The Yashica 44A is slightly easier to use than 6X6cm TLR's due to it's compactness, but still takes a little getting used to. The lens proved to be very nice - producing contrasty and crisp negatives. All told it's a good little camera and one that is worth using. The 44A is fairly limited in shutter speeds, including the lack of a B setting, there is also no antinous release socket. The principle problem these days is the format, as 127 film is increasingly difficult to come by and expensive when compared with a roll of 120. When using it I always felt that the lens focal length was a little on the long side, but checking it I see that it is close to standard. The viewfinder is a little pessimistic however. If you have one - give it an outing before 127 becomes an extinct film format.

Rummaging through some negatives from the long lost Yashica 44a, I stumbled across this one, and posted it in 2018.

Moscow 2003.

The Worker and Collective Farm Girl.
(Vera Mukhina 1889 -1953)

This magnificent Soviet era monumental statue can be seen in the North Eastern suburbs of Moscow, shortly before it was dismantled in 2003, making this one of the last images as it was originally posed. Even though the concrete plinth is deteriorating badly and the surrounding area derelict and overgrown with weeds, the statue continues to deliver it's message defiantly. Fortunately the statue was repaired and later rebuilt as it's one of the finest examples of socialist sculpture, our two heroes stand stoic against the gale, the girl's skirt blowing around the steelman's waist of his boiler suit, all beautifully created in stainless steel. One can't help but think that they are standing stoic against the wind of change though in 2003.

The camera had to be held at arm's length over my head in order to get this shot over the fence, something a TLT allow, even if aiming is a little more challenging.

The long portrait format picture, far left, was actually taken with the Museum's KMZ FT-2, but is included here just to illustrate how the statue looked in 2016, having been rebuilt. Regrettably they elected to build the new plinth much higher, the power in this sculpture comes from the image of the people, rather than the chunk of rock they stand on. Apparently whoever commissioned this considered their contribution to be more important than the statue's originator.

The Kremlin and St. Basil's, sunset in July 2003, taken from the hotel that once stood opposite. I rode the lift to the top floor, looking for a possible viewpoint. It was just rooms all along the corridor, but I thought I'd try my luck and see if any doors were open. The first handle I tried, yielded and I opened the door to reveal a room full of very dodgey looking chaps in black leather jackets and a positive forest of cameras mounted on tripods all overlooking the Kremlin. One shouted something unintelligible in Russian and another ran to the door and slammed it shut... so I guess I wasn't welcome. One floor down, I had better luck, and got this.

As it was a good spot, I went back to see if the room was still unlocked later and it was, at 11:20, according to St. Basil's clock, on 7th July 2003, a faint tinge of daylight fades to the north west.

May as well have the full set, here's one in daylight too.

A couple of days after this image was taken, the Yashica was stolen in St. Petersburg, which is a shame, as it was a good camera and I liked it a lot. This is the last image saved from it, the images from St. Petersburg were lost with the camera.