MF-2 info

This version of a MF-2 is an awful camera and should never have been allowed to use the Yashica name as it tarnishes a great reputation.

The original Yashica MF-2 from the early 1980s is a better made camera but still very basic.  The 35MF was a very decent viewfinder camera which was followed by a cut-back version called the MF-1.  The MF-2 is a further simplified version of the MF-1 and unlike its predecessors which used a Yashica 38mm f2.8 lens, the MF-2 used a f4 version.  The MF-2 from the 1980s could take a fairly decent photo, albeit under ideal conditions and there are quite a lot of working ones still around which attests to a better build quality than the 'MF-2 Super DX'.

I suspect it's the newest offering, and hasn't been able to get much traction after it's earlier siblings took such a beating. There are a couple of things worth noting - and troublesome - about both the camera and the company that produces it, as well as the shoddy review from a shoddy reviewer.

It's become very apparent to those who know something about the Yashica of old and their 60+ year history, that the current owners of the name have no interest in anything other than cashing in on the brand and thinking it will become a cash cow when slapping the former's moniker on whatever falls out of the mold cavities of their latest fiasco's production runs. They've proven to anyone who's forked over any amount of their hard earned cash, that there's likely to be nothing of significant value in their hands from a hardware perspective, and  in my opinion, the photographic results can run from mediocre to abysmal from what I've seen to date. They are most certainly not in the same league as the original creators and innovators once known as Yashica.

As I see it, they wanted to intentionally make the DX model look like it was a vintage model from the 80's-90's, and in turn, fool potential buyers into thinking they were getting an 'original', classic Yashica that was NOS... as if it had been discovered in some hidden corner of an old, dark warehouse and waiting for it's adoring fans. Every styling cue they used is clearly from one of several vintage models produced in a much earlier time frame, and as many of us have become painfully aware, looks can be deceiving, and when in the wrong hands it can mean absolutely nothing about quality or function, or reliability. The lens is reminiscent of the Electro 35 CC/CCW types and wedged down into a slimmer Auto Focus Motor barrel, with the finger grip akin to the FX-3 Super 2000 crossed with a 230-AF, the back similar to the AF-M II and dozens more, with a retro winding lever off any number of the early manual focus compacts. It only looks like a rangefinder in layout, so there's another 'fooler' feature to add to the marketing side, without having that functionality.

B&H has the MF-1 and MF-2 DX in stock, and the reviews aren't even close to good for the MF-2, and only one short and 'glowing' review for the MF-1. Adorama has 1 star reviews on every single color and incarnation of the MF-1, and zero reviews on the DX, so it's apparent that buyers have made their editorial comments very clear on what they think of their purchases. Interestingly enough, Amazon's reviews for the MF-1 show it as near a 4 star ratings for the entire color choice ranges, but the devil is in the details. Of 145 total ratings, 21 had actual text response reviews, and 19 of them have 1 star in ratings, so I'm guessing there's a bit of review manipulation going on, and not real commenting customers that elevated them to the favorable ratings level. [Nope, no links from me on these.]

And the review? Sorry to be so negative about the author but I can only guess that when one gets burnt badly with a purchase, the initial response is to lash out with little regard for the basic facts that - in this case - are extremely important. First and foremost being the fact that historically there are 2 distinct companies called Yashica, with 2 distinct differences about their products, philosophy, business practices, support, and anything and everything that relates to the end product and how it performs (or doesn't). To ignore that and make blanket statements about "Yashica", as the offending brand, is irresponsible and misleading to readers when no clarifications are made to separate the classic and vintage line of products, and the recent (and IMHO, failing) incarnation operating with the same name.

Hi xkaes



I'm a big fan of Finland's Kamerastore but they have the year wrong on this one.

It was produced under Kyocera's licence in Brazil but in 1985, not 1980 as stated in their description. I'm prepared to bet though that the build quality and lens are of a higher standard than the camera which started this interesting thread...

It gets even messier. There was a Yashica MF-2 AND A Kyocera Yashica MF-2 Super DX -- with a 38mm f3.8 lens instead of a 4.0 lens.

www.ebay.com/itm/185561674351?

Unlike the real Kyocera Yashica MF-2 Super DX which has the "MF-2 Super" only on the top, the fake "Yashica DF-2 Super DX has the "MF-2 Super" on on the top AND the front -- and sure looks like a copy.

Could it be that whatever company made the original Kyocera Yashica MF-2 Super DX is making the new copy discussed in the review 20 YEARS later???