The Finding of the Phoenix' body.

I've always loved the idea of a rangefinder camera.  Eyeing, closely, the sales of Canonets, Feds and Yashicas on Ebay.  Always spotting that odd rangefinder popping up at camera shops for $200 or the Arguses showing up at antique stores for almost no money, but with almost 100% frozen controls.  I had spent years trotting the world with a Canon Rebel 35mm and Polaroid, finding inspiration everywhere.  Hurricanes, concerts, Irish landscapes, urban city-scapes, those cameras took me on grand adventures.  When graduating to digital, I found myself whipping through cameras models on a nearly yearly basis and finding less and less inspiration in the world and using my film cameras less and less.

taken on a Samsung Captivate, proving it isn't the camera that matters

XTi to T3 to 60D; A520 to W150 to ZS19 to S100.  The cameras came and went and the passion waned.  I feel more in tune with the cameras than I do the pictures.  I thought that if I got a new rangefinder camera, it would come back; that I would have a passion for photos the way that I used to.  I've recently gotten more into Polaroid shooting, as well, but found the endeavor to be cost prohibitive.  35mm is a much more attractive way to shoot.

What a pretty Sun 600

Two days ago I walked into a Savers and saw a beautiful Polaroid Sun 600 camera for $4; I had to have it.  I just had to.  It was beautiful.  No marks in the plastic, clean viewfinder and a clean film pack compartment.  I continued the day of thrifting and stumbled upon a beautiful Yashica Electro 35 GSN model at a Goodwill.  The camera was in immaculate condition, but the shutter didn't fire.  The self-timer was stuck about halfway, which I took to mean that the timer was the problem.  I thought about it over dinner and decided to go back and get it.  I was now the fine owner of a range finder.  Two glorious finds in one day!

there is the Phoenix, right there, ready for it's first night of repair (notice I got the first ring out of the lens already).

Maybe with a couple of quick fixes, I could be shooting my way into the hearts of Americans like Elliot Erwitt or W. Eugene Smith.  We'll see how this Phoenix rises from the ashes of a thrift store shelf and into the hands of this poor photographer.

Websites used, extensively, to research issues with this camera before jumping in:
Matt's Classic Cameras
Yashica Guy


See my photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tcbadphotos/