger – Sure, go right ahead.

I didn’t take his photograph right away. I sat down on the other side of the picnic table and began chatting with the stranger, we introduced ourselves. His name is Oly.

Oly was reading a binder on theories of religion, on a picnic table, on a Sunday morning at 7:15 AM, in Chicago, IL, as storm clouds grew in the west and thunder rumbled in the very far distance.

Oly discussed his unifying theories on religion and I listened politely. It was a little too complex for me this early in the AM.

Oly revealed after a few minutes that he was homeless. He didn’t complain about it. It was just a fact. His landlord evicted him for $4400 in unpaid rent. Oly looked older than me (I’m a young 60, so they tell me.)

RK – May I ask what you did for a living?
Oly – I worked in a photo development lab. They don’t need that kind of thing anymore. The big stores do it for you. I was also a taxi driver.
RK – What do you do when it rains?
Oly – I pull this large sheet over me and my box.
RK – What’s in the box?
Oly – My favorite books. I couldn’t leave them behind when I was evicted.
RK – May I ask, how old are you Oly?
Oly – I’m 65.

Oly chatted on and mentioned a teacher named Mrs. Smith that hooked him on reading when he was in grade school. She introduced him to Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “The Raven”. Oly recited the Raven for a minute or so.

What Oly taught me about Street Photography

As I said at the start, this blog could have had many titles. But let’s get back to street photography.

I had established rapport with Oly and he had established a rapport with me. A very nice guy suffering a period of homelessness. What of all your possessions would you store in a box if you were homeless? Oly chose some clothing and his important books.

After a few minutes of chatting with OlyI showed him my Yashica 1000. I took a closeup of Oly at the picnic table. I took another closeup with Oly in the foreground and the hot dog stand in the background. Another shot with Oly in the foreground and the park in the background.

After a while I offered that Oly could take a photo of me. He declined. He didn’t want to accidentally break my Yashica Lynx 1000.

What did Oly help me learn about street photography?

Say hello first. Ask a question like, “How’s your day?”.
If the person answers you, keep going.
Chat a few seconds if you can, then ask: “May I take your photo?”
If the person says yes, chat a moment or two if you can. Engage them. Don’t pretend to be their friend. But honestly carry on a conversation, even if brief.
Take the photo.
Thanks them for the photo, the conversation, and leave.

I’m sure I haven’t discovered some secret method for street photography. But I learned from experience and tha’s precious. Each time I ask someone to take their photograph I get a little better at the process.

Thanks Oly, Bye

Towards the end of our conversation, Oly asked me what I wanted to be doing career wise. He wanted to help me if he could (imagine that). Yes, I gave him my cell phone.

As I stood up to leave I asked Oly if there was anything he needed that day. (I never once offered Ollie money, that didn’t seem right. I’m not offering money for photographs.)

Oly said he was fine. I told him to call me if he needed something. I didn’t promise any magical favor. I did promise to help if I could.

Am I a Good Photographer?

Maybe.

I took a dozen photos yesterday on my walk and in meeting Oly on July 24, 2011. Then I got home and realized I had not set the ASA speed for my camera to 200. The speed was on 100. Will the photos come out?

Yes, the photos came out fine. Remarkably, the Yashica Lynx 1000 took well exposed photos at ASA 100 even though the film was ASA 200. On another visit, here’s Oly. You can see his worldly possessions box next to the bus shelter. The bus shelter protects Oly from bad weather, unless the weather comes from the north.

Yashica Lynx 1000, Oly's Homeless but not Hopeless

But I did get better at street photography as a photographer? I think so. Every day a little better. Thanks Oly.

Film Camera Provenance

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Richard Kraneis

Film cameras have a provenance. And that makes buying them fun.

Provenance Defined

You’ve heard the phrase provenance on many TV shows about auctions, art, collectibles. This is what Wikipedia says about provenance.

Provenance, from the French provenir, “to come from”, refers to the chronology of the ownership or location of an historical object.^[1] The term was originally mostly used for works of art, but is now used in similar senses in a wide range of fields, including science and computing.

In plain English, “who owned your camera”.

Uncle Paul, the Africa Camera, the Nikon Nikkormat FtN

My very good friend Paul died at the age of 50. My kids called him Uncle Paul. Knew him for 23 years.

When he was alive he showed me his Nikon FtN and telephoto lens that he took to Africa around 1971. He was about 22 when he saved up enough money to visit Africa before his first year in college. He didn’t go on safari. He hung out in Africa, walking around, taking pictures of lions, dining with cannibals (honest), and drinking Coke at a local fast food stand. Great stories.

His camera was an Nikon Nikkormat FtN. Its original price in the late 1960’s was $279.50. Paul purchased the FtN, a 50mm lens, and a telephoto zoom lens. $400 solid. I wonder how many hours he had to work as a school janitor to afford that camera gear?

His camera is alive and well, and recently tested. Here’s one photo in my Chicago, IL backyard.

Nikon FTN, Flowers and Bokeh

Purchasing a Film Camera, Think Provenance

Anytime you purchase a film camera, find out if it has a story, a provenance.

On TV, people do this to increase the re-sale price of the object. If you’re purchasing a 100 year old camera that was used to photograph World War I, you may have an incredibly valuable camera.

Even if the film camera is from a garage sale or Craigslist, it still has a provenance, a history. So when I purchase a film camera, I enjoy the camera’s story.

Film camera provenance is just another reason why collecting film cameras is fun. Ask someone where the camera has been, who owned it, what it was used for. You may enjoy film camera provenance as much as I do.

Selling your Dad or Mom’s Cameras, Think Provenance

If you’re thinking of selling all of your dad’s cameras, stop a moment and think provenance. Nobody will ever treasure that camera like one of your grandchildren might treasure it. Keep at least one film camera from your parents, and sell the rest, maybe.

Uncle Paul’s Africa Camera

And by the way, Uncle Paul’s Nikon Nikkormat FTN that went to Africa sat in my basement for 7 long years after his death. One day I went looking for it. I found it.

I’ve been collecting and shooting film cameras ever since.

Zeiss Ikon Contaflex IV

Posted on July 25, 2011 by Richard Kraneis

I love this old camera. It brings out the German-American in me.

Thank you to Karen Nakamura of Photoethnography

I learned of this German delight courtesy of Karen Nakamura’s Photoethnography website. If you like film cameras, especially film cameras, you need to visit the Photoethnography Equipment page. Very good technical details of this camera are found at Ms. Nakamura’s website at Zeiss Ikon Contaflex IV.

Richard’s Reasons to Purchase a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex IV

Here’s one reason to purchase a 55 year old Zeiss Ikon Contaflex IV camera. Taken in my back yard in Chicago, IL, USA.

Zeiss Ikon Contaflex, Flowers w Bokeh

Beautiful Bokeh

This camera is why I purchase old film cameras, test them, and show photos to friends.

It’s a beauty. The light meter still works and yes its uncoupled. You flip the light meter cover, check your settings, think and adjust aperture/speed, then press the shutter.

And the shutter makes a wonderful sound. I can easily take photos at 1/30, maybe even 1/15 and have no camera shake.

$12 dollars on eBay for this wondereful camera. Looks good, feels good when you shoot, still works like it did in 1956 when it was made.

This is why I purchase old cameras, learn how to use them, and shoot film. Here’s a quirky shot taken during a torrential downpour in my car going northbound on Milwaukee Avenue around 8:15 AM. It may look underexposed, but it actually is a good photo. Enjoy.

Zeiss Ikon Contaflex, Underexposed, Gloria on my Dashboard

Gloria the Hippo in a Chicago Rainstorm

Beware of Film Transport Problem (Germans make mistakes)

Many older film cameras present a problem (or two). That’s just another reason I like film cameras. I learn their “interface” (I’m a computer guy, kind of) and learn how to use the camera. Some cameras are easy to learn, some are hard, and some are buggy.

As I recall I had trouble advancing the film on the Zeiss Ikon Contaflex IV. Silly me, I followed the manual.

A Mr. Butkus has many old, film camera manuals on-line. Visit the manual he posted at Zeiss Ikon Contaflex IV manual. As I recall from looking at it, the instructions on page 28 of the manual were wrong. Wind the film “opposite” the German instructions. My best advice, what I always do, is take old expired film and run it through the film transport for practice. (I purchase old expired 35mm film at garage sales just for this purpose.)

If you visit Mr. Butkus’ website enough, make a PayPal payment as your way of saying thank you. He does good work.

Will you purchase a Zeiss Ikon Contaflex IV ?

Mine cost $12 on eBay. It was a bargain. And yet I’ve seen them “sold” on eBay for $40 to $50. It’s always nice getting a bargain. This Zeiss Ikon Contaflex deserves another photo.

Zeiss Ikon Contaflex, Flowerpot

This is fun telling stories about my old film cameras. I hope you’re enjoying the journey. Tell your friends about what is a film camera and leave a comment if you have time. Thanks.

Why do people collect film cameras?

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Richard Kraneis

Why do we collect cameras? Like many things, it is both simple and complex.

Camera Collecting is Simply Fun

How do you define fun? Ask a kid, what does he or she say?

When I was older than 5 but less than 10 years old, I would play “fort” with my friends in Skokie, Illinois. We played in the empty lots or prairies of Skokie digging holes, making little tunnels, covering our holes in the ground with dead tree branches all in the name of fun. I’d come home filthy with reddish dirt all over me and my parents would tell me to take a bath.

Luckily, they never asked me why I played “fort”. It was simply fun.

Why is the Canon Auto 35F Simply Fun?

What a sweet little camera. Was it simply fun when I found this little camera at an alley garage sale on Chicago’s northwest side during the late summer of 2010? Was it simply fun when I thought the camera looked familiar and later realized it was the offspring of the well regarded Canon Canonet G-III 17 that cost me $120 that same summer? Was it fun when I purchased it for $5 not knowing if it would ever work (like many garage sale cameras, it needed batteries)?

Was it simply fun when I came to realize my Canon Auto 35F took photos every bit as good as its older brother, the Canon Canonet G-III 17? Here’s a wonderfully crisp photo taken with the Canon Auto 35F. Notice the lateral streaks in the pond? They were there that day and they certainly appeared in the photo.

Canon A35F, beautiful pond

Since I am new to camera blogging I’ll borrow from others on the Internet who have come before me. These remarks on the Canon A35F come from The Other Martin Taylor with my thanks.

The Canon A35F is an all but forgotten 70’s, consumer rangefinder.

Here’s a camera you might just find in among the plastic disc and 110 cameras at your local thrift store. For a cheap, true rangefinder experience the A35F is pretty hard to beat.

If you’re looking to begin with a film camera, you could do a lot worse than purchasing the Canon A35F.

Very nice “glass” as they say. A nice lens that gives you very good photos.
Feels good. It has a nice heft to it, made primarily of metal.
Kind of manual. You do need to focus the camera. Sight through the rangefinder. It will show you the aperture selected (not the shutter speed). If there’s not enough light, you can’t take a photo, no manual override.
Looks good. It’s black and looks nice. Really.
Cheap. I found mine for $5. Even though I like this camera I wouldn’t purchase it for more than $10. Why? Because if the battery is dead, you don’t know if the camera is working. Even after purchase you’ll need to buy a battery for $5 to test it. Tell the seller, “I don’t know if your camera works.”. And mean what you say.

I collect film cameras because…

Yes, it’s fun. But the answer can be simple to complex for each person. My various reasons for collecting cameras are:

An early hobby. When I was about 30 I was pretty interested in photography and owned one camera with 2 lenses. It was a Nikon EM I believe. Now I have more time and a bit more money to devote to something I enjoyed.
Good machinery. Most of my cameras are examples of good machinery that still work.
Provenance. Each camera has a story, a provenance. I think that’s the fancy name for it. Each camera that I purchase has its own story, and I write down those stories. I especially enjoy Chicago area garage sales where I can chat with people, ask if they have a camera, and then tell them what kind of camera they own.
Quirky interface. Since I am part computer guy (software training), I do enjoy that each camera has an interface that I need to learn.
Photos. And yes, I actually take film photos (and a few digital). And my film photos are becoming better and better.

Why will you collect film cameras?

In time, people asking “What is a film camera?”, soon find themselves purchasing film cameras. And then the fun really begins.