Yashica T4 Zoom

I was searching all over for a camera to replace my beloved, but lost, Canon SureShot Classic 120..and this is it! What a great point and shooter for under $200!

-Carl Zeiss Lens. What more can you say for a point and shoot. -Aluminum body. Seems very durable and solid, not a piece of cheap plastic. -Wider angle lens. In normal mode you can take more of the picture in. -Remote. The T4 zoom kit came with a nifty remote to use take pictures.

-Shutter speed. Maybe I'm not used to it but after you click the shutter button, the film winder has a slight delay which took a little time getting used to. -Viewfinder. It seems that the overall viewfinder was a little small and took a little getting used to navigate correctly to aim/ -Preset zoom lengths. You can't make fine zoom adjustments.

Canon SureShot Classic 120

I wanted to purchase a good quality 35mm camera for my wife as a Christmas present when her Nikon P&S died. When I read about the reputation and all the rave reviews of the T4 and T4 Super, I knew I wanted one (for my wife of course ;). I found out that neither model was available anymore, and both draw a premium on Ebay. Enter the Yashica T4 Zoom. It's got a Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 28-70mm zoom lens. Encased in a nice looking aluminum half shell, I thought "Great! They took the T4 and made it even better!" I fell prey to marketing confusion. Usually very careful to read all the details, I neglected to notice that the zoom model was more than just an upgrade of the Super. This camera is a bit more complicated than your average point and shoot. I took a couple rolls of film around Christmas time, and the results were very good. The redeye was not too bad and the flash recycled quickly thanks to the big lithium battery. One picture of my aunt and uncle came out superb. The zoom range is very handy for taking portraits, closeups and getting the whole family in the shot. I also took some pictures indoors without the flash. I set the camera down and used the remote to capture a great portrait of my wife and I in natural light from the window. Again another keeper. Now for the bad. This is not just an upgrade of the legendary T4 and T4 Super. Because this is a zoom model, the lens is much slower. In other words, it lets in much less light. The original T4 models had an aperture of F3.5 at 35mm. This model is F4.5 at 28mm and F8 at 70mm. You must use a tripod or place the camera on a shelve etc when using available light indoors. At 35mm, you are already a stop slower than the original T4. At 70mm, you are 2.5 stops slower than the original T4. I found that the zoom function is much slower and noisier than our old Nikon or my Canon digital point and shoot.. The biggest problem I have with this camera is the viewfinder. It is much to small, much to dim. The location of the viewfinder is also too far toward the corner IMO. I have a very difficult time getting the entire picture in my vision. It's very easy to block the flash with your finger while holding onto the camera. The second biggest problem I have is getting the camera to do what I want it to. I find myself adjusting the settings every time I turn the camera on. The camera resets itself every time it's turned on or off, so this can become a pain. If you want the redeye function on, you must remember to turn it on every time you use the camera. The zoom also starts out at the widest setting, 28mm every time you turn the camera on. Not such a big deal, but I would prefer if it started with the lens set around 35mm. IMO, the controls are just not very intuitive. I notice my wife fumbling with the camera before taking a picture. You must familiarize yourself with the manual to understand all the settings and icons. Even then, you must remember to set the camera before almost any shot. In conclusion, with two little kids, time is of the essence. This camera is frustrating because you must remember to set it up every time it's turned on. Although this camera is capable of some great pictures, it's not for everyone. I found the faults to be more than I was willing to live with. This camera will be found on Ebay in the near future. At the very least, I suggest you go and check one of these out in person before ordering one over the web. You may find that the camera is not quite everything it's cooked up to be. Check out the Olympic Stylus Epic for a great alternative to the original Yashica T4.

Aluminum half shell. Good looks. Compact. Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar 28-70mm zoom lens. 123A Lithium Battery. Quick flash recycle.

Small, dim viewfinder. Easy to block the flash. Camera resets itself when turned on. Slow noisy zoom. Must read manual to understand settings and icons.

Nikon APS, Canon Powershot, Olympus Stylus Epic.

N/A

I purchased the Zoom T4 primarily to snap shot people during our events. The prints from this T4 continues to tell me I've made the right choice. The depth provided by the lense does a wonderful job in concentrating on my subject matter by separating the background ever so slightly, it fulfills my primary requirement to capture people. The fill in flash seems adequate for my use, even night shots of Christmas lights and people turned out excellent. The looks of the camera itself I really like too, the matte charcoal aluminum face looks sharp and more professional than all the silver faced cameras out there, which is logical too, for this camera targets a different user market from most other point & shoots. The simplistic button layouts are both user-friendly and adequate. To pick bones out of an egg I can say that the ergonomics could improve a little, I find that I could not get a firm, confident hold of the camera by just using my right hand. I think a slightly contoured back to hug the thumb could improve this issue. Simple conclusion is that it serves the purpose of a point & shoot, even casual user like me can achieve qualities prints like that from a professional.

•Definitely the Lense •Fit and finish, quality construction •Quiet zoom •Good value •Wider angle lense is perfect for group and location shots •Compact, go anywhere body •Can withstand the cold Canadian climate.

•I would wish that Kyocera would come out with a fixed length, wide angle version, no zoom, so the the camera can be even more compact.

•n/a

•Not required yet

I lost my Olympus Stylus Epic and was just going to buy another one, since I was always pleased with the sharp, colorful photos it took. But, after reading all the positive reviews of the T4 Zoom and knowing how outstanding the original fixed focus T4 was, I decided to go for the T4 Zoom. So, I am comparing this to my old Stylus Epic. Shot a test roll using Fuji 200 speed print film as my first roll. Results were mixed. Inside shots on a tripod were not as sharp as expected and noticeable vignetting on the left side at wide angle. Sometimes heavy vignetting. (A few other reviewers have mentioned this too.) Inside exposure was okay, but perhaps on the under-exp. side. Good color saturation. Took shots of some fruit in a bowl using a tripod, but again, they were not as sharp as I hoped. Outside shots (on a tripod) were also not as sharp as expected. Took shots of flowers and more of my brick chimney at different focal lengths and they just seemed a touch out of focus. Contrast and color saturation were very good, but still a bit of vignetting. Second roll using 400 speed film was much better. Took it to an outdoor football game. Photos of my wife and parents in the stands came out colorful, contrasty and acceptably sharp. (You could read the scoreboard in background which was nearly 100 yards away. Funny thing was, NO TRIPOD!) Took shots of players at full zoom and they turned out remarkably well. Not as much vignetting. Overall, I am happy enough that I will keep this camera, but must say that the lens is not as "bitingly sharp" as some reviewers have attested to. I would recommend using 400 speed film and experimenting with different films. But, if you don't need a zoom, go with the Olympus Stylus Epic with the 2.8 and save yourself about $100! I will still be getting another one because I personally think it takes sharper photos. And, you can carry it in your front pocket!

Metal front. Fairly sharp and contrasty photos even at full zoom. Features like the "long time" exposure control allow shutter speeds to 2 full seconds for night shots, or blur effect shots.

Lens not as sharp as led to believe.

Olympus Stylus Epic 2.8 fixed focus. Canon Elan II Nikon FM

Haven't used them.

This is the best point and shoot camera on the market under $300. The lens is stunningly sharp. The colour rendition and contrast are gorgeous. The images speak for themselves. Sample photos can be seen here: http://alkiratech.tripod.com/photogallery/id41.html http://alkiratech.tripod.com/photogallery/id45.html http://alkiratech.tripod.com/photogallery/id53.html

Fantastically sharp lens. High quality construction. Smooth and quiet operation. Reliable metering. Excellent flash exposures

No warning about flash in viewfinder.

Yashica T4 Super, Olympus MjuII, Rollei AFM35, Olympus XA, Konica Lexio 70

Not needed yet.