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.
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The Yashica FX-103 (1985) is the two-mode sibling of the simultaneously released FX-103 Program, offering aperture-priority AE and full manual control on an electronic-vertical-metal shutter reaching 1/1000s. Where the FX-103 Program added a program AE mode and 1/2000s top speed, the FX-103 stripped these additions to hit a lower price point while retaining full Contax/Yashica C/Y mount compatibility — including the Carl Zeiss T* 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.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The pre-program C/Y mid-ranger: aperture-priority AE and manual, 1/1000s shutter, a step below the FX-103 Program in the 1985 lineup.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Mount | Contax/Yashica (C/Y) |
| Years | 1985 – ~1988 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/1000s + B, electronic vertical metal |
| Flash sync | 1/125s |
| Meter | Center-weighted silicon |
| EV range | ~EV 2 – EV 18 |
| Modes | Aperture-priority, Manual |
| Viewfinder coverage | ~0.92 |
| Weight | ~480 g |
| Battery | 4x AA |
Yashica's C/Y mount camera line through the mid-1980s occupied a structural gap in the system: Contax-branded bodies (RTS II, 137 MD Quartz, 159 MM) served the upper market at premium prices, while the mechanical FX-3 (and later FX-3 Super 2000) covered the budget-manual tier. The FX-D Quartz (c. 1980) had established a Yashica-branded AE body with quartz shutter timing; by 1985 Kyocera reorganized this middle segment into the FX-103 and FX-103 Program pair, providing a two-level AE offer within a shared physical platform.
The FX-103's 1/1000s top shutter speed was conservative for 1985 — the Nikon FA and Canon A-1 had normalized 1/4000s at the professional tier, and even the FX-3 Super 2000 reached 1/2000s mechanically. This positioned the FX-103 as a genuine mid-range compromise rather than a spec leader. It was superseded by the FX-103 Program, which remained in production longer and is the more frequently encountered model today.
The FX-103 is a transitional document in the Yashica C/Y body timeline. It demonstrates Kyocera's tiering approach post-acquisition and fills the AE-without-program slot that the FX-D Quartz had occupied before it. For contemporary film photographers, the FX-103 offers the same central benefit as all Yashica C/Y bodies: access to Carl Zeiss T* glass and Yashica ML lenses at below-Contax prices, with aperture-priority automation for casual shooting.
The 1/1000s ceiling is a practical limitation in bright conditions with fast film or wide apertures — it is the body's most significant constraint relative to its siblings. Photographers shooting ISO 400 film in daylight at f/1.4 will encounter this limit. Within its design envelope, however, the AE system is fully functional and the shutter timing accurate when calibrated.
Full Contax/Yashica (C/Y) mount compatibility. Representative pairings:
TTL hot shoe supports Yashica and Contax TLA-series flashes. PC-sync port for studio strobes.
BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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