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 →tlr-medium-format
The Yashica-C (1956) is a 6×6cm twin-lens reflex camera produced by Yashica Co. of Japan. It sits at the budget end of the early Yashica TLR family, offering straightforward manual operation without a built-in meter — a deliberate simplification that kept the price accessible while preserving the essential TLR design.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the — 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
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →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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Before you buy used
About this camera
The Yashica-C was the entry point of Yashica's first-generation TLR lineup — a clean, no-meter 6×6 camera that brought twin-lens reflex photography within reach of everyday photographers in the late 1950s.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 film, 6×6cm (12 exposures) |
| Mount | Fixed |
| Taking lens | Yashimar 80mm f/3.5 |
| Viewing lens | Yashimar 80mm f/3.5 |
| Years | 1956–1960 |
| Shutter | Copal/Citizen leaf: 1s – 1/300s + B |
| Flash sync | All speeds (M and X contacts) |
| Meter | None |
| Film advance | Side knob, red-window frame count |
| Viewfinder | Waist-level, ground glass + sports finder |
| Battery | None |
Yashica entered the TLR market in the early 1950s, competing with Minolta, Ricoh, and the established German designs. The Yashica-C arrived in 1956 as a simplified, budget-oriented model designed to sell alongside the more capable Yashica-D and Yashica-LM variants. It replaced earlier Yashicaflex-branded models in the entry-level segment.
The Yashica TLR lineup evolved rapidly in the late 1950s. The Yashica-A (1958) followed as another budget option, and the metered Mat LM (1957) offered the same format with a built-in selenium cell. The Yashica-C was discontinued by approximately 1960 as the lineup consolidated around more capable models with meters and faster shutters.
For Yashica, the TLR line was a significant commercial success. The lessons learned in the C and D series fed into the Mat 124G (1970), one of the best-selling medium-format cameras ever produced.
The Yashica-C is one of the most affordable entry points to 6×6 medium-format photography. Good working examples commonly sell for $40–$110 — making it accessible to photographers who want to try medium format without the investment of a Rolleiflex or even a Yashica-Mat 124G.
The Yashimar 80/3.5 taking lens, while not as refined as the later Yashinon, delivers good centre sharpness at f/5.6 and f/8 with pleasing rendering for portraits and landscapes. The all-mechanical design means no battery worries and robust longevity.
The Yashica-C accepts Bay 1 accessories shared across the Yashica TLR line:
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →Yashica C
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