I’ve said it so many times. I’m not going to buy another camera! And then comes along an idea for a camera that just hits me where it hurts. The Yashica FX-D is a new camera due for release in August 2025. From early previews, the concept looks fantastic… But from Yashica’s past offerings, it may not be as good as I hope. Let’s take a deep dive into this Kickstarter camera.
The Yashica FX-D is a series of cameras that has recently been revived by Yashica, aiming to blend the nostalgic appeal of analogue photography with the convenience and capabilities of digital imaging. This new iteration comes in two main variants: the FX-D 100 and the FX-D 300, with a third variant, the FX-D S300, featuring an electronic viewfinder, recently added due to user feedback.
Key Features and Philosophy:
* “Film-Digital Hybrid” Concept: While the new FX-D cameras are entirely digital, they are designed to emulate the experience of shooting film. This includes a tactile “film advance lever” (which, in digital mode, is engaged to switch to film simulation mode and can be wound before each shot for a more deliberate process), and a focus on “mindful photography.”
* Film Simulations: A core aspect of the FX-D is its built-in film simulations, drawing inspiration from classic Yashica film stocks. These include “Ruby 60s,” “Sapphire 70s,” “Yashica 400,” “Golden 80s,” “Mono 400,” and “B&W 400.” Users can also customize and save their own “recipes” for different looks by adjusting parameters like contrast, saturation, hue, sharpness, and white balance.
Here is a look at the film simulations, and be prepared for Nikon Cloud Imaging versions very, very soon!
* Retro Design: The cameras sport a classic, retro aesthetic, reminiscent of vintage film SLRs, even incorporating a pentaprism-like bump (though initially without an actual viewfinder in the 100 and 300 models).
* Digital Convenience: Despite the analogue inspirations, the FX-D offers modern digital features such as a 180-degree flip screen (no viewfinder on the 100 and original 300, but added to the S300), USB-C charging, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Photos are captured in JPEG format.
Yashica FX-D 100 vs. FX-D 300/S300:
* FX-D 100: More compact and designed for everyday creators. It features a 13-megapixel 1/3.06-inch Sony IMX458 sensor (similar to smartphone sensors) and a 25-76mm equivalent f/1.6-2.8 variable aperture lens with 3x optical and 4x digital zoom.
* FX-D 300/S300: Geared towards professionals, offering a higher resolution 50-megapixel 1/1.56-inch sensor (comparable to iPhone 15 Pro) and a 24mm equivalent f/1.8 prime lens. The FX-D 300 includes optical image stabilization. The FX-D S300 adds a 0.32-inch OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 1.4M dot resolution.
* Both models can capture 4Kp30 video.
Historical Context:
It’s worth noting that “Yashica FX-D” was also the name of a 35mm SLR film camera released by Yashica in 1980. This original FX-D Quartz was a compact manual focus SLR with aperture priority and manual modes, featuring a Contax/Yashica (C/Y) lens mount. It was known for its reliability and was quite similar to the Contax 139 Quartz, though lacking some features like TTL flash support. The current digital Yashica FX-D cameras are directly inspired by the aesthetics and “feel” of this classic film camera.
The new Yashica FX-D aims to cater to the growing popularity of retro-inspired digital cameras, offering a unique blend of vintage charm and modern functionality at an accessible price point, with an expected delivery around August 2025 following a Kickstarter campaign.
For an in-depth look at the camera, you can visit their Kickstarter project at https://www.yashica.com/fx-d-series where you’ll get some great examples of what they promise the camera will be.
Summary:
The whole concept sounds amazing on paper, but Yashica apparently had a similar Kickstarter project around a decade ago with appalling results that included a very badly made camera that easily broke, terrible image quality and were accused of not releasing the product they advertised (see the reviews at the time from backers).
Another thing is the size of the sensors. I am in no way a sensor-hoe and honestly, I’ll use any type of camera or mobile phone. However, with all this glamorous design, you’d expect something a little more then phone sensors. We all know that the image quality falls apart very quickly with phone sensors, and 50mp means absolutely nothing in real terms.
That said, it’s an interesting project, and if it wasn’t for these few caveats, it could be a great little toy… And perhaps that is what it is, a little, expensive toy (that’s another thing, the price on these cameras! Depending on the early-bird package you get (currently there are 6 packages to choose from), the cheapest is approximately £186 while the most expensive is approximately £431!
Maybe I’ll send them a nice email and ask them if I can have a review copy… Now there’s an idea!
One Camera One Lens Photography 
Hey Mark,
That’s one fantastic article — I read it with great interest, and wow… what a brilliant find!
You’re absolutely right about the sensor — a Micro Four Thirds would’ve been the bare minimum, or at least a 1-inch like we sometimes see in higher-end compacts.
That said… this might just be the sexiest-looking camera I’ve seen so far. It’s got that analog charm dialed in perfectly. Some similarities with the Fuji half-frame — the winding lever, for instance — but this concept feels far more intriguing overall.
Yes, the sensor is a bit of a bummer, but on the other hand… the price isn’t bad at all. Definitely a tempting little gadget.
Honestly, I might be interested myself — so email Mark!! I’d love to see you test this thing out. Fingers crossed already.
All the best!
Marc
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