I have an old Yashica D TLR which is great fun. I used to use a Russian Lubitel in the 1970's and then a Mamiya C220 (with interchangeable lenses) in the 1980s. But I got the Yash from a friend during lockdown and it's been a real blast of nostalgia. I've even started developing my own B&W films again.
I've been a vintage watch collector for many years and now starting to gain a appreciation for vintage cameras. I 've enjoyed your last few segments anf look forward to seeing more .Thanks heaps for this and all the best
I have a Yashica EM and a 124g and shoot with them regularly. Very fun cameras to shoot with and always have a rather specific look about the image as you mentioned. Great video.
Just got my first medium format and it's a Yashica-Mat, probably a 1971 model as my viewing lens is a Yashinon f 2.8 ! Super happy to have found your video, thank you!
The 124G taking lens is also a Yashinon 80mm 3.5. - Copal SV. Aperture f3.5-f32. Shutter 15 to 500sec. The viewing lens is also a Yashinon 80mm - but is f2.8. Looking forward to this series of videos. Keep up the the great work.
I have a Rollei and can’t believe how big visible parts of this camera must have been made by the same company. In particular the handle and metal around it, the whole front showing the settings, the focusing knob and even the name plate with its serial number ! The collapsicle finder is pretty close too as well as the back locking system ! Great camera, do not worry about reversed image in finder.
Cool video. I have a Yashica LM (which is not the same as the Yashica Mat LM that came out later). I love it - the aesthetics, the ground glass and, with my help, it produces beautiful images! Mine was made circa 1956/57 and it was the first model to have a light meter, which incredibly still works! I have yet to encounter anyone with an LM, so if you're out there........
Really enjoyed the video. I needed some "enabling" to buy my fourth Yashicamat and this did the trick. Love these cameras. My advice: NEVER use the self timer on ANY old film camera. They often stick and if so, the camera will not allow you to release the shutter and you will not be happy.
@@olitography I understand. But many old cameras freeze up when you test or use the self timers. I have had at least a handful freeze up. It's best not to use it. Yours works and you are lucky.
I recently bought one of these from a certain online auction site for about £50 with a "faulty shutter". Upon receiving it, I unscrewed the front and rear lens clusters and applied rubbing alcohol to both sides of the shutter blades over a few days to clean it up. It now works perfectly. Bargains are there to be had!
I have one of the first Yashica Mats from 1957 with the Lumaxar 3.5 lens which is very sharp. It needs a cla after all these years as the shutter speeds are a bit random. The Yashinons lenses are a bit later. Excellent. cameras. I used 2 in the 1960s when I was a wedding photographer. I have a Rollinar set of number 2 close up lenses and also I have an adapter to enable you to use a standard cable release. This adapter is also used on my Nikon F2.
Sometimes activating the shutter a bit can free up the springs and help get those old shutters back in to life, that or doing so will break them entirely.
Nice review. I just picked up Yashica Mat 124. Sight unseen so had to send it to Vermont for repair/servicing. He was unable to source light meter parts. The aperture and shutter spd dials came back a bit sticky. So, Sunny f/16 or my hand held Sekonic.
Inherited one of these from me dad. He was able to get some really good pics out of it, so I'm hoping I can too . . . once the shutter is fixed ! Thanks.
Funny but I almost purchased a Yashica TLR when I was stationed in the UK in 1985. I kind of wish I had but I purchased an Olympus OM 1 at the time at the Base Exchange. I ended up purchasing a Mamiya C 330 Professional years later at a very good price. A very heavy but very serviceable piece of kit. Maybe one day I will finally purchase a Yashica just to add it to my growing collection of analogue cameras.
Hello great video. I too, now own my late father’s Yashica-Mat. A 1957 model w/the 75mm Lumaxar F3.5 shooting lens. I cherish it. It’s a tank but works perfectly. i’ve always shot black-and-white on it but lately thinking about shooting some 120 color film. It’s a nice change from shooting with a digital or my other 35 mm film cameras.
I almost forgot, nice car btw. I owned a 77’ Midget in the middle 80’s while in the Air Force. Fun but scary to drive on the highway with big trucks around!
In my case, my first serious roll film camera was a 1950's Rolleicord V, which was a tad dim, but functioned well. Much later, I sent it to an authorized Rollei repair station for a CLA, which yielded a TLR with a much better focusing screen. It's not a Rolleiflex, but I didn't find that a hindrance, because it was always "accuracy before speed." I found a Rolleiflex with a Rolleikin adapter, which made it easy to shoot slide film. The ability to see and use the focusing screen while composing an image with the sportsfinder was a definite plus. The Rolleiflex didn't come with an instruction manual, so I didn't notice the two sets of rollers that the film had to be threaded through and "never got to frame 1." One of the family cameras was a blue-grey Yashica 44, which functioned quite well until the focusing rod+retaining bolt sheared off and the focusing knob knob came off in my hand.. This colored my view of Yashica for a while, since the Rolleicord never had that problem.
So informative and a photo-shoot in a classic car as well. Brilliant! I'm also going through my old cameras and giving them some TLC (or is that CLA?). Really looking forward to watching more like this.
I use a Yashicamat LM with 120 film (just got back from Mark Hama in Georgia from a CLA) and a Yashica 44 with 127 film (purchased Ilford 400 from their ULF Sale) and am processing it in the AGO Film Processor right now! Mr. Hama can CLA your Yashica’s reasonably (he was a Yashica employee years ago)!
I think that my 124G was my second medium format camera, after a brief fling with a Kowa Six. The Yashica operated smoothly and easily and the light meter was accurate but I was never enthralled by the lens. I felt it was just "Ok", nothing special and I sold it after a year. My 1939 Rolleiflex New Standard, though -- the lens (uncoated) is just amazing. The 124G's lens was sharp. The Rolleiflex's lens has character. It has class. It has a signature. I've never seen anything else like it.
Excellent video mate. I just bought one of these as part of an auction lot of 10 cameras so really looking forward to getting my hands on it. Cheers- 🙂
it becomes much better if you flock the inside to reduce reflections and use a lens hood. Expose a [B&W] film at it's real speed and not it's advertised one, and you'll end up with a Rolleiflex-like camera.
Great video, I picked up a Yashica 24 which has markers to enable the use of 120 film earlier this year. I'm currently waiting for a lens shade for it though as I think these kinds of cameras are more suceptible to lens flare - do you find this?
I’ve never used a lens shade on this camera, the reason being that they are quite “open” ( not sure how else to describe it) which means they only really cut spikes from the 45-90 degrees these lenses as with any lens tend to need a more front on spike to flare them, when you do flare them they tend to bloom more than a modern coated lens, but they will require the same kind of direct light into the lens as any other to flair . When I do need to cut a flare I use a “flag” or even my hand to cast a shadow on the lens. The tricky part with that on a TLR is keeping your flag out of shot. My short answer is No you don’t need a shade little lens shades on cameras are only good for protecting the lens if you fall over. Just know where you light is coming from and be prepared to use your hand or bit of card to shade the lens if needed.
Well… Actually I thought about this, it’s dumb but I think I know why someone would think that. It’s possible to get the camera out of sync with the self timer. Just wind on the wind on and put the lever back in the recess and you get it back. If I had written something down every time I thought I’d broken this camera, there would be even more bad info out there.
The late Yashica Mat-124 G seems to have a "re-formulated" lens design (still 4 elements in 3 groups), that no longer has the "swirly bokeh", but a rather smooth one, and very evenly distributed sharpness from f4 upwards. I think all Yashica Mat models are compatible with Rolleicord/Rolleiflex Bayonet I accessories (close-up lenses and filters; old Rollei lens hoods don't fit, at least not what I have).
@@olitography I do prefer the more modern look. Lately I did test an old Rolleiflex with Xenar 3.5/75, which has some similarities in rendering to the old Yashica Mat, and wasn't that pleased with the results. If I want the "old-style" look, I go with my Agfa Super Isolette and its Agfa Solinar 3.5/75 (a coupled rangefinder 6x6 folding camera). But it's all personal preference. No matter if old or new models: The Yashica Mat (and many other TLRs) are worth trying/using!
@@olitography What I forgot: The late Yashica Mat has lots of plastic parts (including the front), and that's a bit of a "downer". But even those plastic parts are well-made and hold up over time. The older models look nicer. ;-)
I know this is quite an old video and excuse me if I'm wrong but i see more than 5 aperuture blades approx 2.00-2.05 sec. I do know that some varients of the MV/X shutters came with 10 blades, maybe yours is one
Despite being cheap copies of the Rollei, they are of great quality. There is a myth about lumaxar lenses, they were only used in 1957, and they say they were made in Germany, due to the bluish coatings, Japan didn't use them yet. It is hard for me to understand why the MAT 124 is expensive than the mat, it is newer, it tends to fail more, the dies of the pieces were already very used and worn, it has more plastic, half of the light meters no longer work,
@@olitography No worries, in the meantime, I've actually managed to find the manual online, and they recommend to choose the speed and aperture before cocking the shutter, as doing it after might damage the spring on the long run!
@@olitography right okay. Good to know you can change the shutter settings whenever as I know you can apparently break the model D if you change it after cocking
Yashica didn't try to make a come back. The brand Yashica was sold to a company in Hong Kong some years ago. Those junky camera and other photography related junk sold under Yashica brand aren't any way related to Yashica the camera manufacturer.
I have an old Yashica 635 and it's still going strong. The image quality it's capable of is terrific.
They made great cameras for a time
I have an old Yashica D TLR which is great fun. I used to use a Russian Lubitel in the 1970's and then a Mamiya C220 (with interchangeable lenses) in the 1980s. But I got the Yash from a friend during lockdown and it's been a real blast of nostalgia. I've even started developing my own B&W films again.
It’s kind nice doing things the old way
How did I miss this?!? Brilliant video and I gave it the 1,000th view :o)
Because your just not paying attention.
I've been a vintage watch collector for many years and now starting to gain a appreciation for vintage cameras. I 've enjoyed your last few segments anf look forward to seeing more .Thanks heaps for this and all the best
Non electric Cameras like the Yashica are basically big watches. so I see the link
Love this camera, using it for about 12 years.
Great explanation for the starters.
Great to hear!
I have a Yashica EM and a 124g and shoot with them regularly. Very fun cameras to shoot with and always have a rather specific look about the image as you mentioned. Great video.
Thank you, do like that camera
Good video, looking forward to seeing more of your journey
Thank you, doing battle with one of the first Zeiss Super Ikontas today, wish me luck.
Just got my first medium format and it's a Yashica-Mat, probably a 1971 model as my viewing lens is a Yashinon f 2.8 ! Super happy to have found your video, thank you!
Enjoy your camera
I’ve got the Yashica A, Yashica-mat, and Yashica-mat LM and some of my favorite images were taken with the Yashica A.
Came for the camera. Stayed for the car. Yummm.
My first 6x6 camera while in High school was a Yashika D
Great video! I have had mine for over 30 years now and I love it!
Its a copy from the Rolleiflex 3.5 F. Tip: Use a lens hood.
I do use a lens hood, and flags sometimes black wrap but mostly my hand, im also big Conrad Hall fan in quite like lens flare
Great video in relation to Yashica camera and company, I’m inspired....I have a 124G upstairs and a roll of film in the fridge. Time to dig it out.
Yeah, i want a go on one of those, just wondering if the lens is any different
The 124G taking lens is also a Yashinon 80mm 3.5. - Copal SV. Aperture f3.5-f32. Shutter 15 to 500sec.
The viewing lens is also a Yashinon 80mm - but is f2.8. Looking forward to this series of videos. Keep up the the great work.
I have a 1957 Yashica Mat with a 75mm 3.5 Lumaxar lens. Beautiful camera, wonderful results.
I also have that model in excellent working condition. One of my favorite camera's.
A great 1st in the series. Nice day, MGB GT, great camera, shame the pub was closed, all that photography in manual is thirsty work.
I know right, would have been the perfect afternoon. Might even have shot a few more rolls.
Quality! Keep it coming. 😁
Thanks! Will do!
Sweet! Maybe I should pick up one.
If your getting into medium format.
olitography I started with medium format. My first camera was a brownie.
@@diskkun4120 Might be time to upgrade ;)
I have a Rollei and can’t believe how big visible parts of this camera must have been made by the same company. In particular the handle and metal around it, the whole front showing the settings, the focusing knob and even the name plate with its serial number !
The collapsicle finder is pretty close too as well as the back locking system !
Great camera, do not worry about reversed image in finder.
Cool video. I have a Yashica LM (which is not the same as the Yashica Mat LM that came out later). I love it - the aesthetics, the ground glass and, with my help, it produces beautiful images! Mine was made circa 1956/57 and it was the first model to have a light meter, which incredibly still works! I have yet to encounter anyone with an LM, so if you're out there........
I fell back on the Yashica after my beloved Minolta AutoCord froze up for the last time.
Hope that didn't hurt to much , there quite solid cameras
😂
Love 6x6. These twin-lens reflexes are wonderful cameras.
Totally agree!
Really enjoyed the video. I needed some "enabling" to buy my fourth Yashicamat and this did the trick. Love these cameras. My advice: NEVER use the self timer on ANY old film camera. They often stick and if so, the camera will not allow you to release the shutter and you will not be happy.
Use your finger and push home the self timer the shutter will release
@@olitography I understand. But many old cameras freeze up when you test or use the self timers. I have had at least a handful freeze up. It's best not to use it. Yours works and you are lucky.
I recently bought one of these from a certain online auction site for about £50 with a "faulty shutter". Upon receiving it, I unscrewed the front and rear lens clusters and applied rubbing alcohol to both sides of the shutter blades over a few days to clean it up. It now works perfectly. Bargains are there to be had!
Not bad
Keep up the feed. Highly entertaining and informative for analog geeks like me!
Thanks, will do!
I have one of the first Yashica Mats from 1957 with the Lumaxar 3.5 lens which is very sharp. It needs a cla after all these years as the shutter speeds are a bit random.
The Yashinons lenses are a bit later.
Excellent. cameras.
I used 2 in the 1960s when I was a wedding photographer.
I have a Rollinar set of number 2 close up lenses and also I have an adapter to enable you to use a standard cable release.
This adapter is also used on my Nikon F2.
Sometimes activating the shutter a bit can free up the springs and help get those old shutters back in to life, that or doing so will break them entirely.
New sub. Great camera!
Nice review. I just picked up Yashica Mat 124. Sight unseen so had to send it to Vermont for repair/servicing. He was unable to source light meter parts. The aperture and shutter spd dials came back a bit sticky. So, Sunny f/16 or my hand held Sekonic.
That MGB GT, which for decades I've thought must be the coolest little car, and the pretty gal, made this the greatest video I've ever seen :)
Inherited one of these from me dad. He was able to get some really good pics out of it, so I'm hoping I can too . . . once the shutter is fixed ! Thanks.
Try this, make sure that the wind on lever is placed back in the hole for it on the side. If not the shutter will not work
Good stuff, Love my Yashicas!
Don't fancy one of the new ones though?
@@olitography -the $200 plastic toy digital camera? No thank you, I have a nice Nikon for any of my digital needs, and I can use my vintage lenses.
Funny but I almost purchased a Yashica TLR when I was stationed in the UK in 1985. I kind of wish I had but I purchased an Olympus OM 1 at the time at the Base Exchange. I ended up purchasing a Mamiya C 330 Professional years later at a very good price. A very heavy but very serviceable piece of kit. Maybe one day I will finally purchase a Yashica just to add it to my growing collection of analogue cameras.
Hello great video. I too, now own my late father’s Yashica-Mat. A 1957 model w/the 75mm Lumaxar F3.5 shooting lens. I cherish it. It’s a tank but works perfectly. i’ve always shot black-and-white on it but lately thinking about shooting some 120 color film. It’s a nice change from shooting with a digital or my other 35 mm film cameras.
Totally, I only wish I still had his Hasselblad kit
I almost forgot, nice car btw. I owned a 77’ Midget in the middle 80’s while in the Air Force. Fun but scary to drive on the highway with big trucks around!
In my case, my first serious roll film camera was a 1950's Rolleicord V, which was a tad dim, but functioned well. Much later, I sent it to an authorized Rollei repair station for a CLA, which yielded a TLR with a much better focusing screen. It's not a Rolleiflex, but I didn't find that a hindrance, because it was always "accuracy before speed."
I found a Rolleiflex with a Rolleikin adapter, which made it easy to shoot slide film. The ability to see and use the focusing screen while composing an image with the sportsfinder was a definite plus. The Rolleiflex didn't come with an instruction manual, so I didn't notice the two sets of rollers that the film had to be threaded through and "never got to frame 1."
One of the family cameras was a blue-grey Yashica 44, which functioned quite well until the focusing rod+retaining bolt sheared off and the focusing knob knob came off in my hand.. This colored my view of Yashica for a while, since the Rolleicord never had that problem.
So informative and a photo-shoot in a classic car as well. Brilliant! I'm also going through my old cameras and giving them some TLC (or is that CLA?). Really looking forward to watching more like this.
I use a Yashicamat LM with 120 film (just got back from Mark Hama in Georgia from a CLA) and a Yashica 44 with 127 film (purchased Ilford 400 from their ULF Sale) and am processing it in the AGO Film Processor right now!
Mr. Hama can CLA your Yashica’s reasonably (he was a Yashica employee years ago)!
I’ll Check him out, one day I’ll visit Georgia
I think that my 124G was my second medium format camera, after a brief fling with a Kowa Six. The Yashica operated smoothly and easily and the light meter was accurate but I was never enthralled by the lens. I felt it was just "Ok", nothing special and I sold it after a year. My 1939 Rolleiflex New Standard, though -- the lens (uncoated) is just amazing. The 124G's lens was sharp. The Rolleiflex's lens has character. It has class. It has a signature. I've never seen anything else like it.
I’d agree with that, but don’t own a
Rolli
Nice BGT :)
It needs a little work, but don't they all?
Excellent video mate. I just bought one of these as part of an auction lot of 10 cameras so really looking forward to getting my hands on it. Cheers- 🙂
Awesome I did another vid on it in Iceland
it becomes much better if you flock the inside to reduce reflections and use a lens hood. Expose a [B&W] film at it's real speed and not it's advertised one, and you'll end up with a Rolleiflex-like camera.
Great video, I picked up a Yashica 24 which has markers to enable the use of 120 film earlier this year. I'm currently waiting for a lens shade for it though as I think these kinds of cameras are more suceptible to lens flare - do you find this?
I’ve never used a lens shade on this camera, the reason being that they are quite “open” ( not sure how else to describe it) which means they only really cut spikes from the 45-90 degrees these lenses as with any lens tend to need a more front on spike to flare them,
when you do flare them they tend to bloom more than a modern coated lens, but they will require the same kind of direct light into the lens as any other to flair . When I do need to cut a flare I use a “flag” or even my hand to cast a shadow on the lens.
The tricky part with that on a TLR is keeping your flag out of shot.
My short answer is No you don’t need a shade little lens shades on cameras are only good for protecting the lens if you fall over. Just know where you light is coming from and be prepared to use your hand or bit of card to shade the lens if needed.
I've read somewhere that one should never use the self-timer as it can destroy the entire mechanism.
Well… Actually I thought about this, it’s dumb but I think I know why someone would think that. It’s possible to get the camera out of sync with the self timer. Just wind on the wind on and put the lever back in the recess and you get it back. If I had written something down every time I thought I’d broken this camera, there would be even more bad info out there.
The late Yashica Mat-124 G seems to have a "re-formulated" lens design (still 4 elements in 3 groups), that no longer has the "swirly bokeh", but a rather smooth one, and very evenly distributed sharpness from f4 upwards. I think all Yashica Mat models are compatible with Rolleicord/Rolleiflex Bayonet I accessories (close-up lenses and filters; old Rollei lens hoods don't fit, at least not what I have).
Really I didn’t know, which do you prefer?
@@olitography I do prefer the more modern look. Lately I did test an old Rolleiflex with Xenar 3.5/75, which has some similarities in rendering to the old Yashica Mat, and wasn't that pleased with the results. If I want the "old-style" look, I go with my Agfa Super Isolette and its Agfa Solinar 3.5/75 (a coupled rangefinder 6x6 folding camera). But it's all personal preference. No matter if old or new models: The Yashica Mat (and many other TLRs) are worth trying/using!
@@olitography What I forgot: The late Yashica Mat has lots of plastic parts (including the front), and that's a bit of a "downer". But even those plastic parts are well-made and hold up over time. The older models look nicer. ;-)
I know this is quite an old video and excuse me if I'm wrong but i see more than 5 aperuture blades approx 2.00-2.05 sec. I do know that some varients of the MV/X shutters came with 10 blades, maybe yours is one
I believe you may know more about my camera than I do there.
Coool
Despite being cheap copies of the Rollei, they are of great quality. There is a myth about lumaxar lenses, they were only used in 1957, and they say they were made in Germany, due to the bluish coatings, Japan didn't use them yet. It is hard for me to understand why the MAT 124 is expensive than the mat, it is newer, it tends to fail more, the dies of the pieces were already very used and worn, it has more plastic, half of the light meters no longer work,
Let’s keep the May a secret, and keep them cheap
I'm surprised rolli didn't sue them, it's identical to my rolli flex, or did they have an agreement?
There seems to be a lot of copying in camera design even down to the names, Contax, Pentax, Pentacon etc.
With this camera, do have to choose the speed before cocking the shutter or does it not matter?
It’s never mattered
@@olitography No worries, in the meantime, I've actually managed to find the manual online, and they recommend to choose the speed and aperture before cocking the shutter, as doing it after might damage the spring on the long run!
Is it the same as the yashica-D where you can't change shutter settings after cocking it?
The wind on picks the shutter but you can always change he settings, which can slip so you have to take care of
@@olitography right okay. Good to know you can change the shutter settings whenever as I know you can apparently break the model D if you change it after cocking
The joys of driving an MG 😊
Quiet cars
Only if your Deaf
hi! q: i have the alternative to buy a yashica mat w a yashinon lense vs. a rolleicord III, which would you choose?
I’ve yet to try the Rolliecord so can’t say but they are quite a bit more expensive
6:22 I bought 1 yesterday for €60 unknown condition.
Fingers crossed,
Yashica didn't try to make a come back. The brand Yashica was sold to a company in Hong Kong some years ago. Those junky camera and other photography related junk sold under Yashica brand aren't any way related to Yashica the camera manufacturer.
Would you say the same about MG (cars)?
I love the Japanese cameras but I don't love the Japanese lenses.
Holy shit, 200 quid!