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Some Help with Yashica 600 Electro


Micbress

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hi everybody,

 

i've just bought a Yashica 600 electro wich i intend to use with Vision 200T stock.

 

Doing my searching on the web i've noticed that i can't find any exact information regarding the "usual problems", the correct exposure of the film and the use of the built-in daylight filter.

 

I found that:

 

exposure: auto and manual exposure control; TTL EE

 

film speed: auto between 25 and 400 ASA

 

exposure compensation: +/- correction for auto

 

CCA filter: built-in 85A filter, coupled with movie light socket

 

So what will happend using a 200T with this camera? will auto set at 200ASA? If not, what will be the correct procedure to follow?

 

 

Any advice will be very helpful.

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I recall my college's film art department had a yashica. I never used it but it was automatic. I am trying to recall if Yashica was one of the few cameras with a variable ASA setting rather than a notched setting. If that is the case, then it would appear that your Yashica will automatically set internally to 200 for your 200 film.

 

Yashica's were big on automatic metering and usually did a good job. However, if you need to lock the exposure, you may have to design a way to keep the exposure lock button in place without having to hold it down with your own finger.

 

If you have any other ASA rated film, you can do a quick exposure comparison in which you keep the camera pointed at the same object (camera should be on a tripod for this test) and see if the auto exposure shifts an equal amount to the difference in ASA.

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The YASHICA 600 was built around 1970 and as with many better Super 8mm cameras of that era, allowed reading of cartridge notch codes for filmstock speeds that weren't even offered yet. It will work fine with the Kodak VISION 200T since without the filter it will be exposed as TRI-X 200 would be. I would run a test on a variety of subject matter, as well as using a Gray Card and a Color Chart under correct Color Temperature range for fine tuning in video transfer later. Also, via the Exposure Override Knob, you can adjust the exposure in 2 increments above and under the meter's reading to either get more or less negative density.

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hi and thx for the reply

 

i've found the original manual of the camera and the clear specification that the camera will automaticaly set the ASA between 25 and 400 ASA, so the Vision 200 will be at 200, if everything work as they say.

 

But now the "real problem" is connected mostly about the built in filter of the camera. There is absolutly no specification of it the the manual and www i've found that is the standard 85A, as normal.

 

But there is no any possibility to operate the filter; no tungsten/sun switch, nothing. So working with a 200T stock, needing the filter for the outdoor shots....what would be the settings?

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The YASHICA 600 Electro has only two methods to move the builtin Daylight #85 Color Conversion Filter; via the top slot for a Filter Key (or the movie light adapter which had the key as part of its base) which when installed...moves the Filter out of the lens path, and second, via the Film Chamber Cartridge Filter Pin (moves the Filter out of the lens path when a Super 8 cartridge is installed that does NOT have the Filter Notch).

 

So for your uses, in using VISION 200T film in Daylight.....double check the cartridge to see if it has the Filter Notch. This notch is about 1/4 inch from the bottom of the front edge of the cartridge. IF it's not on the film cartridge...then I suggest using a pair of needle nose pliers and carefully breaking off part of the cartridge wall, and make your own notch. The notch is about 1/4 inch from the bottom, about a 1/4 inch high and about a 1/4 inch deep. If you make your notch a bit larger, that won't be a problem...as you don't want it to push the Daylight Filter out of the lens path. To move the Filter out of the way for Tungsten filming, you'll have to use a Filter Key in the top slot, or make you own out of very stiff cardboard. By looking down the lens with a small flashlight, you'll see the filter move out of the way. Alternatively, you could remove the cartridge, and fog only an inch of film doing so, and then tape a small piece of plastic over the Filter Notch so that upon reinsertion the cartridge will remove the Filter out of position (but, if doing so, First make note of your footage counter, then shoot a couple seconds of film so as to not affect anything you just exposed).

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Martin, thank you for your helpful reply.

 

 

 

Everything's clear now about the camera, the filter & notch.

 

Considering that the tri-x 7266 will remove the internal filter, and the 200T vision in notched in order to let the filter in use, now the only true question is about the reading of the ASA.

 

Officialy the camera reads correctly any ASA between 25 and 400, so both the tri-x and the vision should be read at their correct ASA value.

 

I'm a littble bit suspicious about that because it seems to easy; i normally use a Nizo Pro which dosn't have this "ability", neither the F32 at one end...i mean, this Yashica 600 electro is that good?? :)... F 1.8 - F 32, correct ASA reading, exposure compensation etc...and i bought it for a one time project, in which , at the end, the camera should have fallen from a top floor.

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That's true, the NIZO Pro doesn't have the same features, but it's better since it does have manual zoom, manual exposure, a variable shutter (which can be locked so exposure time is shortened), aperture readout in the viewfinder, 2 speed power zoom and other features. The YASHICA due to the time period when it was built, as with many Super 8mm cameras from the 60s into early 70s, had light meters that keyed to a much wider ASA/ISO range.....for films that hadn't even been made yet....but were on the drawing table.

 

As nice as your YASHICA 600 is.....it has it's own drawbacks; power zoom only....and that sucks, no exposure information in the viewfinder (except for a low light level warning), no manual exposure adjustment (nor any auto exposure lock, only the bias settings). So....better? That's relative of course. Anyone dabbling in the Super 8mm field will quickly learn that sadly, some cameras have desireable features that others don't have, and hardly any have all the features many of us want or wanted....so it can be a little frustrating. That's the world of design and marketing, and it persists into many other products; cars, audio equipment, digital cameras etc. [The model which replaced yours just a year or so later, the YASHICA Electro-8 LD-4/LD-6/LD-8 models have the automatic Lap Dissolve feature...and use a variable closing shutter not an aperture fade, so they make great dissolves.]

 

So to recap here, yes it will read both TRI-X and VISION 200T as ASA/ISO 200 with the Filter removed (either automatically or manually by yourself), or as ASA/ISO 130 or thereabouts IF using the Filter since it will reduce exposure by 2/3rds of a Stop. HOWEVER....I do recommend cutting your own filter notch in the TRI-X cartridge....that orange filter will really help make your skies and other daylight details 'pop' via the more correct tonal representation. Due to the inherent higher sensitivity to Blue and UV light, B&W films tend to have skies wash out, water often too bright, and wimpy if any cloud details. That's why for virtually all B&W photography and filmmaking, negative or reversal, use of Filters in the Yellow, Medium Yellow or Orange range are highly recommended. Red, Green or Blue or other filters for dramatic effects away from the norm. So, good luck on your film shoot now.

 

ADDENUM: And, that's WHY I always recommend owning several Super 8mm cameras....since some have features you may want or need for certain projects and other cameras don't have those features.....as well as a nice small travel camera, and some junkers for taping to a car or bicycle etc for those riskier shots.

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7213 has massive exposure and color latitude. do not cut a notch to engage the filter with either color or black and white film. Reason being, the filter is 30 plus years old and usually made out of gelatin. Chances are very high that the filter is impaired in some way. Do not use the internal filter. If you want, use an external one or shoot a gray scale(always do this). Just put the film in the camera and go, if it has a plus one button, push it. This film represents the highest level of R&D from Kodak and yields and incredible image. Very much fool proof. Enjoy, you're good to go.

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Martin and Chris, thank you for the replies.

 

Yes, it's true, there isn't a manual zoom or manual exposure but the only real leak, for me, is the related to the manual zoom. Othrewise eveything seems to be pretty fun to use and practical; and i must say that i've paied for the camera 11$, in "new" condition.

 

Regarding the filter/notch/exposure situqtion i have to say that today i've made a short test loading a 7266 into the camera.

 

Considering that the tri-x dosen't have the notch the internal filter is deactivate permitting the correct ASA reading; so my Yashica with an unnotched tri-x will read the film correctly, as 200 ASA.

 

After that i've tried to use the filter key to activate the internal filter, in order to see the differences between exposure values, but nothing changed. If i press the internal filter pin, from the film chamber, i have the normal +/- 1 stop value. So i presume that something's wrong with the filter key, considering that i did not saw any aperture changing?

 

If the filter key is out of question due to technical problems i wil need to resolve everything using the notch pin, which is activate/deactivate from the cassette.

 

An regarding that i have my final question...

 

The tri-x will automatically remove the internal filter and the camera will read correctly the film as 200ASA. If i want to use an external 85B filter i will have an exposure cut of 2/3. Considering that the camera uses TTL metering why do i have to +1 ? The filter will just cut the light amount and not influence the ASA reading. With the Nizo i use the Tri-X with the bulb setting, in order to have it read at ASA 160, and i manually compensate closing the F 2/3, in order to do not have it overexposed, but in this case we're talking about ASA160, and the Yashica will read ASA200...please, correct me if i'm wrong.

 

If i use Vision 200 i will have to deactivate somehow the internal filter (if i'm not trusting it due to its age etc). So, can i also fill a notch? I'm asking because if the filter key dosn't work (as it seems...) my only possibility is to use and trust the internal filter or deactivate it and use an external one.

 

My main question is about the metering with and without the filter. The camera has a backlight and spotlight mode, which mean +1 and -1, using the tri-x with external filter (-2/3) and +1 will be ok? Considering the correct ASA reading of the camera does the +1 still necessary?

 

I think that you guys understant my uncertainty so i will stop here with the questions and explanations :)

 

Thank you

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