Yashica FX-3

It was my first camera. I would say that there was sentimental value to it. I bought it when I was 14-15 years old. As a teenager, this was paid by my father. I could not remember for what reason. Perhaps it was for good academic result. But I was happy. The only regretful event was that when I purchased the camera shop did not issue a receipt of purchase. I had a scolding from my father whom I believed in his line of business it was utmost important to be given a receipt, in case the equipment purchase was faulty. He would want me to learn a lesson and that was something I could remember for the rest of my life. I had to return to the shop to ask for the receipt.

Back in those days, the ECA (now called CCA) was pretty diversified. We had a photographic society and I was a member. I was happily learning the technique of photography. I remember I won a 3rd price in the school photographic competition. It was a shot of the polar bear in the zoo rising up from the pool.

In FX-3, the aperture control was manually turn to meet my required depth of field. The shutter speed was controlled through the dial next to the shutter button. There was a light meter via the viewfinder that displayed a green light when there was sufficient light on the subject and red light when there was insufficient light. The focus was manual, but there was a technique of ensuring the subject was in focus. The technique if master would give a sharp focus. The technique was not available on modern days SLR or DSLR camera. This is the convenience of auto-focus. The was no programable option or full auto, the only option was manual which was great for someone learning the basic of photography. Just like driving a manual car, the fun and difficulty go hand in hand. Winding the film back to its casing was done manually by turning a knob, which I found it interesting similar to those cameras found in world war II.

In the early days, I had only a 50mm lens. There was no software to crop the picture. Cropping was done by physically moving your feet and body. There was also not pop up flash in the camera. I did remember I bought a separate flash. As there was no automatic aperture, a photographer got to estimate the distance from the camera to the subject and decide by reading a chart the aperture to be use. Chart was available behind the flash.

There was a darkroom in the society room. However, I have not had an opportunity to learn darkroom technique because back then, it was also easy to develop 35mm film commercially. There was a tense anticipation of the developed film because that was the only time you would see the product of your effort.

I would say that the similarly between FX-3 and 450D was the task of cleaning the lens and body. The blow brush remains the same after all these years. Dust and fungus growth continue to be the greatest enermy of photographic gear.