Expect the unexpected. Unprecedented. These were just some of the slick catchphrases thrown at us by Yashica. For weeks, the iconic camera brand teased its return to the industry through a series of vague trailers and the release of smartphone clip-on lenses. And finally, all that marketing has come to fruition.
Behold, the Y35 – Yashica’s latest camera, and a very peculiar one at that. Dubbed as a “digiFilm” camera by the company, the Y35 is a device that shoots digital photos with the help of pretend rolls of film.
As strange as that sounds, it’s actually how the camera works. You shoot digitally, but before that, you need to insert different rolls of “film” with fixed ISOs and aspect ratios – pretty much like how a legit analogue camera operates. The difference is that you don’t actually get to print out your shots, since it’s not real film.
That’s not all. The Y35 has no LCD screen for you to view shots, no delete button, and certainly no way to change your settings: shutter speed is automatic and if you need to adjust your ISO, you’ve got to pop out your digiFilm roll and insert a new one. You even have to “wind” in between each shot.
Yep. Yashica wants to “recapture the joy and meaning of analogue-photography” while eliminating the time and expense required for film development”. Camera purists will definitely bristle at that statement, as it seems that Yashica has just lopped together the worst aspects of both digital and film photography.
While that may be the case for pros, the Y35 could be an interesting way for beginners, especially those who are familiar with digital cams, to explore the world of analogue photography. That said; there are apps out there that can help recreate the “analogue experience”, such as Gudak, which adds old school filters to your smartphone pictures.
Shots with the various “film” rolls:
In terms of specs, the Y35 has a 35mm f/2.8 glass lens, ½.3-inch CMOS sensor that shoots at 14-megapixels, five shutter speeds (1s, 1/30s, 1/60s, 1/250s, 1/500s), a micro USB port, and a battery port for AA batteries.
If you’d like to score the camera, Yashica has created a Kickstarter page to pledge funds. Those who pledge approximately S$192 will receive the Y35, along with two rolls of film – an IS0200 normal colour and an ISO400 monochrome film.
For more information, visit www.yashica.com.
Images: Yashica
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