Yashica's mid-1980s budget C/Y SLR — the FX-3 Super, mechanical shutter, TTL LED metering.
The Yashica FX-3 Super is a 35mm film SLR from the mid 1980s and a revised version of the popular FX-3, keeping the same affordable, mechanically operated concept on the Contax/Yashica (C/Y) bayonet. Like the original it took Yashica ML lenses and Carl Zeiss T* optics, and it continued Yashica's strategy of offering a low-cost mechanical body within the Zeiss-linked C/Y system for students and enthusiasts.
The FX-3 Super is a C/Y bayonet SLR for 35mm film with a mechanically timed focal-plane shutter, so it fires without a battery; the cell powers only the through-the-lens meter. Metering is centre-weighted TTL with an LED display in the viewfinder to guide manual exposure, which the photographer sets using the aperture ring and shutter dial. As with the FX-3, the mechanical shutter is the key point that separates it from the electronic C/Y bodies.
The FX-3 Super suits students, travellers and anyone who values a manual camera that keeps shooting with a flat battery. It is light to carry and simple to use, and it gives an inexpensive entry into the Zeiss and Yashica ML lens ranges. The camera is deliberately basic, with no automatic exposure, which appeals to buyers who prefer to control every setting themselves.
On the used market the FX-3 Super is an in-demand budget C/Y body, so inspect condition closely. Foam light seals and mirror-damper foam usually require replacement on cameras of this age. Test the mechanical shutter across its speeds, remembering the body still fires with a dead battery. Check that the LED meter responds with a fresh cell, look for prism haze or desilvering, and confirm the film advance, rewind and bayonet lock all work smoothly.