It’s back! Sort of. At least the crowdfunded-iteration we told you about two years ago.
And for those of you that will remember that debacle, the InstaFilm Yashica and then the later the MF-1 were both regarded as pretty much huge disappointments by the fandom in the mildest criticism and as complete pieces of garbage by those with more unfiltered views on things.
Well, the MF-1 is back and this time with a Supreme logo. For those of you unfamiliar with Supreme, it is a street-wear clothing brand that often has clothing items with prices that skyrocket based upon hype and limited availability.
That will pretty much be the case with the Supreme-branded MF-1, a unit that is as yet unpriced but which is expected to retail for between $USD 200 and $USD 300 and in the secondary market between $USD 300 to $USD 500. To keep this in perspective, this is an instant-film camera that costs some $USD 60 at most and it’s far from the best one on the market.
As multiple people are pointing out, absolutely no one is buying the MF-1 for photography and instead for the collector’s appeal of having the Supreme logo emblazoned boldly on it. Of course, we realize that because, as we reported when it came out, people who had waited patiently for the DigiFilm experiment and then the MF-1 were more than happy to let us know what they thought of those cameras.
We don’t need to share those sentiments here but we have to caution that, when you’re working with a hallowed brand and you show up with a vision less than congruent with fan nostalgia, you’re heading for problems in the marketing department. In many ways, the Supreme MF-1 is a more pure embodiment of the spirit and drive that created both it and DigiFilm in the first place in that it is less about photography and more about liquidating what little value there is left in a brand that has increasingly limited appeal as the days pass and people forget who Yashica was. Going with that vibe, this could be an interesting way to introduce it to a new cohort.
If you missed our coverage of the Yashica crowdfunding and product releases, you can read them here.
What do you think of the Supreme-branded Yashica? Did you purchase the MF-1 or the DigiFilm project? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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