Presenting the Penta J

[Kent Shafer]

<p>Rick, thanks for the repair tip. I tried removing the bottom plate and frowning severely at the parts inside, but that didn't help. I'll have a go at your method.</p>

[gnashings]

<p>Thank you for this - as always informative and entertaining, and great images both "of" and "from" the camera! I know its really a standard SLR design, visually - but there is something subtly different about the way the lens mount panel curves into the penta prism housing. to my eye it is evocative of traditional Japanese architectural design elements. Perhaps its my brain putting the car before the horse, but its a very Japanese looking, very pretty camera.</p>

[rick_drawbridge]

<p><strong>Peter</strong>, you have a knack of observing things a little outside the square... Now I'm going to <em>have</em> to consider cameras in relation to the traditional design elements of the countries and societies in which they originated...It's a shame I'm not looking for a subject for a thesis, but there could be a lot of fun involved in putting together some sort of case for cultural influences in camera design. Just don't get me started... Perhaps you'd like to do it?</p>

[gnashings]

<p>But then you would be DOCTOR Rick! (sorry - I presume too much, perhaps you already are - just another feather in the cap then?). I think there is something to it - when I look at Praktica's they have a certain Teutonic angularity combined with a minimalist aesthetic that hints at the shunning of imperialist ideas of material wealth and decadence.<br>

Of course any such theory could be defeated by someone holding up the Photomic finder;)</p>

 

[rick_drawbridge]

<blockquote>

<p>"....I look at Praktica's they have a certain Teutonic angularity combined with a minimalist aesthetic that hints at the shunning of imperialist ideas of material wealth and decadence."<br>

<br>

Great start, <strong>Peter</strong>; keep it up! And no, my cap remains un-feathered...</p>

</blockquote>

[chuck_foreman1]

On this theme about design.. Teutonic Japanese.. chicken and the egg etc.. just speculation that evolution

of aesthetic deisgn features of influence and innovation theme and variation.

[bob_miller4]

<p>I think the Yashica 50mm/2.0 lenses in M42 mount, including the DX and DS versions, kept the same optical formula. In a non-Yashica M42 camera body, the rear of these lenses might run afoul of the aperture actuator and/or mirror when the lens is focused at or near infinity.</p>

[chris_whelan4]

<p>Hello Rick. Wonderful article and I must compliment you on your two very fine Yashicas! Outstanding to see the Penta J and the Reflex 35 J side by side. Your lens is just a few weeks older than mine. My Penta J's lens serial number is 120410. The body serial number is 2215951. Curious as to what your body serial numbers are. I'm pretty sure my camera has the original lens mated with the body from the factory. My newer Penta J body's serial number is 4219225. I'm pretty sure that there is a date code in here. The 221 and 421 on my two J's are Feb 1962 and Apr 1962. The "1" is a place holder or a model ID. The remaining numbers are the production sequence numbers... 5,951 and 9,225. The lenses were made at the Tomioka Optical factory in Tokyo as Yashica hadn't acquired Tomioka yet (1968). The 'J' models are... Penta J, J-3, J-4, J-P & J-5 and finally the J-7. My serial numbers are a theory at this point and are consistent with the serial numbers of the Pentamatic. Regards, Chris</p>