Yashicamat 124G TLR- who has ?

[lesmore49]

I have a Yashicamat 124G that I bought new from a camera store that was going out of business. Back then it cost me $ 249. I bought the lens hood and some filter like deals that are supposed to act as wide angle and telephoto additions to the twin lens reflex camera.

How many people out there, have a Yashica TLR...or even are aware of this unusual beast. It's been out of production since the mid-80's and as this is when I bought one i wonder if I have one of the last.

Works great, probably put less than 10 rolls through it. But I love the little TLR...it's a companion to my Mamiya 220 Pro f TLR...an altogether different TLR...more of a basic commercial camera with interchangeable lenses.

Heres some pix of Yashicamat TLR's.

http://http://images.google.ca/images?hl=en&q=yashica+124g+pictures&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=KkjWSpraOYHVlAex26ydCQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_g roup&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQsAQwAA

[mtclimber]

Good Morning Les-

I saw a Yashicamat 124G just about two months ago in a Greek camera store, while doing a contract in the Med. The owner had taken the camera in as a trade, because he had some Rollei experience, and had a soft spot in his heart for TLR camera. He has had no interested in the camera, which he has now marked down to the equivalent of $(US)103.00.

Have a great day.

Sarah Joyce

[lesmore49]

Originally Posted by mtclimber

Good Morning Les-

I saw a Yashicamat 124G just about two months ago in a Greek camera store, while doing a contract in the Med. The owner had taken the camera in as a trade, because he had some Rollei experience, and had a soft spot in his heart for TLR camera. He has had no interested in the camera, which he has now marked down to the equivalent of $(US)103.00.

Have a great day.

Sarah Joyce

Morning Sarah,

I think that although the old Yashicamat 124G was a fine old camera it would have little appeal now...120 film, a bit awkward to use and absolutely ancient in the eyes of many.

Like the photo shop owner I too have a soft spot for the TLR...I also have a Mamiya 220F professional TLR.

Les

[neilcrichton]

I used many TLR's over the years, including the YashicaMat, and it's miniature sibling, the Yashica 44, a tiny TLR using 127 film. Others I owned included a couple of Rolleiflexes, Mamiya 220, and Mamiya 330 (with a full complement of lenses).

[dwig]

I never owned a Yashicamat 124G, or the earlier plain 124. When I was into 120 I owned a Mamyia C33. I do know the 124G very well, though. After nearly a quarter century running camera stores I dealt with many.

Its a rather decent Rolleiflex clone. Very good, but not excellent, lens and rather reliable. Not as solidly built as a Rollei, but still rather good. Much better than the later Chinese imports.

Yashica made a number of TLRs over the years. The 124 was the first to support 220 (12 exposure 120, 24 exposure 220, hence 124). The later "G" version added gold switch contacts to the finder hood's meter switch, but over the years also introduced some cost cutting changes (plastic battery cap, ...). The tele and wide attachments generally aren't great, but work well enough for snapshot sized prints.