Five Frames With A Yashica ML 35mm F2.8, An Odd One Out

Vintage Lens Test - First image impressions with a Yashica ML 35mm F2.8, a lens with a mount I can't put my hands on.

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The Yashica ML 35mm F2.8, which can be a rare find among the selection of Yashica ML lenses, is a series of multicoated pro-line lenses developed and produced by Yashica (Kyocera). This series was designed to fill the gap between Yashica's own consumer-grade DSB lens line and the state-of-the-art Contax/Yashica Zeiss T*, all of which were built at their manufacturing facility in Japan.

Olympus E-P5, Yashica ML 35mm F2.8

The series is also acknowledged as an excellent performer, even at wide-open aperture when adapted to crop-sensor digital bodies. Looks like the ML 35mm F2.8 as well, as can be seen from these images posted here, is no exception.

To top off the accolades, this unit is sometimes referred to as the 'poor man's Zeiss', and in passing, is compared equally or even better than the Distagons.

Yashica ML 35mm F2.8, Image of the mount

From what is available on the Net, while there is not too much of it, the ML 35mm F2.8 was produced in two versions, an earlier version with 7 elements in 6-groups, identified by the diamond knobs on its rubber grip, and a later with 6-elements in 5-groups which comes with square knobs.

An anomaly I found is with the copy of the lens that I have. The lens has a fairly large pin protruding out of the backplate of the lens mount assembly.

This configuration will not let me mount the lens to either the Yashica FX-3 Super 2000 or a Contax RTS II, both of which I have in my collection. The lens, however, can be mounted to the M4/3 FX/CY adapter without any problem.

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