Hi Howard, lovely camera. Have a Lynx 5000 but the meter doesn't work. Not a problem as I have a lot of handheld meters to use. Rangefinder is very dim. Have cleaned it as best I can but just seems to be down to the original design.
Hi Andrew, thanks for your comment. I must have been lucky with my Lynx 5000. The rangefinder patch is really good. It's the only 5000 I've ever handled so perhaps it was very well stored before I bought it. Cheers, Howard 📷
Dug out my Lynx 14E ( original owner ) but I couldn't figure out how to open the back. Yes, I saw the tab .. but I couldn't move it in any direction. Saw which direction in your video, and I "forced" it. Initially the back did not pop open, but I noticed it moved a little bit. I was able to pull it open and from then on it popped like it should. I have the case for it too .. but .. due to the camera's heavy weight one of the strap rivets has popped through the leather.
Hi, if you plan to use it a shoe repair shop could probably repair the case strap pretty cheaply. It sounds as if it's been unloved for a long time, so you better make sure everything works before putting film through it. I feel that the 14 models were the best of Yashicas range finder cameras. Cheers, Howard.
The meter on mine never worked. The camera works fine manually. The lens is absolutely superb, testing in the Leitz Summicron range at the time. They seem to be somewhat uncommon. It's problem for some, including me, is that it is very heavy and very large for what it does. Yashica and Minolta seemed to have a corner on these massive bricks of fixed lens rangefinder cameras from the 1960s and early 70s. The Minoltas seem to have been far more popular, based on the extensive number of progressively more high-tech models offered.
Hi Randall. I have two and neither meter has ever worked, the rangefinders are dim and they are heavy, but despite all the negatives I really like the.m. Yes, the lens are superb, and to my eyes the negatives always look that little bit special. Cheers, Howard 📷
The main issue I have with these - I've had hands on with five of them and the light meter was inoperable on all five. Four of the five were in otherwise mint condition. I suspect the battery compartment on the lynx series wasn't well sealed, so the gas from the Mercury batteries tended to impact them more severely vs Electro 35 cameras. I would love to have a 14 or 14e, but I gave up due to the dang meter issues.
Hi jw. It's a real shame that the light meters were so fragile. I've had three in total. Two 14e's and one 14. The 14 worked momentarily and then stopped. The two E 's never worked. I still really like them though because it's such a great lens. I really like the way they render a photo. I've kept one of each. Cheers, Howard 📷
@@howpow Oh yeah, they are super unique, nothing else out there anything like them. I hope at some point to locate one with a working meter. For now, if I'm shooting without a meter, I prefer a Canon P or Konica IIIA though. Thanks for the excellent videos!
Thanks Howard, having handled some later '60's early '70's yashica ange finders I lost some interest in these RF models. You have rekindled my curiosity. Once again, thanks. pf
Hi J P. The Yashica electro range are very capable cameras, but if the electronics fail you're stuck with 1/500th as the only speed. I prefer the fully mechanical cameras for that reason although I do have a couple of Electros. I really like the lens on the 14's. I think it really was their best rangefinder lens. Cheers, Howard 📷
@@howpow yes, about electros, but they felt a little nose heavy when handled. They took (take) great photos though. Had a choice between an electro and pentamatic at a flea market once and went with the pentamatic because it was all manual. No guessing. Thanks H.
Hi Howard, lovely camera. Have a Lynx 5000 but the meter doesn't work. Not a problem as I have a lot of handheld meters to use. Rangefinder is very dim. Have cleaned it as best I can but just seems to be down to the original design.
Hi Andrew, thanks for your comment.
I must have been lucky with my Lynx 5000. The rangefinder patch is really good.
It's the only 5000 I've ever handled so perhaps it was very well stored before I bought it.
Cheers, Howard 📷
Dug out my Lynx 14E ( original owner ) but I couldn't figure out how to open the back. Yes, I saw the tab .. but I couldn't move it in any direction. Saw which direction in your video, and I "forced" it.
Initially the back did not pop open, but I noticed it moved a little bit. I was able to pull it open and from then on it popped like it should.
I have the case for it too .. but .. due to the camera's heavy weight one of the strap rivets has popped through the leather.
Hi, if you plan to use it a shoe repair shop could probably repair the case strap pretty cheaply.
It sounds as if it's been unloved for a long time, so you better make sure everything works before putting film through it.
I feel that the 14 models were the best of Yashicas range finder cameras.
Cheers, Howard.
The meter on mine never worked. The camera works fine manually. The lens is absolutely superb, testing in the Leitz Summicron range at the time. They seem to be somewhat uncommon. It's problem for some, including me, is that it is very heavy and very large for what it does. Yashica and Minolta seemed to have a corner on these massive bricks of fixed lens rangefinder cameras from the 1960s and early 70s. The Minoltas seem to have been far more popular, based on the extensive number of progressively more high-tech models offered.
Hi Randall. I have two and neither meter has ever worked, the rangefinders are dim and they are heavy, but despite all the negatives I really like the.m. Yes, the lens are superb, and to my eyes the negatives always look that little bit special.
Cheers, Howard 📷
The main issue I have with these - I've had hands on with five of them and the light meter was inoperable on all five. Four of the five were in otherwise mint condition. I suspect the battery compartment on the lynx series wasn't well sealed, so the gas from the Mercury batteries tended to impact them more severely vs Electro 35 cameras. I would love to have a 14 or 14e, but I gave up due to the dang meter issues.
Hi jw. It's a real shame that the light meters were so fragile.
I've had three in total. Two 14e's and one 14.
The 14 worked momentarily and then stopped. The two E 's never worked.
I still really like them though because it's such a great lens. I really like the way they render a photo.
I've kept one of each.
Cheers, Howard 📷
@@howpow Oh yeah, they are super unique, nothing else out there anything like them. I hope at some point to locate one with a working meter. For now, if I'm shooting without a meter, I prefer a Canon P or Konica IIIA though. Thanks for the excellent videos!
@@jw48335 My pleasure. Glad you watched and enjoyed them. 😀
Thanks Howard, having handled some later '60's early '70's yashica ange finders I lost some interest in these RF models. You have rekindled my curiosity. Once again, thanks. pf
Hi J P. The Yashica electro range are very capable cameras, but if the electronics fail you're stuck with 1/500th as the only speed.
I prefer the fully mechanical cameras for that reason although I do have a couple of Electros.
I really like the lens on the 14's. I think it really was their best rangefinder lens.
Cheers, Howard 📷
@@howpow yes, about electros, but they felt a little nose heavy when handled. They took (take) great photos though. Had a choice between an electro and pentamatic at a flea market once and went with the pentamatic because it was all manual. No guessing. Thanks H.
Great video, Howard. Very helpful 👌
Thanks Malc. I appreciate your support. 👍
Very nice camera
Thanks Van, I think so too.
Cheers, Howard 📷