Recently I picked up a new camera, the Yashica-D. I bought this camera second hand from an elderly man for R500. Although I had to get the shutter button fixed because it was stuck, I personally think this was a deal of a life time especially since the price of film cameras is on the rise. Even with issues, film cameras can be costly.
The Yashica-D is my second TLR camera, my first being the Rollieflex. The Yashica’s compact nature is definitely a win for me much like the Rollie. One notable difference between the two is the “swirliness” of the bokeh. The functionality between the two is also slightly different. For one the advancement of the film is different, on the Rollie there’s a lever, whereas the Yashica button you press then you can roll the advancement knob. Both cameras shoot a square format image and both have a 3,5 aperture and 80mm lens on the Yashica and a 75mm lens on the Rollie.
The Yashica-D came with a number of additional accessories like the filters, lens hood and a macro adaptor. I haven’t used some of these yet, but I’m definitely looking forward to trying them out and sharing the results here.
I can safely say that I get a kick from shooting new cameras. However, I’m finding myself in a position where I would like to halt the GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) I have and start creating more meaningful images. There is a project I started on film about two years ago and I think it’s time I wrap that project up and focus on new projects. The Yashica will find its purpose in the near future and I don’t think I will be letting it go anytime soon.
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