Yashica YE with 5cm f2.8 Yashikor lens.

[John Wiegerink]

I just received my “like new” Yashica YE (LTM) from Japan and have a question about the 50mm Yashikor lens. It seems the Japanese are parting with some cameras we never see over here very often, and the Yashica/Nicca cameras are one of them. I have done a bit of Google searching and haven't found much on the lens. I read where it is a 5-element 4-group (Xenotar design) with some saying it's just a simple Tessar design. Which is it? Also, during all that searching, I find almost no one talking from personal experience with the 5C Yashikor lens. I find plenty of info on the camera, and it is actually a Yashica/Nicca since it was made just after Yashica bought out Nicca. I'd just like to know more about the lens itself. After the holiday, I will load up some Delta 100 and test this outfit to see what it does for myself. JohnW

 

[cramej]

Lots of information here: http://www.yashicatlr.com/YE&YF.html

 

[John Wiegerink]

Lots of information here: http://www.yashicatlr.com/YE&YF.html

Yes, I found that one, but even that link isn't clear about the lenses being made by whom or their actual lens design. Seems like some Japanese source should know, but I just can't fine that source.

 

[ic-racer]

Let us know about the lens. I was thinking about getting a YE, just because I have a bunch of other Yashica stuff, no other reason really. Why did you choose it?

 

[John Wiegerink]

Let us know about the lens. I was thinking about getting a YE, just because I have a bunch of other Yashica stuff, no other reason really. Why did you choose it?

I have always lusted for one since I read about them, Also, due to not being able to find any stateside made it more interesting. Either the YE or the YF would have been fine. Another reason is that I have always like the earlier Yashica optics. I'll put up my review results, doing a comparison between my Leica screw mount camera and this Yashica/Nicca camera. I will say that the build quality seems first-rate and solid. JohnW

 

[ic-racer]

I am a fan of the Yashica SLR lenses and got a nice group of them. So I was curious how the Yashica rangefinder lenses perform. Of course the lens on my 124G is nice too.

 

[Bushcat]

The early serials, at least, appear to be a Xenotar. You could check whether it has 9 blades or 6 blades.

 

[reddesert]

You should be able to tell the difference between Xenotar (5 group 4 element) and Tessar (4 group 3 element) by counting the reflections. There is an extensive discussion of the lens variants pretty far down on the page cramej linked. As for who "really" made the lenses under contract, 60 years on it is unlikely that one would be able to find a definitive answer, or that it matters much.

 

[John Wiegerink]

The lenses with serial numbers starting with "91" have 6 blades and are 5 element 4 groups, and the lenses starting with serial numbers "81" have 9 blades and 4 elements in 3 groups. At least that's what I have read so far. Mine's a "91".