Half 14!

ckswong · 04-03-2012

Hey guys! Calvin here from vancouver bc canada, i just won a yashica half 14 and im excited to get it. However the cds sensor is probably not working as the seller did say he put a battery in and it would not fire as the needle went to the red. is it expensive to repair this kind of fault? will it be above the value of the camera? i dont really know the real value of the half 14 and google searches came up with nil and a lot of japanese sites.

thanks!

Dave S. · 04-03-2012

You could try Mark Hama. Parts are scarce for this camera, but if anyone can overhaul your camera it would probably be Mark. I won a Half 14 off the big auction site a while back for $25, but the seller backed out on the sale (lame!). Good luck with your new camera and please post results if everything works out.

OlympusRF · 04-04-2012

Congratulations,
I was following that auction, in the end give some news about this matter.
Its one of the half-frame cameras I really want to buy (and the canon Demi EE17) to end my half-frame collection:
Olympus EE, EE2, EE3,EES, EES-2, EED,W,FT,D,D3,EM,EF,Yashica half 17 deluxe & canon demi S (half of these cameras are still like new and in the original paper box)
I hope you can get it to work, its a great camera.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/olympusrf/

ckswong · 04-05-2012

25! I paid 175:s still worth it

. Can't wait for it to arrive.

thats one big olympus collection, I had a 35rc once the camera that got me into rangefinders.

YASHICA1959 · 04-05-2012

Followed the auction to, congrats with the half14.
I recently aquired one to but I had to take it appart to fix the shutter issue.
@ OlympusRF : do you have a pic of the half 17 deluxe, together with the Electro Half transistor it's the only half frame Yashica missing form my collection and I have never seen one before.

ckswong · 04-13-2012

Just got the camera in the mail today, and all i can say is... what a let down. instead of being in the underexposure like the add says its in the over exposure setting, the shutter does fire but the f stop is the same at all aperature levels, im not sure what battery goes in but that didnt help. the bulb setting also does not work. the rear lens has some kind of crud on it and it has a tiny bit of rust on the rear film door and no foam. oh and to my surprise its also not a range finder camera...

lets go and see what the repair bill will be from van cam. oh and top of that i needed to pay duty....

pinkarmy · 04-13-2012

i believe there's no half frame rangefinder.

ckswong · 04-13-2012

i made myself believe it was a rangefinder, then i read more carefully on the yashica half 14 page.

kbg32 · 04-13-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkarmy

i believe there's no half frame rangefinder.

Leica 72. Very rare.

pinkarmy · 04-13-2012

i have an obsession for half frame cameras but i somehow passed the "quest for speed-demon" state, because in reality it is too hard to get accurate focus at f1.7 (not to mention f1.4) without the rangefinder.
i have two Yashica half frame cameras (Mimmy and Half Electro), both in similar condition like your Half 14. i understand how you feel.

pinkarmy · 04-13-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by kbg32

Leica 72. Very rare.

thanks for the tip.
i regard this as a urban legend kind of camera

farlymac · 04-15-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinkarmy

thanks for the tip.
i regard this as a urban legend kind of camera

Might as well be, but it's in the book called "Leica: The First Fifty Years". I'd like to say you'll not see one on eBay, but then I've seen some pretty rare things being sold there.

PF

Frontman · 04-16-2012

If there is any corrosion in the battery compartment (even a faint amount) the battery wire inside may be corroded/disconnected. These little cameras are a little tough to get into, but the wire problem is easily fixed.

If the meter indicator moves at all when a battery is installed, then there may be some hope. Try setting the ISO dial to different speeds and see what happens.

The crud on the lens will probably clean up easily. Start with soft cotton and lens cleaning fluid to get the worst of it off. Then, if there is still residue, dampen a Q-tip in a bit of water, and add a touch of toothpaste. Gently rub the lens glass in a circular motion, then clean again with lens cleaning fluid. This should remove superficial fungus and residue. Deeper fungus may etch the glass.

If the aperture blades continue to stay in the same position, a thorough cleaning might be necessary.

If I were you, I would probably try to return the camera for a refund, or try to get a partial refund to cover the cost of repairs. A half-14 usually sells for about $70 in Japan.