[Review & Sample Photos] A Monochrome City Drawn by the World's Smallest Japanese Camera Maker: Yasuhara Isshiki T981 / RICOH GR LENS 21mm f/3.5 L39

The Yasuhara Isshiki T981, a rangefinder camera born in 1999 from Japan's "Yasuhara Seisakusho," which billed itself as the world's smallest camera maker.

It was the first model from a company launched single-handedly by Shin Yasuhara, a former Kyocera camera engineer.

The lens paired with it for these sample photos is the RICOH GR LENS 21mm f/3.5 L39, released the same year, 1999, in a limited run of 1,700 units by Ricoh.

Two pieces of equipment that left their own distinctive mark on Japanese camera history. Here is the 21mm film world captured with this combination.

Yasuhara Isshiki T981 | A Camera Born of the World's Smallest Camera Maker

The rangefinder camera "Yasuhara Isshiki T981," which appeared in 1999 from Japan's Yasuhara Seisakusho.

Yasuhara Seisakusho is a manufacturer founded by Shin Yasuhara, a former Kyocera camera engineer, and billed itself as the "world's smallest camera maker."

In an era when major manufacturers were pursuing autofocus and electronics, it deliberately developed a rangefinder camera based on manual operation.

It adopts the Leica screw mount (L39) and features a mechanical shutter, a top shutter speed of 1/2000 sec, a TTL exposure meter, and a 1.0x viewfinder.

It is an ambitious camera from a small Japanese camera maker, combining a classic look with practical functions.

　

RICOH GR LENS 21mm f/3.5 L39 | A Limited-Edition Ultra-Wide Lens, Only 1,700 Made

The "RICOH GR LENS 21mm f/3.5 L39," released by Ricoh in 1999 in a limited run of just 1,700 units.

Inheriting the design philosophy of the GR series, which has pursued high image quality, it is an ultra-wide-angle interchangeable lens for the Leica screw mount.

The optical system uses a 9-element, 6-group lens construction. A design close to symmetrical suppresses distortion, and the lens barrels of the front and rear groups are adjusted individually for each unit to bring out the optical performance.

The wide field of view and bold perspective unique to a 21mm ultra-wide-angle can be put to use in a variety of photographic expression, such as architecture, cityscapes, and street snapshots.

It is also an important lens in the history of the GR series, leading to the film compact camera "RICOH GR21," which appeared in 2001.

Sample Photo Review | The City's Expressions Seen at 21mm

Sample 01 | The City's Depth Spreading From Underfoot

The first shot captures the feet of people walking through the city and the long shadows falling on the asphalt.

With a 21mm ultra-wide-angle, you can build compositions that exploit perspective, in which nearby subjects appear large and distant ones small.

The texture of the road surface occupying most of the frame, and the shadows stretching from the figures' feet. Even an ordinary street corner gains the spatial expanse unique to an ultra-wide-angle.

Sample 02 | Urban Architecture and Perspective

A shot in which the straight lines of a building, looked up at steeply, converge toward the sky.

What boldly draws out the presence of the building is the combination of the wide 21mm angle of view and the upward-tilted shooting angle.

The GR LENS 21mm is a lens whose optical design emphasizes suppressing distortion. When photographing architecture, being aware of both the lens's own distortion and the changes in perspective caused by the shooting angle lets you create even more interesting expression.

Sample 03 | The Distance of the City, and a Record of the Moment

A street snapshot capturing a security guard standing in front of a construction site and the passage leading into the distance.

The lines of the structure crossing the frame diagonally lead the eye into the depth, creating a distinctive sense of distance between the figure in front and the background.

The Yasuhara Isshiki T981 is a camera based on rangefinder focusing and manual shutter operation. Combined with a 21mm angle of view, it lets you fit not only the person but also the surrounding environment into a single frame.

Sample 04 | Urban Forms Shaped by Light and Shadow

Strong sunlight streaming onto stairs and the deep shadows created by the buildings.

A shot in which the brightly lit stairs, a figure sunk in the shadows, and the geometric lines of the architecture are striking.

The wide 21mm field of view takes in not only the places the light strikes but also the dark space around them.

Being able to use the difference between light and dark within the frame as part of the composition is also part of the fun of street photography with an ultra-wide-angle lens.

Conclusion | Photos Born of Two Different Personalities

The Yasuhara Isshiki T981, born of original thinking, and the RICOH GR LENS 21mm f/3.5 L39, developed in pursuit of optical performance.

Both appeared in 1999, and while each has a different background, they can be combined through the L39 mount.

The joy of shooting one frame at a time with manual operation, and the bold spatial expression of an ultra-wide 21mm.

Recording everyday city life on film with two pieces of equipment steeped in history. It's a combination whose shooting experience itself is part of the appeal.

View all Yasuhara Isshiki T981 listings

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View all Yasuhara Isshiki T981 listings

View all RICOH GR LENS 21mm f/3.5 L39 listings

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