Can you identify this?

I found this in someone's avatar--it is a very attractive looking rangefinder.

Can anyone identify it for me?

 

Thanks

John

The photo is very small but it's either a Contax or a copy of one. The red color is almost certainly not original.

I think it's a Contax IIa (fifties vintage) and either a Camera Leather re-cover or a Henry Shearer custom overhaul. I have a IIIa, it's just like this except with original leather and has a meter.

its a yashihara.

the company is out of bussines.

Its an early Contax IIa-D, the digital rangefinder they introduced in 1955. Very big digits back then. You're not seeing the Macintosh tube amplifier that it required. Very fine. Contax planned a 3-D version, but the two-Macintosh kit was deemed impractical.

Thanks for the responses...though I can't seem to find anything on the Yashihara. I've found 'yasuhara' but those are very different. Could someone direct me to some info?

Scratch that last post. It appears to be a Yashica 35. Thanks all!

Thanks, John, for posting this -- I've never seen one (or even known of their

existance.).

Yes, it's a Yashica 35. These ones look similar to old Contaxes but have a leaf shutter and a fixed lens, usually with f/2.8, the f/1.9 version is pretty rare. It is built like a tank. Different from most other japanese rangefinders, it uses a prism beamsplitter - the disadvantage is that this cannot be replaced if the semi-silvering is gone.

 

There is another camera looking similar to the Contax, the Neoca-SII. But this is a flimsy thing compared to the rock-solid Yashica 35.

PS. These old rangefinders can look very attractive when re-leathered. A dark red tone fits very well.<div></div>

Some japanese manufacturers were very eager to give their cameras an expensive look:

 

http://www.cameraguild.jp/nekosan/9906.htm

Quite a few high-grade Japanese rangefinders used beam splitting prisms. All the Canons (from the S-II at least) did. The Topcon 35-S, 35-L, etc. also do. While repair of the prism isn't very feasible, it generally isn't needed, since it is so durable.

 

Cheaper ones, like the Aires Viscount, use the ordinary half-silvered mirror.

<I found this in someone's avatar>?!? Can someone translate? Is this ia Second Life

camera?

It's the little picture next to someone's name in a forum thread.