Yashica MAT 124G Revisited

Glad to see ya back!

Great job my man, I'm shooting a rolleicord and I love it more than any other digital camera I have. good to see you back on the grid. oh by the way last week I uploaded a tutorial on how to develop color film at room temperature, you might get a kick out of it. Peace

I have both the 124 and the 124G. I use the 124 the most.

Cool video. Don’t you hate it when you break a bottle of wine or hard lemonade? TLRs do make a good conversation piece.

A great YT video on one of my favourite film cameras. Another 👍🏻s up from me

Thanks Erik...just reminded me I have an exposed film from my 124G in the fridge that I last used nearly 2 years ago....sad, I know.
Must thin out my collection and start using the remaining ones more.

Just bought two TLR's. Cleaned them up, put film in them and now I am going to go try them out. I haven't used one in years.

When I was a child, prior to 1970, when parents wanted portraits of their children, they hired a photographer to come to the house to do it. I remember the photographer using a TLR to do it in the living room of our home. I suspect it was probably a Rollei of some type, but I don’t remember. Man, that was a long time ago.

Gotta love a TLR! I have a Yashica D and it's easily my favourite camera. That Ektar comes out beautifully in this. Nice to see you back with another video man.

I'd agree with all of this, the Yashica MAT was my first Medium Format camera and I just fell in love with the format.

I have a couple Rolleiflexes and P67s these days, but the Yashica still gets out with me - I've said this before and I'll say it again, I don't think I'd be able to pick which neg is which vs my Rollei 2.8f both shot at f3.5. It's not even the MAT series specifically I recently repaired a Yashica D that took amazingly sharp photos too, so yeah if you're starting out, or even just wanting to try it, there's no need to buy the most expensive stuff.

Welcome back. Complete review, as usual. Congrats.
Other TLRs to consider: Two Japanese TLRs: Minolta Autocord [Rokkor 75mm lens and instead of CDS use meter], Ricohflex. Both have geared focusing at the front for easy focusing rather than on the side] German: Ikoflex. For TLRs avoid 4x4. They do attract attention. And a plus: they are at least equal to the Yashica [the 124 is considered the better camera]. The Autocord is almost as good as the Rolleiflex 3.5F. The Autocord was a contender to a high-quality Rolleiflex.

Nice to see a new video. I have a 124G that gets out occasionally. It IS a different way to shoot. I think the square format can lend itself well to certain architectural situations, and I like the new-old juxtaposition you found. Great photos all around.

Was that last high-speed bit your tutorial section? Another enjoyable visit with you, thanks for posting.

I have a 1957 Yashica Mat with a 75mm 3.5 Lumaxar lens. One of the first Yashica Mats that were made.
The earlier ones were called Pigeonflex! No really.
I used two Yashica Mat cameras back in the 1960s when I was a wedding, portrait and Press photographer. They never let me down.
I also have Kiev 6c with the 90mm Vega 2.8 lens and a Lubitel 2 tlr.
The camera I come back to is the 1957 Yashica Mat.
The rendering of colour is marvellous.

Yeah, but is it Beuatiful? :-) I love my Yashica MAT

Few years ago I inherited Yashica LM, from 1958. Similar model to 124G, but with de-coupled shutter, so I kinda use it as a large format camera. I got it broken, the winding mechanism and frame counter where broken, so I spent years to find someone who can fix it in my area, course all mechanics who could repair those old cameras went either into retirement or to the cemetery. But I don't regret the money nor the time spent course today I can enjoy that damn thing 😉

Great video! There is a man in my home town who shot weddings with a Yashica Mat 124G back in the 1970s and 1980s. A few years ago he gave me his camera. It is the same camera he shot our photos with, when my wife and I got married way back in 1980. The camera still works and I still use it occasionally. I personally really seem to struggle with the mirror image/ backwards view finder, but these are great cameras. Big thumbs up for a great video.

great shots!

Nice set of images I really should blow the dust off mine. See if you can pick up a lens hood for it, Rollei Bay1 I think is the fitting, you can find plastic ones on EBay for not much money, I find that it helps with adding just a little more contrast to the image espically with colour. They were a Japanese and cheaper copy of the Rolleicords f3.5 machines, its said the Yashion lens is as good as anythig used in the Rolleicord, but neer having one and compairing, can only go off what other say.

I used one occasionally in a previous job about thirty years ago. I actually own a Yashica TLR but it is a miniature one, taking 12 4x4 pictures on 127 film. I do still have a few rolls of film for it in stock.

Great video and a nice camera. I have a Yashica 635. The 635 is cool and unique in the Yashica TLR lineup because it was designed to use both 120 and 35mm film and has two frame counters, one for each film type. I also have a set of goggle style add on lenses that were made for it. One wide angle and one portrait.

Good video. I have one of these but seldom use. Very cool camera though. Please cut the music, it’s distracting

I love that people are starting to discover film again. I played with digital from ‘02 to ‘05 but I didn’t care for it and sold it all. I pulled my Mat 124 off the shelf and went back to taking real pictures again. Film is romantic and it forces you to slow down and be in the moment.

Couple months back I picked up a Yashica A. It my first medium format. Only gotten one roll developed, but it’s fun to use.

That was my first medium format cameras, got it in 1978 and it still performs well!!! I am a fan of the square look!!!

Bro that TLR is one of the best, I had mine CLA’ed by Mark Hama, who is an original YashicaMat tech who worked for Yashica back in the day.

This’s a really exciting video for me to watch! 🎉

I’ve several old, but Mint Canon and Nikon SLR cameras for my collection. On the other hand, I shoot with a TLR camera like the classic you’re holding, the Yashica Mat 124G
I only other cameras that I would like to have or to use when I can effort are a Leica and a Rolleiflex 🎉

… meow!

The model was manufactured from 1970 to 1986. This copy of a Rolleiflex was so good that now itself becoming a ‘classic’.

Thank you for posting such a great 👍🏻 video of the Yashica Mat 124G Erik!! ❤

My Sale For Yashica Mat 124G

These were a lot of fun to shoot until Kodak raised the price of Kodak Portra 400 on 120 to over $1/click. It's like shooting Instax prints directly =(

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone use a tripod with a TLR.

Raleigh is my wife's hometown. Love that city. I just got my Yashica, and I'm waiting for my first roll of black and white to be developed...2 weeks to process!

I'm trying to get the hang of the whole metering thing.