Yashica35-ME
Programmed Compact Rangefinder
The story
Place the Yashica 35-ME in context and you land in the early 1970s, when the compact 35mm rangefinder still ruled the camera bag. Catalogued as a programmed compact rangefinder, it pairs the Yashinon 38mm f/2.8 with a 35mm film path. Worth knowing up front: an early-'70s all-black plastic-bodied successor to Yashica's Electro lineage — programmed exposure with no manual override.
Specifications
- Format
- 35mm
- Year
- 1973
- Lens
- Yashinon 38mm f/2.8
- Shutter
- 1/8s – 1/650s (programmed)
- Min. focus
- 0.9 m
- Flash
- Hot shoe
- Battery
- 1× PX625 (mercury)
Notable features
- Programmed AE (fully automatic)
- Zone-focus viewfinder
- CdS meter around the lens
- Hot shoe
Shooting it today
The Yashinon 38mm f/2.8 sits in the daylight sweet spot: sharp wide open, well-corrected against flare, and small enough to disappear in a jacket pocket. Standard 35mm keeps it compatible with whatever Kodak, Ilford, Fuji or CineStill stock you find on the shelf today. It was designed around the now-banned 1.35V mercury PX625, so use a Wein cell or an MR-9 voltage adapter if you want the meter to read correctly. There's no built-in flash, but the hot shoe accepts any auto-thyristor unit; a small Vivitar or Sunpak is the period-correct pick. Minimum focus is 0.9 m, close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. Worth knowing in the field: The CdS cell ring around the lens means any filter you screw on gets metered through automatically. The mild-normal focal length flatters faces and street scenes alike without either looking forced.
Who it's for · Verdict
The Yashica 35-ME hasn't been swept up by the algorithm yet, which is the entire window — get one before the rest of the internet catches up. A footnote that often comes up: originally designed around the now-banned 1.35V mercury cell, so a Wein cell or MR-9 adapter is the modern fix.
Fun facts
- §1An early-'70s all-black plastic-bodied successor to Yashica's Electro lineage — programmed exposure with no manual override.
- §2The CdS cell ring around the lens means any filter you screw on gets metered through automatically.
- §3Originally designed around the now-banned 1.35V mercury cell, so a Wein cell or MR-9 adapter is the modern fix.
Find one
Most copies turn up second-hand on eBay. We've linked a saved search so you can see current listings.
See listings on eBayAffiliate link (eBay Partner Network) — we may earn a small commission if you buy. It doesn't change the price you pay or what we write here. More on our affiliate policy.