Samurai camera, seriously weird?

ChrisR

ChrisR

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I'm a member of a couple of walking groups, and while out today was chatting with a fellow walker. He said he'd been given an odd camera, a Yashica Samurai, that he described as looking more like a video camera than a conventional still camera. Not been used for the last 15 years or so. Apparently it's half frame and, from later Internet research (eg see the bottom of this page), appears to be a fixed lens zoom SLR. He's been told this one has a film in it; the battery was U/S so he's sent off for a new one. His plan is to take enough shots to finish the film, then get the film processed, and then perhaps sell it. I've given him what advice I can on getting films processed. He thought it was probably colour rather than black and white, but I'm guessing that an all-auto camera like this will be DX-coded so he probably won't be able to change the ISO to compensate for age.

Anyway, I'd never heard of such a camera, and thought y'all might be interested. I'll try to get him to give us a shout if/when it's for sale.
 
Fun cameras, reasonably popular with half frame officianados not particularly valuable despite what the 'buy it now' sellers on fleabay would have you believe ;)
 
And they did a left handed version.
 
I remember when it came out- one of the ugliest cameras I had ever seen :) as a camera.
The form became normal for video cameras as they became smaller, after VHS was superceded.

Edited to add: other ugly cameras are available, other points of view are allowed.
 
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RaglanSurf said:
Fun cameras, reasonably popular with half frame officianados not particularly valuable despite what the 'buy it now' sellers on fleabay would have you believe ;)
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Yes, I spotted that they weren't worth a lot from the fleabay sold listings!

Andysnap said:
And they did a left handed version.
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Yes, very unusual that. I guess it goes with the aim to make it a one-handed camera!
 
kendo1 said:
I remember when it came out- one of the ugliest cameras I had ever seen :) as a camera.
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Ah, I've not seen it in the flesh yet... some of the pics looked quite cute. Maybe it's Steve's sleeper compact? :)
 
ChrisR said:
Ah, I've not seen it in the flesh yet... some of the pics looked quite cute. Maybe it's Steve's sleeper compact? :)
Click to expand...
Maybe because it was unsual.
 
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