The Japanese company Yashica is known for introducing small, compact cameras that are cost-effective yet fun to shoot with. As the company grows its portfolio, it has introduced yet another model designed for creators who want to shoot more with less hassle. At the same time, it looks like an older classic Fujifilm point and shoot camera: the Fujifilm XF1. Here’s a look at what the new point-and-click can achieve.
Titled Yashica Tank, the model is set to be introduced this month, and it is arriving at a time when smartphone fatigue has reached it;s peaked. The device offers a simple design with a faux-leather finish, a classic silhouette, and a rounded lens housing that pays homage to 1980s and ’90s designs. It comes in four colors for those who like some variety: Noir, Tan, Pink Marshmallow, and Sky Blue.
Here’s a look at its specifications:
The headline feature, beyond the looks, is a 3-inch flip screen that rotates a full 180 degrees. It is the kind of addition that sounds minor but changes everything about how you shoot — enabling low-angle street photography, effortless selfies, and overhead framing without contorting yourself. In a camera aimed at spontaneous creators, it is exactly the right call.
- Sensor: 1/2.8″ CMOS, 12MP effective resolution
- Lens: Auto focus, f=2.3mm, f2 — focus range 0.1m to ∞
- Screen: 3.0″ 16:9 flip screen, 360×640 resolution
- Digital Zoom: 8×
- Photo formats: JPEG — 36MP / 24MP / 12MP (default)
- Video: MP4 — up to 4K 30fps, 1080p 60fps, 720p 60/30fps
- ISO: Auto, ISO 100–6400
- White balance: Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Tungsten / Fluorescent
- Filters: 11 creative filters
- Exposure compensation: −3 to +3
- Connectivity: USB-C (USB 2.0 / DC IN)
- Memory: Micro SD, 8GB–256GB, Class 10 / U1 (not included)
- Battery: BL-5B Lithium, 800mAh, 3.7V
- Dimensions: 10 × 2 × 5.5 cm (L×W×H)
- Weight: 105g
The most prominent features are the design and portability it offers, as well as the 3-inch screen that tilts up. In a way, the device lets you shoot from the hip, which is ideal for street photographers. The screen is also helpful if you want to make a vlog or shoot a selfie with your friends.
On paper, it doesn’t sound as exciting, but this 12MP camera is designed for casual users who want to ditch their phones. The device offers better efficiency and a zoom range of up to 8x, which a phone may not.
Here are some sample images:
The company has introduced many such small cameras, and each of them is created for those who want to have fun. An example is Yashica Y35, which offers a similar sensor for those who want the look of film on digital. As we explained in our review:
But I’d like to remind the world that this is a camera, it isn’t that serious, and Yashica should be given points for doing something that the Japanese have been refusing to do for a very long time. In conversations that I have, I can tell that Apple and Google are going after Sony, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Leica, Olympus and the L Mount coalition. Yet in 2018, the camera and what it is hasn’t fundamentally changed in many years. Yashica it trying to create something completely new: adding to the idea that a modular camera (and that’s what this is to a certain point) would be something that the world wants.
The Yashica Tank, in that regard, is ideal for those who want an in-between device. The lack of serious controls and its simplicity make it ideal for Gen Z users who do not want sharp images. Having recently taught a class of 18-year-olds, everyone kept insisting on adding “grain” to their photos, and with this sensor, I bet many of the students will adore the camera.
The device is available for 789 Hong Kong Dollars, which is about $100 in the States. This makes the camera as affordable as those from Kodak, which was also the most sought-after device on Amazon. Perhaps, Yashica will be able to dethrone them, but for now, they are offering exactly what the younger generation needs. And that says alot.