C/Y body replacement

blockend · Aug 6, 2019

My Yashica FR died on a recent holiday. The film wouldn't advance with the resistance of a loaded cassette, something came adrift in the winder mechanism no doubt. The frame counter died a few years ago, and I persevered with the camera because it has analogue viewfinder readouts, the nicest meter button I've come across and there are 7 capable C/Y mount lenses in the bag.

In spite of these benefits I fear a replacement FR will succumb to similar frailties, and I'm looking for a possible replacement. From what I gather Kyocera Contax SLRs are not without their own foibles, but I don't know the extent of the range. Ideally I'd like a manual exposure C/Y body, failing that a manual + aperture priority model with as little 80s Nintendo tech as possible.

I like the lenses enough to adapt them for digital use, but it would be good to have a film body to mount them on. Any suggestions?

dynachrome · Aug 6, 2019

I have a modest collection of Yashica bayonet mount cameras and lenses. If my count is right I have had three FX-3 cameras overhauled and one FX-7. I also have two working FX-3 Super 2000s and some other FX-3 and FX-3 Super bodies in various states of repair. An FX-3 is a simple camera. You have to push in a small button on the back of the top plate to activate the meter. I think the FX-3 is better made than its later variants. It has a bright finder. FX-3 and FX-3 Super bodies are usually found with disintegrated skin. They are easily re-covered. My favorite material for this is a LifeSafe product called Soft Textured Vinyl Traction Strips (Non-Skid). I get the 4X9" size, 2 to a pack. They have adhesive on the back but my repairman removes the adhesive and applies the skin with Pliobond. No peeling so far. My FX-3s are covered with the black color vinyl while the FX-7 has the medium gray color. I got the material from Koffler Sales. My Y/C mount lenses are a combination of Yashica ML, Yashica MC, YUS, Yashica DSB, Kiron, Vivitar Fixed Mount, Vivitar TX, Tamron Adaptall II (regular and SP), T Mount ad M42 with adapters. The FX-3 is light but reasonably rugged. I wouldn't drop it onto a Nikon FE but it's strong enough. It also doesn't cost very much and battery life is good. The later Contax SLR bodies are more exciting but when they all stop working, an FX-3 will still be taking pictures somewhere.

blockend · Aug 6, 2019

dynachrome said:
The later Contax SLR bodies are more exciting but when they all stop working, an FX-3 will still be taking pictures somewhere.

Thanks, I'll check out the FX range.

mgb74 · Aug 6, 2019

Your FR was not a professional camera. So many out there may have seen little use (granted all have seen a number of years which can take it's toll). If you liked the FR, I'd be tempted to look for another.

petrk · Aug 7, 2019

blockend said:
In spite of these benefits I fear a replacement FR will succumb to similar frailties, and I'm looking for a possible replacement. From what I gather Kyocera Contax SLRs are not without their own foibles, but I don't know the extent of the range....

I would not give up the FR as an option. I too was worried about reliability of CY cameras. But I ended with large collection in the end. Beside other CY cameras I have 159mm, which is said to be the model which is most prone to failures. But my one is perfect. If I followed the internet wisdom, I would pass over it. The key is to have someone who can check it for you. Ask Peter Robinson. He had FR1 for sale recently.

blockend · Aug 7, 2019

mgb74 said:
Your FR was not a professional camera. So many out there may have seen little use (granted all have seen a number of years which can take it's toll). If you liked the FR, I'd be tempted to look for another.

The FR was originally marketed as Yashica's pro body. It isn't the same quality as my Nikons, but it's generally well built with a few weaknesses. I'm going to open it up to see if there's anything obvious I can fix, if not I'll send it out for repair and I'll buy a spare.

petrk said:
I would not give up the FR as an option

There's nothing quite like it in the Contax range, maybe the original RTS, I'll see what's out there.

cowanw · Aug 7, 2019

A Contax s2 or s2B would do you well.

blockend · Aug 7, 2019

cowanw said:
A Contax s2 or s2B would do you well.

The S2 looks nice if a little pricey!
The Yashica is working again. Somehow I managed to load a 50 exposure cassette last time around, probably distracted half way through a bulk film loading session and lost count. Backpressure from the film meant the wind on spool was slipping. I tried a less heavily loaded cassette and the camera is advancing properly - I shall monitor the situation. Removing the baseplate where all the clever stuff goes on revealed no slippage or misplaced gears.

John Koehrer · Aug 7, 2019

FWIW, There's a Contax 139Q in the classifieds for $100. Looks real clean too.

Nope. isn't mine either.

cooltouch · Aug 9, 2019

As a matter of fact, I'm about to recommend the Contax 139 Quartz as well. It's a solid little shooter with Aperture priority and manual exposure modes, and it has one of the smoothest film wind levers of any SLR you're likely to come across.

blockend · Sep 5, 2019

Bah! Three films later the Yashica FR is slipping again. The reason I'm persevering with the beast is a fondness for the ML 50mm f2. Looks like a Contax hunt is immanent.

GarageBoy · Sep 20, 2019

They all kinda suck, nikons they are not

Later bodies have mirror slip on top of electronic faults (I had two wonky rx and a wonky ax)

Maybe try an rts ii?

cooltouch · Sep 22, 2019

The various RTS models seem to be solid performers. For a long time, prices had remained high on them -- especially for the IIs and IIIs. But it looks like that might be changing. I'd like to pick up a clean III one of these days.

Les Sarile · Sep 22, 2019

And of course the Yashinon lenses are very good performers too! I seem to recall a Pop Photo review comparing it to the RTS very favorably.

Mine was acquired as a kit from a pro wedding shooter who kept it nice and clean and it is still a very good performer. I have been looking to acquire an FR I for it's manual and aperture priority modes.

cooltouch · Sep 22, 2019

I've been interested in the late model Yashicas also, but I couldn't figure out which would be the best one to get. I guess you prefer the FR-1. Maybe that one deserves a closer look.

Les Sarile · Sep 22, 2019

cooltouch said:
I've been interested in the late model Yashicas also, but I couldn't figure out which would be the best one to get. I guess you prefer the FR-1. Maybe that one deserves a closer look.

To me the FR is a little odd in that it is a completely battery dependent but manual camera. I wonder if this was a limitation required by their agreement with Contax since the RTS had aperture priority it while supposedly uses Yashica technology. Later on the FR I added aperture priority with the manual mode and the FR II only has aperture priority.

ic-racer · Sep 22, 2019

My Yashica FR died on a recent holiday. .... Any suggestions?

YashicaFX-3. I have a few of them and they have proven to be quite durable and trouble free. It is a tiny, fully mechanical camera with LED TTL metering using common batteries.

I like the last picture. It shows three 35mm cameras that take similar Zeiss lenses, but the FX-3 makes the Rolleiflex cameras look like Medium Format!

foveon_m · Sep 23, 2019

vote for RTS II

PS: and add the 45/2.8

blockend · Sep 23, 2019

Les Sarile said:
To me the FR is a little odd in that it is a completely battery dependent but manual camera. I wonder if this was a limitation required by their agreement with Contax since the RTS had aperture priority it while supposedly uses Yashica technology. Later on the FR I added aperture priority with the manual mode and the FR II only has aperture priority.

Bear in mind Contax and Yashica were both Japanese Kyocera cameras. Contax was a revival of a defunct brand to commercially differentiate market sectors of the same company. The FR is battery dependent in the way most cameras were from the 70s onwards, however the battery - which is readily available unlike earlier mercury button cells - only powers the light meter. Depending on use it can last years. The meter is a "traffic light" type but the camera has full analogue read-outs through the finder. Subsequently manufacturers adopted viewfinder LCDs.

There's a lot to like about the FR. It's a well designed, good-looking camera but it isn't built like a professional Nikon. 40 years on the differences show. I suspect the Contax equivalents weren't built to Nikon standards either, but they were more innovative for a while.

kmg1974 · Sep 23, 2019

The Yashica fx2 and 3 are good candidates. They are fully mechanical cameras. I know I have both , they see little action as I use contax instead.

dynachrome · Sep 23, 2019

Now you're talking. When I use an FX-3 Super 2000 I try to handle it very gently. It has many plastic parts inside, especially gears. The original FX-3 is better made and easier to keep going than any of the Contax SLR models. For times when you can live with 1/1000 as your top speed, the FX-3 will serve you well. There is an in-between model, the FX-3 Super. I haven't had one of those overhauled yet. The FX-3 shown has a nice new covering. It looks like my overhauled FX-3s. My FX-7 has the same covering but in gray.

ic-racer · Sep 23, 2019

Yes, FX-3 can be easy to repair. Just the top is plastic, it is a metal camera.

C/Y body replacement

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