Yashica J 35 mm rangefinder camera

The Yashica J is a 35 mm rangefinder camera made in about 1961. It is of fairly simple construction with a limited range of settings and is fitted with a 45 mm f/2.8 Yashinon lens.

Yashica J Images

My Yashica J Camera

I paid only a couple of pounds for this camera from eBay and bought it simply to add to my Yashica 35 mm collection.

When I received it I found a camera in just about perfect cosmetic condition with hardly a mark on it apart from a very small amount of pitting within the flash/accessory shoe.

The camera also seems to be in good mechanical condition with all the controls working properly, although the shutter speed control is a bit stiff to operate. The coupled rangefinder is a very bright yellow square in the centre of the viewfinder and the framing lines are also nicely defined and bright.

Yashica J Description

I assumed that this camera was made in Japan since Yashica was a Japanese company, but on the top plate, under the serial no it clearly says ‘Hong Kong’ so I assume this means the camera was actually made in China.

Other than its country of origin, this is a fairly standard coupled rangefinder camera.

There are only 4 shutter speeds available, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 & 1/300 along with the bulb setting and the aperture covers the values f/2.8 to f/16 with a clickless aperture ring. This gives the camera an EV range coverage of about 8 to 16.

The shutter has an X sync socket fitted to the front of the camera and there is a mechanical self-timer fitted to the bottom of the shutter.

All in all, this seems to be a camera aimed at the bottom end of the market – perhaps an entry into rangefinder photography for people who had outgrown a simple viewfinder camera but weren’t yet ready for the complication of an SLR camera.

Yashica Model J Specification

• 35mm coupled rangefinder camera
• Copal shutter offers 1/25sec to 1/300sec + B
• Yashinon 45mm f/2.8 lens
• X sync socket
• Frame counter around film advance
• Made in Hong Kong about 1961
• Ser No: 6943
• Manual available on line here