Yashica Fumblings

Meet my Yashica

I long wanted to own a vintage range finder. Good thing I was able to get a hold of my Yashica Electro 35 GL at a low price. It's not really in mint condition; there are scratches and dents, it looks pretty used up but what the hell, the photo capturing capability is not lost (I must say still excellent) and that's what matters. My Yashica is one good bargain and I'm loving it.

This is the first camera I own that I have more control of since all of my cameras are toy cameras and point and shoot ones. I was a bit nervous with the first roll, thinking I might waste the whole 36 shots. Thank goodness, that didn't happen but there were only 24 frames exposed. I bet I wasn't able to load the film properly causing the film to not advance in the right way. That wasn't much of an issue though, since I made up for that mistake with the next roll.

The light meter is one efficient function that helps  indicate whether there is less or too much light entering the lens when I press the shutter release half way. With that, I can adjust the aperture or find a better angle with sufficient light source. The viewfinder also provides an indicator if I have properly focused on my subject. When the subject is not focused well, there will be two images; as I adjust the focus ring, the images will superimpose into a single image signifying that the focusing is right. A bonus with this model is its ISO, which is from 25 to 1600. I heard this feature is rare in RFs for most only have ISOs up to 800. I have no problem at all with the shutter release, the rewind knob, nor the film advance knob. This camera is quiet and smooth in every click and crank.

The Yashica Electro 35 GL is a very easy and basic camera to use. The only inconvenience is its weight. Of course that's expected considering the kind of material it's made out of and probably because I'm not used to it after all the rest of my cameras are light weight.

I'm still in the process of mastering this camera and trying out different types of film. So far, I'm having so much fun and amused with the results.

Here are a few shots from my first 3 rolls:

Half Frame Galore

Loving the half frame wonder of Superheadz, the Golden Half. This little guy doubles your shots so you'll have the pleasure of clicking away without having to worry too much about running out of shots after the 36th. When the film gets scanned you get a diptych; the photos would turn out nicely if you plan on what to shoot to have the two frames well paired. Another plus is it has a hotshoe, you can use whatever flash you want. In my case, I used my Holga mini flash. Here are a few of my shots:

Point and Shoot (Kodak KB10)

My sister and I bought this camera for only 300 Php way back when we were still in college. We had to buy it for documentation because we were off to a concert in Cebu and we didn't have any camera with us. Before leaving for Cebu, we dropped by the Kodak shop in Dumaguete and bought this point and shoot camera. After a few years, it was kept in dark corners of the cabinet since it was already the digital era. But as soon as I got into using analogue cameras, I remembered about it. I saved it from captivity and let it live another life. Now, it's one of my main cameras. Good thing we never thought of giving it away or worse, to a final resting place in the trash. I must say I'm loving shooting with it.

 

Benesse Toy Camera

Got this toy cam from an online garage sale at vedicnation.multiply.com. I've heard that this Japanese brand of toy camera gives awesome results and it's especially popular among the Japanese youth. The labels are all in Japanese and I absolutely didn't know what they meant. But I dare say, the features are just what I've been looking for-- multiple effects in one little plastic camera. It's with a built-in flash, starburst, blurry, multiplicity effects. It's a very fun camera that I have to bring it along with me all the time.

Here are sample shots from my long weekend in Dumaguete.

Blurry effect

With flash

Normal shot

Multiplicity effect

Starburst effect

DIY redscale

Robot Attack! The Disderi 3-Lens Camera Experience

I recently bought a Disderi 3-Lens Camera and I just love shooting with it. This camera is very easy to use; no complications at all-- just point and click then it goes "ppprrrrtt". And that little robot around the lens makes it even more adorable. It pretty much looks like a toy (well yeah, it's a toy camera) that people who find me using this think it isn't a camera at all. Don't let the cute appearance fool you, I'm telling you the photos produced by this little thing are awesome! The borders between frames appear like an open book which differ from other action cameras.

I'm having a lot of fun with this action clicker. My robot camera is definitely for keeps!

Here are some photos I took with the Disderi 3-Lens Camera: