Yashica A has a sharp Lens!

[DraganB]

This was shot at f8 with the Yashica A, Yashikor 80mm Lens, its razor sharp also projected under Enlarger, its a triplet Design, the problem i have sometime the focus is behind the subject, i have checked the ground glas on film plane and it looks ok, what could the problem be, do i move between focusing and taking the shot? could it be the film gate lock moving slightli and removing pressure from the pressure plate?

thx,
Dragan

 

[Paul Howell]

As long as you stop down to F8 or 11 a triplet can be very sharp. Even the 50mm triplet on my Argus C 3 is sharp at F8.

 

[Don_ih]

the problem i have sometime the focus is behind the subject

The camera focuses by moving the front of the camera - out for closer focus. A bit of looseness would cause it to move back as you push the shutter button, so focus can shift farther away. Try a short shutter cable and see if it makes a difference. You can also put the camera on a tripod, focus on something very close, press the shutter button normally, then check to see if you're still in focus.

 

[ic-racer]

the problem i have sometime the focus is behind the subject,

thx,
Dragan

Common problem with 120 film. Not all cameras can keep it flat.

 

[xkaes]

Common problem with 120 film. Not all cameras can keep it flat.

Especially with early 120 cameras.

In 1955, Minolta turned everything upside down with the Minoltacord Automat 120 TLR model. In fact, they mounted the feeder and take-up spools backwards! Why would they do that? They determined that this would increase the tension on the film and create flatter film -- and hence sharper images. It later became standard practice in TLR cameras from most companies. It's called the "Automat" because the shutter is "automatically" cocked when the film is advanced -- unlike the earlier Minoltacords.

 

[MFstooges]

What you see is from upper lens and what you take is from the lower lens

 

[Randy Stewart]

This was shot at f8 with the Yashica A, Yashikor 80mm Lens, its razor sharp also projected under Enlarger, its a triplet Design, the problem i have sometime the focus is behind the subject, i have checked the ground glas on film plane and it looks ok, what could the problem be, do i move between focusing and taking the shot? could it be the film gate lock moving slightli and removing pressure from the pressure plate?

thx,
Dragan


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If you are having focus issues as noted, please consider that when you check focus at the film plane with a ground glass, you are focusing the image taking lower lens directly. However, when you focus the camera normally, you are focusing the upper lens by reflex on the internal ground glass. The correct focus of the image depends on the focus plane of the upper lens being identical to that of the lower taking lens. This synchronization between the two lenses can be knocked out of alignment over time by accident or sloppy repair work. (I had this happen with a Rolleiflex 2.8F I looked at buying. A weekend trial of ocean landscapes down the tube. The buyer's asking price plus cost of repair exceeded my value for the camera, so I passed. The seller was pissed when I explained why.) If that is your problem, the repair involves removing the leatherette and cover plate surrounding the lenses to expose the threaded mount for the focussing lens. Using a film plane ground glass to determine correct on-film focus, turn the focus lens in its mount to manually focus the upper lens so the focus points of the two lenses match. Carefully reassemble and enjoy. HOWEVER, before doing all this, carefully disassemble the top-hood and focus screen to examine the reflex mirror. Apart from needing a cleaning after 70 years, it might have been knocked loose and be out of physical alignment. Repair first if needed. Yashica TLRs were the cheapest of their time, and built quality, or lack thereof, reflects that sorry fact. A failed mirror attachment (glue) may be the only problem.

 

[George Mann]

With the Yashica A, f/8 is the minimum stop for critical center sharpness.

The highest level of sharpness is achieved @ f/11, with f/16 achieving similar levels of sharpness to f/8, but with greater depth of field and the most uniform sharpness edge to edge.