What’s New: Things to Snap Up, Ignore
Are you tired of the shape and feel of your automatic point-and-shoot camera? Looking for a camera that will have everyone asking, “What the heck is that?” Do you want a 35-millimeter camera that looks like a movie camera? Or are you looking for a camera that you can just hold, point, zoom and shoot with only one hand?
If that’s enough to get your shutter snapping, consider the Yashica Samurai. This new camera has been available only in Japan, but Yashica plans to release it in the United States next week.
There is little doubt that the camera is unique, mostly because of its appearance. It is held like a movie camera, in a vertical position, but the photos are shot horizontally. In other words, the appearance is different from reality. The camera was designed this way to allow the photographer to shoot with one hand. Also, the camera shoots pictures in a half-frame, 35-mm. format. This means that you will get double the exposures and much less quality. This is really a step backward considering the great stride forward that the high-quality, full-frame 35-mm. compact cameras have made.
This camera may be on the cutting edge of a wide-scale technological breakthrough. Then again, it may be the perfect camera to take pictures of your Edsel.
On the surface, it appears to be a gimmick. The lack of interchangeable lenses is a problem. My advice is to let the marketplace determine the value of this camera. There hasn’t been enough use by amateur photographers to make a judgment. So why take a chance? Let someone else decide if this camera will work. The list price of $535 is enough to make you shudder.
Fuji has done it again in the arena of quickie photography. Its recently introduced Quicksnap Flash is a disposable 35-mm. camera that includes a built-in flash. The camera lists at $13.95.
This is the perfect camera to throw in the trunk of a car and forget about. Then, when you ask yourself the inevitable question, “Why didn’t I bring my camera with me?” you’ll have a ready-made and acceptable answer.
As for the results, you’ll be amazed. The quality is very good and compares favorably to most compact 35-mm. cameras.
However, when you plan to buy one, make sure you take advantage of an upcoming promotion. The camera will be out in early summer, and Fuji will be offering a free plastic beach pail with the purchase of a camera. Also available, at an additional cost, will be Fuji beach paraphernalia such as beach towels, beach balls and coolers. Just think, for a little extra money, Fuji will let you advertise its product on the beach. The Quicksnap, without a flash, has been reduced from its original price of $9.95 to $8.35.
Kodak continues to be the winner of the “I’m pedaling as fast as I can, but I never seem to catch up to Fuji” award. Kodak entered the disposable camera market last year with a 110 format called the Fling, but the quality of the photographs was terrible.
The Fling 110 camera was selected by the Museum of Modern Art to be included in its design study collection. It called the Fling “new and innovative.” Obviously the museum didn’t take many pictures with it.
Now Kodak’s 35-mm. version, sans flash, is hitting the camera store a year late and will probably finish many dollars short.
Why haven’t more camera manufacturers realized that less is actually better? A survey of Orange County camera stores shows only Yashica, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax advertise a 35-mm. single-lens reflex camera auto-everything, including a built-in flash.
Manufacturers such as Canon and Minolta expect us to buy an additional flash unit with a hot shoe. But who needs--or wants--another gadget to carry around? With today’s advanced technology, all consumer cameras should have a built-in strobe. It should be convenient to take pictures inside or out.
The ideal system for most photographers’ needs would be a 35-mm. SLR with a zoom lens of 24mm to 135-mm. and a built-in flash for nighttime photos. The camera should have manual and completely automated modes with automatic focus. A place to sync an external flash also should be required with a shutter sync speed of 1/500th of a second. The camera should be half the size of a conventional 35-mm. SLR.
Since this is only a wish list, how about Leica lenses at discount prices that would fit the dream camera?
The photography column, which runs each Saturday in Orange County Life, is intended to help both the serious amateur and the weekend shooter. Write to: Robert Lachman, Chief Photographer, The Times, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626.
