Yashica MG 1. Want quick answers only.

pityacka · Aug 14, 2013

In the last week I have bought a Yashica 35 rangefinder. As a result of handling that, I have now bought a Minolta Hi-Matic 9 RF. What beauties they are, even comparing them with classic 35 slrs which I have.
Right the next question is about the Yashica MG 1 - I have the chance to acquire one, and the one I have seen looks absolutely beautiful, immaculate, etc. etc. Is it one to buy ?
Never owned a RF but 'researching' on the web I am astounded by the sharpness of photos produced by RFs, either prints or slides.
Keep it brief lads, Yes or No re the MG 1.

Fixcinater · Aug 14, 2013

I'd skip it, 45/2.8...why use such a large camera with a slow lens? Canonet 28 would give you a much more compact body and same lens speed, Canonet QL17 would give you both more compact body and faster lens...

miha · Aug 14, 2013

I have one. Quite large, sharp lens, good viewfinder, not much tactile feedback from it's longish shutter release, batteries no longer available but you can easily overcome this by stacking several (4?) standard 1,5v button cells together with a sellotape, a small copper coin and a spring from a ballpoint pen. Easy to open and repair if something doesn't work as it should - here the largish body comes in handy as the inside isn't cramped. I like it.

pityacka · Aug 14, 2013

Thanks both, I realise the MG 1 only has the 2.8f lens, but it still gets rave reviews. The Yashica I have already has the 1.7f lens. Also I am aware of the battery 'problem' due to original type of battery no longer being produced.

miha · Aug 14, 2013

I should also add that I got my MG-1 in a rather poor condition with bend filter thread but ther RF was still accurate which says something about its durability. One thing I should mention is that the knob for film speed adjustment can be moved accidentally while setting the aperture ring quite easily, so you should use some sellotape there as well
I have taken one of the two favorite photos of mine with the MG-1!

Chan Tran · Aug 14, 2013

miha said:
I should also add that I got my MG-1 in a rather poor condition with bend filter thread but ther RF was still accurate which says something about its durability. One thing I should mention is that the knob for film speed adjustment can be moved accidentally while setting the aperture ring quite easily, so you should use some sellotape there as well
I have taken one of the two favorite photos of mine with the MG-1!

I would go with the Petri 7s with a 1.8 lens. Get one if you can find one in good condition. It's fully manual and has a batteryless selenium meter so you don't have to worry about batteries

pityacka · Aug 16, 2013

Thank you all for your valued comments. I had a look at Petris on ebay yesterday. One thing I do notice is that the price of RFs appears to be creeping upwards. A lot of dealers are asking £40+ for Yashicas, Minoltas, etc. Private sellers do not seem to be as high, and a lot of those do not know how the RF works, and do not have a battery for them, so they are sold as untested.

jmccl@yahoo.com · Aug 16, 2013

Battery? ? ? ?

What for? I use sunny 16 with my Minolta 7s, and kodak retina 1a.

ArtO · Aug 16, 2013

jmccl@yahoo.com said:
What for? I use sunny 16 with my Minolta 7s, and kodak retina 1a.

Ah but you must know the shutter speed of the MG-1 to make this all work.

Chrismat · Aug 16, 2013

A PX-28 battery will work with the MG-1 with the proper adapter. It's a good camera, of course I'm a little biased, the MG-1 was the first 35mm camera I bought. You can order the adapter from
www.yashicaddiction.com

Trask · Aug 17, 2013

Does a Yashica MG have a "pad of death" issue as do the Yashica Electro rangefinders? If so, this is a major issue.

ArtO · Aug 17, 2013

Trask said:
Does a Yashica MG have a "pad of death" issue as do the Yashica Electro rangefinders? If so, this is a major issue.

Don't know about the "pad of death", please explain?

one90guy · Aug 17, 2013

ArtO said:
Don't know about the "pad of death", please explain?

The easy way to explain the "POD" is here: http://www.yashica-guy.com/document/repair.html#nine Its not that hard of a repair. I like the MG-1 due to the fact the light meter is located in the lens, so when using filters I do not have to do the math in my head.

David

pityacka · Aug 17, 2013

Thanks for all the above threads and useful information. Re a battery for the MG 1, I have already bought a battery adapter for my Yashica Electro 35, so I am hoping that the same adapter will fit an MG 1, should I buy that model (MG 1).
Pad of Death. Best thing is to Google that and you will get a better explanation, together with photos. Briefly there is a small piece of rubber inside the Yashica RFs, and it perishes with age. Once that happens the camera does not function, although I believe the shutter will still fire at 1/500 sec. Therefore use an exposure meter and find the appropriate aperture for that speed.
Does the MG 1 suffer from POD ? The MG 1 was one of Yashica's last RF models. Somewhere on the web it was proclaimed that Yashica had tackled the POD problem in their later models. I believe that is completely UNTRUE, because I have found references to owners with MG 1s having suffered the same problem, and details are on 1-2 websites.
Supposedly when a Yash RF is working correctly, after firing the shutter, then when film is wound on, there should be a thump/clunk. If that noise is not present then the camera has POD. HOWEVER, and many in here will be familiar with Yashica Guy, who is a renowned expert on Yashicas, he states that when the thump/cluck appears that is when POD is starting, or has started. You can find that comment on his pages relevant to the Yash. RFs.
The Electro 35 I have just bought has no such noise. It is very smooth, and lights and apertures are working correctly. I hope to have my first film used in it returned by next week, so I should find out if it is OK.
So if anyone else can add to all that has been posted so far, it will be appreciated.

pityacka · Aug 17, 2013

one90guy, You beat me to the punch with reference to Yashica Guy. I should not have been so long-winded with my above thread. !! But the link you have posted will be of use to many.
Thanks.

ArtO · Aug 17, 2013

Just read the "Pad of death" stuff. Interesting info. Hope it's something that I won't have to deal with. Thanks for the links and info everyone. Looking forward to some time playing with this neat camera.

one90guy · Aug 17, 2013

pityacka said:
one90guy, You beat me to the punch with reference to Yashica Guy. I should not have been so long-winded with my above thread. !! But the link you have posted will be of use to many.
Thanks.

Fastest keyboard in the west

David

pityacka · Aug 28, 2013

Got my MG1 last week, and it is in exceptional condition. It is working correctly and not suffering from the POD. It has that little clunk when winding on, which the Yashica Electro 35 which I bought before the MG1, does not have. I now realise what a Yashica should sound like when working correctly.
But having said that, although the 35 winds on smoothly, and suggests POD problem, my first film through shows possible light leak on some shots; together with possible lens flare in other shots; yet a lot of the shots have come out perfectly.

one90guy · Aug 28, 2013

Its great to get one out of the box that is in working condition, I have been using a Lynx 5000e, which I feel is another great camera. Sadly my MG-1 is still in pieces on the work bench. It has been so hot and my darkroom/workbench has a separate a/c unit and trying to keep the elect bill manageable is tough. I have just made a habit of changing light seals, the hardest part is getting the gunk in there out. I am also lucky to be in the same state as Jon Goodman, his seal kits make the job really easy. And my only connection to Jon is a happy customer.

David

pityacka · Sep 1, 2013

And other makes of Rangefinders.

Received the first film back which was exposed in the Yashica Electro 35, and it looks like I have a light leak at the hinge/door area.
But going off on a tangent from the Yashicas - do other makes of RFs have similar problems with a particular defect solely related to that make ? I am not referring to light seal problems, as all cameras have that problem. Yashicas have the POD. Is there anything to look out for in Minoltas, Ricoh, Konica, Petri, etc. ?
I am not going to mention Canon and Nikon RFs, - their prices are increasing quite a bit here in the UK. In fact, prices on ebay for the likes of Yashicas are beginning to rise.

elekm · Sep 1, 2013

Sometime in the 1960s, the Japanese changed how they made backs. Instead of using a labyrinth design, they used foam to block light. While effective, the foam has a finite life and will need to be replaced.

Today, nearly all Japanese cameras (in truth, all), from the 1960s and 1970s will need to be re-foamed. There are inexpensive kits available on eBay. Or you can buy the material yourself and cut your own foam using a hobby knife. If you have many cameras to re-foam, it's less expensive to buy your own. What you want is a material from a craft shop, such as Michael's (in the U.S.A.). I've used the Foamies brand, which is sold in 9x11 sheets with self-adhesive backing.

European cameras use a different back design and will rarely have foam to block light.

It's simply a different approach. Think of how U.S., Japanese and European car makers produce vehicles for the luxury, performance and touring segments. Which is best? It depends on whom you ask.

When you replace your foam, I would recommend lighter fluid to help remove all traces of the old foam. Be careful to not allow foam to get into the shutter mechanism and especially don't let it get on an SLR's viewing screen.

elekm · Sep 1, 2013

I didn't read the previous reply closely. My fault.

Some cameras do have issues. For example, the Rolleiflex 35mm SLRs, particularly the SL 35 M/ME and E often have faulty electronics. The SL 2000 also is known to be unreliable.

I've seen some electronic issues with the Minolta XD and XG cameras.

I think that you can say that the simpler a camera is, the less likely it will have problems. That is a generalization, and there are plenty of exceptions.

I've had lots of mechanical issues with Petri SLRs. Maybe I just have had a bad run with them, or maybe this explains why they are no longer in business.

I've had maybe five or six Minox 35 models, and only one has a properly functioning shutter.

Yashica/Kyocera Contax models have been good for me, as have been the Yashica cameras that share the same mount.

Most Pentax K1000 models still seem to be working today, but for me the ME/ME Super has been an exercise in frustration when it comes to finding a working model. The Pentax MX has been a nice camera for me in terms of reliability.

Nathan Riehl · Sep 1, 2013

I would just get a Canonet QL17 if you want a fixed-lens rangefinder. I see someone else mentioned the Petri 7s... and recently, I was asked about appraising one and got to test it out... it seems solid, so perhaps if you can find one of those, try it out. I'll probably go back to the client and buy it if I come up with the budget for extra equipment.

pityacka · Sep 3, 2013

Thanks for the replies. The Canon 17, here in UK, is up in price compared with Yashicas and Minolta RFs. I have also been looking at the Konica S2, besides the Petri models. There is a Petri 7s on ebay UK, which has been recovered in lime green leather. It looks astounding, and the price is already up to £42.00 on bids. The Yashica Electro 35 was my first RF, followed by the Minolta Hi-Matic 9; the the Yashica MG1. I have been quite taken by their feel and appearances. Perhaps after 1 more RF I should call it a day, otherwise ........ ?

Fast14riot · Oct 3, 2013

Something else to watch for, the Hi-Matics were known for developing a loose lens barrel to body joint. This is not a simple fix. My Hi-Matic 9 is just starting to get that way, but it still shoots crisp and clear. My Electro 35 GSN still has the original pad and its doing just fine. I actually went inside to replace it at the same time as the rest of the seals but it was perfect. The lack of the thunk in yours I a simple adjustment of the rod under the bottom cover. It can be a bit fiddly getting all three movements synchronized with just two adjustments, but its not difficult. Go slow and listen carefully when adjusting.

The C35 is a nice and compact little camera as well. Should still be found under $40 if you look hard enough.

-Xander

Yashica MG 1. Want quick answers only.

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