44 Models

The 44 era spanned the period from 1958 to 1965.

The same caveats apply as for the 66 models, especially regarding serial numbers.

I don't have any specific 44 series brochures but a number of the early 1960s TLR range brochures also cover the 44A and/or 44LM and are downloadable as PDFs from the Brochures page. (There is one very early Yashica-44 brochure printed in the USA available for download as a PDF from the net. The site is very slow and I am not sure how reliable it is but Googling for “yashica 44 brochure” should bring it up in the first page or two of results - it will be obvious.)

Models

(Scroll down or click on links.)

Yashica-44
Yashica 44A
Yashica 44LM
Yashica Auto 44

Red Windows

The Yashica 44A uses a red window for fully manual film advance. The Yashica-44 and Yashica 44LM have semi-automatic film advance and use the red window only to align frame number one. Why not simply use the “Start” mark as with 120 film? All three bodies have start marks cast in (the 44A presumably because it uses the same carcass as the 44) but they are not painted red like on the 66 brethren. I am not familiar enough with 127 film to understand the issues but presumably, the start mark on the films of the day didn't suit these cameras. But with some films, perhaps Japanese Fujifilm, there was apparently no problem.

A number of Yashica 44LMs have turned up on Japanese sites with no red windows (plus two also from other sites). They have the start mark triangles painted red indicating that they are active. A Japanese language user manual also shows a back without the window (see the Yashica 44LM section for more information). The seven cameras in my database fit into the first third of the production run but that doesn't necessarily mean that later examples wont be found. It seems reasonable to assume that these cameras were only available in the domestic Japanese market. Whether they are common or not, I don't know yet.

Below are typical examples of the grey export versions of the Yashica-44 (early version without accessory shoe and feet focusing scale), Yashica 44A (mid-production) and Yashica 44LM (late production without the two screws in the back) with back view and closed red window detail:

Note that the 44A uses the differently aligned and differently spaced, side row of frame numbers on 127 film for 12 frames of 4 cm x 4 cm. The 44 and 44LM use the first frame only of the centre row of numbers which is actually spaced for 8 frames of 4 cm x 6.5 cm but of course that doesn't matter because subsequent frames are counted automatically. In other words, frame 2 etc wont appear correctly in the window - just in case you were wondering.

Also note how the back of the 44LM sits inside the body.

Film Path

Unlike the 66 models, film is loaded into the top chamber so that it travels flat down past the exposure chamber before turning 90 degrees towards the lower film chamber. This reduces possible problems with film flatness at the time of exposure.

Trim

The 44 and 44A use the same basic body structure and although the 44LM is heavily revised, they all share many attributes. The hood is one item. Except for the last 44s in my database, these all had a leatherette centre panel and no logo, the early 44As had the same hoods but with hood logos. The last 44s, late 44As and all 44LMs had an enamelled centre panel instead of leatherette. With the change to the enamelled centre panel came a change to the rear hood blind:

Early Rose Brown 44A on left with leatherette centre panel still, 44LM on right.

The locking levers and knobs on all models are similar to the 66 Yashica A type but with a fifth "leg" for support:

Early Rose Brown 44A on left and grey in the middle with serial number FA 1110215, 44LM with serial number FL 5090129 on right. The 44 and 44A are the same and the 44LM is similar but subtly different with the raised centre spreading out to near the rim and two concentric black rings. “Made in Japan” does not appear on some examples. It is not something that I have tracked but in general, it doesn't appear to be on early 44s and I would say probably not on most except for very late ones. It also doesn't appear on early 44As or 44LMs.

The “Made in Japan” on the centre example is engraved (I'm not sure of the actual technique) and painted black whereas on the very late 44LM on the right , as well as late 44A examples, it appears to be simply stamped.

Colours

Some websites, particularly sellers, will say that “the grey model was the most popular”. Maybe, but that implies choice. Certainly, grey examples are by far the most numerous. This was the pattern of production according to my database:

Yashica-44

Released
1958

Lens
Filter Mounts
Frame Counter
Shutter
Make/Type
Sync
S/Timer
Speeds
Yashikor
Bay 1
Hybrid
Copal SV
M/X
Yes
B,1-1/500





(First four images courtesy of Tom Heckhaus, last image courtesy of Göran Årelind)

The Camera

From the left are first Silver Gray (note the “skinny” focusing knob, different strap holders and no accessory shoe), later Silver Gray (leatherette missing from front, front mounted removable accessory shoe), Lavender, Golden Brown and unadvertised Black examples (the last three with rear mounted fixed accessory shoes, see below for colour details). Missing here, but shown further down the section, is the final type (found most commonly in Charcoal Gray and also in Silver Gray) with the later Yashica 44A and 44LM style focusing hood with enamel instead of leatherette on the centre panel and blue narrow “Y” hood logo. Below is a rare Burgundy example.

(Image courtesy of Leigh Harris)

Released in 1958 in response to the grey “Baby Rollei” (see “Yashica 44 Series” for the full story). Yashica-44s are fitted with 60 mm f/3.5 Yashikor lenses and Copal SV shutters. Unlike the crank wind 66 models, the crank wind is not coupled to the shutter and also when loading film, the film has to be first advanced to the number 1 frame position using the red window on the back. Then the counter reset button has to be operated (by 1957, the counter reset button had disappeared from the 66 models). After that, a half rotation of the crank advances the film and the number in the counter window.

Colours

Both an ad from Asahi Camera (1958) and a page from a Japanese language edition of the Yashica-44 manual shown below trumpet the availability of seven colour combinations in “Symphonic Color”:

(Image from manual courtesy of Leigh Harris)

Thanks to Tom Heckhaus, the colours have been translated below. There is an article in a “Vintage Viewfinder” publication “did'ja ever wonder” column from some years ago which confirms the translations (but calls “Rose Brown” instead “Rosy Brown” - the difference is subtle but may conjure up a different impression) and suggests that the range of colours was offered by Yashica following market research that showed that the grey of the Baby Rollei appealed to women in particular. The table lists the translated names with my interpretation of metalwork and leatherette descriptions commonly found on the web in the other two columns:

No.
Camera Colour
Metalwork Colour
Leatherette Colour
1
 Charcoal Gray dark grey light grey
2
 Silver Gray grey light grey
3
 Pastel Blue blue light grey
4
 Lavender lavender light grey
5
 Golden Brown light brown cream
6
 Rose Brown rose light grey
7
 Burgundy dark brown light grey (or cream)


There is also an additional eighth, unadvertised colour (probably because it was not available in Japan):

8
 black black light grey


I have to admit that I struggle with identifying the colours correctly. The colour balance and tonality of many of the low resolution JPEGs found on the web leaves something to be desired and there is not enough image data left to make adjustments. I find it hard to separate the two greys but it is clear enough on this Japanese website http://orioweb.net/camera/Yashica44-2/Yashica44-2.html and also further below. I have also found 6 black cameras. One is owned by contributor, Göran Årelind (see above). Five are close in number and in the last third of the 44 model database however there is a single black one in the middle of the database and it is only the third camera found in other than grey. A seventh example is shown below in “Somebody's Collection”. Five have focusing scales in metres and the sixth is dual scale, therefore these are almost certainly European export versions. Or that is what I thought until I noticed that the one in “Somebody's Collection” has a focusing scale in feet (clear in a different photo). I still think that it is reasonably likely that black was not available in Japan.

(Image courtesy of Tom Heckhaus)

According to the translation of the Yashica colours, this is a Lavender Yashica-44. Tom Heckhaus has always known it as “dusty rose” based on a magazine article. Here it is again next to what I believe is a Rose Brown Yashica 44A (I have photos of Yashica-44s in a similar colour and also see below):

(Image courtesy of Tom Heckhaus)

Note, by its lens serial numbers and strap holders, the camera on the left would be expected to have a removable accessory shoe but there is no provision in the side of the nameplate - the nameplate and serial number appear to be from a later camera which would have had a rear mounted shoe. Both examples are fitted with lens caps that belong to grey examples.

The leatherette colour is perhaps the hardest to confirm. With aging and reflections off the metal work plus surroundings, the difference between light grey and cream is marginal in most photos.

Two thirds of Yashica-44 cameras in my database are grey with light grey leatherette covering and mid grey metal work, i.e. Silver Gray. Nearly the first half of my database is Silver Gray before the first “coloured” camera; Pastel Blue (1 out of 108 examples). Other colours gradually appear; Lavender (4), Rose Brown(2), Burgundy (4), Golden Brown (3) and black (5). These are all interspersed with the two grey colours in the second half of the database.

Somebody's Collection

Tom Heckhaus has sent me photos of somebody else's collection taken in the pre-digital days of 1999. The photos themselves look pretty good and accurate for colour but after scanning and display on all sorts of monitors, most probably not calibrated, don't expect miracles. The cameras themselves are a fraction over-exposed and both the light grey camera (top left in the first photo) and dark grey camera (bottom right in the second photo) look too blue on my calibrated monitor. Note that the light grey camera in the top photo has the later focusing hood of the last of the Yashica-44s.

(Images courtesy of Tom Heckhaus)

Accessory Shoes & Other Trim

There were three different arrangements with accessory shoes. Approximately the first third of cameras in my database have no accessory shoe:

Notice also the “skinny” focusing knob and the strap holders with the vertical slot arrangement.

The middle third of Yashica-44s have front mounted accessory shoes which are removable, note slot highlighted in yellow and the later type of strap holders also found on the 44A:

(Images courtesy of Tom Heckhaus)

The last third of the Yashica-44s in my database have rear mounted accessory shoes similar to the Yashica 44A model:

(Image courtesy of Tom Heckhaus)

Golden Brown example. Note also the focusing knob which is wider with finer knurling. This first appeared on the examples with removable front accessory shoes above.

Trim Changes - By Serial Number

The first cameras in my database are in the serial number range 17xxx to 22xxx. They are all Silver Gray. These cameras have no accessory shoe or hood logo but the hood centre panel, as with nearly all Yashica-44s except for the very last few, is covered in leatherette. The focusing knob is more waisted than on later cameras, the knurled wheel is thinner and the knurling appears coarser. The focus scales are only in feet until the first Lavender and Rose Brown appears around halfway into the database. Strap holders on the first cameras have a unique vertical slot strap attachment arrangement. The company name between the lenses is “Yashima Opt. Ind. Co., Ltd.”

The next camera, 5670xxx, is the start of a new series of cameras with 7 digit serial numbers. These have the later type focusing knob and new strap holders with loop strap attachment arrangements that carry through to the Yashica 44A and removable accessory shoes. The following two cameras, 5850xxx and 5851xxx, revert to the earlier features but from 5882xxx, the new features appear consistently. By 5885xxx, taking lens 419xxx, two Lavender, a black and a Rose Brown cameras have appeared but most are still Silver Gray. Somewhere between camera 5890xxx (the earliest Burgundy example) with taking lens number 425xxx and camera 3890xxx with taking lens 426xxx, the body serial numbers change from a 58 prefix to a 38 prefix. Similar changes occurred with Yashica As and Ds at probably about the same time. Also, at about half way between these body serial numbers, the company name between the lenses changed to “Yashica Co., Ltd.”

At some point approaching camera 3922xxx, the strap holders changed to the third type. These were the same as the second type but with an integral accessory shoe mount at the rear of the camera on the focusing knob side. After 3972, there was a new 8 digit series of numbers beginning with 38101xxx. After 38115xxx, there are eight cameras with lens numbers only recorded from 454xxx to 491xxx plus 603xxx. The next four cameras have new six digit body serial numbers of 650xxx to 69xxxx. One of them looks pretty convincingly like 850xxx but I think that it is the effect of increasing pixilation when zooming in. These last five cameras are the only Yashica-44s with dual feet/metre focus scales. Also, the last four cameras are the only ones without a leatherette hood centre panel and the only ones with a hood logo (blue narrow “Y”). The rear of their hood blinds are the only ones with the simplified single panel strengthening pressing rather than the three panels of earlier cameras. In other words, the hoods are identical to later 44A and all 44LM examples. As far as I can tell, the first of the four 44s is Silver Gray, the last three cameras are Charcoal Gray.

Lens Caps & Ever-ready Cases

Lens caps are hinged cast alloy, similar to the 66 Bay 1 lens caps from the same period. I have found matching Silver Gray, Charcoal Gray, Lavender, Burgundy, Rose Brown and Golden Brown examples. Camera cases found are all grey except for two black; one found with a Lavender example and another with a grey camera. Whether these are original or dyed, I don't know.

(Back to Models)

Yashica 44A

Released
1959

Lens
Filter Mounts
Frame Counter
Shutter
Make/Type
Sync
S/Timer
Speeds
Yashikor
Plain
Red Window
Copal
X
No
B,1/25-1/300





(Images courtesy of Tom Heckhaus)

The Camera

From the left are Rose Brown, Pastel Blue, Burgundy, black with earlier gold hood logo, black with later blue background hood logo and final type Charcoal Gray examples (in order of timeline appearance in the database).

The Burgundy (brown) 44A is very rare, only three found so far. Fits in the middle of the database, just before the black series of cameras. All three are from Sweden and have focusing scales in metres.

Probably released in earlyish 1959, this was a simplified version of the Yashica-44. The crank wind was replaced by knob wind and fully manual film spacing by the red window as with the Yashica A and its budget forbearers. However, unlike those, the film travels top to bottom and the winding knob connects to the bottom spool via gears. The Copal shutter, X sync only, was from the Yashica A as well and although the lenses were unchanged, the Bay 1 filter mounts were replaced by plain mounts. The two nameplates are both very similar and say “Yashica-44” on the front. The 44A nameplate has a series of 8 short, vertical bars under the name. These are sometimes referred to as “teeth”.

On all the early cameras with colours other than Charcoal Gray and also all Charcoal Gray ones with pressure plate screws visible, the teeth are shiny, milled even with the nameplate surround. On late grey cameras without the screws, the teeth are recessed slightly and painted:

(Right image courtesy of Tom Heckhaus)

Oddly perhaps, the two pressure plate screws in the back are arranged in a vertical manner whereas on all other Yashica TLRs they are in a horizontal line. The reason is that the 44A has an offset red window which uses the 4 x 4 frame counting numbers on the edge of 127 film - see the “Red Windows” discussion at the top of the page. In other respects, the cameras are essentially the same, except for some minor trim changes and colour palette. The Sears catalogue from around 1959 lists the Yashica-44 at US$61.50 and the 44A at US$35.50, a considerable saving and it wasn't long before it was generally advertised at US$29.99.

Some websites have comments such as “many of the Yashica 44As have the letter A on the nameplate”. They do, on the top edge, not far from the serial number but still a gap more than serial number prefixes have.

Also the pattern of numbers is the same as other cameras of the period without prefixes. It has a full stop after it, unlike serial number prefixes and is also appreciably larger than the serial number characters. I used to believe that the “A” should be part of the serial number but I no longer do. Some people may say that "although the prefix style and numbering system is different to when Yashica introduced that across the board in about 1961, the Yashica 44A system is the first iteration of introducing a prefix." That still remains a possibility. I have copies of two Yashica 44A “Certificate of Guarantee” documents completed by two separate US retailers. The one completed in December 1959 does not include the “A”, the other filled out in April 1961 does include the “A”. When the serial number prefix “FA” appears later, the “A”s disappear.

There are also claims that some examples had an “A” on the front of the nameplate. McKeown (1992-1993 edition) shows a rendition of one such 44A. It has a gold logo which puts it at the beginning of the 44A series. I have yet to see one. It may also be the case that Yashica made early publicity material available and the nameplate was changed on production versions.

Note, the ® mark shown is a registered trade mark sign and not part of the serial number. There is more on the mark here.

Until dual scaled focusing knobs arrived more than half way through the database, except for the three Burgundy Yashica 44As from Sweden in the middle of this period and one Black camera towards the end of this period, all have scales marked in feet. German and UK sites often seem to have black 44As for sale so the Black example may be European as well. The ® mark seemed to appear on all Yashica 44A examples, including the four with metre focusing scales, until about 1961 when the practice stopped. On a number of other models with the ® mark, at least some examples with metre focusing scales didn't have the mark, suggesting that these were for domestic consumption. On the evidence available, it seems that the 44A may not have been sold in Japan, at least in the period from its release in 1959 until 1961, if at all.

Colours

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a definitive colour palette description but below are the colours I have found in order of appearance in the database. I believe that they are a subset of the Yashica-44 colours with the least popular ones dropped and the Silver Grey dropped because of the litigation brought by Franke & Heidecke:

No.
Camera Colour
Metalwork Colour
Leatherette Colour
1
 Rose Brown rose light grey
2
 Pastel Blue blue light grey
3
 Burgundy dark brown light grey (or cream)
4
 black black light grey
5
 Charcoal Gray dark grey light grey

Note: Some rose 44As look similar to the Yashica-44 Rose Brown, others look darker and redder and some look more plum. Even the raw photos of my camera looked red and cream rather than the plum or red brown and grey that it really is. I am assuming that these 44As are all the same colour and that it is the same Rose Brown of the Yashica-44. As noted with the Yashica-44 colours, the difference between grey and cream leatherette is hard to discern and I am not even certain on the brown cameras.

The Yashica 44As have an extra colour variable. The end caps of the film winding knobs are black on black cameras and grey on grey cameras. I have found Rose Brown cameras (earlier than black and grey examples) with both grey and black caps, almost in random order. Maybe its just the effect of aging and/or the quality of photos. However, the earliest Pastel Blue cameras have blue caps but later ones have grey.

The pattern of colours found is reversed to the Yashica-44; the “coloured” cameras are the only ones in the first part of my database (23 Rose Brown, 11 Pastel Blue, 4 Black and 3 Burgundy). After the three Burgundy cameras, the next group are Black cameras only (38) and the last (most recent) are Charcoal Gray examples only (67).  My theory is that as the coloured Yashica-44s were introduced, they proved very popular as a differentiator at the height of the super slide boom and the coloured 44As were released to take advantage of this. As the boom died off, costs and hence variation, had to be reduced and perhaps serious photographers remaining in the 44 market had a more conservative demeanour. Why black before grey? Perhaps Yashica was still smarting from its court case on one hand and then finally trying to re-capture some of the popularity of its version of the “baby grey” as a last hurrah. The Charcoal Gray of the Yashica 44A and 44LM when finally released (at probably near the same time) was much darker than the Silver Gray that had caused problems with Franke & Heidecke. Coincidentally, around May 1963, the “Baby Rollei” changed from only being available in light grey to only being offered in black (RolleiClub). Whether there was any connection between the two events is anybody's guess.

There was one other variation with the Yashica-44. The Rose Brown, Pastel Blue and Burgundy cameras have a focusing knob with film reminders in three colours; red brown for the scale description, blue for the slow ASA/ DIN numbers and green for the high speed numbers (there is one exception where the blue and green are reversed – see later). Yashica-44s and Black and Charcoal Grey Yashica 44As used the same monochromatic style (actually, descriptions and high speed values in black reversed on silver and low speed values in a red brown).

Trim Changes - By Serial Number

The first 44A in my database is Rose Brown. Typically at this point, this has the word “Japan” in the middle of the accessory shoe located at the rear of the camera (only the addition of the word is different to the later Yashica 44s). It still has the same typical Yashica-44 hood (except for the last four) with leatherette central panel and the rear of the hood blind has the three panel strengthening pressing. The only change is the addition of the narrow “Y” hood logo in gold. It has taking lens serial number 349xxx. The camera with taking lens 389xxx is the first with body serial number in my database, 3840xxx.

There are four cameras with 3940xxx. The second of these is the last Pastel Blue camera with a blue end cap on the film winding knob. From 3940 to 3942xxx is a group of seven Rose Brown cameras. Then there is an early group of four black cameras from 3942xxx to 3950xxx.

These are followed by seven Pastel Blue cameras. Camera 3952xxx, on the right below, is either the last or second last Pastel Blue camera in my database. It is very unusual because as noted earlier, the blue and green film speed reminder scales are reversed.

(Image courtesy of Leigh Harris)

Camera 3953xxx is the last Rose Brown one. There are three Burgundy examples with serial numbers 3960xxx to 3961xxx and all have metre focusing scales. These and one black one are the only ones that aren't feet or dual scale. The film speed reminder scales on these and the previous rose cameras are “normal”.

Camera 3970xxx is the start of the big second block of black cameras. The only trim change is that the focusing knob scales revert to the earlier monochromatic style of the Yashica-44 (as did the earlier block of three). At around 3990xxx or just before, the gold hood logo changed to a blue background. 4112xxx is the last body serial number of black cameras and it and the three Burgundy examples are the only Yashica 44As with metre scaled focusing knobs. However, there is one more black camera with taking lens number only, 527xxx. This is the first 44A with dual feet/ metre focusing scale.

With the change to dark grey livery, there is a change to six digit numbers. 620xxx to 622xxx revert to feet focusing scales but have the new hoods with the enamelled centre panel in place of leatherette and the single panel strengthening pressing of the rear of the hood blind. Also, the word “Japan” is dropped from the accessory shoe. 650xxx is the last in this series and has both the new hood and dual scale knob.

Camera FA 1020xxx is the start of the FA prefixed block of numbers which run out to FA 3111xxxx. As with other similar Yashica numbers, no second digit from the left is greater than “1”. The next camera, FA 1040xxx, introduces the small “X” next to the flash sync socket on the front. From FA 2090xxxx, the external pressure plate screws disappear from the back and the “teeth” lose their shine and are painted. The last three Yashica 44As in the database are FA 5040xxx to FA 5060xxx with taking lens numbers 320xxx, 295xxx and 338xxx.

Lens Caps & Ever-ready Cases

Lens caps are hard plastic push-on and match the colour of the metalwork of the cameras. Cases are either grey or brown. Brown replaced grey in about 1961 at or near the time that serial numbers with the “FA” prefix were introduced so that the grey later cameras almost invariably have brown cases. Most catalogues of the time indicate that cases were sold as an extra for these models, but from the database pattern, it is unlikely that there was any choice regarding colour. The odd exception is explained by items being bought separately over the last 50 years including, e.g., buying a new case in 1962 for a 1960 camera.

(Back to Models)

Yashica 44LM

Released
1959

Lens
Filter Mounts
Frame Counter
Shutter
Make/Type
Sync
S/Timer
Speeds
Yashinon
Bay 1
Hybrid
Copal SV
M/X
Yes
B,1-1/500





(First three images courtesy of Tom Heckhaus)

The Camera

From the left are Burgundy (control wheel centre trim has been replaced from Yashica 24, 12 or Mat-124), black, Charcoal Gray and Charcoal Gray with new hood logo examples (in order of timeline appearance in the database).

I doubt that the 44A had been long on the market before the 44LM was released, probably in mid 1959 (see “Yashica 44 Series”). This is the best specified 44 (apart from its mythical sibling, the Auto 44). Although it used the same hood as the later examples of the Yashica 44A, i.e. enamelled centre panel etc, and the Copal SV shutter from the Yashica 44, many of the other parts, including the carcass, are different. This includes post-like strap attachment lugs attached directly to the side panels.  Lenses were upgraded to f/3.5 60 mm Yashinons with Bay 1 mounts. Although film wind-on is by knob, it is basically the Yashica-44 crank system and has the advantage over crank of incorporating adjustable exposure scales for the uncoupled selenium cell exposure or light meter, hence the “LM”. Shutter speeds and aperture are set by control wheel as with e.g. the Yashica D and Yashica-Mat. Light baffles to reduce internal reflections and flare are rarely seen on Yashica Cameras but the 44LM introduces them to the 44 series. They are tiny and only fitted to the top and bottom - there is not much space in there. Bottom baffle visible on left side of image. See the images for the 44LM without red window below for the top baffles.

Note also the unpainted start marks compared to the camera below.

The price of this camera was similar to the original Yashica-44 but the upgraded lenses, control wheels and exposure meter made it much better value for money. It is not a pretty camera like the other two but to me at least, it is far more attractive in the flesh than photos suggest.

Somewhat like the Yashica 44A, there are only six cameras with a metre scale focusing knob but this time, only sixteen cameras have been identified with either a feet or metre scaled knob so the sample size is fairly insignificant. However, at least three of the six are Japanese market only versions with no red window (see below).

Red Window and Missing Red Window

The red window on the Yashica 44LM is used for winding on the first frame, then the reset button is operated. From that point forward, the frame counter on the side of the camera keeps track of exposures. To advance to the next frame, the centre of the winding knob is depressed and the knob turned until it stops. The shutter is still cocked separately and there is no double exposure prevention.

This system is similar to the the pre-War Rolleiflex and Rolleicord models with film counters and the red window on the camera base. In 1954, the Yashica Flex S introduced a later Rolleicord based system for Yashica 66 models which used a pair of cast start marks in the back against which the start marks on 120 film were aligned. On the 66 models, the reset button was soon replaced by a pin or lever which automatically performs the function when the back is closed, after the film is set to the start mark, forcing it back into the body. The 44s needed to retain the reset button as the back was already closed as the first number was reached in the red window.

As noted at the top of this page, some Yashica 44LMs have turned up without the red window. These also don't have a reset button, instead using the automatic system of the 66 cameras. They have been predominantly found on Japanese sites. All 44LMs have start marks cast in but usually, they are not painted red as in cameras where they are intended to be used (see image in previous section). As the red windows are an added complication, presumably, the reason for them on the Yashica-44 and 44LM is that there was a problem of some sort with the corresponding start marks, or maybe lack of them, printed on 127 film at the time. Post-War 127 cameras were generally basic affairs, with manual film advance via red window and the first sophisticated 4x4 TLR was the Baby Rollei which didn't need to use start marks. Other Japanese 44 cameras such as the Primo-Jr/ Sawyer's Mk IV, Minolta Miniflex and various Tougodo models used the same red window start based system as Yashica.

I am guessing that Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. (“Fujifilm”) may have come to the party with adapting its film to 44 TLR needs. As Fujifilm effectively enjoyed a monopoly position in the Japanese market at the the time, Yashica probably felt that there were opportunities to sell the Yashica 44LM in its home market as originally designed and perhaps shave a few yen from the cost. Nothing needed to be added, except for some red paint for the cast start marks, it was simply a matter of deleting the windows. The replacement of the reset button was probably done because the technology was proven and the mechanism was unlikely to be any more complicated. The film counter would require a lead-in starting with “S” at the start point rather than simply “1” at the first frame position. In other words, even with a correctly marked film, it would not be possible to use the start marks in an example with the red window.

An interesting sidelight is that contributer Bill Pruitt's method for using cut 120 film in 44 series cameras does actually require aligning the cast start marks with the START mark on 120 film instead of using the red window - see here.

Of the seven 44LMs without red windows in my database, five are from Japanese sites, one is from the Netherlands and one is from the US. So far, they range from near the beginning to approximately a third of the way into the production run. All are Charcoal Gray cameras amongst mainly Burgundy and Black cameras from before the time that production changed to Charcoal Gray cameras only. Of the cameras from Japanese sites, three have metre focusing scales, one has dual scales and one is unknown. The camera from the Netherlands site has a metre focusing scale as does the US one appears to have. The ® mark is discussed elsewhere. In the period that the mark was in use, most Yashica 44LMs seem to have it including those with focusing scales in metres, except for all the examples without the red window. This is a very strong indicator that all would have been initially sold in Japan.

The earliest is camera number 3961xxx. The next example still has all the very early features but the meter has obviously been replaced form a later camera with a late FL prefix number. Its lens numbers are 471xxx and 203xxx. The third camera is 3983xxx. The fourth, fifth and sixth cameras are the only ones with 8 digit serial numbers. These appear to range from 39100xxx to 39101xxx but the number on the last is not very clear. The first of these is the only one with confirmed dual focusing scales. The seventh camera has 6 digit serial number 621xxx, has meter scale focusing when dual scale might be expected and taking lens 489xxx and viewing lens 493xxx which also might be earlier (lens numbers of surrounding cameras are in the 540xx to 543xxx range). It is possible that the meter is from a later camera but I think that the features and serial numbers are close enough for the camera to simply be slightly out of order.

The camera below is the one sold on the Netherlands site. In a feat of international cooperation by the Yashica TLR community, I first identified the camera and it was bought by Swedish contributor, Göran Årelind, on behalf of US collector Tom Heckhaus!

(Images courtesy of Tom Heckhaus)

Note the red painted start marks and that there is no film counter reset button on the side as with other 44LMs with the red window. Tom has highlighted the reset switch lever in the back of the body with the yellow highlight circle. (Note also the top light baffles common to all 44LMs but not visible in the photo further up the page.)

Below is a page from a Japanese language user manual.

Colours

Again, no formal colour palette has been discovered but the following are the colours found. Again, I am assuming the three colours are a subset of the original seven plus one of the Yashica-44:

No.
Camera Colour
Metalwork Colour
Leatherette Colour
1
 Burgundy dark brown light grey (or cream)
2
 black black light grey
3
 Charcoal Gray dark grey light grey

Of the 122 Yashica 44LM cameras in my database, the last 86 are Charcoal Gray. There are 9 Charcoal Gray (including the 7 without red windows) and 5 Burgundy cameras spread amongst the mainly black earlier cameras.

Control Wheels

All the control wheels are silver but there are three distinct types of covers or inserts. The differences are subtle. The earlier ones that appear on all the brown and black cameras and early grey cameras up to serial number 651xxx reflect white in photos. The wheel inserts on most of the grey examples are the more domed appearing dull silver also found on 66 models. It seems that the very last examples received the flatter shiny silver wheel inserts that appeared on 66 models in 1965. These have a reflection reminiscent of a spinning aeroplane propeller. Most late cameras from FL 5010xxx have these but there may have been an earlier one, FL 4010xxx. Note that the inserts are glued on and quite a few 44LM examples have lost theirs from both sides. Underneath is shiny and in photos it is easy to mistake them for shiny control wheel trim. The give-away is the small hole in the centre of the wheel.

Labels

As well as glued on control wheel trim which is a little suspect, the Yashica 44LM has three glued on labels of which one or more are often missing. The most obvious is the red “Made in Japan” label on the focusing knob side. There are also labels for the M/X switch and self-timer. The only missing one that is annoying, and possibly dangerous, in use is the M/X label. However, the one that most detracts from appearance is the “Made in Japan” label but this happens so often, it maybe hard to avoid. Worries some, not others. For the record, mine is a nice looking camera but missing all three labels.

Trim Changes - By Serial Number

The first Yashica 44LM in my database is the camera in the user manual, 3930009 with taking lens 200022. The first production camera (in my database but it could actually be a couple of cameras later) has taking lens number 204xxx. It is Burgundy with a gold logo on the hood. The next two cameras are black followed by Charcoal Gray 3961xxx without the red window. Burgundy cameras 3964xxx and 3970xxx (taking lens 202xxx) follow. The serial numbers rise to 3984xxx and then there are three cameras with serial number 4111xxx. The first is the changeover to consistently blue hood logos (three earlier cameras I am not sure of). Then there are the two without red windows noted earlier with eight digit numbers, 39100xxx and what might be 39101xxx but the first two digits could be anything. The first is the first 44LM with dual scales, the second has metres.

The next camera, 549xxx, starts a new series of six digit numbers. It has the dual focusing scale again. The next camera, 610xxx has feet again, 620xxx is dual scale and another 620xxx is feet followed by 621xxx with no red window before all subsequent cameras have dual scales. Camera 641xxx is the first of the continuous block of Charcoal Gray cameras. Camera 660xxx is the first with the dull silver control wheels. Then there are fourteen nine digit serial numbers in the range 166090xxx to 166110xxx.

The final block of 66 cameras have an “FL” prefix and seven digits and range from FL 1020xxx to FL 6120xxx, again with no second digit from the left higher than “1”. At around FL 2100xxx, the external pressure plate screws disappear from the back. The last eight cameras with lens caps have plastic lens caps for the first time. FL 3070xxx is the first of these. FL 4010xxx appears to be the first with shiny control wheels but then there are at least another five cameras with dull wheels before FL 5010xxx to FL 5070xxx are the next five with the shiny wheels. Then two cameras noted below have the dull wheels again but these may involve a mix of parts.

Late Example

I have saved this camera, pictured below, till last because until recently, it was the only one of its kind found and even now I am still not absolutely sure whether it is completely authentic or not. The key feature that is different is the hood logo. Until this turned up, all other late examples in the 44 series cameras, including the 44LM examples, had the narrow “Y” on a blue background. This one has the wide version introduced on 66 series cameras in 1965.

(This camera also appears at the beginning of the Yashica 44LM section.)

It has one of the Japanese Camera Industry Institute (JCII) oval gold “PASSED” quality stickers common on Japanese export cameras from the mid 1960s to late 1980s. The sticker has the number “53”. There is plenty of discussion on the net about these stickers but not too much referenced fact. One recurring claim about these numbers is that the first digit is the year of the decade and the second digit is the month of the year that an example of that batch of product was tested. In this case it would be March 1965 which does fit with the new logo style and the very late serial number of the camera. The sticker on my Yashica-Mat has the number “88” which would make it August 1968 and consistent with what I had already guessed from its trim. Understand though, I am just repeating net gossip which happens to fit the circumstances.

There is also a problem or two. The camera's serial number is FL 5090129, the second highest in my database. The highest serial number is FL 6120xxx and that camera has the usual narrow “Y” on a blue background logo. However, it does have the earlier back with the two screws visible so either the back has been replaced or, the exposure meter (with serial number) has been replaced. Both these cameras have the earlier dull silver control wheel trim rather than the shiny trim of other late examples and both seem to have lens serial numbers from an earlier series. All a bit inconclusive unless more examples are found.

As I implied at the beginning of this section, a second camera with this logo has turned up, this one on a B&H Facebook page. Unfortunately, no serial numbers are visible. A third camera has surfaced on eBay in 2013. Its body serial number is slightly lower at FL 5040xxx with taking lens 361xxx. As expected, it does have the plastic lens cap of late models and also the shiny control wheel trim. In addition, its brown leather case also features the new wide “Y” logo, see below. This one finally is consistent in all its features. I am now completely satisfied that the logo and hood of the featured camera are authentic and match the exposure meter and serial number and are most likely from 1965 but I still have some concerns regarding whether the rest of the body is from the same period. It is remotely possible that the last few examples were assembled from spares or left over parts. It is perhaps more likely that the camera has fallen on its head and had the hood and meter replaced by new Yashica parts (there are no visible signs of repairs or other damage).

Lens Caps & Ever-ready Cases

Lens caps, except for the last eight found in my database which are black plastic (consistent with the change over on 66 models), are hinged cast alloy, the same as for the Yashica-44. I have found matching Burgundy, black and Charcoal Gray examples.

Camera cases are either grey or brown and similar to the Yashica 44A, brown replaced grey just before prefixed serial numbers were introduced, the first camera with a brown case being 650xxx, by which time all cameras found are grey. There is one brown case amongst the greys and two grey cases amongst the brown, all three likely to be the result of 50 years of mixing and matching - a pretty good result.

Except for one rogue grey case, the last eight ever ready cases received a new narrow “Y” logo. Instead of the old white on gold flat logo, the new logo is 3 dimensional with raised “Y” and circular border in shiny metal on recessed white background. The first camera with this case is a FL 4010xxx. As noted above, a camera with the new wide “Y” focusing hood logo has turned up with a companion case with the wide “Y” logo as well. Except for the lettering style, the two late logos are very similar:

(Detail from larger web images of Yashica 44LM cases)

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Yashica Auto 44

Lens
Filter Mounts
Frame Counter
Shutter
Make/Type
Sync
S/Timer
Speeds
Yashinon
Bay 1
?
Copal SV
M/X
Yes
B,1-1/500

 

A mythical camera yet Sugiyama has a photo and claims that it is less rare than the Yashica E which is relatively easy to find. Camera-wiki.org notes that it may be a variation of the 44LM available in some markets. Yet it is much more than that. According to Sugiyama, it has a f/2.8 Yashinon lens. Whether that is limited to viewing lens (probably), taking lens or both is not said. The black and white photo shows a dark camera, likely all black to fit its serious intent. The panel surrounding the Bay 1 mounts is dark (not black) and unusually has either white or silver text. Close inspection shows a typical Yashica 44LM appearance BUT with crank replacing the knob wind. The circular panel under the crank has film speed reminder scales similar to the Yashica Mat-LM.

Another difference with the 44LM is that the front focusing panel has leatherette inserts and this is designed differently to allow them to neatly fit in. I doubt that such significant changes were made late in the 44 series life when the end of the 127 format must have been obvious. Sugiyama claims 1959 so it would have to have been a parallel release with the 44LM, or earlier.

This camera must have existed, at least in prototype form. According to a knowledgeable Australian collector, a rough one did come up on eBay in about 2003. This seems to be borne out by the Collectiblend price guide which refers to a sale on 28 February 2003. Noting the reasonably common rating given by Sugiyama, I am guessing that this was a Japanese market only camera. I watch Japanese sites with fingers crossed but have yet to see one.

My own guess is that this was a prototype, or otherwise, a very short-lived precursor to the 44LM. The leatherette on the front suggests earlier practice and the crank doesn't really improve matters over the 44LM because it still presumably was not self-cocking. It's more like a carry over from the Yashica-44 than an innovation. On the other hand, the exposure scales on the 44LM were more convenient than the 1958 Yashica Mat-LM that the Auto 44 seemed to be copying.

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