Good News? Maybe.

Andysnap

Andysnap

Messages
16,290
Name
Andy Grant
Edit My Images
Yes
Looks like the camera ready to go into production, the MF1, which they’ve described somewhat grandly as a “snapshot art camera” is a basic focus-free point and shoot. One of the sample shots having a huge light leak doesn’t bode well unless they’re going for the Lomography market with it. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve just got a bunch of old ex-stock Vivitar focus-free cameras or something that they plan on re-badging.

The re-releases of the old Yashica models sound far more interesting, but unless they’ve found a warehouse full of old stock, or have a factory with all the necessary tooling etc. then it feels somewhat pie in the sky.

I’m guessing that the film stocks are likely re-branded emulsions too.

I’d be happy, but very surprised, if this wasn’t another cash-grab on the Yashica name.

Cynical, moi? :D
 
Last edited:
I guess it'll depend on pricing when it all arrives, Andy. 24 exp film bugs me as it costs the same as a 36 exp for canister, packaging, postage and processing, so the extra 12 exp shouldn't add too much overall. Maybe they think the target market is coming from instant film with 10 or a dozen shots, so they might find 24 shots to be a bonus?
 
Not impressed. I don't know what they're thinking of charging for a snapshot camera with a built in flash gun that's only good for 3000 flashes, but I'd be very surprised if it was less (or even the same) as you'd pay for a decent 35mm camera on the second hand market.

As to the TLR - the viewfinder is going to be rather small I suspect unless they engineer it like the Contax 35mm TLR (the only time as far as I know that a TLR was made in 35mm) where the viewing lens was of a longer focal length to the taking lens, allowing the focusing/viewing screen to be larger than 35mm frame size. I prefer waist level finders with 35mm cameras, but the screen on the RZ67 is still easier to use; and I'm not convinced that a "beginners" camera should be harder to use than it has to be.

And to describe grain and garish colours as if they automatically conferred the status of art on the results...

Sorry, I'm out. Sometimes a bad deal IS worse than no deal.
 
Yashica no longer exists in any meaningful sense, it's just some cowboys who have acquired the brand name. The film will be rebadged stock from one of the usual suspects. Their MF-1, as someone in the Petapixel comments notes, looks like a disposable (and nothing like the real Yashica original). Lomo already has a 'reloadable disposable'. The original MF-2 was another very basic fixed focus camera, so even if they've located some new old stock or somehow aim to put it back into production, it's not exactly going to set the photographic world alight. Who knows what the 'rebirth' of the 44 means. Lomo cheekily sells their 120/35mm 'recreation' of the old Soviet Lubitel, one step up from a toy camera, for the price of a decent Rolleicord. Perhaps it will be something like that, if we ever see it.
 
Last edited:
This is pretty much what I expected after the debacle of their last release, I think I will pass as well (n):)
 
Yeah, I’ve heard that the disposable camera comes from the same factory as a few other rebrands and the film is also re-spooled into generic canisters (which means the film stock is hidden). I’ve been speaking to the guy who’s responsible for some of their marketing/testing and he doesn’t know what the film stock is either so it’s a bit of an unknown!

With regards to the Yashica 44, I was asked about working on the design with them a few weeks’ ago so I’d suggest it’s not really close to being ready yet. I don’t know if they’re making a completely new plastic version or hoping to upgrade existing cameras but I’d expect it to be another plastic fantastic like the Y35 :0(
 
TBH it mostly looks like junk, sad to say. And $24 for a budget disposable camera and a roll of unknown 24exp budget film?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top