Repair Manual Yashica Electro 35 Gx
The Yashica Electro 35 GX The Yashica Electro 35 GX came out in 1975 as the last of the 'Electro's' for Yashica. It was designed as an aperture-priority only camera which featured a super-quiet leaf shutter and a coupled rangefinder. It's by no means a Leica, nor was it marketed as such, but it was a very well built pocket camera with a kick ass lens. I am quite impressed with how the lens performed, but will get into that in a bit. Stats The Yashica Electro 35 GX had a roughly 5 year run from from 1975-1980. My copy is the all black version which I think has a really slick look.
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It's a fixed lens body - but the lens is perfectly coupled to the rangefinder with parallax correction. If you want to grab the manual, check it out on. Type: Rangefinder. Shutter Speed: 30 seconds - 1/500.
Weight: 580 grams (1.27 pounds). Dimensions: 4.8' X 2.98' X 2.5' / 123 X 75.7 X 64mm. Film: 35mm - caveat - only up to ISO 800. Shutter Type: Copal. Focus: Coupled rangefinder / built-in parallax comp. Metering: Aperture priority / electronic exposure.
Lens: 40mm. Aperture: f/1.7-16. Lens Elements: 6.
Focus: 80cm - infinity. Filter: 52mm. Field of View: 56º. Battery: PX640A alkaline From what I have read online, these cameras are tough to come by - especially in black.
When I saw it on eBay for just $19, I assumed it was a beater but worth the gamble. Not a beater. Yashica Electro 35 GX Performance For what it is, the Yashica Electro 35 GX performs pretty well.
It's little and can feel awkward in the hand, especially if you have been walking around with a beast like the all day. It's tiny, but not obnoxiously so. It's smaller than its brother, the Yashica Electro 35 GSN but slightly larger than its direct competitors like the Olympus Trip 35, Konica S3, Rollei 35 and the market saturated Canon Canonet series. But mind you, this is a tiny damned camera! Again, the Yashica Electro 35 GX does feel small bringing it up to your eye. The rangefinder patch is good size and pretty easy to see - nicely coupled to the lens.
Focus is smooth on the barrel and it's nice to note that the parallax correction is a great feature in this price point. The barrel is small, especially if you are used to focusing with with Zeiss or Leica glass. Though the shutter is 30'-1/500 - there are no stops.
So the range of speeds it automatically picks from ( AP only, remember) is huge. The camera has built in ATL metering and the finder lets you know if you need to adjust the f-stop up or down with little lights. Oh, and your film ISO is selected on the bottom of the lens. As I was shooting Portra 400 - I set the ISO to 200, my prefered metering. I also like that the barrel has 'conditions' to choose from for your f-stop. It is designed to give you the best exposure in all conditions. So the markings give you 'ball park' stops:.
Sun symbol - Outdoors / bright sun / 16-11-8. Cloud symbol - Outdoors / overcast or shade / 5.6-4-2.8. Window symbol - Indoors / night / 2-1.7 I actually found that pretty handy showing my kids how the camera worked - nice and easy quick tool for those just learning. Conclusions I think the Yashica Electro 35 GX is a solid little performer.
It's small yet durable, and not without its quirks - but overall gets the job done. I was really skeptical what the images would look like when they came back from the lab - but I have to say, not at all disappointed. If not this, I highly recommend getting a nice little fixed lens film camera to toss in your car and always have with you. It's a real joy to be driving down the road, popping out of the car with the little cam to catch something, and then tossing it back in and forgetting about it. With a $20 fixed lens, you aren't overly worried about it.
All images from this single roll of Kodak Portra 400 were developed and scanned.
How can a lay person, not a camera expert, know whether a Yashica Electro is working or not. These can be quality cameras, but condition varies. My intent here is document how to test a Yashica Electro.
I hope this will help buyers know what to look for. And help sellers to be able to represent more accurately their cameras.
Why is this a problem? After buying three Electros, each for very small dollars, I can see some quirks that make it difficult for the buyer and/or the seller to know whether the camera is 'working.' For example, even with dead internal wiring and electronics, the shutter will still fire. In one case, I have a camera which gives a satisfying 'click' but the shutter blades do not move! In another, the auto-exposure works for all stops except f/16 where it gives super long exposures in any lighting.
Here's what I've found so far about how to test a Yashica Electro. Please comment or add additional tests that any lay person can do. Pull up the rewind knob to open the back of the camera.
Point at something bright, look through the back, push the shutter release. Do you hear a click? Do you see a flash of light through the lens? In this camera, shutter fires at 1/500th with no battery. OK, your shutter moves.
Look into the back of the camera at the back of the lens. Move the aperture ring from one limit to the other. Notice the aperture blades moving.
Blades disappear at f/1.7, blades make a perfect pentagon about 3mm wide at f/16. OK, aperture works. Fire shutter and wind film advance several times. Are things moving properly on the right hand side inside the back? OK, close back of camera. Repeat a few more times. As you move the film advance letter do you hear a sound?
At the start of the advance stroke, do you hear a 'clunk' or 'thump'? Or is it pretty quiet, just gears turning inside, like most cameras? The 'clunk' sound is GOOD! If no clunk, then you have a 'Pad of Death' a.k.a. 'POD' problem. Google for more info.
This is a moderately difficult repair. Set aperture to 1.7, front ring on lens to B, look through the lens in bright light, direct sunlight is best, press and hold the shutter release. Lens clean and clear? Slight yellow cast is OK, that's the coatings.
No spidery stuff or frosted look. OK, you have a clean lens. A few bits of dust are OK and won't hurt anything. Look through viewfinder. Is it bright and clear?
Or like looking through a dirty window? Move the focusing ring. Can you see the split image? Does split image move with focusing ring?
Look at a vertical line in your scene. Can you align the split image? Look at a corner, are the split images aligned vertically?
Focus on a vertical line about five feet away. Read the distance mark on the focusing ring, should be 5 feet. Try on a distant object, at least 100' away. Read the distance mark, should be infinity. OK, you have a good viewfinder. Can you move the ASA dial (top of camera, numbers from 12-400 or 25-1000. Move the red index mark to 200.
Use a US Nickel to open the battery compartment cover. Opens with reasonable force? Clean inside? Inside of cover looks clean? Otherwise, probably battery leakage and corrosion in the battery chamber. If you want to go further, get a battery.
Order a PX32 alkaline battery from any internet seller, about $10. Install the battery. Press the 'Battery Check' button (on back of camera). Does the light come on? On many models the light is green and is inside the frame counter window. Set the front ring on lens to B.
Look through the back again. Fire the shutter several times, holding down the release button.
Shutter should stay open for as long as you hold down the shutter release button. Set the front ring on lens to 'Auto.' Inside, indoor lighting, set the aperture to 16 and press the shutter release.
Does the yellow 'Slow' light on top of camera come on? Can you see the bright yellow arrow in the viewfinder, top right? Continuing inside in dim lighting, turn the aperture ring back and forth, find the place where the yellow light just comes on. If yellow light is on at all apertures, find a little brighter lighting, so the yellow light comes on at 4 or at 2.8.
Note the aperture where the yellow light just comes on. That will be 1/30th sec exposure. Now rotate the aperture ring five clicks to the right, higher f-numbers; each click will double the exposure. So, five clicks should be 1 second. Fire the shutter while looking through the back.
See if shutter stays open for about 1 second. Try the intermediate positions, each click should double the exposure. Go further towards higher f-numbers if you can. Each click doubles exposure. (I have one camera that's perfect up to f/11, but at f/16, the shutter stays open for many seconds, way too long.) 12.
Pick an f-stop and lighting that give an exposure of a few seconds, say f/8 indoors at night. Look through the back of camera, through the back of lens. You should be able to see the lens stay open several seconds.
Does the lens stay open for several seconds whether you hold the release down or not? On long exposures, shutter should stay open for the proper time whether release button is held down or not. (I have one camera where shutter only stays open if release button is held down.) 13. Now go outside in bright sunlight, turn the aperture to 1.7, does the red 'Over' light on top of camera come on? See it in viewfinder?
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If camera passes all these tests, then shoot a roll of color print film, use different apertures in different lighting, focus close and distant, try some in very dim light indoors or at night. Develop and print the film. You'll probably see light leaks (bright streaks on prints).
This is a small problem, easily fixed by replacing the foam light seals; this is expected on any vintage Electro. More significantly, is the focus right? Are the negatives properly exposed?
Ask the lab to look at your negatives if in doubt. If you pass all these tests, then you have a good, clean camera. Google for info on cleaning the viewfinder, replacing light seals, and other refurb/repairs.
Photo.net contributors, please add your comments and any additional tests a lay person can perform to evaluate a Yashica Electro camera. I actually sell lots of these cameras, and I've learned their ins and outs. The first thing I look at is the camera's cosmetic condition. A camera which is clean, with no dents and a nice finish is more likely to work than one which looks beat up. After a look at the outside, I wind the winder, and trip the shutter button to make sure the shutter fires.
If there is no click, it's probably got some serious internal problems. If the shutter clicks, I move on to the battery compartment. Regardless of whether it is green with crud, or shiny looking, I clean the contacts and drop in a battery. I push the battery check button to see if the check light works. A dead check light doesn't necessarily mean the contacts are bad, or that the meter doesn't work, sometimes the lights simply burn out. I then move the aperture ring back and forth while holding down the shutter button partway to see if the meter is operational.
I trip the shutter to see if the speeds change according to the aperture selection. If the shutter changes speed, the meter is probably working, but the only way to check if the meter is accurate is to run a roll of film through the camera. If things are okay up to this point, I then check the lens. If the lens is dirty or dusty on the inside, I remove the front elements and clean them from behind. While the front elements are out, I work my way to the shutter assembly and lubricate the linkage.
Dirty linkage can and will affect shutter speed accuracy, usually resulting in overexposed pictures. While lubricating the linkage, I can access the inside of the rear element, and clean it out.
On some Electros, thorium glass is used in the internal elements, so yellowing of the glass can occur. Long-term exposure to sunlight will remove the yellowness. If there is fungus on any of the lens elements, I will discard them and replace them with clean glass from a parts camera. The viewfinder/rangefinder on these old cameras often needs cleaning. The job is straightforward and simple, and can make a huge difference in viewfinder brightness. Just be careful around the mirror.
These cameras are not that complex, and if you want to get your feet wet learning how to service cameras, Yashicas are a good place to start. I have a lot of fun with these cameras, they are quite cheap and common, but they also take excellent pictures. Question does anyone know if there is a forum on adjusting the arrow mask that appears above the viewfinder? Or can anyone tell me how to do this? My GSN for some reason the OVER arrow is about center top of the viewfinder and the UNDER arrow is off to the right of the viewfinder? You have to adjust your eye angle to see it but it's there. They both seem to light up when they should.
I've already removed the top and have downloaded the service manual for the Yashica Electro 35 GSN. But need to be pointed in the right direction. For those who may have the manual is it on page 32? Thank you for your time in this matter. Richard thanks for helping me with this. Also many thanks to Russ over at camerarefurb.com he sent me this email he wrote.
'It's the one labeled 'Sliding Adjustment for Focus and Position of Warning Lamps'. If you loosen this screw slightly and rotate the lamp assembly toward the rear of the camera, it will move them to the left in the viewfinder. Just fiddle with it until it is where you like it. If they appear too high in the viewfinder, you can carefully bend the assembly down somewhat.' -Russ, Camerarefurb.com. I did what Russ said to do you can go only so far as the display bracket will hit the inside back of the camera cover. I adjusted mine fully to the rear and now my UNDER yellow arrow is where I can see it just above the top right hand corner yellow bracket mark.
Yashica Electro 35 Battery
It's close as I can get it to where it's suppose to be. But it doesn't look like the manual's pictures of how the display marks should look like and I'm not sure what else I can do to center it over the top of the parallax mask marks.
Any suggestions? Guys, I bought a Yashica Electro 35 a couple of weeks ago. Initial every thing is find, I've used 4 x LR44 batteries (taped together and use a torch light spring), the battery test light is working, light meter warning lights (red & yellow) also is working. After sometime testing the camera, I've found out that the both (red and yellow) light meter warning lights suddenly not working anymore but the metering system is still okay because I set the aperture a f1.7 and change the ASA, the shutter shuts at slower speed a lower ASA value and shuts at faster speed at high ASA value. FYI, the battery test light is working. Need you opinion on what's the problem?
Yashica Electro 35 Gx Silver Rangefinder Film
Zulkarnain - The key question is whether it's just the lights or if the shutter timing is working properly. If the electrical part of the shutter fails, it falls back to 1/500th.
If you are still getting slow shutter speeds in low light, then you have an operable camera. For how to fix the lights, you'll need more expertise than I have.
In addition to the other references above, I have now met Jeff Guthrie (see his post above) and seen his work. He buys, sells, and fixes these cameras. He knows what he's doing.
Based on an email comment, I want to correct an error in this posting. At point #4, I suggested using 'B' to look through the lens in bright light.
In a later step, I suggested inserting a battery for continued tests. From the comment, and closer inspection of my recently CLA'd Electro GSN, without a battery the 'B' setting doesn't hold the shutter open. So, the test suggested at #4 should be done after you have inserted a battery. Move step #4 to between #8 and #9 for example. I was under the mistaken impression that on 'B' the Electro shutter would stay open mechanically. Instead it appears to depend on the battery to hold the shutter open.