Yashica T4 Super

The Yashica T4 Super is a compact camera for the 35mm film format. It was built by Kyocera for Yashica in collaboration with Carl Zeiss AG and was also sold as the Yashica T5 and Kyocera T Proof.

The Yashica T4 Super comes with a Carl Zeiss Tessar 35mm f/3.5 lens. The camera automatically sets the exposure, as well as the focus of the lens. The closest focusing distance is 35 cm.

The T4 Super comes with a built-in flash. This can either be activated automatically (with and without red eye correction), used as a fill light, or turned off.
There is also a mode for landscape photography.

35mm films (eBay / Amazon*) are required for the Yashica T4 Super. Here, the exposure meter supports films with a sensitivity between ISO 50 and ISO 3200, and the camera automatically detects the sensitivity from the DX encoding. The film is transported automatically and the number of frames is displayed on a small LCD.

Power is supplied by a CR123A battery (eBay / Amazon*). A tripod thread and a self-timer are provided.

Differences from the Yashica T4

The Yashica T4 Super differs from the Yashica T4 in a few ways. For example, the Super comes with a kind of light well viewfinder, as known from TLRs. The small window is located next to the shutter release and can roughly give a preview of the image shot from the hip, for example.

The viewfinder, named “Super Scope”, is flatly just a mirror and an opening on the front of the camera and is neither connected to the lens nor digital in any way.

In addition, the Yashica T4 Super is “Weatherproof”, meaning a little water and dust won’t harm it. However, it is not waterproof and cannot be used for diving or swimming.

Yashica T4 Super D

The Yashica T4 Super D is identical to the regular version, but also features a databack. This allows the photographer to imprint the date into the image.