Yashica 24 questions

[guitstik]

I have a yashica 24 that has a few issues thus the reason for the cheap price. The timer lever will not budge, the film advance cranks and stops as it should but sounds like a coffee grinder, the trigger works but the shutter does not activate and there is something missing on the left side (camera facing away from you) that is labeled "exposure meter switch". It almost looks like a stero jack with the chrome bezel and an empty hole and the label has a finger pointing at it hmmm. I would pimento get it working if I can without sending it off for repair, but if I have to then I will. Any ideas? I originally bought it as a parts Camera but it is in to good of shape to relegate it to the parts bin.

 

[Rick A]

On the left side there is a momentary type switch to turn on the meter, is that what you are refering to? The other items on the left are (IIRC)focus, spool release knobs, and battery compartment. You can find an owners manual at butkus.com for it. There may be other sites on-line with more info.

Just a thought, is the flash synch pointing to X , must be to activate self timer, or possibly damage shutter if not.. Also is the shutter cocked, you may need to wind until the counter indicates a frame number(1)before it will fire. Opening the back resets the counter.

 

[ic-racer]

Did you see the "Yashica D" repair manuals here? They may be of some help. Good luck!

http://www.kyphoto.com/classics/repairmanuals.html

 

[Anscojohn]

I would think that the D is sufficiently different from the "12" series as to be unhelpful. And, of course, the Yash 24 only takes 220 film, so it might not be worth the effort.

 

[guitstik]

Right now there is no switch there just a hole with a pretty chrome bezel. The synch switch is on M now and has been the timer is jammed somehow and it doesn't matter what position the synch is in.

 

[Ian Grant]

There's details of the camera here.

It sounds like some ones jammed the shutter then started to have a go at repairing the camera. As Anscojohn said there's a bit of an issue with it only accepting 220 film which is getting much rarer, very little choice anyway.

Ian

 

[tac]

I had understood that the 24's will take 120 - not officially, of course, but it works and was a primary reason for the 124 models. I don't have one- this is only what I have read. Does anyone know one way or t'other?

 

[Ian Grant]

With some films the backing paper snags the pressure plate when you reach the point where the film is taped to it. If the camera's already worn you run the risk of damaging the wind mechanism as well.

Ian

 

[guitstik]

I have proof and I am going to spread it to the world, be it may, the forces of darkness prevail. The 24 WILL take 120 film. If I can just figure out how to get a pic up on the forum, Damn this intolerable techno deficiency disorder. Inside the back on the underside of the camera is a tag that indicates where to start the film for 120.

 

[Anscojohn]

Does it have a moveable pressure plate?

 

[guitstik]

Does it have a moveable pressure plate?

John, the pressure plate is fixed and the tag under it says "use 220 film only", but, and here is the caveat, there is a gold sticker with red trim that states "start 120 film here" and it is the same type of sticker that is used on the back inner edge that indicates the start point for 220 film.

 

[Rick A]

Thats odd, all the literature I've read (including the Yashica owners manual) all agree that this model Yashica TLR will only accept 220 film, and that the model 12 (brought out one year after the 24)is for 120 only film. Makes me wonder if someone hasn't "modified" this camera to accept 120, or possibly just put a sticker in and it serves no purpose. Every dual film Yashica (and Mamiya TLR) must change the position of the pressure plate to allow for the difference in film/backing thickness.

 

[guitstik]

Rick, it looks factory to me, as I stated, both of the stickers agree in appearance as to be from the factory.

 

[guitstik]

update on Yashica 24 enigma

I think I may have figured out how to upload pics with out the aid of a teen.

It says 220 only but...

Here is where the mystery begins... sorry it's fuzzy

Both the 120 and 220 factory load tags...Yes it is still the 24

 

[MattKing]

Those "start mark" tags look to me to have been added by a 3rd party - not the manufacturer. I wonder if the camera has been 3rd party adjusted/modified.

 

[guitstik]

My Mat and 124G have the same tags. The Mat only has the 120 tag tho. It's a mote point until I can get it taking pic's.

 

[ic-racer]

The stickers on the body do look original.

 

[Anscojohn]

Curioser and curioser.

 

[guitstik]

It's a puzzle, wrapped in a riddle, encased in an enigma. Hmmmmm?

 

[guitstik]

This is the hole that I was talking about. It is for the light meter and I'm just wondering if it will affect the operation. I don't think it will but who knows?

Do these pictures make my camera look big?

 

[Rick A]

It may be that they start with a generic body, then trim out for the particular model. They may have had three variants of the same model that took that body, hence stickers for functions that dont exist.

 

[guitstik]

And maybe it was abducted by aliens of a superior photographic culture and they made it a super camera by altering it's molecular structure.