Since then i ve put about 5 rolls through it gradually getting the hang of exposure and composition with the square format.
Photo examples from yashica mat 124.
My first choice would ve been a late yashica mat no 124 with an f 2 8 taking lens but the simplicity of the yashica a appeals to me as well.
They were always decent cameras at a low price so everyone had one of these japanese cameras.
Yashica mats were extremely popular in the 1960s and 1970s.
It s the budget model and it s not as much on par with a rollei as are some of the higher end yashica tlrs.
The yashicamat has a built in light meter operated by the famed and now unavailable px625 mercury oxide battery.
The most recent version was the yashica mat 124 g.
A rolleiflex copy with a great lens and plenty on the second hand market.
I found a cheap one on ebay with a broken light meter.
I use a czj 150mm f4 5 t coated tessar or a 150mm f5 6 xenar quite regularly alongside my yashicamat and have never had them flare.
The yashica mat 124 and also yashica mat 124g reverts to the yashica 24 arrangement of the low set red triangles for 220 and a label in the film feed chamber for 120 start.
Actually the the tessar design isn t particularly prone to flare i have quite a few and use many of them a few about half are coated the opton tessar on my rolleiflex and the yashinon aren t included in the photo.
At the same time i picked up my rolleicord 1a i also bought a yashica d having heard great things about it.
I own a yashica mat 124 and absolutely love it.
The yashica a isn t really a direct copy of any particular rolleicord or rolleiflex.
If you re shooting slide film use a handheld meter like a sekonic l508 or the more modern sekonic l758 which can also be used for digital photography.
Earlier ones had letters closer to a in the alphabet.
The yashica mat 124 seemed an obvious choice.
There is a certain joy to be had in.
All cameras yashica yashica cameras with sample photos.
The yashica mat 124 manual has the same references and a picture of a silver rimmed filter and a square hood with yashica in the oval logo which on cameras only appeared from about 1955 to 1958 perhaps a little longer on accessories old photo.
If you use the meter for shooting negative film just use the modern px625 equivalent and err on the side of overexposure.