Which film camera would fare better, I wondered? The rise in popularity of the modest compact camera has been one to watch over the past year or so. I certainly was very excited to be shooting with the Yashica T5, in part, because of my experience with the Yashica Mat 124G and hoping to find a similar enjoyable shooting experience.

At the early onset of the digital camera era, I remember there being a lot of discussions about Megapixels - it entirely dominated the conversation. Which got me thinking about how much detail the compact camera with its tiny body and lens could take. Would the images come out similarly or exactly the same? Of course both Yashica cameras are very different to each other, so it’s not a like to like comparison in the fullest sense of the experience but fun nonetheless!

Low light conditions along the River Thames called for some higher ISO film which had been lounging around in my bag for a while now. I always find unwrapping CineStill 800T film a little tricky, they use some strong glue! It was the first time I would be shooting this film in the late afternoon and I was very much looking forward to seeing the results.

The Yashica T5 is very simple to load, frighteningly simple. I can see why this would appeal to the enthusiast for sure! Everything boils down to the number 35 on this camera. The Carl Zeiss Tessar 35mm f/3.5 lens can allow you take images as close as 35cm away from you which is great for any budding street photographer. The ISO ranges is from 50-3200 and when you load the film it will automatically adjust the settings using its inbuilt DX Code Reader.

In comparison the 80mm f/3.5 lens produces some fabulously sharp images on the Yashica Mat 124Gs however the ISO range is only up to 400. So when shooting on this camera you will need to push the film in development. You won’t be able to get as close to your subject as the Yashica T5 but it is surprisingly far less invasive in public than holding up a 35mm to your eye. Also, the limited 12 shots will force you to think carefully about what is actually worth shooting.

The automatic focus on the Yashica T5 is handy and takes a few seconds to adjust while it makes whirring sound. I have found that it likes to compensate for the lack of light constantly by adjusting to using its quite powerful on board flash. If you don’t want this trigger then you’ll have to manually switch it off each time which can be quite tedious.

Taking images on the Yashica Mat 124G is a serene experience, the simple click sound can be lost if in a loud environment but it compensates for it by its quite enjoyable winding mechanism. It will need a lot more delicate care and touch when using it.

Both cameras feature a plastic body design which aids in their lighter weight and portability. However, you do need to be careful with both from knocking them about. The compact non professional Yashica T5 is great for those grab and go situations, easily loaded and popped in to your bag or pocket. The Yashica Mat 124G is really for a photographer looking to capture much more detail and depth in their images with a clearer idea and purpose of what they will be shooting.

Overall, there are some distinct differences in results between both cameras. The Yashica Mat 124G pushing to the blue end of the spectrum in far more the shots than the Yashica T5. Was this down to the differences in the lenses between the cameras or the format of the film?

Finally a big thank you to Lucas & Molly for helping with filming and capturing some wonderful snaps on their film cameras! You can follow them on IG here:

Lucas: @analogsquare Cover Image by Molly: @eclectachrome