We are now 120 passionate Yashicausers on Yashicaforum.com – I’m very glad I started the forum. But I wonder, why are there no forums on this domains? Maybe you should start one?:

• www.agfaforum.com
• www.voigtlanderforum.com
• www.mamiyaforum.com
• www.m42forum.com
• www.jenaforum.com

Of course these were ideas just taken on the top of my head, I’m sure you can find even better ones … or why not compete with me and start yashinonforum.com ;) Competition can be healthy.

The last year was a big one for my photography, I discovered a new world in 2008. I’m talking of manual lenses and old cameras, but also my own views and skills in photography.

The start of this blog
24th July – Installation and first post (modest) on Retrocamera.net as an international version of my swedish blog. At the end of the year – 21st December – I reached 4500 unique visitors on my article “5 reasons I love manual lenses”

Retrocamera article

Winning a contest
21st – 27th July I participated in a contest in Sweden which I won. One picture a day from nature, for seven days. Partly using manual gear. I was very proud of this, since the competition was some photographers I respect.

Set with the 7 images I won with

Circle of lenses
I started cheap last spring trying Pentacon 29mm/2.8 on and ended testing Yashica ML 50mm/1.4 on the same spot in the woods. I have reached a collection of lenses I like, except for long telephoto.

With Pentacon 29mm in march 2008

With Yashica ML 50mm/1.4 december 2008

1000 posts on YashicaForum.com
During the year two brands in particular caught my attention, Asahi (Takumar) and Yashica. Asahi/Takumar/Pentax sites exists, but I wondered why there was no YashicaForum.com so I decided to start it. Before new year we reached over 1000 posts and 77 members.

YashicaForum

What does 2009 have in mind?
Well, looks like I will participate in at least two exhibitions, of which one is my own. Me, me and myself ;)

Have a good year 2009!

Short update on the progress of YashicaForum.com: we reached 500 posts today. We are now 42 users. Yesterday I linked from the Yashica @ WikiPedia and Yashica @ CameraPedia, hope more Yashica enthusiast will find us.

Took som pictures in the woods with Yashica ML 50mm/2 about a week ago. Here is a BW-conversion. More can bee seen on YashicaForum.com

The Yashicaforum has been off to a good start with interested users, and we are already 29 registered users who love Yashicas – great! Now, don’t you want to become number 30 to join the YashicaForum? ;)

YashicaForum.com

Find a Film Camera for Under $50
I bought a kit with Yashica J-7 SLR with the lens Yashinon-DX 50mm f1.7 for about $22 on Tradera (swedish version of ebay) :)

Shoot Some Film With Your New Camera!
Well, I’ve shot a blck and white roll and a colour-film roll. Both were Kodak and 400 ASA.
From the first roll
From the second roll

Write a Review of Your Camera, Publish a Photo of Your Camera
By this time I was so excited that I bought the domain www.yashicaforum.com and wrote the review there! :) There are several large photos of the camera in the review, but I guess the first one is most representative:

Yashica J-7 and Yashinon-DX 50mm/1.7

Publish an Entire Roll of Photos
Set on Flickr, here as slideshow (view large):

Since I’ve started buying Pentax and Yashica-things I’vre realized that there are Pentaxforums (and now a Takumar-forum) but no specific forum for us interested in Yashicas.

So I bought the domain www.yashicaforum.com and have installed a forum-application. Eventhough it’s basic functionality at the moment and has to be filled with interesting information and discussions, I hope you will help me – welcome as new member, and feel free to come with suggestions about the site! :)