YashicaT4 Super (T5)

The Yashica T4 Super (T5) comes out of 1996-99, when the spec wars had cooled and manufacturers were quietly perfecting what they already had. Catalogued as a autofocus compact, it pairs the Carl Zeiss Tessar 35mm f/3.5 T* with a 35mm film path. A bit of background: sold as the T5 in Europe and the T4 Super in North America — same camera.

Format

35mm

Year

1995

Lens

Carl Zeiss Tessar 35mm f/3.5 T*

Min. focus

0.35 m

Flash

Built-in auto multi-mode

Battery

1× CR123A

The Carl Zeiss Tessar 35mm f/3.5 T* doesn't chase exotic specifications; it just renders cleanly, focuses predictably, and gets out of the photograph's way. On the film-availability spectrum, plain 35mm is as easy as it gets in 2026. A single CR123A lithium cell powers everything including the motor; still cheap and stocked at most camera shops. The built-in flash will fire whenever the meter decides it should, so learn the override before your first night out. Minimum focus is 0.35 m — unusually close for a compact of this era and a genuine advantage over rivals that stop at 0.7 m or 1 m. You can fill the frame with a coffee cup, a flower, or a face without stepping back. One thing worth knowing before you load a roll: the pinnacle of the T-series and arguably the most coveted '90s compact alongside the Contax T2. Pair it with HP5 or Portra and you have a general-purpose travel camera that handles 80% of what you'll point it at.

The Yashica T4 Super (T5) sits exactly where you want a sleeper to sit: low prices, working examples plentiful, and a spec sheet that holds up against far pricier rivals.

• §1Sold as the T5 in Europe and the T4 Super in North America — same camera.
• §2The pinnacle of the T-series and arguably the most coveted '90s compact alongside the Contax T2.