Yashica making a come-back...in digital

[PFMcFarland]

There has been some action on the Yashica.com site lately, and the parent company has been running some TV ads teasing new things to come.

Right now, all they have is a clip-on lens for your iPhone, but today they have announced via another teaser ad an upcoming kick starter campaign for a new camera. The one being held by the spokes model (actually, she has nothing to say) looks quite a bit like the Electro 35 GL. Check it out at the link: https://photorumors.com/2017/09/22/yash ... ext-month/

I'm kind of leery about contributing to something like that, when all there is to see is a hint of what the camera might look like. Will have to wait until the announcement in October.

PF

[melek]

Does Kyocera still own the Yashica brand? The site might not realize, but Yashica is no longer a company. It became a brand/division that was part of the Kyocera company. Maybe Kyocera is behind this, or maybe someone is buying/renting the rights to the Yashica name.

Interesting, for sure.

[PFMcFarland]

Some Jebsen Group bought the rights to the Yashica name from Kyocera many years ago, Mike, and have produced a couple of cameras (one sorta GoPro like [and available at B&H], and the other before it more LOMO inspired, which I think LarryD has one), but those were more or less just re-branding deals. This looks like a new design from the few decent views of it in the ad. Maybe even AF, since all the model does is click the shutter release. It looks small even in her hands.

The site has been up for years as a place keeper with nothing going on as there was no product to buy, and only recently came back to life with these new products.

PF

[Julio1fer]

Maybe they looked at the success of the Fuji X-100 and decided to join the party.

[Santiago Montenegro]

Crazy stuff:

[Captain Slack]

What a joke!

[PFMcFarland]

At one point I was interested in getting one, more for adding it to the collections than trying to take good photos with it. But suddenly, after only two days of the Kickstarter campaign, they changed the specs, making it a total P&S with no controls operable by the user except as to what digifilm cartridge to install, then compose the shot. Plus, an all black "limited edition" version for double the price of the chrome model. And, they raised the prices on everything.

Naw, I'm not going to waste money on it. Too many shenanigans being pulled by the sellers. If I'd been one of the early investors through the Kickstarter, I'd be asking for my money back.

PF

[melek]

I was looking at the Kickstarter campaign page, and it's rather unusual. Quirky. More Diana and 1960s Hong Kong than modern-day Japan and I'm not sure what else.

It has a plastic body with metallic highlights. A fixed-focus 35mm (full-frame equivalent) lens that is f/2.8, and apparently an f/2.0 lens is in the works. A fast lens, particularly f/2.0, goes against the rest of the camera.

No LCD displays or monitor. Who needs those?

SD memory cards. Good. Runs on two AA batteries - that's odd.

It resembles a Yashica Electro. I'm curious. I don't know that I'm US$160 curious.

[PFMcFarland]

Well, it's hit the market like the proverbial dung hitting the fan.

https://photorumors.com/2018/09/11/the- ... ore-101148

Best $160 I didn't spend.

PF

[LarryD]

Why yes I have a Yashica ez521 sitting right here. I have had it for many years now. It is an odd bugger. It has no shutter and exposure works by the sensor being off or on. so if you move the camera you can get weird effects.
After the battle by Larry D, on Flickr