C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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rangefinder-35mm
The Electro 35 GSN (1973) is one of the late iterations of Yashica's Electro 35 line — a fixed-lens rangefinder with aperture-priority autoexposure (you set aperture, camera picks shutter). Yashinon DX 45/1.7 lens, Copal leaf shutter, CdS coupled meter. Two arrows in the viewfinder warn over- or under-exposure. The GSN is the **black** version with hot shoe; the **GTN** is the same camera in chrome.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
Develop 35mm film
Labs in our directory that process 35mm film.
Before you buy used
About this camera
Aperture-priority rangefinder for $80. Built like a tank, lens you can keep up with a Canonet, and produced in millions.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Lens | Yashinon DX 45mm f/1.7, 6 elements / 4 groups |
| Years | 1973–1987 |
| Shutter | 30s – 1/500s, Copal Elec leaf |
| Flash sync | All speeds |
| Meter | CdS, aperture priority |
| Modes | Aperture priority; bulb |
| Weight | 750 g |
| Battery | 1× PX32 mercury (5.6V) |
The Electro 35 line started 1966 with the original Yashica Electro 35 — claimed to be the first 35mm camera with electronic-controlled exposure. Iterations: Electro 35 G (1968), GS (1970), GSN (1973), and a smaller CC (1970, sharper 35/1.8 lens). Production ran into the late 80s; total volume across all variants ran into the millions.
The Electro 35 GSN was the "free" rangefinder for a generation. Estate sales, thrift shops, garage sales — every flea market in the US has one. The Yashinon 45/1.7 is genuinely sharp (on par with Canonet QL17's 40/1.7 and 45/1.7), and the aperture-priority AE makes it a more sensible everyday shooter than the shutter-priority Canonet.
For 2026 buyers, the Electro 35 GSN is the cheapest "real" rangefinder you can buy that takes good photos. $80–180 used. The trade-off is the PX32 battery problem — the original 5.6V mercury cell is unavailable, and replacement adapters with stacked LR44s (or the PX32A 6V silver-oxide) are required.
Lens fixed. Hot shoe (GSN; GTN earlier units have cold shoe). Yashica external flashes; standard hot-shoe flashes work.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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