Kyocera/Yashica Samurai x3.0 Film Camera Review

Kyocera/Yashica Samurai x3.0 half-frame 35mm film SLR is one of the strangest-looking cameras ever made. It looks like an old-school video recorder (it is not); it’s bulky (even though it makes tiny frames); and it doesn’t have manual overrides — but it’s actually quite good!In this review: Design and ergonomics. Technical specifications. Build quality. Image quality. Fixing the “blinking LCD” issue. How much does Yashica Samurai cost, and where to find one. Support this blog & get premium features with GOLD memberships! ☝︎ Further reading: “10 Half-Frame Film Cameras for Under $500.”

Design and ergonomics.

As a beginner photographer, I was obsessed with having full control over focus and exposure. I wanted to learn how those two worked and apply various effects to my images that point-and-shoot cameras won’t allow. But having tested over 100 film cameras, I grew to love P&S’ for their freeing design.

Point-and-shoot film cameras aren’t always pocketable. While many of them are, the main objective of a P&S is to let the photographer concentrate on being in the moment, framing, and perspective while letting the automation take over focus, film winding, and exposure.

Kyocera Samurai is exactly that: a point-and-shoot that can take care of the technicalities. But it does so in an unusual way. Shaped like a camcorder, it allows one-handed operation for the shutter and zoom buttons (if you have long fingers).

It’s a lot of fun to hold; the camera gets inquisitive looks as this shape is still fresh in most folks’ minds — even if you weren’t alive when all consumer video recorders looked like that, you’ve probably seen one somewhere.

Thanks to the ergonomic grip design, the camera does not feel heavy in hand — even though it weighs 460g/16oz without a battery. The shutter button is well within reach when you hold it with your palm under the mini-strap. However, the power switch can’t be toggled with the same one right hand.

The shutter button is well-designed. Pressing it doesn’t shake the camera (which is good for slow shutter/dark scenes without flash). However, if your Samurai does not register the focus, the shutter won’t fire.

The autofocus on this camera is quite good. It only takes a second for it to activate, and you can half-press the shutter button to pre-focus and set the exposure lock. This means that you can focus on your subject of interest and then re-compose to keep them in focus but to the side.

The WIDE/TELE buttons are a bit out of reach. The manual shows a cartoon person reaching them with their left hand, but it wasn’t difficult to adjust my average male hand to reach them when needed.

Samurai x3.0 looks tall when held upright; however, in that orientation, it takes landscape images. When it comes to half-frame cameras, I think it’s an advantage. Whereas most half-frame cameras transport film horizontally, which forces portrait orientation framing, I prefer landscape views (in the small format, they look better on this website). I suspect you may prefer that as well, as it’s the most common way to photograph.

Turning the camera sideways will grant a portrait orientation — but of course, it’s a little awkward to hold a plastic brick moulded to be held upright.

I like the viewfinder on the Samurai. The window looks a little small from afar, but it’s large enough to be useful with the glasses, and it’s very bright. Samurai x3.0 is a true film SLR, so what you see through the finder is what will register on film (it has an 83% coverage, which means that your actual photo will show a little more of your scene around the edges).

The finder has minimal information — just a small rectangle outline in black lines in the middle to aim your focus and two lights below the screen. The rectangle is difficult to see in subdued light, but it’s not critical, as this camera will do all the focusing and exposure calculations for you. The red light (when you see it) indicates flash readiness, whereas the green light is for focus — if either blinks, you’ll need to either wait for the flash to charge or try focusing again.

You can disable the automatic flash by pressing the MODE button on the back of the camera until it shows just the moon icon. Powering the camera off will reset that setting. A moon icon, together with the flash icon, will have your Samurai fire a slow shutter together with the flash to get more of the background scene lit in your frame.

The camera also has a continuous shooting mode where you can snap a series of shots at about two frames per second. It will be significantly slower if you’re in subdued light and need a flash to charge for each shot. You can activate continuous shooting mode with a self-timer (by pressing the DRIVE button a few times) to get three shots in a row.

The self-timer has a 10-second delay, which will be plain to see with a blinking red light in front of the camera once it’s turned on. You will need to set it using the DRIVE button and pre-focus the camera using the shutter button.

Loading film is easy. A small latch on the bottom of the camera will unlock the film door. This camera uses automated/easy loading, so all you need to do is place the film and stretch its leader under the orange mark up top. This camera needs film with a DX code. It takes films ISOs 25-3200; its default ISO is 100 (if your canister has no DX code).

Technical specifications.

Kyocera/Yashica Samurai uses a single 2CR5 battery, which should be good for about 700 photos. The main battery is under the wrist strap compartment, unlocked with a small coin or a large screwdriver. It also has a “secret” CR2025 battery to power some of its internal functions. The latter is meant to be changed every two years by a service center — which no longer exists — but I’ll explain how to do that below.

Yashica Zoom Lens is a 𝒇3.5-4.3 25-75mm zoom with the closest focus of 0.7m/2’4” with a 75mm focal length (105mm full-frame equivalent). It has 14 elements (!) and uses a 49mm filter thread.

The camera shutter can fire between 2s and 1/500s.

The flash is interlocked with the zoom mechanism, has a 3s recharge cycle and has a maximum useful distance of 3m/10’.

This camera has automatic backlight compensation. The Z version of this camera has exposure compensation controls.

You can use this guide to set the clock (although it won’t display the current year).

Build quality.

This camera is built exactly like a camcorder of the age. Lots of plastic parts — but with a good quality glass lens. I doubt this camera will survive a tall drop or being dunked in water — but then, few cameras could.

Overall, I’d say it’s well-made. Plastic panels aren’t premium materials, but they’re relatively light, durable, and practical. Nothing on this camera dangles or feels cheap.

Image quality.

Zoom lenses are tricky to manufacture. Samurai’s Yashica lens uses 14 elements to give it a moderate variable focal length with good results. But it has an even bigger challenge: half-frame format.

Because half-frame exposures are half the size of a regular 35mm film frame, they’re usually enlarged to be twice as big compared to their original dimensions. This means that the tiny details and errors become more apparent on a good scan.

I used Nikon Super Coolscan 5000ED to scan my Kyocera Samurai photos at 4000 DPI, yielding ~3800 × 2800px files. If you’re reading this review on a large screen, you’ll notice some chromatic aberration, smudging, and blurring in the corners — but you really have to look for that.

But for the most part, I think the lens works wonderfully on this camera. It’s very sharp in the middle — no matter the zoom level.

The lens renders images in medium contrast, requiring little or no edits after scanning. Despite its relatively small maximum aperture and the half-frame format, this Yashica lens shows some wonderful properties and bokeh — at least when I tested it with my Kodak Pro Image 100 film.

I’m also quite impressed with how well this system performs with the flash on. It’s not overbearing, it’s not constantly on, and it makes images look good — which isn’t something every camera with a built-in flash can claim.

I must admit: the blossom season in Vancouver is a cheat code when it comes to photography. Thankfully, Samurai captured it well and effortlessly for me, so the results I got looked even better than expected:

Fixing the “blinking LCD” issue.

Your Samurai camera may have the date clock blinking on its LCD, which isn’t fixable by simply switching the main battery. The manual says you’ll need to take it to be serviced (as if that’s possible in 2024!) — but it’s quite easy to fix at home.

All you need is a screwdriver and a CR2025 battery. Carefully unscrew a single small bolt next to the shutter button, gingerly open the panel and replace the battery (it should have the + facing downwards, towards the circuits). Be careful to place the battery between the small metal clamps. Watch for the connecting wires — they’re fragile — and make sure that the panel is replaced properly so that the shutter button makes contact.

How much does Yashica Samurai cost, and where to find one.

Samurai cameras are funky and, frankly, a little cheap-looking. I did not expect much from mine and was honestly surprised by its performance. This may be the reason they’re so affordable today: you can find a copy for under $100 today (though I would recommend paying a little more for a tested camera).

❤ By the way: Please consider making your Kyocera/Yashica Samurai x3.0 half-frame 35mm film SLR purchase using this link so that this website may get a small percentage of that sale — at no extra charge for you — thanks!