Yashica Y35 DigiFilm camera review & teardown – “Don’t buy this sh*t”
Oct 22, 2018
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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Kickstarter projects often get a pretty negative response from the get-go, especially in the photography world. And while many people forget that it’s simply a venue, and you have to look at the seller, sometimes the audience gets duped. That appears to be the case with the Yashica Y35 “DigiFilm” camera. At least according to this review from Point&ShootClub.
We’ve already reported on some of the negative responses Yashica is getting from campaign backers that have now received their cameras. But for a project that raised a staggering $1.28 million on Kickstarter, it’s easy to see why people expected more. Much more. Oh, yes, they also got a further $1.51 million through an Indiegogo campaign, too.
Based on the design of the Yashica Electro 35, released in 1966, backers were very excited about finally getting the camera in their hands. But as the review above illustrates, what they received is nowhere near as good as they expected.
He describes it as a “shit” plastic toy, that’s worth nowhere near the $125-$200 that backers had paid. Various parts of the camera broke within the first few uses, and as the teardown of the camera below shows, the construction on the inside is about as cheap as the camera feels on the outside.
I actually laughed out loud when he unscrewed that metal plate off the top. A plate that only exists to make the camera feel heavier and more “premium” – a pretty common tactic amongst cheap products to make the customer feel like they’re getting a quality product when they’re not.
While I still don’t think Kickstarter is inherently a bad platform, this is a reminder to judge each project on its own individual merits. And to really do our research before we decide to back something.
I couldn’t believe how much money this particular campaign was raising, and didn’t buy into the hype. I’ve just seen too many failed attempts at creating a film-like experience with digital, and too many failed attempts to convert film cameras to digital. I wanted to wait and see what it was like before I decided whether or not to pick one up.
Having seen these videos, I’m glad I made that decision. By just about every definition, this product screams of a scam.
John Aldred
John Aldred is a photographer with over 25 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter – and occasional beta tester – of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
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5 responses to “Yashica Y35 DigiFilm camera review & teardown – “Don’t buy this sh*t””
Looks like there is just one thing missing, the “50mm New Optical Color Lens” sticker around the lens front ring. Though, people are still using these New Optical Color Lens cameras for fun, by the look of it, no fake Yashica will ever hold long enough to have that honor.
I’d buy one to play with. For maybe $15. I see a lot of DIY fun that could be had. But $100? LOL no.
I used an Electra35 during the 70s. Why would anyone want a digital version today in the first place?
My first 35mm camera was a Yashica and I loved it. After 9 months waiting, I had high hopes for this model. It arrived this morning and my hopes weren’t just dashed; they were hanged, drawn and quartered. An absolute waste of $146. It is nothing more than a plastic toy; absolute rubbish. Poorly constructed, flimsy and ugly. You could probably get something much better for a lot less from Geek.com or eBay. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
Is this what you get in a box of cereal?