Yasuhara T981

Yasuhara T981

The Yasuhara T981 is a 35mm coupled-rangefinder camera introduced in 1999. Also known as the Isshiki, written 一式, it uses the Leica Thread Mount and combines a fully mechanical shutter with TTL exposure metering, a large 1:1 viewfinder and automatic parallax correction.

The T981 was conceived by Shin Yasuhara as a modern manual-focus rangefinder that could use the large existing range of Leica screw-mount lenses. It arrived shortly before the broader revival of interchangeable-lens rangefinder cameras in the early 2000s.

History

Development and Launch

Shin Yasuhara founded Yasuhara Co. after previously working for Kyocera and developed the T981 as the company’s first camera.

The design deliberately combined traditional screw-mount compatibility with features more typical of a late twentieth-century rangefinder, including TTL metering, LED exposure indication, a hinged rear door and a modern metal focal-plane shutter.

The camera reached the market in 1999 under the model designation T981 and the Japanese name Isshiki, 一式.

Production

Production was limited. Contemporary reporting states that approximately 4,000 cameras were made before Yasuhara began winding down T981 production around 2001.

The camera was designed and marketed by Yasuhara in Japan, while production is generally attributed to Phenix Optical in China.

Its relatively small production run and unusual position between classic Leica-thread cameras and the modern rangefinder revival have made the T981 increasingly collectible.

Mount and Lens Compatibility

The T981 uses the Leica Thread Mount, also known as Leica screw mount, with the standard 39mm thread used by Leica, Canon, Nicca and other compatible rangefinder systems.

This makes the camera compatible with a broad range of historical and modern LTM lenses.

Yasuhara also offered a matching MC 50mm f/2.8 lens, but the camera body was designed around general Leica-thread compatibility rather than a proprietary lens system.

Shutter and Metering

The shutter is a mechanical vertical-travel metal focal-plane design with speeds from 1 second to 1/2000 second plus B.

Because the shutter is mechanical, the camera can continue to operate without batteries. The batteries power only the exposure meter.

TTL light measurement uses an SPD sensor and displays exposure information through LEDs visible in the finder. A central indicator shows correct exposure, with additional indicators showing over- or underexposure.

The shutter synchronizes electronic flash at 1/125 second.

Viewfinder and Rangefinder

One of the T981’s most distinctive features is its large 1.0× combined rangefinder-viewfinder.

The finder includes brightlines for a 50mm lens and automatically compensates for parallax as focusing distance changes. The rangefinder patch is large and clearly visible, making the camera particularly suitable for standard-lens shooting.

There are no interchangeable or selectable framelines for other focal lengths. Wider or longer lenses therefore require an external accessory finder when precise framing is required.

Dimensions and Weight

The published body dimensions are approximately 138 mm wide, 80 mm high and 35 mm deep.

Yasuhara listed the body weight as 500 g. Individually measured production examples have been reported around 530 g, so modest variation between cameras should be expected.

The relatively dense construction comes from the metal body, brass components and substantial finder assembly.

Phenix Connection

The T981 is closely associated with Phenix Optical, which is widely reported to have manufactured the camera in China for Yasuhara.

A related Phenix version was also produced, including the limited Phenix JG50 commemorative edition made for the fiftieth anniversary of the People’s Republic of China.

The JG50 was produced in a run of 500 cameras and was supplied with a collapsible Phenix MC 50mm f/2.8 lens.

For database purposes, Phenix-marked versions can be retained as exact_variant or related_model metadata unless a separate collector page is later justified.

Identification

A standard Yasuhara T981 has:

• Leica Thread Mount
• Large 1.0× finder
• 50mm brightlines
• Automatic parallax correction
• Mechanical shutter to 1/2000 second
• TTL LED exposure meter
• Hinged rear film door
• Mechanical self-timer
• Conventional film-advance lever
• PC flash connection

Bodies are commonly encountered in chrome and black finishes.

Collector Notes

The T981 occupies an unusual place in rangefinder history. It was introduced before the Cosina Voigtländer Bessa line had fully established the modern affordable rangefinder market and demonstrated that there was still demand for new Leica-thread-mount cameras.

The camera’s limited production, distinctive 1:1 finder and 1/2000-second mechanical shutter make it more than simply a modern Leica copy.

Common practical issues include difficult-to-see meter LEDs in bright conditions, finder alignment problems and age-related shutter or rangefinder servicing needs.

For price tracking, useful metadata includes exact_variant, finish, included_lens, meter_condition, rangefinder_condition, shutter_condition, self_timer_condition, battery_compartment_condition, accessories, box_included and body_only_or_kit.