The Yashica Minister III is a fixed lens rangefinder from the early 1960s. I have been unable to pin down an exact date, but the previous Minister II was introduced in 1962. It features a 45mm f/2.8 lens with a coupled rangefinder.
The selenium meter cell is located inside the filter ring on the face of the lens, thereby facilitating automatic compensation for any filters or attachments. The meter reads on the top of the camera body, and this value is then transferred to a ring on the front of the lens. The camera has a sort of mechanical shutter-priority automation: adjusting the exposure ring changes aperture to match the set shutter speed. Adjusting the speed will cause the aperture to automatically change.
I don't remember where I got my example. I think it was a flea market find. I've already shot a roll of Fuji 400 color for this week and dispatched it to Old School Photo Lab.
REFERENCES:
Camera Wiki (search for the rest of the Yashica Minister series too)
I haven't found a manual, but here's one for the similar Minister II
Notes from Mosquito Hill 
Got this camera from e bay in very good outward looking appearance, complete with the original little used ever ready case. Annoyingly the front barrel section of the lens which contains the aperture and shutter speed etc kind of rocks from side to side making the camera feel ready to fall apart. I have lusted after this camera since my twenties so was a little annoyed.
After consulting my advisor ( the internet), I tried to tighten a ring behind the lens assembly within the camera innards, but failed and in doing so scraped the interior matt finish. I’ve tried a black laundry pen and now am seeking out Humbrol matt black paint and an artists brush. Decided to keep the camera because it seems to work in all respects, and am hoping for decent results. It is a lovely looking and feeling camera, but just hoping the lens front assembly does not fall off.
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Good luck with it! Sounds like it should be OK.
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