Review 1 of 14
Price Paid:
$20.00
from eBay Summary:I own several 60/70's Yashica rangefinders, of which the Lynx 14 is the most recent addition. This is a solid camera made back in the days when build quality meant something to camera manufacturers, and cameras were designed to last a life time.
The Lynx 14 is one of the larger and heavier 35mm rangefinders - even during its era, due to its oversized f1.4 lens of many groups and elements and metal cnstruction. Lots of glass and chrome on this baby. However, this speed comes at a price in weight, mass, and bulk. That said, it handles nicely for a camera its size.
Lenses this fast are a real rarity and are prohibitively pricey. The super fast lens, lack of vibration from mirror slap, virtual vibrationless and quiet leaf shutter, combined with the camera's weight and fully manual operation results in - frankly, a superstar of ambient light and low light photography. In my humble opinion, it is perhaps THE best camera ever made for this purpose if you consider the uniqueness of its design and specs. Add to the fact that these cameras go for a song at the auction sites, it's simple a "must have" if you're an ambient or low light candid or "street photographer". It's amazing what 1600 speed color (or even higher black and white speed film like Neopan 1600 in Diafine), and a 1.4 lens on a leaf shutter rangefinder can do.
Flash? We don need no stinkin' flash! Strengths:- Excellent fast F1.4 lens
- Dirt cheap price
- Build quality
- Quiet, virtually vibrationless leaf shutter
- Full manual operation
- Arguably the "king" of ambient light and low light photography, excluding very top of the line WAY, WAY more expensive kits
- Rangefinder
- Parallex corrected rangefinder
Weaknesses:- Will likely need a CLA or repair, especially stuck shutters after years of no use. Either wait for one that is fully functional at auction, or the better option is get one in decent used condition and have it CLA'd asap after receipt. Even with the CLA cost, it is still worth it. Your camera will likely last decades more if CLAd by a good technicion. Bite the bullet. It's worth it, especially considering the cost of alternatives, and the ridiculously low going rate of the camera on the used market.
- Weight. Not a compact by any means but handles nicely. A fast, high-quality lens like this requires a large front element and lots of glass.
- No automatic modes. No shutter priority or aperture priority, which means that while you have more control, it's also slower on the draw.
- Takes outlawed mercury cells, need to find a suitable solution which include zinc air cells, wein cells, or having the camera calibrated by your technician to take 625A (alkaline) cells which are commonly available. (Do your homework. I had mine recalibrated when it was CLA'd. Not an expensive fix...)
- Lens is said to be prone to flare, and likely is. Though I haven't observed this, since it's not the camera I reach for for bright daylight shooting. Use a lenshood as needed.
- ISO setting limited to 800. However, you can visually compensate when using 1600 (or higher) speed film by exposing/shooting when the camera's meter reads approx 1 stop (or how ever many stops are appropriate based on your film speed) underexposed. It's not an issue. Similar Products Used:Yashica Electro GSN (also a fine camera)
Yashica Electro 35 CC (another outstanding compact rangefinder)
Agfa Ventura 66 medium format rangefinder.
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