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November 8, 2014

Yashica Electro 35
Lens

(Color) Yashinon DX 45 mm f/1.7, 6 elements in 5 groups. 55 mm filter

thread.

Shutter

Electronically controlled Copal Elec leaf shutter; stepless shutter speeds

from more than two minutes to 1/500 + B. Self timer.

Light meter

CdS-cell beside VF. Aperture preferred AE, no manual mode. Film speed
ASA 25 to 1000.

Focusing

Coupled rangefinder with superimposed RF image. Focusing range

2.6'/0.8 m to infinity.

Viewfinder

Inversed Galielean type with mirrored brigtframe and automatic

parallax compensation. Warning lights for overexposure and slow
shutter speed.

Flash

Cold shoe (later models had a hot shoe). PC socket. Flash sync at all
speeds.

Film
transport

Hinged back, wind lever and rewind crank.

Dimensions

ca. 142/90/80 mm (including lens Objektiv)

Battery

PX 32 mercury (5.6 V). Can be replaced with 6V alkaline cell and

mechanical adapter.

[German version]
The Yashica Electro is one of the very few compact, semi-automatic rangefinder cameras
with aperture priority AE. The only others I know of are the Olympus XA, the Agfa
Selectronic S, the Voigtlnder VF101 / Zeiss Ikon Contessa S310 and the Russian Siluet
Electro.
Aperture priority AE with shutter speed preselect is the more sensible kind of automation,
because the control over the depth of field remains with the photographer.
This is definitely an advantage, but the Yashica goes out of its way to defeat the purpose,
in that it lacks a display of the automatically chosen shutter speed (or the user-chosen
aperture for that matter) in the viewfinder. As a confirmation there only are two warning
lights for slow speeds (slower than 1/30s) and overexposure. That could be sufficient,
weren't the warning lights a bit imprecise.
But what really matters is that almost all pictures I took with this camera were correctly
exposed (slide film!), also in situations where I would have imagined needing some more
complex and sophisticated metering method. Manual correction is possible only by
adjusting the film sensitivity dial, because an exposure correction dial or an AE lock aren't
incorporated.
To state it clearly: this camera, as excentric as it may be (see below), is one of the best
picture takers in my collection and absolutely top of the bill!
Available shutter speeds range from 1/500 to virtually unlimited, the Yashica is the camera

to take for night shots in available light. I can lay claim to exposure times up to two
minutes. I've shot perfectly exposed slides with the Electro in a murky, unilluminated
residence (forgot my tripod - pressed my camera against a wall - used self-timer for
multiple seconds exposure). This camera and a small table tripod are an unbeatable team
indoors where flash is not allowed (ever tried photographing in a French museum?) or when
you don't want to stand out (bar, concert). Also for the so-called "lomography" this camera
might be well suited, perhaps somewhat bulky...
Another thing: the light meter stays active as long as the shutter is open. When somebody
suddenly turns on the light, the camera reacts. When this feature was introduced for SLRs
it was a big fuss, but then the Electro already existed for around 20 years ...
The warning lights for overexposure and slow speeds aren't just visible in the viewfinder,
but also on the top plate. So also interpretable from a tripod, without laying your spine in a
knot.
The viewfinder is large and bright, automatically adjusts for parallax correction as you focus
(rare!) and has a diamond-shaped rangefinder patch. Easy to use, but the RF patch could
be bigger, and it's a good idea to clean the whole arrangement from time to time. Also, the
lens lacks a focussing lever, and you tend to confuse the aperture and focus rings (at least
when you constantly use different cameras like me...).
Size and weight: I like big and heavy cameras, but if you don't, you'll have your difficulties
with the Yashica. Not that it's bigger than a contemporary SLR, but it isn't much smaller
either. Somewhat lighter perhaps. Advantage: you have a sense of mass (which I enjoy).
No manual mode. Because you can control the depth of field this usually isn't a big
problem, but when your priority is shutter speed in some situation (like when
photographing moving targets), you're in trouble (Workaround: turn the aperture till the
overexposure light just comes on, then turn back a tad = exposure time will be around
1/500. Same thing works for underexposure light and 1/30).
Contrary to many other cameras in this class, the Yashica doesn't have a flash system
based on guide numbers; you have to do the calculations yourself. The advantage: outdoor
fill flash is a breeze - just set the aperture one stop smaller than necessary for correct flash
exposure, the camera sets the correct speed for ambient light conditions and the flash will
be underweighted by one stop in the final exposure. Flash synchronisation is of course
possible at all speeds.
Big hiccup: the Yashica has a construction mistake! There's a small rubber placeholder in
the shutter entrails (the so-called pad) which is of critical importance, that tends to
desintegrate with time. It's possible to fix this, if for instance you glue a piece of linoleum,
shoe sole rubber or something similar in place, but you'll need to take apart almost the
entire camera. This quirk led me to my first successful repair adventure, but I culd have
done without. If you reckon your camera is in need of this repair, check if you can hear a
soft "clunk" when picking up the thumb lever when winding on - that's a good sign.
Model variants: here I recommend Yashica-Guy's website (link see below). This much for
now: ancestors were the Lynx (without automatics but with lenses up to f/1.4). The original
Electro was succeeded by the "G" with gold contacts, recognizable by the G next to the
Yashica logo that can be seen on the pictures. The came the GS and the GSN with the
respective (black paint) sister models GT and GTN. These models had an illuminated
exposure counter instead of a battery check light, which is very practical but not really
important.
Small detour for collectors and experts: what defeats me is the width of the film sensitivity

scale that you can set. My first generation Electro spans 10 to 400 ASA, the G from 25 to
1000. According to the information on the Web, that can't be true, because the 1000 ASA
appeared first on the GSN, and all previous cameras stopped at 500... Then the CC only
reaches to 400, which seems like an odd regression ... when my broke FC reaches to 800
... or what?
After the Electro in its various G-guises came the MC, FC, and CC. The CC got very good
press because of its 35mm f/1.8 lens, but I'm not familiar with it. I did own the FC, only my
unit refused to show any signs of life, and I couldn't find the error (though I expect the CdS
cell to have died). I'm not sure if I can recommend it. All these cameras don't share a lot of
their construction with the "real Electro" and are smaller and lighter. All have aperture
preselect and those little lights, I think.
Accessories: there's a close-up adapter with integrated "spectacles" to correct the
viewfinder and rangefinder. The close-focus distance becomes 45 cm, but the trouble
seems too large. When I want to get that close I'll choose an SLR, which will also give me
the security of knowing that my focus is correct and that my composition will come out the
way I envisioned. But if you're interested nonetheless, the thing is called "Yashica Auto-Up"
and occasionally shows up on eBay.
For the rest there are accessory lenses for wideangle and tele, which shorten the focal
length to around 38mm and lengthen it to around 59mm respectively. The downside is you
need to focus first, then take the reading from the lens barrel, and then correct the
distance according to a table printed on the barrel of the accessory lens. That's incredibly
kludgy and kills all the fun, which is why I sold my lenses over to another happy Electro
fan.
Copyright 2002-2011 by Erik FissErik Fiss. All rights reserved.
Last modified July 30, 2011

http://erikfiss.com/foto/cams/electro35/e.html November 8, 2014