Yashica’s long-teased compact camera is finally here. The Yashica City 300, unveiled on July 24, mixes a 50MP sensor with a bright f/1.8 lens wrapped up in a compact design – and at a lower price point than many compact cameras with similarly bright lenses.
The spec sheet for the Yashica City 300 doesn’t list a sensor size, which is one of the largest hints at a camera’s image quality. The City 300, which was previously teased earlier this year, however, does use a 50MP native resolution for stills, with video at up to 4K30p.
That’s paired with a bright f/1.8 lens that shoots at the equivalent of a 24mm lens on a full-frame camera. Optical stabilization is also included, which helps stabilize shots with a 3-axis design.
The Yashica City 300’s lens is fixed and lacks optical zoom. The camera’s high resolution, however, allows for some digital zoom, with 50mm shots at 12MP and 60mm shots at 8MP.
Yashica also says that the City 300 is the first camera with Dual Analog Gain High Dynamic Range, or DAG HDR. First introduced on smartphones, DAG HDR is a single-image HDR technique that uses a different analog gain for shadows and another for highlights to capture a wider dynamic range.
That tech is packed inside of a body that measures 106.5mm by 45.6mm by 62.5mm, which is about 4.2 by 1.8 by 2.5 inches. The camera weighs 192g / 6.8 oz, which is roughly the weight of a softball.
Images of the new compact camera hint that a dial around the lens switches the digitally cropped focal lengths, while a hinge at the back of the camera suggests the screen is a tilt type.
That compact size leaves only room for a microSD card slot. A mic and speaker are built in.
A flash isn't built in, but Yashica includes the new QuickFlash Mini bundled with the camera, a 4Ws flash that sits in the compact camera’s hot shoe. The flash recharges via USB-C and has four brightness levels, with the battery lasting up to 400 flashes per charge. The new mini flash is also compatible with Yashica’s FX-D series.
The Yashica City 300 joins the early City 100 and 200 cameras. When DCW reviewed the Yashica City 100, reviewer Matthew Richards said the camera wasn’t one in the running for the best compact cameras, but was good enough that it could potentially be considered one of the best cheap cameras, even though some features were overhyped.
The Yashica City 300 is also launching alongside the Yashica EasySnap, an inexpensive 5MP compact camera with 8x optical zoom. Yashica also unveiled Hello Kitty and Peanuts versions of the brand’s DigiPocket camcorders. Along with the QuickFlash Mini bundled with the City 300, the company also announced a new LED ringlight.
The Yashica City 300 is expected to be available beginning in August for £329.99, a price that includes the QuickFlash Mini. Yashica has not yet shared a US price, but that converts to about $450.
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