 |
One of the best cameras around to take and point and shoot with. I love the lens and how sharp it gets. Also it has a super scope for those low angle shots. Camera is known to be used by Terry Richardson and I can see the reason why he chose such a camera. The camera is a point and shoot that it makes you part of the scene since you can get really close with a 35mm lens. The focus is awesome though you have to learn how to use it in order to get great results. I would recommend this camera for those people who wants to have great shots with film and it is perfect for travel photography if you still want to shoot with film. Very well recommended also for those instances that you are in a party and want a camera that you can put on your jacket pocket.
Picture quality when using good film exceeds most digital cameras under $2000. Best results so far were from Kodak Tri-X 400 B&W, Fuji Velvia 100 color reversal, Kodak 400 Portra. Depth of field is full-frame, same as 5Dmk2. Zeiss 35/3.5 lens is unbelievable. Fits in your pocket, very few controls, point & shoot, very easy, many shots are very well exposed & focussed, a few misses. If shooting film without a zoom lens fits your lifestyle, this is the ultimate pocket camera.
I have the European T5 version, which is identical to the domestic T4. The Zeiss lens produces very sharp and sparklingly photos with accurate color rendition. Auto exposure and focusing are usually spot-on. I use it when I don't want to worry about taking a more expensive camera (like my Contax T3) to locations like the beach, the pool or when mountain climbing. With the weatherproofing, you have a high-performance, worry-free, go-anywhere camera that fits in your shirt pocket. I get best results with Kodak Max 400 film. The only caveat is with the sensitive shutter button, when you press halfway to freeze the focus and exposure. But once mastered the shutter delay is nil and it puts all those digital cameras with their shutter lag to shame.
The Yashica T4 is one of those all too rare consumer cameras that strives to be something more, and succeeds. Yashica marketed and priced the T4 as a low-end consumer camera, $130 for the first version of the T4 when introduced in 1992 (the T4 Super was later introduced in 1996). However, its multi-coated Carl Zeiss T* lens, fixed at 35mm, proved that this point & shoot camera could produce photographs that were anything but "low-end." The Japanese made, compact 35mm camera consistently performs as well as cameras priced 3 and 4 times as high. The T4's merging of quality with affordability was no accident though... well, maybe it was depending on how you look at it. It was one of those rare moments in capitalist history when a business venture benefited the consumer almost as much as it benefited company. Leading up to 1973, Carl Zeiss had been producing lenses of unmatched quality for professional cameras, produced by companies like Rollei and Hasselblad. However, like any well run business, Carl Zeiss was looking for a way to grow, and a successful line of cameras was the way to do it. So in '73, Zeiss approached Yashica of Japan, a brand with a reputation for producing cameras of decent quality, but also perceived as a cheap brand. At the time, most would have thought that this partnership would have prevented the venerable lens maker from accomplishing it's goal of expansion, but Yashica's newly engineered electronic shutters were enough for Zeiss to overlook the Japanese camera maker's public image. Yashica began producing SLR cameras for Zeiss under the Contax name. Fast forward to 1992, Yashica introduced the pocket sized T4, sporting a 35mm f/3.5 multi-coated Carl Zeiss T* lens that outperformed every camera in its class, and will continue to for decades to come. Sadly, Yashica (owned by parent company Kyocera since 1983) discontinued its production of the Yashica T4 Super in 2002. Despite rumors that Yashica's halt in production of the T4 was due to a dispute between the two companies that resulted in Zeiss pulling Kyocera's license to produce their lenses, the truth of the matter is much less dramatic. With the onslaught of digital in the 2000's, Kyocera decided to pull the plug on producing cameras altogether and started chasing money in different directions... one being the production of solar energy systems in Arizona. So what's the moral of this story? Treat your T4's well, because they are an endangered species that are, unfortunately, incapable of reproducing.Read full review
I love how these images come out. All of the functions of this camera are working wonderfully. I definitely recommend this point and shoot to someone who wants to experiment with different kinds of cameras and styles. One of my favorite features is the slide lens cover, does a solid job at keeping dust out.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Film Cameras
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Film Cameras
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
