Yashica has unveiled the Crew, a new budget-friendly compact camera that combines a 6x optical zoom lens with a flip-up screen, all packed into a pocket-sized body weighing just 126g.
The camera takes inspiration from the early 2000s point-and-shoot era, but adds a few modern features aimed at casual photographers and content creators. It’s now available to pre-order for £127, with shipping expected to begin during the week of 26 October.
The biggest selling point is its retractable 6x optical zoom lens, which lets users capture distant subjects without relying entirely on digital cropping. There’s also an additional 3x digital zoom for extra reach, although that won’t offer the same image quality as optical zoom.
The Crew features a 13MP, 1/3.06-inch sensor, which is relatively small even by compact camera standards. While Yashica advertises photo resolutions of up to 36MP, the sensor’s native resolution remains 13MP, meaning those higher-resolution images won’t necessarily capture more detail.
Video recording is supported too, with native 2.7K footage at 30fps and an advertised maximum of 4K at 60fps. The camera also includes seven built-in colour filters, face detection autofocus and an LED light for shooting in darker conditions.
Yashica has paired the lens with a 3-inch LCD screen that flips up 180 degrees, making it easier to frame selfies, group photos and vlogs without needing someone behind the camera. Despite the zoom lens and flip-up display, the Crew measures just 25.7mm thick when switched off. It also features microSD storage, a removable 700mAh battery and USB-C charging.
The Yashica Crew appears to be aimed at people who want a simple alternative to smartphone photography, particularly those drawn to the growing popularity of Y2K-style digital cameras. It might not compete with premium compact cameras on image quality, but its combination of optical zoom, a selfie-friendly screen and a genuinely pocketable design makes it an interesting option for casual photography.
Yashica Crew Key Features:
- 6X Retractable Optical Zoom: Extends smoothly upon powering on to bring distant scenes closer with true optical clarity, complemented by 3X digital zoom for extra reach.
- 180° Flip Screen: The 3.0″ 16:9 LCD screen flips completely up for intuitive vlogging, creative angles, and stress-free group selfies.
- Ultra-Compact Everyday Carry: Measures just 25.7mm thin when powered off and weighs a mere 126g, blending optical power with true pocketability.
- High-Detail Capture: 1/3.06”, 13MP native sensor records up to 36MP JPEG photos and up to 4k MP4 videos, complete with 7 built-in creative color filters.
- Removable Battery & USB-C Portability: Removable 700mAh Li-ion battery with modern USB-C charging keeps you powered throughout full days of shooting.
For more information see the Yashica website