A cult classic in recent years, the Yashica T5 is one of the most talked about point and shoot cameras, alongside its earlier model, the Yashica T4. We have taken this camera on several trips and are here to tell you a little bit more about it.
What is the Yashica T5?
The Yashica T5, also known as the Yashica T4 Super, was introduced in the early 90s and captured a lot of what people wanted in their cameras at that time.
The Yashica T5 is super compact, small enough to fit in your pocket with minimal extra bulky bits. Admittedly, this means sometimes your finger ends up in front of the lens, but you just have to remind yourself of where your fingers need to be.
Speaking of the lens, this is one of the elements that makes the Yashica T5 stand out against other 35mm point and shoot cameras on the market. It has a Carl Zeiss Tessar 35mm f/3.5 lens, which, for those of you who aren't fully camera savvy, means it is super sharp and has a great aperture for portraits, landscapes, and everything in between.
Here are some of the other features this camera has:
- Weatherproof for those rainy (and sandy) days
- Quick autofocus and powering up
- Waist-level viewfinder
- Built-in flash
- Self-timer
This camera is not packed full of lots of different settings and dials, but it has all you need to take images quickly and easily.
What is the difference between the Yashica T5 and the Yashica T4?
To the untrained eye, these two cameras appear very similar. However, the Yashica T5 is the newer (and maybe better) version of the Yashica T4. The Yashica T5 has more features than the Yashica T4 despite being the same size and having the same lens.
For example, the Yashica T4 does not feature the waist-level viewfinder, nor does it boast about being weatherproof. Other than that, it is considered to be the same.
Using the Yashica T5
I have used the Yashica T5 on several trips around the world as I love its compact size and being able to take images so quickly and easily. One thing people often worry about with 35mm autofocus point and shoots is that they will miss the focus, but I have never had this issue with the Yashica T5. It has a great minimum focusing distance of 0.35m, which compared to other 35mm point and shoots, is really close.
The waistlevel viewfinder on the Yashica T5 is a little bit of a novelty and you don't find yourself using it very often. But for lining up landscapes from lower down, it can be quite handy.
The ordinary viewfinder is also clear and it is easy to see your frame lines in there, meaning you can take time to line up your frame before you take your image. You don't have to worry about doing any of your settings, so the Yashica T5 really allows for you to focus on your framing.
What film did I use?
The Yashica T5 handles exposure so well that any type of 35mm film can work well in the camera. All of the shots I have ever taken on it have come out perfectly exposed with great colours. The images in this review are taken using a mixture of Fujifilm Superia 400 and Kodak Gold.
Black and white 35mm film would also be a great choice for the Yashica T5 as black and white film often looks sharper, and the Yashica T5 lens is so sharp itself.
Is the Yashica T5 good for beginners?
In short, yes, but you may not be able to appreciate how great this camera is if it is the first film camera you have used.
The settings are super simple, and it truly is a point and shoot camera; it fits easily in your pocket and is ready to go in a matter of seconds.
You'd be a spoilt first timer to use the Yashica T5 as your first film camera. If you're in the position to buy this camera as your first camera, go for it! Otherwise, there are cheaper alternatives available.
Final Thoughts on the Yashica T5
The Yashica T5 is so compact and quick to use - it can be taken out of your pocket and used in less than 5 seconds.
The super sharp lens and great autofocus means your images are always sharp and in focus.
It is perfect for your everyday adventures with its weatherproof casing.
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Article written by: Max
Max is the owner of Cameras By Max. They work full-time repairing and refurbishing all the 35mm film cameras you see on the website. Their favourite camera (at the moment) is the Olympus XA, and their favourite city in the world is Edinburgh.