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 44LM (1959) is a miniature twin-lens reflex camera for 127 roll film, producing 4x4cm square negatives — sixteen exposures per roll. It extends the Yashica 44 product line by adding a selenium exposure meter to the body, following the same logic that produced the Yashica-Mat LM (1957) in the larger 120-format range: bringing integrated metering to a proven platform without requiring a battery.
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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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Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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About this camera
The baby TLR with built-in eyes — Yashica's 4x4 cm 127-format twin-lens reflex fitted with a selenium exposure meter.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 127 film, 4x4cm (16 exp per roll) |
| Mount | Fixed |
| Taking lens | Yashinon 60mm f/3.5 |
| Viewing lens | Yashinon 60mm f/3.2 |
| Years | 1959–1965 |
| Shutter | Copal leaf: 1s – 1/300s + B |
| Flash sync | 1/25s |
| Meter | Selenium, uncoupled, no battery |
| Exposure modes | Manual |
| Viewfinder | Waist-level reflex, ground glass + sports finder |
| Battery | None |
| Weight | ~620 g |
Yashica introduced the 44 in 1958 as a 127-format baby TLR positioned below the full-size Yashica-Mat and Yashica-D on 120 film. The 44A followed in 1959 with a revised Copal MX shutter and minor refinements. The 44LM appeared the same year, adding the selenium light meter — a feature Yashica had already introduced in the larger Mat LM (1957).
The three-model line — 44, 44A, and 44LM — gave Yashica a tiered offering in the baby TLR segment, from a basic unmetered entry model up to the fully specified LM. All three used the same Yashinon 60/3.5 taking lens and shared body dimensions, distinguishing them only by shutter specification and the presence of the meter cell.
The baby TLR segment declined with the 127 format itself in the mid-1960s as 35mm SLRs became affordable. Production of the Yashica 127 line ended by approximately 1965. The 44LM is the rarest and most sought-after of the three variants.
The 44LM is the apex of Yashica's baby TLR range. The selenium meter gives it a practical advantage over the unmetered 44 and 44A for photographers who do not carry a separate meter, while the Yashinon 60/3.5 delivers image quality consistent with the quality found in the full-size Yashica TLRs. The 4x4 square format encourages deliberate composition at waist level, and sixteen frames per 127 roll is generous for the format.
Selenium meter cells degrade with age, particularly if exposed to strong light for extended periods. A non-functional meter does not prevent the camera from operating; it simply reverts to the same manual-estimation workflow as the unmetered 44. A working meter on a 44LM is a bonus, not a purchase prerequisite.
For collectors the 44LM is the finishing piece of the Yashica 127 set. For shooters it is a compact, light, waist-level 4x4 camera with capable glass and the added convenience of a battery-free meter when the cell is still alive.
The Yashinon 60mm f/3.5 is non-interchangeable. Filter thread accepts 34mm accessories. Accessories include:
The 44LM does not share accessories with the full-size Yashica 120 TLRs due to the smaller scale of the body and lenses.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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