YASHICA FX2 and FX7

When using a CONTAX/YASHICA SLR, a common question often arises: 'Which mechanical cameras can use C/Y lenses?' The answer is quite simple: CONTAX S2/S2b, YASHICA FX2, and FX3 series. Among them, the CONTAX S2 is considered the top-tier model with its titanium body indicating its excellent pedigree. However, its price is exorbitant, comparable to the CONTAX ST, around NT$29,000 at the original selling price. Due to the discontinuation of CONTAX bodies, the second-hand prices have surged, starting at around NT$25,000, with the rarer black titanium CONTAX S2b even reaching over NT$40,000. Is it out of reach for the average person? Not necessarily. YASHICA has provided us with some alternatives, namely the YASHICA FX2 and FX7 cameras.

使用CONTAX/YASHICA SLR時常常會問一個問題「有哪些機械相機可用C/Y鏡頭？」 答案很簡單CONTAX S2/S2b、YASHICA FX2與FX3系列，其中CONTAX S2算是最頂級 的機種了，鈦金屬機身說明了她的優良血統，但價位也高不可攀，原始售價 與CONTAX ST同級，約台幣29,000。近來因CONTAX機身陸續停產，二手價也 水漲船高，約莫台幣25,000起跳，較稀有的黑鈦CONTAX S2b甚至飆到台幣40,000 以上。那一般的平民百姓就無緣分享了嗎？倒不竟然。YASHICA還是留給了我們 一些選擇，那就是以下要介紹的 YASHICA FX2與FX7相機。

Left: YASHICA FX-7, Right: YASHICA FX-2

YASHICA FX2

In the second year of the CONTAX/YASHICA SLR release, the YASHICA FX2, a purely mechanical camera, emerged as the only one of its kind. It shares a similar appearance with its sister model, the YASHICA FX1 (an electronically controlled aperture-priority camera). Despite nearly thirty years passing, after a bit of refurbishment by a camera technician, the weight in your hands and the sound of the shutter, along with the damping of the film advance, tell you that this is a sturdy camera – a tool for creative photography that will remain so even after another thirty years. The YASHICA FX2 features a horizontally-traveling cloth focal-plane shutter, and one of its drawbacks is that the rubber material on the shutter curtain is prone to hardening (if left unused for an extended period) or deteriorating in high temperatures. Therefore, a moisture-resistant box and a dark storage environment are crucial. If the shutter curtain is damaged, repair is nearly impossible.

在CONTAX/YASHICA SLR上市的第二年 YASHICA FX2 是唯一的一台機械相機，與 姐妹機 YASHICA FX1 (電子式光圈優先)有著類似的外觀，拿在手上沉甸甸的， 雖然經過了近三十年，經過相機師傅稍許的整理後，那快門聲響與過片的阻尼 告訴你這是一台扎實的相機，再過三十年，仍然是攝影創作的利器。 YASHICA FX2 採用橫向布質簾幕快門，她的缺點是簾幕上的橡膠材質容易硬化(長期未使用) 或高溫變質，因此防潮箱與陰暗的儲存環境非常重要，如果快門簾幕損壞， 維修幾乎是不可能的了。

YASHICA FX2 的上視圖

YASHICA FX7

Derived from the YASHICA FX3 mechanical camera, the YASHICA FX7 is positioned as a simplified version of the FX2. In terms of camera functions, it lacks the depth of field preview button. Regarding the camera structure, the shutter curtain is changed to a vertically-traveling metal focal-plane shutter, and the body extensively uses plastic, significantly reducing the size and weight by 15%-30%. In the 1980s, the YASHICA FX3/7 became one of the most affordable C/Y Mount bodies. The FX3/7 was redesigned in 1985 as the FX3/7 Super, with the main difference being a small grip added to the right side of the body to enhance handheld stability, and the integration of the metering button with the shutter button. The FX3 Super 2000 further increased the maximum shutter speed to 1/2000 seconds. Later versions of the FX3 Super 2000 moved production to China due to cost considerations, and not long after, the production of the YASHICA FX3/7 series was discontinued for almost 20 years.

源自YASHICA FX3的機械相機，定位是FX2的精簡版，就相機功能而言，少了預觀景深紐。 就相機結構而言，快門簾幕則改為縱向金屬簾幕快門，機身則大量採用塑料，使得機身 大小與重量大幅縮減15%-30%。80年代後，YASHICA FX3/7 算是最便宜的C/Y Mount機身了。 FX3/7在1985年改款成為FX3/7 Super，最大的差異在於機身右邊多了一個小握把以加強手持 穩定性，測光鈕整合於快門鈕上。FX3 Super 2000 則進一步將最快快門速度提升到 1/2000秒。後期的FX3 Super 2000則因成本考量移往中國生廠，之後不久, 近20年的 YASHICAFX3/7系列的生產也中止了。

YASHICA FX7 的上視圖

YASHICA 機械式相機 發售年 YASHICA FX2 (Chrome/Black) 1976 YASHICA FX3 (Black) 1979 YASHICA FX7 (Chrome) 1979 YASHICA FX3 Super (Black) 1985 YASHICA FX7 Super (Chrome) 1985 YASHICA FX3 Super 2000 (Black/Chrome) 1993

機身規格 規格比較 機身 YASHICA FX-2 YASHICA FX-7 生產者 Yashica Japan Yashica Japan 發售年 1976 年 1979 年 底片型式 24mm x 36mm 24mm x 36mm 鏡頭接環 Contax/Yashica 插刀式接環 Contax/Yashica 插刀式接環 快門型式 橫走式布質簾幕 縱走式金屬簾幕 快門速度 B-1-2-4-8-15-30-60-125-250-500-1000 B-1-2-4-8-15-30-60-125-250-500-1000 對焦方式 反射式+磨砂/微菱鏡對焦屏 反射式+磨砂/微菱鏡/裂像式對焦屏 自拍器 有，機械式 有，機械式 閃燈同步 1/60秒 1/125秒 閃燈接點 有，X接點 有，X接點 機身高度 94mm 84.5mm 機身寬度 144.5mm 135mm 機身深度 51mm 50mm 重量 690g 450g 　 相關網站  1. Okie's Camera List 提供YASHICA單眼相機個人收藏展示(含規格與照片)。 2. YASHICA SLR FAQ 提供YASHICA單眼相機與鏡頭基本資訊介紹。

Hasselblad 500c + Polaroid Magazine 100, Instant Film 拍立得底片

2013.5.5

Today is the second time I'm using Fuji's instant peel-apart film. The first time was with the FP-3000b black and white instant peel-apart film, and I didn't keep records then, only a few captured photos. The feeling at that time was that the accuracy of metering was as crucial as with positive film; precise control was needed to capture the desired atmosphere.

今天是第二次使用富士的拍立得撕拉片，第一次使用是FP-3000b的黑白拍立得撕拉片，當時沒有做記錄，只留下幾張拍攝的相片。當時拍攝的感覺是測光的準確度跟正片一樣重要，精確的掌控才能拍出想要的氣氛。

Let me introduce the equipment I'm using: Hasselblad 500c + Polaroid Magazine 100. Traditionally, medium-format cameras with interchangeable film backs in the 90s had original or third-party instant peel-apart film backs. In the era of traditional film photography, to confirm aperture, shutter speed, and lighting (flash) effects during shooting, professional photographers often took instant photos to adjust photographic parameters. This practice is considered outdated in the digital photography era. Many enthusiasts of medium and large-format film cameras have switched to digital cameras to achieve the same purpose.

先介紹一下我用的器材 Hasselblad 500c + Polaroid Magazine 100，傳統上可換底片機背的中型相機在90年代都有出原廠或副廠的拍立得撕拉片機背。在傳統底片攝影的時代，為了在拍攝當下確認光圈、快門、光線(閃光燈)等的拍攝效果，職業攝影師們常常會拍攝拍立得相片來調整攝影參數，這在數位攝影的時代已經是很落伍的做法了。很多中大型底片相機的攝影愛好者都已應改用數位相機來達到相同的目的。




Hasselblad 500c, Carl Zeisss Planar 2.8/80, Polariod Magazine 100

The Polaroid Magazine 100 can use two types of film: Fuji FP-100c (color ISO100) and FP-3000b (black and white ISO3200). The film size is 3.2" x 4.2", resulting in images with a 0.2" wide white border. As Hasselblad's film imaging size is 2.2" x 2.2", the captured result will only cover a part of the entire film, and the unexposed parts will appear black.

Polaroid Magazine 100可以用富士FP-100c(彩色ISO100)和FP-3000b(黑白ISO3200)兩種相紙，相紙的大小是 3.2" x 4.2"，成像是如下留0.2"寬的白邊的相片。因為哈蘇的底片成像大小是 2.2" x 2.2"，所以拍攝結果只會是整個相紙中的一部分，其他部分因為沒有曝光，所以呈現黑色。


Carl Zeiss Distagon 4/50 C,
Fujifilm FP-100c instant photo 拍立得相片

After developing the instant peel-apart film, there's a chance to obtain a negative like the one below. This negative is the black film originally attached to the instant film. The black part can be washed away with a bleaching solution, revealing a film similar to a negative. The side with the black coating is smooth, while the side attached to the instant film has an imaging layer.

拍立得撕拉片顯影成像後，其實有機會取得一張如下的負片，這張負片就是原來蓋在相紙上的黑色膠片，黑色部份其實是可用漂白水洗掉的漆料，當黑色漆料洗掉時，類似負片的膠片就出現了，原來黑色漆料那一面是光滑的，與相紙接合的這一面則有一層成像地藥膜。


Fujifilm FP-100c instant film negative 拍立得負片

Scanning the mentioned instant film negative requires a flatbed scanner with an appropriate light hood due to the large film size. Using a regular negative scanning mode, the negative image can be converted to a positive one. I didn't spend time adjusting colors, and the result has a distinctive LOMO atmosphere, which I find even more appealing.

將上述的拍立得負片用掃瞄器掃描，因為底片很大張，所以應該只有附光罩的平台式掃描器才能勝任，用一般負片的掃瞄模式即可，可將負片影像轉呈正向。我沒有再花時間去調顏色，出來的結果很有 LOMO的氣氛，讓我更喜歡。


Scanned image of Fujifilm FP-100c instant film negative.
Fujifilm FP-100c 拍立得負片掃瞄後成像