YashicaZoomate 140

Released into 1996-99, when the spec wars had cooled and manufacturers were quietly perfecting what they already had, the Yashica Zoomate 140 is a autofocus compact built around a Yashica 38–140mm f/4.5–11.6. For context, one of the longest zooms in the Zoomate line — sold as Microtec Zoom 140 in some markets.

Format

35mm

Year

1998

Lens

Yashica 38–140mm f/4.5–11.6

Min. focus

0.6 m

Flash

Built-in auto multi-mode

Battery

1× CR123A

The Yashica 38–140mm f/4.5–11.6 is the convenience play: a single optical formula that handles groups, snapshots and tighter portraits without ever leaving your hand. 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 0.6 m, close enough for a coffee cup or a face but stops short of true macro. A quirk worth flagging up front: marketed as a do-it-all family-vacation compact in the late '90s. The zoom range covers the obvious bases: groups at the wide end, half-length portraits at the long end, no lens changes ever.

The Yashica Zoomate 140 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.

• §1One of the longest zooms in the Zoomate line — sold as Microtec Zoom 140 in some markets.
• §2Marketed as a do-it-all family-vacation compact in the late '90s.