New Old Camera

[clouddancer]

Husband was given a camera by a coworker to give to me. This coworker has had the camera for a while but no longer wants it so passed it on. Doesn’t seem like much, I guess. It’s in really good condition. It’s a Yashica GSN camera. He said it was a collectible? I could probably take a couple pictures of it.

Any thoughts on it? Anyone know if its any good? Given the cost of film and film developing, it likely won’t be used very much (at least for a while).

[orionid]

About the camera

Recent sale prices

A quick glance from work looks like the biggest dermining factor on price is which lens it has. The 45mm f/1.7 in good working order commands the highest prices.

Also, it’s 35mm. 35mm is cheap and can be developed and scanned at your local *mart for cheap. Check the battery, work the shutter a few times, and take it out to play.

[Farktographer]

I would love to have a 35mm to play with right about now. Be happy you got the new toy =P

[lokisbong]

If you camera is as nice as the one pictured in orionids post thats a cool gift.
Last I checked I live in such a podunk little town I have to get a ride about a hundred miles I think to get film developed. Or send it through the mail and that isn’t nearly as quick.

[ennuipoet]

Husband was given a camera by a coworker to give to me. This coworker has had the camera for a while but no longer wants it so passed it on. Doesn’t seem like much, I guess. It’s in really good condition. It’s a Yashica GSN camera. He said it was a collectible? I could probably take a couple pictures of it.

Any thoughts on it? Anyone know if its any good? Given the cost of film and film developing, it likely won’t be used very much (at least for a while).

I have two them, actually! (Bought one and was given the other) I love them, they are a near perfect camera for Street Photography, the Zone Focus on the camera is easy to see and use, the lens it tack sharp and the shutter is a whisper. The camera is easy to rehab with modern batteries and little twist of wire in the battery compartment. A few people have called the camera a Poor Man’s Leica, though I would go with the Canon QL17 GIII for that title.

They aren’t particularly collectible, Yashica made millions of them in the 70’s and everyone had one because they were (for the time) cheap, reliable and damn near indestructible.

[ennuipoet]

About the camera

Recent sale prices

A quick glance from work looks like the biggest dermining factor on price is which lens it has. The 45mm f/1.7 in good working order commands the highest prices.

Also, it’s 35mm. 35mm is cheap and can be developed and scanned at your local *mart for cheap. Check the battery, work the shutter a few times, and take it out to play.

Damn, those prices are triple what I paid for mine a year and a half ago!

[clouddancer]

Thank you all for the information! I look forward to taking pictures with it. I’ll be reading the instruction PDFs for more clarity before actually putting film in it and trying it out. I want to make sure I at least know a bit more about it before commiting to film. I might pick out a few different rolls of film to try with this thing and keep a small notebook with it to write down the days I took pictures, etc.

I’m thankful for the toy, just not sure how much it’ll be used and hoping I do something good with it when I use it.

[zincprincess]

We have a couple of old Yashica’s from my father in law. I have no idea what they are or if they work. I haven’t messed around with them at all. I don’t have the patience or the time to go to film now. I wish I could get into using film because I think it would force me to be more patient and thoughtful. Maybe one day I will.

My husband’s teenaged neices got old rehabed 35mm Yashica’s for Christmas from a cousin who is a 70 year old photographer. I’m going to pass along our collection of lenses to them. I’d rather see them used by budding photo enthusiasts than sitting in my closet.

[Yugoboy]

I’ve got a few film 35mms at home. The problem is I’ve got about 8 rolls of exposed and undeveloped film already from old vacations, and I’m not ready to add to that collection. I found a 4-pack of still-in-the-box Kodak 400 that needs to get shot, but I’ll wait for the other rolls first. That, and the batteries are beastly in price.
Got a Nikon F3, a beautiful new-ish Minolta I barely used, and something else I got for free that may or may not leak light. This discussion is making me re-think the decision to make them more decoration than tool.

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