Yashica’s digital Y16 is a perfect recreation of a camera you’ve never heard of

There’s certainly been no shortage of compact, vintage-inspired digital cameras lately, and we may soon have yet another option courtesy of Yashica. The company recently announced the development of the Y16, a compact digital camera inspired by the 1959 film camera of the same name.

While full details haven’t been released, the camera will feature a 12MP sensor and be able to record photos and videos, as Digital Camera Watch reports. It will offer an optical viewfinder and a small display for reviewing images.

Yashica

Unlike the LED lamps found on many novelty-style digital cameras, the Y16 uses a xenon flash tube, a true photographic strobe that produces a short, brighter burst of light, potentially giving it better low-light reach and more ability to freeze motion. The flash will offer three brightness levels.

The digital Y16 camera looks remarkably similar to the 1959 version, with its slim rectangular shape and large, knurled black control dial on top. Even the seven different color options of the upcoming Y16 look similar to the film version. The original was a 16mm film camera that used 10x14mm negatives and featured a fixed-focus Yashinon 25mm lens. There’s no word yet on what focal length the digital model will use.

The digital Y16 will be available in 7 color options, echoing the variety offered by the original 1959 film camera.Yashica

Of course, like other historic camera brand names in use today, the Yashica name on this camera is not entirely straightforward. Despite the familiar name, the Y16 does not represent a revival of the original Japanese Yashica camera maker. Kyocera, which acquired Yashica in the 1980s, ended production of Yashica- and Contax-branded cameras in the early 2000s.

The Yashica trademark was later acquired from Kyocera and is now operated through a Hong Kong-based brand and distribution structure, which markets a range of retro-inspired digital cameras and accessories under the name. The company has not disclosed who designed or manufactures the new Y16.

Unlike LED lamps on many novelty cameras, the Y16 uses a xenon flash tube for shorter, brighter bursts of light.Yashica

The announcement follows two similar cameras in just the past few weeks. Fujifilm announced the Pal 2, a palm-sized rectangular camera, on September 15, followed by the Camp Snap 110D, a screen-free option inspired by 110 film cameras popular in the 1970s.

Pre-orders for the Yashica Y16 will reportedly begin in October, with orders scheduled to ship in November.