Affordable Excellence in a film camera: Starting with my Yashica T4 35mm Tessar f3.5

This little camera gets talked about a lot on Google. It's a definite contender for the folks that want a film camera with a superb prime lens like the Konica Hexar 35 f2.



These are a bit of a cult camera if you check ebay completed sales.



This one is in OB with instructions. Works perfectly.



One little funkiness on these, the battery door latch wasn't much good and most of them you'll see will have a little piece of tape holding the door shut. Nature of the beasty. $155

Has the price of this increased since we moved to digital? I remember getting this for $80 about 6 years ago (for a perfectly mint version). In any case - this is a gem of a camera....

Umesh Bhatt said:

Has the price of this increased since we moved to digital? I remember getting this for $80 about 6 years ago (for a perfectly mint version). In any case - this is a gem of a camera....

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They have become a minor cult item since mfr has long ceased. I checked ebay completed sales and set my price point well below (many at just under 200$) equivalent identical cameras hoping I could avoid listing it in an auction. So much easier and nicer to sell to folks here. I suppose I should post it at the RFF forum also. These have long been the "poor man's Konica Hexar" which of course is the poor man's Leica. It's a really neat little machine for $150 bucks.

Jim Galli said:

They have become a minor cult item since mfr has long ceased. I checked ebay completed sales and set my price point well below (many at just under 200$) equivalent identical cameras hoping I could avoid listing it in an auction. So much easier and nicer to sell to folks here. I suppose I should post it at the RFF forum also. These have long been the "poor man's Konica Hexar" which of course is the poor man's Leica. It's a really neat little machine for $150 bucks.

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I really really wanted one of these a few years ago. In the UK they seem to go on ebay for around £100. Nice cameras with an excellent lens.

Mike

Thanks for all the nice interest in this. In fact I DID list it over at RFForums and it sold in about 8 minutes!

Jim Galli said:

Thanks for all the nice interest in this. In fact I DID list it over at RFForums and it sold in about 8 minutes!

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Hi Jim,

I had no idea you were selling the camera, LOL! I thought this was a great piece of Galli advice and I promptly looked at where one could get it for $150. Glad for you that you sold it. What will you use now for a pocket film camera. I think my choice would be a Zeiss G2 if I could afford it.

This one is clearly excellent. Do you have pictures taken with the camera before you sold it!

What about the little pocket Rollei that had the trap door?

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Hi Jim,

I had no idea you were selling the camera, LOL! I thought this was a great piece of Galli advice and I promptly looked at where one could get it for $150. Glad for you that you sold it. What will you use now for a pocket film camera. I think my choice would be a Zeiss G2 if I could afford it.

This one is clearly excellent. Do you have pictures taken with the camera before you sold it!

What about the little pocket Rollei that had the trap door?

Asher

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Hi Asher. I guess I'm sort of done with 35mm film for now. My idea of a pocket film camera is a Minolta Autocord. Just a lot more fun in the darkroom and on the scanner. I'll admit I've always wanted to play with the Konica Hexar. I do still have some long rolls of 35mm Aerial Recon Plus X in the freezer, so who knows! Nope, the film ain't fer sale.

Pics. Last time we used it we had color film and I recall sticking my head through the sun roof on the VW as my wife drove across the Golden Gate Bridge into SF. Finding that shot would be a challenge.

Jim Galli said:

Hi Asher. I guess I'm sort of done with 35mm film for now. My idea of a pocket film camera is a Minolta Autocord. Just a lot more fun in the darkroom and on the scanner. I'll admit I've always wanted to play with the Konica Hexar. I do still have some long rolls of 35mm Aerial Recon Plus X in the freezer, so who knows! Nope, the film ain't fer sale.

Pics. Last time we used it we had color film and I recall sticking my head through the sun roof on the VW as my wife drove across the Golden Gate Bridge into SF. Finding that shot would be a challenge.

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Well, I just broke my own rule and bought Jeremy's Konica Hexar AF. Anyone else have / had one. It's a neat little fixed lens 35 with a Leica Summicron copy 35mm f2 lens. 7 elements, 6 groups. We shall see.

Jim Galli said:

Well, I just broke my own rule and bought Jeremy's Konica Hexar AF. Anyone else have / had one. It's a neat little fixed lens 35 with a Leica Summicron copy 35mm f2 lens. 7 elements, 6 groups. We shall see.

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Jim, don't orget the silent mode. Leaf shutter and silent wind. Stealthy like Asher's G10, but with film

Mike