Throwback Edit Version: I edited this in May 2026, checked the links and converted it to the new WordPress blocks format if needed.

This is actually my 100th camera post. It is a bit of a disappointing camera to get to a milestone with, but at least it is a Yashica.

I got this for $10, and it was broken, only slightly, but still broken. The catch on the bottom, the O-P slider, would not open the back. So I yanked the back open with a dentist’s tool, just to see inside and see if it was worth trying to fix. There was a little bit of fungus, but not a lot. So I whipped off the bottom and saw that a spring had sprung. I reattached it and voila – a maybe working camera.

So what about the rest of the camera? I thought the scale on the top was a light meter, but it is really just an over-the-top ASA marker. The light meter is a needle scale inside the viewfinder, and it still moved in the right direction. That was a good sign. The second image of the rangefinder was very faint, but still just visible. So I loaded up a Fuji 400 film and set off for a local festival.

The camera actually got a lot of notice; a few of my friends or associates have tried making a switch to film lately.

Here is the test roll.

And that is why I was a bit disappointed it was the 100th camera. Not great, not bad, just meh. I didn’t really enjoy using it either, not enough control and too heavy. It does have an f1.8 lens, which helped on the cloudy day I used it. The main issues seemed to be overexposure. There was a scale inside the viewfinder, but no lock on the shutter, meaning if you use it, you must stay out of the red.

At the end of the day, it is a camera from 1963; I was lucky to find one with a working light meter. There are no links in this post as I could not find any. It seems that very few examples of this camera have survived to be reviewed.

Keep or sell: Neither, I am going to give it away.

Also, the photos of the camera were taken with a Nikon AW130; I do not recommend it. I can’t wait to get my Canon S90 back. Roll on summer.