Stephen Streit , Mar 21, 2010; 01:28 p.m.
I've recently restored this TLR for my own use (I'm not a collector). Can anyone identify this model I've done a lot of searching, but I've never been able to find another with the same adjustment knobs (with the inner leatherette texturized rings). The serial is "75354" if that helps identify the year maybe. Thanks!
John Seaman , Mar 21, 2010; 01:57 p.m.
Stephen, it looks as if your camera has got a Lumaxar lens, if so it is one of the very early Yashicamats. Later they were fitted with Yashinons. I've got one with a Lumaxar but it has plain metal knobs without the leather inserts. It is a superb lens.
Stephen Streit , Mar 21, 2010; 02:26 p.m.
Yes it does have "Lumaxar" optics. Thanks for the response!
JDM von Weinberg 
, Mar 21, 2010; 06:05 p.m.
Looks very nice all cleaned up, whatever it is. I can't find anything very like it in either McKoewn's or Kadlubeks catalogs. No Lumaxars that I could see.
Marc Bergman 
, Mar 21, 2010; 08:17 p.m.
Here is an ad from the May 1957 issue of Modern Photography. It shows the Yashica-Mat with the Luxamar lenses.
Joseph C. Ohlsen , Mar 21, 2010; 08:21 p.m.
The old style "Y" logo on the hood is the clue it is an early one in the 1956-57 range.
Marc Bergman , Mar 21, 2010; 08:26 p.m.
Here is an listing from the 1958 Peerless catalog.
Julio Fernández , Mar 21, 2010; 09:17 p.m.
OT, but thanks for posting the catalog. I have an Ikoflex Ib as described at the top. Indeed the viewfinder is "extra brite".
Peter Naylor , Mar 21, 2010; 10:02 p.m.
Hi, Stephen Nice find! I have an early Y'Mat with Lumaxar lenses too, but the adjustment knobs are plain metal, like John S.'s. Strangely, they actually look a bit different to the one in the big Y'mat advert, by not having any concentric rings - ie, they're just a plain single flat round piece.
JDM - it's always suprised me that the usual authorative sources of McK's and Kadlubek's don't mention these pre-Yashinon era lenses as a 'variant', with a consequential higher value due to comparative rarity. They certainly existed for maybe the first couple of years of Y'Mat manufacture. One rumour has it that the Lumaxar and Yashinon are identical Tessar-based optical designs, with the sole reason for the name change being the threat of legal action by the English camera makers Corfield who had registered the names of several lenses with similar-sounding names, like 'Lumar' and 'Lumax'
(Pete In A Rainy Perth, Finally)
John Wilson , Mar 22, 2010; 02:58 p.m.
$75 in 1957! HOLY COW!
I have a YashicaMat EM that I dearly love. Fifty years on it is still a fantastic camera and the look of the prints is something truly special. People actually say 'wow' when they see the prints. There is just something special about that MF look and the Yashica has a signature look on top of that. It is a different look from my Bronicas altogether. The images from my yashica have that timeless photo album look.
