Battery finder: Which battery does your Yashica camera take?
Start typing your camera model. The battery and charger appear below, with links to buy.
Several models of Yashica were designed around a mercury battery that hasn’t been made for decades. But the SLRs are much more straightforward. There are details for both are below.
SLRs
SLR (film)
| Camera | Battery | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 230-AF | 1× 2CR5 (6V lithium) Also at: Amazon | Manual: “Use a 6V lithium battery (2CR5).” |
| 107 Multi Program | 4× AAA Also at: Amazon | Four 1.5V AAA alkaline cells. The camera won't operate without them. |
| Electro AX | 1× PX32 / E164 (5.6V mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | The same 5.6V mercury cell as the Electro 35 GSN: Mallory PX32 or Eveready E164. Mercury cells are no longer made and there's no drop-in replacement; owners use a purpose-made adapter that holds a modern 6V 4LR44 or 4SR44. |
| FR | 1× 4SR44 / 4LR44 (6V) Also at: Amazon | A 6V silver-oxide cell (Eveready or Ucar 544, Mallory PX-28) or a 6V alkaline (Eveready or Ucar 537). Without it, the shutter and the exposure control won't work. |
| FX-103 Program | 2× SR44 or LR44 Also at: Amazon | Two 1.55V SR44 silver-oxide or 1.5V LR44 alkaline cells — the manual misprints the alkaline as “LA44”. The camera won't function without them. |
| FX-3 | 2× SR44 or LR44 Also at: Amazon | Two 1.5V silver-oxide cells (Eveready S76, Mallory MS-76 — today's SR44) or two LR44 alkalines. |
| FX-3 Super / FX-7 Super | 2× LR44 or SR44 Also at: Amazon | Two LR44 alkaline or SR44 silver-oxide cells power only the exposure meter, so the camera keeps working even if they're exhausted. |
| TL Electro | 2× PX640 (1.35V mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | Two Mallory PX-640 mercury cells, which Eveready rates at 1.35V. Mercury cells are no longer made, and there's no drop-in modern equivalent for this size. |
| TL-E | 2× RM640R (mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | Two mercury cells, Mallory RM640R or equivalent. Mercury cells are no longer made, and there's no drop-in modern equivalent for this size. |
| TL-Super | 1× SR44 (1.55V silver oxide) Also at: Amazon | One 1.5V silver-oxide cell (Mallory MS 675H or Eveready S-76-E) for the meter. |
| FR I | 1× 4SR44 / 4LR44 (6V) Also at: Amazon | A 6V silver-oxide cell (Eveready or Ucar 544, Mallory PX-28) or a 6V alkaline (Eveready or Ucar 537). Without it, the shutter and the exposure control won't work. |
| FR II | 1× 4SR44 / 4LR44 (6V) Also at: Amazon | A 6V silver-oxide cell (Eveready or Ucar 544, Mallory PX-28) or a 6V alkaline (Eveready or Ucar 537). Without it, the shutter and the exposure control won't work. |
| FX-3 Super 2000 | 2× LR44 or SR44 Also at: Amazon | Two LR44 alkaline or SR44 silver-oxide cells power only the exposure meter, so the camera keeps working even if they're exhausted or missing. |
| TL Electro-X | 1× 4SR44 / 4LR44 (6V) Also at: Amazon | Yashica's manual: “install a 6V silver oxide battery (Eveready No. 544, Mallory PX-28 or equivalent)” — that's the 4SR44, or the alkaline 4LR44 in the same size. You'll see PX640s mentioned for this camera online; that comes from a note someone added to a retyped copy of the manual, not from Yashica. |
Compacts
Compact (film)
| Camera | Battery | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electro 35 | 1× E164 / TR164 (mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | The mercury cell Yashica lists as Mallory TR164 or Eveready E164 — the same E164 the later GSN specifies. Mercury cells are no longer made and there's no drop-in replacement; owners use a purpose-made adapter that holds a modern 6V 4LR44 or 4SR44. |
| Electro 35 CC | 1× 4SR44 / 4LR44 (6V) Also at: Amazon | A 6V silver-oxide cell (Eveready No. 544, Mallory PX-28N or equivalent) — today's 4SR44. If it's missing or too weak, the shutter still fires, at about 1/250 sec. |
| Electro 35 FC | 2× PX640 (1.35V mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | Two mercury cells (Eveready E640N or Mallory PX-640), like the GX. Yashica's manual calls them 1.4V, but Eveready, which made both cells, rates the PX640 and the E640N at 1.35V. Mercury cells are no longer made, and there's no drop-in modern equivalent for this size. |
| Electro 35 GL | 1× PX32 / E164 (5.6V mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | A 5.6V mercury cell, Mallory PX32 or Eveready E164. Mercury cells are no longer made and there's no drop-in replacement; owners use a purpose-made adapter that holds a modern 6V 4LR44 or 4SR44. |
| Electro 35 GS | 1× E164 / TR164 (mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | A Mallory TR164 or Eveready E164 mercury cell; without it, Yashica says, the electronic shutter doesn't function correctly. Mercury cells are no longer made and there's no drop-in replacement; owners use a purpose-made adapter that holds a modern 6V 4LR44 or 4SR44. |
| Electro 35 GSN / GTN | 1× PX32 / E164 (5.6V mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | Manual: “Insert a 5.6V mercury battery … (Mallory PX32, Eveready E164 or equivalent).” This is the awkward one: 5.6V mercury cells were banned decades ago and there is no drop-in replacement, so a modern cell alone will not do. Owners fit a purpose-made adapter that houses a current 6V cell in the PX32 form factor. Worth knowing before buying: the Electro 35's auto exposure depends entirely on this power, and the camera's battery-check light is the quickest way to tell whether a given fix is working. |
| Electro 35 GT | 1× E164 / TR164 (mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | A Mallory TR164 or Eveready E164 mercury cell, as on the GS. Mercury cells are no longer made and there's no drop-in replacement; owners use a purpose-made adapter that holds a modern 6V 4LR44 or 4SR44. |
| Electro 35 GX | 2× PX640 (1.35V mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | Two mercury cells (Eveready E640N or Mallory PX640) — not the single 5.6V cell of the earlier Electro 35s. Yashica's manual calls them 1.4V, but Eveready, which made both cells, rates the PX640 and the E640N at 1.35V. Mercury cells are no longer made, and there's no drop-in modern equivalent for this size. |
| Electro 35 MC | 1× 4SR44 (6V silver oxide) Also at: Amazon | A 6V silver-oxide cell (Mallory PX28 or Eveready No. 544 — today's 4SR44). Without a battery the shutter still fires, at 1/500 sec. |
| T2 / T2D | 1× 2CR5 (6V lithium) Also at: Amazon | One 6V 2CR5 lithium cell; ordinary alkaline, manganese and NiCd batteries can't be used. |
| T3 / T3D | 1× 2CR5 (6V lithium) Also at: Amazon | One 6V 2CR5 lithium cell. |
| T4 / T4D | 1× CR123A (3V lithium) Also at: Amazon | One 3V CR123A lithium cell. |
| T4 Super / T4 Super D | 1× CR123A (3V lithium) Also at: Amazon | One 3V CR123A or DL123A lithium cell. |
| T5 / T5D | 1× CR123A (3V lithium) Also at: Amazon | One 3V CR123A or DL123A lithium cell. |
Medium format
Medium format (film)
| Camera | Battery | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yashica-Mat 124 | 1× PX625 (1.35V mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | A 1.3V mercury cell (Mallory PX-13B or Eveready EPX-B) powers the exposure meter. Mercury cells are no longer made; the usual fixes are an MR-9 adapter with a silver-oxide SR43, a zinc-air WeinCell, or a same-size alkaline that reads slightly off. |
| Yashica-Mat 124G | 1× PX625 (1.35V mercury — see notes) Also at: Amazon | A 1.3V mercury cell (Mallory PX-13B or Eveready EPX-13) powers the exposure meter. Mercury cells are no longer made; the usual fixes are an MR-9 adapter with a silver-oxide SR43, a zinc-air WeinCell, or a same-size alkaline that reads slightly off. |
Things worth knowing
The Electro 35 battery problem
The original Electro 35 was designed with a 5.6V mercury battery to run its light meter. But mercury batteries haven’t been legally sold since the mid-1990s, and there’s no direct drop-in replacement.1 So this is the single most common reason a bought-used Electro 35 doesn’t work as expected.
The manual asks for a 5.6V mercury cell — a Mallory PX32 or Eveready E164.2 Mercury cells were banned in the United States in 1996 and are no longer made, and there’s no drop-in modern replacement for the 5.6V size.3
That goes for the original Electro 35, the GS, GT, GSN, GTN and GL, and the Electro AX SLR.4 Not every Electro 35 uses it, though: the later GX and FC take two PX640 mercury cells instead,5 and the MC and CC take the 6V cell that’s still sold as a 4SR44.6 There is a bit of a disconnect you might run into: Yashica’s GX manual rates those cells at 1.4V, but Eveready, which made them, rates both the PX640 and the E640N it lists at 1.35V.7
What many Yashica shooters do instead is to use a purpose-made adapter that houses a current 6V battery in the PX32 shape. In practice, this usually means dropping a common 6V 4LR44 or 4SR44 battery (the silver oxide SR version is preferred for consistent meter readings) — the kind you can easily find at the hardware store for dog collars or older key fobs — into a cheap plastic or aluminum spacer. The adapter simply makes up the physical difference in length and width so the smaller modern cell makes solid contact inside the Yashica’s oversized battery chamber; it doesn’t drop the voltage from 6V down to 5.6V. It will work, but the meter will be a bit off because of that voltage difference.
The camera’s battery-check light is the quickest way to see whether an adapter is making contact and delivering enough power: the GS and GT manuals say that when the green lamp lights, the battery power is sufficient.8 What it can’t tell you is whether your exposures are accurate.
A further catch is that at least some Yashica models require the battery not only for the light meter but also for the shutter. None of the mercury-cell Electro 35 manuals describes a fallback speed, and the GS and GT manuals say that without the battery the electronic shutter “does not function correctly”.9 (The MC is the exception: Yashica says it fires at 1/500 with no battery in it.10 The CC drops to about 1/250.)11
The FX-3 Super 2000 is the opposite case
Yashica says its two LR44 or SR44 cells power only the exposure meter, so the camera keeps working even if they’re exhausted or missing.12 The manual for the FX-3 Super and FX-7 Super says the same.13
The 6V bodies are easy
The FR, FR I, FR II, TL Electro-X and the Electro 35 MC and CC all take the 6V cell that is still sold as 4SR44 or 4LR44 (also PX28 or Eveready 544).14 On the FR series the shutter won’t work at all without it.15
Still to verify
A few Yashicas aren’t here yet: the Electro 35 G, which I haven’t found a manual for, and the 108 Multi-Program and FX-D Quartz, where the only copies I can find are retyped transcriptions rather than scans of Yashica’s own booklets.
This is a growing document that I keep updating as I verify more models. Every battery listed here comes from the camera’s own manual or the manufacturer’s spec sheet, not from memory or a forum post. If you spot something that needs correcting, please let me know.
Notes & References:
- Source: Yashica Electro 35 instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Source: Yashica Electro 35 GSN instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Source: Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act (Public Law 104-142), Section 205, approved May 13, 1996. [↩︎]
- Sources: Yashica Electro 35 instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro 35 GS instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro 35 GT instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro 35 GSN instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro 35 GL instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro AX instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Sources: Yashica Electro 35 GX instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro 35 FC instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Sources: Yashica Electro 35 MC instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro 35 CC instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Source: Eveready Battery Engineering Data (1976) (scanned copy on archive.org), pages 667 and 671. [↩︎]
- Sources: Yashica Electro 35 GS instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro 35 GT instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Source: Yashica Electro 35 GS instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Source: Yashica Electro 35 MC instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Source: Yashica Electro 35 CC instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Source: Yashica FX-3 Super 2000 instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Source: Yashica FX-3 Super instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Sources: Yashica FR instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica FR I instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica FR II instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica TL Electro-X instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro 35 MC instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica Electro 35 CC instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
- Sources: Yashica FR instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica FR I instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive); Yashica FR II instructions (scanned copy hosted by the Butkus archive). [↩︎]
