Yashica's compact Electro 35 GL — fixed-lens 35mm rangefinder, aperture-priority electronic shutter, 1973.
The Yashica Electro 35 GL, released in 1973, was a smaller and lighter model in the Electro 35 line of fixed-lens 35mm rangefinders. It was designed as a more compact alternative to the larger G-series bodies while keeping the electronic aperture-priority exposure that defined the range.
This is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera with a fixed Yashinon lens of around 40mm at a fast aperture near f/1.7 and an electronically-timed leaf shutter. Exposure is aperture-priority automatic, with the meter choosing a stepless shutter speed and finder lamps warning of over- and under-exposure. As with other Electro models, the electronic shutter needs a battery to time correctly, and the original design used a mercury cell.
The GL is a more portable member of the family, making it well suited to travel and street photography where a smaller body is preferred. It keeps the fast lens and quiet leaf shutter of the range while being easier to carry, though exposure remains automatic-only and manual control is limited.
On inspection, check for the pad-of-death (POD) fault that affects Electro shutter timing and film advance. Confirm the meter and exposure lamps work, examine the lens for haze and fungus, and verify rangefinder patch contrast and alignment. Perished light seals are typical on cameras of this age, and the obsolete mercury battery will require a modern substitute.