Does this camera need batteries?

Hello CaptainAmerica,

That's a cool gift for someone to give you! Yashica Minister cameras are fun, quirky, decently performing vintage 35mm fixed lens rangefinders. I used to use the model M in college on a regular basis before I could afford to purchase a Leica rangefinder.

Unlike modern cameras, the Yashica Minister series (which Minister do you have? They made several models) use what is known as a Selenium Cell Light meter. Notice the thing that looks like a clear bicycle reflector on the top front of the camera, this is the light meter sensor. It amplifies light and converts it into a very small electrical current. No batteries needed! Solar powered! And the rest of the camera is purely mechanical, powered by the power of your hands, gears and springs!

Since you have never used a 35mm film camera, you have a lot of learning to do before you can even test the camera.

First thing is to read the users manual for your camera!

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica/yashica_minis...

Before even bothering with film, read the manual cover to cover and see if the camera operates as it should. It's probably a 1960's model so it's quite old and may not even work correctly. So check this out before buying film. If it appears to work, THEN buy some Kodak Gold 200 or Fuji Superia 200 (cheap, easily found and processed films) take some photos according to the directions in the manual and have the film processed by a local drugstore or www.TheDarkroom.com and see if the camera works on that level.

There are NUMEROUS things that could be wrong with your Yashica but on the other hand, these are fairly tough cameras and the things that could be wrong with it may be small and the camera can still provide a good source of education, entertainment and perhaps even enlightenment or encouragement for you (All the best E's!)

Here's a great site for learning to shoot film also:

http://www.guidetofilmphotography.com/

Maybe take a class at school if you can also, that would be a HUGE help.

So yeah, go ahead, read up and give it a go! If you run into any problems ask about them here or write me at JohnnyMartyr@Hotmail.com. I wish you the best of luck and hope you enjoy the camera!

Please remember to choose a best answer!

UPDATE: As fhotoace points out, the Minister D model is not selenium powered, but the earlier Minister models are and if you cannot figure out where a battery might go, it would follow that you do not have a model D. If what you have is simply a "Yashica Minister" without further model designation, or M or Minister II it is selenium.

I don't think it uses batteries.

Just load 35mm color-negative film, ASA 200 and shoot outdoors under the sun. I'm pretty sure the lightmeter is busted by now if not completely inaccurate so don't depend on it. Learn how to set the camera with the Sunny f/16 Rule.

Welcome to the ancient world of film cameras, where no batteries were required. In the old world, almost nothing was battery powered, except for the occasional battery powered automatic film advance attachment or flash unit.

Find a copy of the owner's manual

(many can be found online) ---

you'll want it for other reasons, too.