arhphotographic

With some film cameras I pick up, I know from the start that I’m going to have a good time. I’m not quite sure why, but it happens. However with the Yashica J3, I didn’t get that feeling.

It’s quite a plain looking camera. Top shutter speed of 1/500th of a second. A light meter is built into the camera that is linked to the shutter speed. As the top plate view shows, there is a scaled meter situated on the left, where you read off the aperture for the selected shutter speed. Then the aperture has to be manually selected on the lens. While the light meter works on mine, it is way off and so I had to use a handheld one instead.

Looking through the viewfinder we find a simple micro screen spot. Focus is acquired by turning the lens focus barrel until the centre looks clear and not blurred. As a spectacle wearer I never find this easy, and I’m sure this contributed to a lack of confidence when using the camera. I need not have worried though as the vast majority of photos were in focus. This could be viewed as my problem not the cameras fault.

I fitted one of my favourite lenses, the Pentacon 50mm f1.8 and with some of the shots I added a closeup lens to get that little bit closer.

I’m really pleased with the results from a first time out with the J3. I have only removed dust from the photos, nothing else. Even though the results are more a reflection on the lens, the camera did play its part. Maybe this is one of those cameras that I will grow to like. Only one way to find out…