First Results from the Chinon CS-4

 As previously posted, this is my second Chinon CS-4.  Of course, there's more to testing it than knowing that the meter and shutter is working properly.  How does the camera feel in the hand when using it? How easy it is to use the stop-down metering button?  Does the film move easily through the camera? That's why film-testing a camera is important.  Too many cameras are sold on eBay that are not film-tested.  Many are sold as-is, or as "un-tested." Granted, there are a lot of sellers out there that don't know a damn thing about photography, let alone how a camera ought to perform.  Leaving all that behind for a moment, let's just see how THIS camera performed.

I started with a roll of Tasma NK-II from the Film Photography Project. The Tasma film is a panchromatic b&w film on a tough polyester base, with an ISO of 100.  I used it because it was a 24-exposure roll, and also because it was one of the rolls that I picked up in November. So, onward.  If I am trying out a camera for the first time, I often go into my Libre Office program and type up a description as shown below:

That gets photographed on the first frame or so of the roll so that I know exactly that information if I end up waiting some time to develop the film.  In this case though, I finished the roll of Feb. 6, and developed it the same day -- which is not usual for me.  I took a short trip to the River Arts District (RAD) of Asheville, which is a great place to test cameras and film.  The RAD is still recovering from the flood/Helene of September, 2024.  Some places have reopened after much restoration/renovation, and other are either erased, or in need of major repairs.  Some of these photos show that.

This mural is on the now closed French Broad Outfitters in Riverside Drive.

Alien landers or fermentation tanks? On Foundy Street.

This area was well-known for the street art. Most of it disappeared after Helene. Some is new.

Part of the building below.

I do not think this one will be rebuilt.

That Dell went to hell.

There will be more piles of bricks

Bad views from the inside and out.

Nature finds a way.  I've always been interested in nature reclaiming our abandoned places.

What is now a field used to be a series of low buildings used to store recycled materials. That place used to look like this image below, taken a few years before Helene.

2022, Nikon F4, Eastman 2374 film

Present day, waiting for reconstruction

Whodat?  

Using the Chinon CS-4 is a breeze.  The stop-down metering is not a problem, as it works much like a Pentax Spotmatic, except there are red/green LEDs that show up in your peripheral vision as you look through the view finder.  Pretty much like a +/- in the viewfinder.  The Tasma NK-2 was developed in HC-110B for 10 minutes, and it is a really sharp film with good tonality.    A successful outing, and just as I was pretty much done, a squall line came in and it started to rain.  

This camera is a keeper in my M42 arsenal, and I look forward to  using it more.  

The Chinon CS-4, Revisited

The Chinon CS-4 features a vertical metal shutter, uses modern LR-44 cells

A decade ago I wrote a post about a very good example of a M42 camera body, the Chinon CS-4. Like many cameras that I have owned, it was a thrift shop purchase for $10 with a couple of lenses. At the time, I already owned a Spotmatic F and didn't need a second M42 body, so I sold the CS-4. Some of you may know that I am writing a book on Pentax Spotmatics and other M42 mount cameras and lenses. I was going through back posts on this blog, and realized that the CS-4 information belonged in the book. I also decided that I needed another one to try out, now that I have a lot of M42 lenses. So, off to eBay I went, and snagged a decent example for $35 + shipping. The camera arrived today, and I spent an hour replacing the nasty old foam of the mirror bumper as well as the rear door seal. I cleaned the battery cover contact, and the meter sprang to life. As you can see, the camera is in great condition. The aperture blades on the Chinon 50mm 1.9 lens are oily and slow to operate, but I have many other lenses to use with this excellent compact SLR from the early 1980s. 

Standard layout - the meter switch is next to the lens mount on the left.

I'll note here that the eBay seller did not use the eBay option of letting AI write the description. For those people that use the eBay AI for the description, I say piss-off. I'll not be buying your shit if you cannot write the description yourself. 

The Yashinon-DX lens has "character"

As you can see in this photo, I have attached a Yashinon-DX 50mm/1.4, which is a wonderful nifty-fifty with the promise of making art. It's one of those lenses you should own if you want to explore what you can do with different lenses of the same focal length. It's not as weird as a Helios-44 lens, but it has a distinct aura, if you want to call it that.

Anyhow, I'm in the stage of assembling the images and text for the book, and I realize now that I will have to learn Affinity Publisher to put it all together, since it's more complex than what I can do with Open Office. I'll keep you posted as to my progress on the Spotmatic Book. 

Now, to also get some decent weather to go out and shoot with my newly-acquired Chinon CS-4!