The Camera Site

Kyocera Corporation, Japan

Yashica TL

Yashica TL Electro X

Camera was introduced 1968.Production was finished in 1974. It is the forst camera with electronic lights for exposure information in the finder, and first with stepless electronic shutter speed control Black version was also available. This one came to me some day carried by my colleaque. My reputation as a camera collector is spreading, WOW !

Yashica TL Electro X is heavy and feels reliable. After a service of thirty years (though modest) it is still in full working condition. I have only one Yashinon lens, (Yashinon-DX, 1,7, f/50 mm) but the common lens mounting, M-42 allows the use of a large amount of "of the brand" lenses.

Yashica Electro TL X has a Copal Square SE electronically controlled shutter but this doesn't mean that the would be fully automatic.There are two lights (more reliable than the the needle?) in the viewfinder, which indicate over and under exposure, twisting either the aperture ring or shutter speed dial until these go out indicates that the correct exposure has been set. So, the camera should be called as a match light type. The shutter on the Electro X is in fact mechanical but has an electronic timing, this leads to a less noisy shutter at slow speeds and also the shutter operates at any intermediate speed between 2 and 1/1000 sec. giving excellent exposure accuracy. A range of lenses available at the time this camera was produced was from f/21 to f/1000 mm, which proofs, that Kyocera was earnest when introducing this camera.
The viewfinder is brighter, than in the predecessors, Yashica TL Electro cameras and it has a central microprism which makes focusing easy , it also has ground glass collar and fresnel outer part of the screen. The meter cells are located on either side of the viewfinder eyepiece and they read the entire area of the focusing screen. The film take up spool is a multi-slot type, which makes film loading easier.

Lens:
Yashinon DX 1,7 / 50mm
Shutter:
Electrically operated focal plane shutter with speeds from B, 2 to 1/1000 sec., intermediate shutter speed setting optional; self-timer plus FP-X sync
Exposure Control:
Thru-the-Lens CdS light measuring system; Electronic Exposure Readout System (exposure warning lights suggest exposure corrections);
ASA range: 25-800 (DIN 15-30); a 6V silver oxide battery is used to power the exposure control system and electric-operated focal plane shutter
(Eveready No. 544 or equivalent).  
Viewfinder:
Reflex viewfinder with microprism focusing spot, ground-glass collar for depth of field analysis
Film transport:
Ratchet-type, single-stroke film advance lever; automatic resetting film exposure counter.
Other Features:
Battery checker, Mirror lock, Direct contact shoe, Multi-slot take-up spool for easy and fast loading.
Battery:
6V silver oxide, PX-640
Flash sync :
1/90 sec
Dimensions:
151 x 100 x 96 with a lens
Weight:
1070 grams, lens included
©2004 Reijo Lauro