Yashica Electro 35
PROFESSIONAL
(1966 - 1969)

The Yashica Electro 35 was introduced in 1966. (December 1965 ?). The first camera in Yashica Electro series an the first 35mm rangefinder with electro-magnetically controlled shutter in the world. What was new and extraordinary is, that the light meter stays active as long as the shutter is open. So, if it during the exposure happens to darken or lighten the exposure control is responding. Yashica Electro 35 was available in a black enamel and a chrome finish. version has a The mechanics and operation are identical. My camera is the second model with the badge on the front in chrome.
The Electro 35 is an aperture-priority camera, which means you set the aperture and the camera sets the appropriate speed for you. To help you with this, two warning lights are provided on the top of the camera.There are two rings around the lens barrel. One is the aperture ring, the other has only three different positions: AUTO, Flash, and “B” for long, manual exposures.

Lens: Color-Yashinon DX f/1.7 45mm; 6 elements in 4 groups, stops down to f/16.
Shutter: Electronic, stepless shutter mechanism. Speeds from 1/500 sec. to 30 seconds; B setting; built-in self-timer; X sync; shutter release lock; automatic setting.
Focusing: Coupled range/viewfinder focusing; 0.8 meter (2'6") to infinity; bright frame with automatic parallax compensation.

Exposure Control:  Solid-state  'Electronic  Brain'  controls the electronic shutter according to light intensity measured by the CdS sensor; precise shutter speed for correct exposure in any light is determined and set AUTOMATICALLY; exposure symbols for easy selection of aperture; arrows warn against over-exposure and signal slow shutter speed and advisability of using a tripod; ASA range from 25 to 1000 (DIN 15-31)

Battery: Mallory TR164, Eveready E164 or equivalent (Either of these are not for sale anymore but with certain arrangements 4LR44 can be used) and according to the workshop manual, anything between 4.6 and 6.5 volts will do, so you can also use a 6 volt lithium battery.
Other Features:  Single-stroke film advance lever charges shutter, sets electronic exposure control   to  standby condition, registers count  of exposed frames and prevents double exposure; automatic resetting exposure counter;the large and bright viewfinder automatically adjusts for parallax correction as you focus; fold-away crank-handle for rapid film rewind; multi-slot take-up spool for easy film loading; battery checker incorporated in the exposure counter window.
Lens Shade:   57mm slip-on type. Filters:  55mrn screw-in type. Dimensions:   140 x 86 x 74mm Weight: ~750 grams

The Auxiliary Lens Set consists of an auxiliary telephoto lens which extends the focal length of the camera lens to 58.4mm and an auxiliary wide-angle lens which reduces the focal length of the camera lens to 37.7mm. To make picture composition easier and more accurate, an exclusive viewfinder is supplied to serve both lenses.

Yashica Electro 35 GS (1970)

Electro GS is already the third generation of Electro 35 cameras and it is introduced in 1970. What is new and improved is the lens color correction (Color-Yashinon) and film sensitivity range which is improved up to 1000ASA. GS/GT has also an improved shutter release lock and an integrated door release / rewind handle. The Hot Shoe doesn't came until with the GSN /GTN in 1974. As it's predecessor a black variant Electro GT was also available.

The last Yashica Electro model MG-1 was introduced in 1976 and the production continued almost twenty years until 1984

Detailed and competent information about Yashica rangefinders:

Yashica Guy

Yashica MG-1 (1975)

The MG-1 was released in 1975. It is a leaf-shuttered 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera with aperture-priority automatic exposure. The MG-1 has a 45mm f/2.8 Yashinon lens. According to 1980 - December, 1986

A mighty good camera, Yashica MG-1 is. It's made for young and old . . . for both outdoor and indoor shooting in color or B & W. And the pictures it delivers are quality all over. To top it all, no difficult procedure is involved. In fact, it offers the smoothest handling ever.

• Film type 135 (35mm)
• Picture size 24mm x 36mm
• Lens Yashinon f/2.8 45mm lens, four elements in three groups.
• Shutter Electronic-controlled leaf-type shutter with continuously variable speeds from 1/500 sec. to about 2 seconds; built-in self-timer; direct X contact shoe. Shutter speed sets automatically at 1/30 sec. when Auto lever is adjustable to flash setting.
• Viewfinder Bright frame finder with parallax correction marks; shows yellow and red exposure indicator arrows.
• Exposure meter Fully automatic 'Top-Eye' CdS exposure control; precise shutter speed assuring correct exposure is set automatically through pre selection of exposure symbol (lens aperture); EV range from EV2 to 17 (ASA 100); exposure indicator lamps in viewfinder and on camera top-yellow signaling slow shutter speed.
• ASA range From ASA 25; to 800
• Film Advance Single action film advance lever advances the exposed frame and cocks the shutter.
• Battery One 5.6V mercury battery (Eveready E164, UCAR E 164, Mallory PX32 or equivalent.)
• Size and Weight; 140.6 x 72 x 82 mm; ~620 g

This is one of the "Last Samurais" before the "Plastic Age". The Yashica MG-1 is a "full size" rangefinder. Some wouldn't like its automatic functions but its a feature which makes it easy to use. The almost total lack of manual control is no doubt a limitation. It is achieved with a higher cost. The Yashica MG-1 is however designated to a person who did not put value on such oddity.

Yashica Minister II (1962)

Yashica Minister II is a 35mm rangefinder camera with built in, non coupled and because of the extremely small size of the scales, very difficult to read selenium exposure meter. Yashinon F 2.8 4,5cm lens has 5 elements in 4 groups. Copal SVL leaf shutter speeds are 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500 and B. The shutter uses the Light Value system of exposure control in which the aperture and shutter speed controls are mechanically interlinked. Changing one automatically changes the other thus keeping the effective exposure the same. To change the exposure, therefore, it is necessary to change the LV. Yashica Minister II is rather small (W x H x D) 130 x 81 x 76mm and it weighs about 700 g.

Yashica 35mm Rangefinder Chronology &
Specifications II by Yashica guy.

Yashica Minister III (1963 -1966)

Perhaps the most remarkable improvement to MII is an exposure meter layout. I would say, that it is now "readable"
Like in the most contemporary rangefinders, together with the new design the photo cell was moved from the usual upper left position to round-the-lens. The advantage is, that this design takes into account filters and thus separate exposure adjustments are not needed. The true photo-electric selenium cell requires no batteries.

The Citizen shutter assembly houses the same Yashinon lens with 5 Elements in 4 Groups with a maximum aperture of ƒ2.8 lens and a 45mm focal length. Speeds range from 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500sec and B. The similarity continues: The shutter release button accepts a standard threaded cable, the self timer lever is at the bottom of the lens barrel. Size and weight are same as Yashica Minister II (W x H x D) 130 x 81 x 76mm and weight ~700 g.

Yashica Minister-700 (1964)

Yashica Minister-700 was introduced in 1964 together with Yashica Minister D. Both have a Copal SVL shutter and an uncoupled CDS exposure meter (625A battery). They have a handy though mechanically rather complicated cross-coupled shutter speed dial and aperture system. An exposure meter needle indicates the correct Light Value (?) number which you have to transfer to a the outer most ringof the lens. By changing the shutter speed, the camera will also change the f-stop while keeping the same exposure value. These cross-coupled dials tend to be problematic and this is the case also on my camera. The reason might be the dent (or actually the incident, which have caused it) on the filter ring. I am planning a repair because othervise my 700 is flawless.Yashica Minister-700 has no hot shoe but a socket for X or M synch. User selectable shutter speeds are: B, 1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250 and 1/500sec. The shutter must be set at X synch to use the self timer, which is under the lens barrel.
Except for the lens Yashica D and the 700 are identical. Yashica Minister-700 has a faster 6 lens 1,7/4,5cm yashinon lens.The rangefinder / viwfinder has automatic parallax correctiion, in which the frame lines move with the focussing point.