C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →rangefinder-35mm
The Yashica MF-2 is a compact fixed-lens 35mm rangefinder-style camera introduced in 1979. It is a fully automatic program-exposure camera with zone-icon scale focus, a Color-Yashinon 38mm f/2.8 lens, and a programmed electronic leaf shutter. It uses two AA batteries and has no manual exposure control — aperture and shutter speed are set automatically by the camera's CdS or silicon metering cell within a limited program range. The MF-2 is a mass-market consumer design, made largely of plastic, aimed at entry-level buyers who wanted simple 35mm photography without the complexity of a rangefinder or SLR. It is not related to the premium Yashica Electro 35 line or the Contax-derived bodies; it represents the lower end of the late-1970s Yashica consumer range.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
Budget 1979 Yashica fixed-lens 35mm: zone-focus, program auto, Color-Yashinon 38mm.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm (24x36 mm), DX-less ISO setting |
| Mount | Fixed lens |
| Years | ~1979–~1985 |
| Lens | Color-Yashinon 38mm f/2.8 |
| Shutter | Programmed electronic leaf, ~1/30s–1/250s |
| Flash sync | ~1/30s (hot shoe) |
| Meter | Silicon photodiode, program AE |
| Modes | Program (auto-only) |
| Weight | ~195 g |
| Battery | 2x AA |
| ISO range | 25–400 (manual dial) |
Yashica introduced the MF-2 in 1979 as part of a push into the growing point-and-shoot segment, which was expanding rapidly in Japan and export markets as consumers moved away from full-manual cameras. The "MF" designation likely stands for "Motor Focus" or is simply a product-line code; the camera does not have autofocus in the true sense but uses zone-focus icons (head-and-shoulders, group, mountain) for focus setting, a convention common to budget cameras of the period.
The MF-2 used the Color-Yashinon 38mm f/2.8 lens, a coated optic that Yashica fitted across several consumer models of the era. The shutter range is narrow by comparison with premium rangefinders of the same period, limiting the camera in low light without flash.
The MF-2 was succeeded by the Yashica MF-3, which added modest refinements while maintaining the same basic platform. Both cameras sold in large numbers as affordable entry points. Production likely continued into the early-to-mid 1980s.
The Yashica MF-2 is not historically significant in the way that the Electro 35 series or the Kyocera-era Contax T cameras are. Its significance is demographic: it represents the class of cameras that introduced an enormous number of casual shooters to 35mm photography in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The combination of automatic exposure, a creditable Yashinon lens, and a low price point made it accessible to households that would not have purchased a rangefinder or SLR.
For film photographers today, the MF-2 occupies the bottom tier of the market: extremely affordable, optically adequate for casual use, and mechanically simple enough that it either works or it doesn't. The Color-Yashinon 38/2.8 produces acceptable images at f/5.6 and f/8; wide open it is soft at the edges but usable. It is frequently recommended as a first film camera for beginners who want to experiment without committing significant funds.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →C41
Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
View profile →Yashica MF-2
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