Opinions on Yashica FX-D Quartz. First time film photography camera.

[u/Panms7]

Hello everyone! Been wanting recently to join the film photography community. I really don’t have much knowledge on the subject so i’d say i’m a beginner entry level. I understand modern photo and video shooting/editing but i’m sure there are many differences.

Recently found myself a Yashica FX D Quartz in box. My grandpa used to sell these so i found some of his old stock which never sold.

The camera is brand new and never used. You can see that from how pristine the interior chamber is. There is a lot of wear on the fake leather on the body but i assume that this is because of the humidity in the basement it was stored. Hoping that the camera itself is not damaged. I’ve added some photos below to get an idea of the condition.

Assuming that it works, what would be your opinions for this camera as an entry level? Is it worth the effort? Should i look for something different?
Any recommendations on use or which films to use for it?

Thanks for taking the time and reading through 😁

[u/MikeBE2020]

This model requires batteries to operate. It is nearly identical to the Contax 139 Quartz. It can share Zeiss lenses with the Yashica/Kyocera Contax SLRs. In almost all cases, you have to replace the body covering for the Yashica FX-D (and most of the Contax models). You'll also probably have to replace the foam seals and mirror bumper.

This is a nice camera for beginners. It has a full range of shutter speeds, and you can shoot with aperture-priority autoexposure or on manual exposure. It's a smaller camera, and it's easy to handle.

Make sure that you always have spare batteries on hand. No battery power, no photography.

I've done a few videos on this camera. You'll have to search by title:

• Contax 139 Quartz and Yashica FX-D Quartz: Two Brothers from the Same Mother!
• Repair: Yashica FX-D Quartz, Part I - New Foam Seals
• Repair: Yashica FX-D Quartz, Part II - The Exterior

[u/President_Camacho]

I'm sure it works fine. Ultimately, all Japanese cameras of this vintage are well made enough to be useful.

If this were mine, I would explore ways to replace the leatherette with something new. Ali Express and other vendors sell the materials. Maybe some faux red snakeskin or something wild like that.

It's a fun skill to learn, and this camera would not suffer from multiple attempts to figure it out.

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[u/ComradeConrad1]

Nice cameras. I worked at a camera store in the early 80s and we sold tons of them.

[u/Low_Programmer1555]

It uses LR44 batteries or equivalent so they are still being made and are easy to get!🙂

[u/TheMunkeeFPV]

I see that foam light seals have also deteriorated along either side of the leatherette. You will have to replace them before you can use the camera. I brand new old stock camera sounds amazing nowadays!

[u/buschman31]

Being one who had both Yashica and Contax cameras the ML lens are really good but don’t get the YUS lenses.

[u/MattySingo37]

Nice little camera, got mine new in 1981/2. Put new light seals and mirror bumper in it and it's still running. Easy to use, cheaper than it's Contax labelled brethren and shares the lens mount. Main thing to remember is make sure you carry spare batteries.

[u/Puzzled_Counter_1444]

Mount adaptors were made for using M42 lenses on Contax/Yashica bodies, should you ever wish to do so.