Nearly a month after being revealed and as it nears half a million dollars in funding on Kickstarter, I’m Back has announced that it is joining forces with Hong Kong-based Yashica.
“I’m Back, renowned for its innovative camera accessories, has teamed up with the legendary Yashica brand to create a bridge between the past and the present, combining the nostalgic appeal and know-how of Yashica’s classic analog cameras with I’m Back’s cutting-edge technology,” the companies write in a combined press release.
The I’m Back Film and Yashica attachment will enable 35mm film cameras to capture not only analog images using traditional film but also digital images “with stunning clarity and detail,” thanks to the I’m Back film canister-style digital sensor. The attachment can be “loaded” into a film camera, much like loading a traditional 35mm film, but it includes a 20-megapixel Micro Four Thirds image sensor where an analog camera would typically expose a frame of a film roll.
“We are excited to partner with Yashica, a brand known for its rich history in the world of photography,” explains Samuel Mello Medeiros, I’m Back inventor and co-founder.
I’m Back co-founder Filippo Nishino tells PetaPixel over email that the partnership between I’m Back and Yashica includes co-designing the new I’m Back film product, plus “several” other products, including lifestyle, “lomo” type products, high-tech gadgets, and photography products “such as cameras and films.” Nishino says that the collaboration will include co-branding these products.
Alongside co-development and co-branding, Yashica will “perform, together with I’m Back, the distribution of these co-designed products,” Nishino continues, which he says will ensure that I’m Back products “reach a wider and more diverse audience.”
“We are pleased to collaborate with I’m Back and bring not only our classic Yashica cameras, but all analogs into the digital era,” says Kent Lui, Chairman at Yashica, a brand distributed by 100 Enterprises Int. Group Ltd.
“This partnership allows us to bridge the generational gap and share the beauty of our classic cameras with a new audience,” adds Amy Lui, Marketing Manager at Yashica.
The I’m Back Film Kickstarter project still has 29 days remaining and has thus far received $426,415 from 682 backers. It stands to reason that its new partnership with Yashica will significantly help I’m Back manage production and distribution. The I’m Back Film is scheduled to be delivered to customers starting in July 2024.
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Image credits: I’m Back