Vintage Lens Photography with the Samsung NX1: August 2019

I have in my collection this excellent condition Japanese made Yashica 42-75mm (ML) f3.5-4.5 zoom lens.

The designation 'ML' on the lens denotes multi-coated optics and signifies placement of the lens above consumer grade, yet below professional optics standards. More on the general background of this Yashica lens below.

I wanted to share some of my initial photographs with this lens, but first some interesting history and background:

Contax/Yashica (C/Y) manual-focus lenses have a common bayonet mount were introduced in 1975 simultaneously on the Contax RTS and Yashica FX-1 camerasl; but also marked by Zeiss.

Manufacturing of these lenses originated and evolved from Yashica's purchase of Tomioka in 1968 and changed its name to Tomioka Optical Co., Ltd. in 1969. The Tomioka plant made German Carl Zeiss licensed optics under license for use on some Japanese cameras - like the Contax. Yashica lenses, manufactured by Tomioka Optical, benefited from this licensing and manufacturing relationship with Carl Zeiss. While not up to the top Zeiss standards, the "ML" designation on the lens is part of a range of Yashica lenses included in their premium line-up for the more serious photographer.

Note that consumer SLR cameras by Yashica or Contax were usually equipped with 'DSB' lenses, which had single-coated optics. All these interchangeable lenses can be used with any Yashica or Contax camera equipped with the C/Y bayonet lens mount.