Fujifilm isn’t the only brand putting film advance levers on cameras

The Yashica FX-D 100 appears to be modelled on the FX-7 Super SLR sold by the original Yashica company (and reportedly manufactured by Cosina) in the early 1980s. Image: Yashica

In all the buzz and chatter around the launch of Fujifilm’s X half, we missed the quieter announcement of another digital camera with a film advance lever: the Yashica FX-D 100. This has now been joined by two sister models, the FX-D 300 and FX-D S300. All three cameras are being funded via Kickstarter.

The FX-D 100 and FX-D 300 have a blanking plate where you’d expect a viewfinder. Image: Yashica

All three cameras are designed to approximately resemble the original Yashica FX-7 Super film SLR, but a fair bit smaller. All three are built around very small sensors. The least-expensive FX-D 100 model has an optical zoom lens, while the more expensive FX-D 300 and S300 have a fixed lens with a ring around the lens controlling digital zoom / cropping. Only the most expensive of the three models has an electronic viewfinder, the other two have a blanking plate over the back of the finder hump.

*Campaign ended

The FX-Ds are the second generation of digital cameras to be sold via Kickstarter, following the revival of the Yashica name on the Y35 camera in 2017, which raised over $1M on the platform. That camera, which also married a small sensor and film simulation concept to a design that visually mimicked a film-era Yashica camera, was met with reviews that ranged from critical to scathing.

The FX-D 300 and S300 have a fixed 24mm equivalent lens that can crop to deliver the 60mm equiv field of view listed on the front of the camera. All three FX-D models have flip-forward LCDs. Image: Yashica

Somewhat concerningly, the FX-D 100’s lens specs are a match for the company’s City 100 model, which again, hasn’t been well received. Both ‘300’ models use the same 50MP sensor and 24mm equiv prime lens used by the upcoming City 300, which promises a 24-60mm equiv range, by cropping into an 8MP region to give the 60mm equivalent view.

Unlike the Y35, all three FX-D cameras have a (fold-forward) rear screen and let you choose between film simulation modes without having to slot a ‘film’ module into the back of the camera. All three cameras include six virtual filmstocks:

• Ruby 60s
• Sapphire 70s
• Yashica 400
• Golden 80s
• Mono 400
• Black and White 400

The company says it’s working on building Raw capability into the FX-D 300 models.

The FX-D S300 has an electronic viewfinder, though we haven’t found any details of its specifications. Image: Yashica

The Yashica name appears to currently be owned by a Hong Kong company called JNC Datum Tech, which is owned by the MF Jebsen Group. It has been used for a wide range of products, including being licensed to Kickstarter film module company, I’m Back.

This is a slightly different situation to Kodak, where the post-bankruptcy remains of the original Eastman Kodak company still controls who gets to license and use its brand name.

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