Meet the big brother of vintage rangefinders - the Yashica IC Lynx-14E. This all-metal 1968 classic is famous for one thing above all: an enormous 45mm f/1.4 Yashinon-DX lens, a speed almost unheard of on a fixed-lens rangefinder. Most rangefinders of this era top out around f/1.8 or f/2.8. The Lynx-14E goes wider, faster, and heavier - built for photographers who wanted SLR-level glass in a rangefinder body. The "IC" badge proudly announces Yashica's use of early integrated-circuit technology in the CdS light meter - press the "SWITCH" button on the front and watch the OVER/UNDER indicator light up in the viewfinder to nail your exposure.
But here's the best part: this is a fully mechanical camera at heart. The shutter runs completely independent of batteries, so even with a dead meter, you can shoot with confidence using Sunny 16. This is a substantial, confidence-inspiring camera to hold - solid metal construction, a bright parallax-corrected viewfinder, and a smooth, quiet leaf shutter. A wonderful piece for both display and shooting. Yashinon-DX 45mm f/1.4 (7 elements, 5 groups) - exceptionally fast for a rangefinder. Copal-SVE leaf shutter, 1 sec - 1/500 + Bulb. CdS cell with IC-controlled electronic exposure, OVER/UNDER viewfinder indicators.
Manual split-image rangefinder, minimum distance 0.8m. Bright-frame Albada finder with automatic parallax correction. PC sync socket, full 1/500 flash sync speed. All-metal chrome construction, tripod socket, cable release thread. Meter only - runs fully mechanically without batteries. Yashica introduced the original Lynx 14 in 1965, built around a lens so large it looked like it belonged on a medium-format camera.
While this camera passed all checks this year, please remember that vintage mechanical items can be unpredictable. I guarantee it arrives as described, but I recommend a CLA (Clean, Lubricate, Adjust) every few years to keep it in peak condition.