A Round-up of Analogue (and analogue inspired) News from around the World – May 2025

Yashica FX-D Kickstarter Project

What? I hear you say, a new Yashica FX-D? Wow! Well, not quite.

The company known as Yashica (no relation to the Yashica, Kycocera, Contax and Zeiss of yore), it’s another rehash of their previous Retro Inspired Digicams which have largely had pretty negative reviews. There will be two different models to choose from. Yashica trademark is now owned by Hong Kong-based MF Jebsen Group, and is under its subsidiary JNC Datum Tech International, Limited, having been sold by Kyocera in 2008.

To find out more go to their kickstarter page for some laughs.

LIT DUO 1 Light Meter

Another popular Kickstarter is a rather flash looking Light Meter called the LIT DUO 1, something quite unique looking, as if some bright spark decided to weld a Light Meter onto a Smartphone and a Super Nintendo

Fujifilm and Kodak Sales

Good News for Film Photography, well to a certain extent; Fujifilm has reported an increase in Film sales, Strong sales in instant photo systems and digital cameras drove revenue up by 14.1% year-over-year to JPY115.3 billion and operating income surged 1.9 times from the previous year to JPY24.2 billion. Their 2025 quarterly financial statement shows that Film, especially Instax Film sales are soaring.

Kodak reports a decline in revenue. But Kodak have been concentrating their focus on Cine Film and the hot news is that Christopher Nolan has filmed his entire new epic “The Odyssey” on 70mm Imax Kodak Film.

This follows the motion picture ‘Sinners” which has been quite successful in using a lot of footage shot on 70mm Kodak stock, such as Kodak Vision3 500T and interestingly Kodak Ektachrome 100D which is used because of it’s limited Dynamic range – which gives a very distinctive look in scenes. The use of Cinema Film in Blockbusters is always good news for us Still shooters and keeps production alive.

Go to Kodak ‘Shot on Film’ to find out more.

PENTAX 17 wins Camera GP 2025 Editors Choice R&D Award

Well done Ricoh/Pentax, though it was the R&D Prize, as the actual Camera of The year 2025 is the Canon R1.

The Camera Grand Prix is held every year by the Camera Journal Press Club (CJPC, Japan,President yuichiro Fukuda), It celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. The Camera Grand Prix2025 awards were selected from products released in the Japanese market between April 1,2024 and March 31, 2025.

The Camera Grand Prix is decided by a vote by the Camera Grand Prix Executive Committee,which is elected every year. The Camera Grand Prix is selected by members of the CameraJournal Press Club, media managers affiliated with the Camera Grand Prix, external selection committee members commissioned by each media, and a special selection committee of scholars, camera mechanic writers, photographers, etc. commissioned by the Camera Grand Prix Executive Committee of that year. The Camera Grand Prix 2025 Camera of the Year and Lens of the Year were selected by a selection committee consisting of 57 people (including organizations).

In addition, awards are given in five categories: the “Readers Award-Camera” and the “Readers Award-Lens”, which are decided by general user votes, and the “Editors Choice”, which is selected by Camera Journal Club（CJPC） members from all photography-related products.

It’s great having a new 35mm camera, the prize may or may not help boost sales, if successful we may see another Camera maker releasing one (preferably Canon as they’re the best selling camera firm in the world) but what we really need is a Giant such as Canon or Nikon making a new hi tech super duper camera which takes Film, has an LCD and an AI database (which is updated regularly) so that exact exposure of any given Film stock can be made on the fly in-camera and viewed on screen as it would after development, with analogue as well as digital results. I won’t hold my breath..

Reloader 35mm Camera and Article in Esquire Magazine

In more Film news, Esquire magazine is plugging 35mm Film or rather a basic ABS Plastic fixed focus camera with a Vegan Leather Strap  in an article this month; Eco-Friendly and for $219 you get a nice cuddly pink pouch:, interestingly, the camera is a product of 35mm Co Film, at first glance my Brave browser thought I had made a mistake when I selected that I wanted to view their Rest of The World site and forwarded me to 35mmc.com!

Nana Camera

This brings me to another Kickstarter project, featuring a metal bodied Contax T2 lookalike called Nana Camera, yes, it actually looks nice, but that’s where it all ends as the specs; 1 element lens etc all point to lipstick on a pig.

Fujifilm X Half

Fujifilm have released their cute little vertical sensor (and VF) camera. It’s a strange thing, using a Film winder to forward a la Epson RD, and you get 36 frames of a “Film” you select. Their official product page.

All bizarre if you ask me, as it has a Non Film Mode. Come on Fujifilm, release a real Film version!

It’ll probably be a success seeing the number of paid promoters and influencers, and I think somewhere high up in Fujifilm boardrooms a decision has been made to focus on this market, after Ricoh released the Pentax 17.

Fujifilm TX-3

Fujirumors report that or rather have spread a rumour that Fujifilm will be releasing a Fujifilm TX-3 Digital Panoramic Camera in 2028. I’d take this with a tiny little pinch of salt, as it seems they speculated then dressed up their idea as rumour, possibly to get Fujifilm to take note and think about it… with that said, based on the above release, maybe anything is possible…?

Galleries and exhibitions

The George Eastman Museum in Rochester hosts Life with Photographs: 75 Years of the Eastman Museum, running until the 31st of October.I’d love to visit, but I won’t be able to anytime soon, if anyone does get to go, please do post your experiences here!

Life with Photographs: 75 Years of the Eastman Museum explores the many ways in which photographic objects have come to shape our everyday lives. The exhibition encompasses broad cultural histories and image-making practices, from pre- photographic experimentation to critical advances that challenge our conceptions of the medium. While the objects on view highlight certain strengths in the museum’s holdings, lesser-known works are included to illuminate unexpected pathways into this rich and diverse collection.

And finally, The Photographer’s Gallery is always a nice place to visit, or rather used to be last I went, which was years ago when they were located near Leicester Square. They’re now near Oxford Circus in London and have an appealing exhibition of the Photographs of Peter Mitchell which will run until the 15th of June. The exhibition costs £10 (the rest of the gallery is free) and well worth a visit.

You should visit Mitchell’s Website Strangely Familiar for some exquisite Reportage.

Mitchell sounds like a sound and humble man, with so much talent and feel in his Photography (all colour to my knowledge) he started off using a Yashica and settled on a Hasselblad for the rest of his life and still uses it with the the same lenses, with the Square Format being supreme as you can get everything in the frame.  Here’s a very interesting Q&A with the man.

Peter Mitchell (b.1943, UK) is widely regarded as one of the most important early colour photographers of the 1970s and 80s. A powerful storyteller and social historian, Mitchell’s photography unfolds a longstanding and poetic connection with Leeds. He has chronicled the people and places, and the demolition and development of the city with warmth and familiarity for over 40 years.
Mitchell has been described as ‘a narrator of who we were, a chaser of a disappearing world’. From an alien’s view of England, to demolished flats, proud shopkeepers and landlords, back-streets and eerie scarecrows, his photographs reveal his love, and at times, off-beat vision, of the people and changing face of the city.

Calling himself ‘a man of the pavement’, Mitchell continues to regularly walk the streets of Leeds to photograph his beloved hometown today.  

Your news…?

We are going to be reporting the news a little more again here on 35mmc, so if you have anything to share, please let me know!

Share this post: