Non automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror (?)
Fixed pentaprism
Shutter: 1/2-1/500,B
Flash:Standard F and X synch at 1/50 (?), no hot shoe
Metering: selenium meter
Finder: microprism spot and ground glass collar.
Battery: none
Non automatic diaphragm (?)
Instant return mirror
Self timer
Automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self timer
Mirror lock up
Automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self timer
Mirror lock up
Automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self timer
No mirror lock up
Automatic diaphragm
Instant return mirror
Self timer
Viewfinder blind
Note: According to the manual, the follwing lens can't be used
with the Yashica AX due to special constraction of the mirror:
- Yashinon-DX 21/3.3
- Yashinon-DX 28/2.8
- Yashinon-DX 50/2, 50/1.7, 50/1.4
From Turkay Cevik:
About Yashica Tl-electro: These are very built cameras. I also had a Yashica fx-2.
It also has cloth shutter just like the Tl-electro,
but lacks led light-metering. I found the Tl-electro smaller and
lighter than the fx-2. The only drawback is its screw mount.
If you find a very good screw mount lens,this camera is a very good and
at the same time cheap option, please note that these are very well made
cameras, but underrated.
From Iain Ross
I found my fathers old TL Electro X of early 70s vintage in the roof
space. With some TLC, including replacing all foam to repair a light leak &
replacing the focus screen with one out of a broken TL Electro, it now works
great!
It is a little heavy, but its a solid camera, of the highest quality, and i get
some stunning photographs from it. I find it easier to use and more faithful to
the real scene than my Nikon F70! (modern bells n whistles SLR).
I have nothing but love and respect for this camera. You need to get good lenses
though...
From Tom Long
Found one of these rarities (Electro AX) in a s/h goods shop for just $30.
A new 6v battery was hard to find and cost 20!
The Yashica AX has some interesting and unique features, but I am not
surprised it is rare as it must have been a commercial failure. I have
never seen another one.
The AX appears to have spot metering: the single meter cell is on a pop-up stalk
behind the mirror.
The single CdS meter cell is on a little stem that pops up behind the
mirror, just in front of the shutter. During exposure the stem drops down
into a recess in the base of the body, and springs up again when the shutter
closes.
The mirror is semi-transparent, but there is a good bright viewfinder.
Viewing & metering is in constant stop-down mode, but there
is a button to push for full-aperture viewing. This is the opposite to my
Pentax and most M42 cameras. There is a amber light in the viewfinder if the
auto shutter speed will be slower than 1/30, or red if it will be over-exposed
at 1/1000. There is no other information in the viewfinder.
I can see why this
camera did not succeed commercially against the Pentax ESII and other M42
automatics, but it is well made, interesting, pleasant to use, and makes
excellent pictures.
From Gary Raehse:
Ah, the Electro AX. My first camera - bought back in 1975, because I
couldn't afford an Olympus OM at the time. It is still working fine today, in
great condition. Uses screw mount. Aside from the inconvenience of no manual
metering, (all metering is auto), once you get a feel for this camera, it is
very easy to use. I've gone thru a couple of Nikons with autofocus (N6006) that
never gave me the "feel" of this Yashica, so I'm constantly returning to it.
The Electro AX will
always seem "right" to me because it was my first SLR. Since learning on
the AX, all other cameras seem "wrong" somehow. The stopped down aperture
(with the button to open up the lens for clearer focusing) seems to me to
be a better idea than the reverse (found on most other cameras). I've had
a few Nikons and now I've got a nice Olympus collection, but I'm always
conscious of the differences between them and the AX. And whenever I go
back and shoot a roll with the AX, it seems to always surprise me with
its' ease of use. It wasn't the most technically advanced, and was a bit
on the heavy side, but it just had that "feel" that you look for in a
camera. And I was always delighted with the quality of the photos that
came out of that thing. The Yashinon f1.7 lens was a winner too!
Any personal experience?
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