It is nice to be able to travel locally again for cuti-cuti Georgetown after being stuck at home in 2021 and able to go for a short holiday in Penang. During this trip, my friend Tommy...
I’ve been into street photography for a while now, and recently I’ve been wondering how my Yashica rangefinder film camera would perform in this setting. Usually, I go on photo walks just for fun and to see how different film colors turn out or document urban landscapes. But what if I took my Yashica Electro 35 GTN out for some street photography in Malaysia? Let’s dive in.
Since I don’t use this Yashica rangefinder very often, the results will be a surprise for me. Honestly, I’m not great at estimating distances, so I usually mess up when I try zone focusing. To avoid wasting an entire roll with out-of-focus shots, I decided to play it safe and stick with manual focusing. After all, film isn’t cheap these days.
I managed to get my hands on a roll of Kodak Ultramax 400 (Amazon / Shopee). I was desperate to get a film roll to shoot an outdoor parade and marked up pricing at a camera shop in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur but if you are traveling in KL and are not rushing to buy film, you can find some reputable film labs in Malaysia that sell film rolls. The original selling price is around RM50 (USD$10) but I got it for around RM75 (USD$16) for 36 exposures. Let’s see how this adventure turns out!
Fast Paced Street With The Yashica Rangefinder Film Camera
Shooting street photography with the Yashica rangefinder film camera, is one of the most exciting experiences for me. The constantly changing lighting conditions, fast-paced street scenes, and varying distances from subjects make it quite the adventure.
Most of my shots are taken at f8-f11 during the day and wide open at f1.7-f2 at night. I was out for shooting the Borneo Native Festival 2024 held in Kuala Lumpur and it was a fast-paced action is definitely a challenge when using a manual focus camera like the Yashica.
It’s been a while since I used the Yashica Electro 35 GTN, and I even forgot how to load the film. I ended up asking the camera shop owner for help. During the day, I struggled to see the prism in my rangefinder clearly. It got blurry, probably because of my eye position. Aligning the two images to focus properly was tricky and not always perfect.
That’s the whole experience with shooting the Yashica rangefinder film camera. I guess with more practice, I’ll get better at it through trial and error.
Kodak Ultramax 400 For Street Photography
I’ve shot a few rolls of Kodak Ultramax 400, and it has quickly become one of my favorite film stocks, right up there with Kodak Vision3 500T. What I love about Ultramax 400 is its retro warm tones that give my photos a nostalgic feel, making everyday scenes look timeless. The ISO 400 rating is also incredibly versatile, allowing me to capture great images both in the bright daylight and in low-light conditions at night.
I did have some concerns about shooting at night, worried that my photos might turn out blurry. To my relief, many of them turned out just fine. Admittedly, around 60% of my photos ended up out of focus, which is a common challenge with night photography, especially using manual focus. However, the ones that did come out well have a certain charm that makes all the effort worth it. The color reproduction and grain of Kodak Ultramax 400 add a unique character to my night shots that I really appreciate.
If you’re interested in more of my photography adventures, you should check out my post about “Can the Contax G1 Do Street Photography?” In that post, I pushed the boundaries by using flash with motion picture film, breaking the rules of cinematic to capture some truly unique images.
So, Can the Yashica Rangefinder Film Camera Do Street Photography?
I would say yes, the Yashica rangefinder film camera can definitely do street photography, but it does require mastering the zone focusing technique. With zone focusing, you set the focus to a specific distance range, which allows you to quickly capture spontaneous moments without having to adjust the focus for each shot.
To get the most out of the Yashica for street photography, you’ll need to practice estimating distances accurately. This might take some time and effort, but with regular practice, you can improve your ability to judge the distance between yourself and your subject. Once you get the hang of it, the Yashica rangefinder can be a fantastic tool for capturing the vibrant and fast-paced life on the streets.
