Yashica ME 1

ME 1 image by AWCam (Image rights)

base, showing film advance thumb-wheel with rewind release, battery compartment, tripod bush, rewind crank and back release image by AWCam (Image rights)

The Yashica ME 1 is a small, compact 35mm viewfinder camera with auto-exposure, made in Japan originally in 1970 and later was probably the first camera produced in Brazil by Yashica from 1977. Black.

The focus zone settings are visible in the viewfinder through a small square window, below the finder window. Behind the focus ring is an aperture ring - with an "A" setting for automatic and stops from f2.8-16 for flash. Film advance is by a thumb-wheel on the lower left of the back.

The film speed is set using a ring around the lens, with a display just below. The CdS photocell is just above the lens, inside the filter thread - allowing the auto-exposure to compensate for filters.

The view finder has bright lines for the picture area and parallax correction marks. On the right in the viewfinder, you can see an needle marked exposure meter with no setting marked. The shutter in automatic mode should lock if too low

The top plate carries the shutter release, hot shoe and frame counter. There is a lever for the self-timer on the front. There is a Tripod screw point but no cable release point.

Specifications

• Lens: Yashica 38mm f2.8; 4 element, 3 group. 46mm filter thread.
• Focusing: Zone focus (1, 1.5, 3m and infinity) and feet/metres scales on other side
• Metering: CdS cell
• Shutter: Copal auto, speed set by metering, 1/60-1/360 sec.
• Flash: hot shoe
• Film speed: 25-500 ASA in steps
• Power: Manual indicates the now defunct PX675 1.35v mercury button cell (Modern solutions exist). No off switch is on camera so a lens cap is recommend to limit battery discharge

External links

• manual on Mike Butkus site in various languages
• Overview of Yashica Snapshots on Yashica Guy's website including the ME1.
• Yashica in Brazil detailed on the Yashica TLR site