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on Jul 4, 2020 20:21:26 GMT
Last Edit: Jul 4, 2020 20:34:00 GMT by biggles3: date back
This camera intrigued me as it appears nowhere on the Yashica Wikipedia pages.
Clearlook AF
Curiosity got the better of financial prudence so I grabbed it; I don't know why, but I like it. It has one of the brightest viewfinders I've ever seen and is a very simple camera. I'm curious to see how the lens performs as it's not one I've used before.
I'm not expecting great things from its IQ but one never knows with Yashica cameras....
ADDITIONAL EDIT: I just spotted something a little unusual; it seems there may have been more than 1 model of the Clearlook AF in black as mine has a date-back which, unfortunately like all recent Yashica date-backs, is limited to 2019. Looking at the other Clearlook AF cameras in black and champagne on Ebay, none has this feature. The back is fixed, so it was not an accessory. |
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on Jul 4, 2020 21:16:52 GMT
Last Edit: Jul 5, 2020 13:41:57 GMT by xkaes
If you're looking for a BIG viewfinder, how about this:
It just might be the only camera where the viewfinder is actually bigger than the image it takes.
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on Jul 5, 2020 9:21:03 GMT
Posted: Jul 5, 2020 9:21:03 GMT
It is part of this group of compacts circa 96-98. Yashica often went overboard with the number of compacts they produced in any given series. Don't get me started on colour variations again   |
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on Jul 5, 2020 10:00:35 GMT
Posted: Jul 5, 2020 10:00:35 GMT
Hi bobblehat,
Thank you for the clarification and illustration.
It's still the date-back that surprises me as I have not been able to find another Clearlook AF in black (or champagne) which has one although they must be out there. What amuses me is that Kyocera obviously used the same electronic element for all its date-backs given the 2019 cut-off. Although it was a 1998 model, the date-back's start date is 01-01-1994.
Clearlook AF Date-Back |
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on Jul 5, 2020 16:05:57 GMT
Posted: Jul 5, 2020 16:05:57 GMT
Large and really bright viewfinders remind me of my Voigtlander Vitomatic I and the rest of the Vito B models.  The finder is huge and with an oversized frame view that's probably 120%. Unfortunately my copy is frozen like a popsicle, so all I can do is open the film door and look through the big window. :) I think the trend of reusing internal components over a number of succssive or different models probably started with Yashica's use of electronic circuit boards in camera bodies. After a lot of expense and engineering to design and build a super compact component, they saw the wisdom in reusing it over and over, instead of reinvetting the same functions in a different package with every new iteration or new body model. Once upon a time, all the components (gears, levers, curtains, etc.) were mass produced, but the bodies were assembled by hand or with very limited automation - like the Mark Hama photo of him in the factory - so when they had the opportunity to streamline the process, they jumped at it. I'm sure others noticed and followed that lead soon after. |
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on Jul 5, 2020 17:33:46 GMT
Last Edit: Jul 5, 2020 20:26:00 GMT by xkaes
The Yashica Clearlook AF is reminiscent of the Minolta F35 Big Finder -- both in appearance, size and features. Probably in cost as well. The Minolta had a 27mm (!!!) lens, but it was NOT f35. It was f6.3 with a single speed of 1/100. Anyway, since everything would be in focus, AF was not used. And the results are so pin-hole-ish, it's a BIG fan of LOMO shooters -- regardless of the viewfinder size. My guess is that people with very bad vision bought the camera -- so they could see their subject, and ANY resulting picture would look good to them!
What are the specs on the Clearlook AF 30mm f???. Fixed shutter speed???
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on Jul 5, 2020 17:45:54 GMT
Posted: Jul 5, 2020 17:45:54 GMT
What amuses me is that Kyocera obviously used the same electronic element for all its date-backs given the 2019 cut-off. I am quite sure, that much more units were reused with every new camera. |
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on Jul 6, 2020 1:54:24 GMT
Posted: Jul 6, 2020 1:54:24 GMT
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on Jul 6, 2020 3:09:00 GMT
Posted: Jul 6, 2020 3:09:00 GMT
... and the Canon museum page makes a big point about the enhanced view for those who need it, so xkaes could be right about the target market of all these beasties. The line about "...image area can be viewed up to a distance of two centimeters from the viewfinder" certainly drives home that idea anyway. |
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on Jul 6, 2020 14:00:56 GMT
Posted: Jul 6, 2020 14:00:56 GMT
The Yashica Clearlook AF is reminiscent of the Minolta F35 Big Finder -- both in appearance, size and features. Probably in cost as well. The Minolta had a 27mm (!!!) lens, but it was NOT f35. It was f6.3 with a single speed of 1/100. Anyway, since everything would be in focus, AF was not used. And the results are so pin-hole-ish, it's a BIG fan of LOMO shooters -- regardless of the viewfinder size. My guess is that people with very bad vision bought the camera -- so they could see their subject, and ANY resulting picture would look good to them!
What are the specs on the Clearlook AF 30mm f???. Fixed shutter speed???
Hi - seems the 30mm lens is fixed at f5.6 and the shutter speed is 1/125s. The self-timer is about 10s. I have yet to acquire a manual for the little plastic charmer. |
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on Jul 6, 2020 18:41:39 GMT
Posted: Jul 6, 2020 18:41:39 GMT
Interesting. I would guess that a 30mm f5.6 lens would not need to be focused. Of course some cameras have auto-focus-LOOKING "sensors" that actually don't do anything, just like many cameras have meter-LOOKING "sensors" that don't do anything either.
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on Aug 4, 2022 14:41:43 GMT
Posted: Aug 4, 2022 14:41:43 GMT
The Clearlook AF's sibling arrived today; it's the Yashica Clearlook FF.  Yashics ClearlooksThe basic specs of the models are identical with the singular exception that the AF, as its name implies, is an Auto Focus camera while the FF is a Focus Free (i.e. fixed lens) model. The indication of the difference can be seen in the additional windows either side of the viewfinder on the AF. Performance of both models is on a par when it comes to IQ. They won't create waves of excitement but they're perfectly adequate for street photography. They also appear under Yashica's EZview brand. |
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on Aug 4, 2022 20:27:40 GMT
Posted: Aug 4, 2022 20:27:40 GMT
I'm not surprised that they produced a FF model.
What's odd is that everyone was producing these cameras around the same time -- Yashica, Canon, Minolta, Vivitar, ...
They were all designed for the "Golden Oldie" population and youngsters with poor eye-sight -- who wanted as simple a camera as possible.
I guess digital cameras address this problem with the large LCD screen on the back -- which are impossible to see outdoors even with good eye-sight.
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