I bought one new in 1972. The salesman couldn't understand why I choose it over a 35mm. 1/500 sec. flash sync, big square images., That camera launched my career. I wore it out, eventually. I was just about the only kid in high school using medium format, working for the local newspaper. Incidentally, Just to nitpick here, the ISO speed is the speed on the box, the speed your light meter is set to is E.I (exposure index).
Thanks for sharing this! There is something really extraordinary about the big, square negatives and slides. Thanks for the call-out about the proper designation of E.I., the meaning of ISO has definitely been muddied with digital now.
I started shooting 35mm film recently and I'm currently having the itch you mentioned. The Yashica Mat range is what I'm looking at. Though not the only TLRs I am looking at. Yeah, this was helpful. I didn't know about the close up lenses for instance.
I use an MR-9 adapter in my 124G, which allows the use of a widely available 1.55V silver oxide battery. To my astonishment, the light meter on mine is very accurate!
Great call-out! I've been so used to ignoring the meter reading on mine. I'll have to check out the adapter and see how that works! How long does the battery tend to last in your experience?
@@MatthewArringtonphoto I haven't replaced the battery in about 3 1/2 years. Out of habit when I'm shooting, I only leave the hood open long enough to quickly frame/meter/focus/shoot, then shut it, which turns off the meter.
Hi Matt, great video! I just picked up a 124G and the majority of the images from my first roll were slightly off focus. However, the majority of these were shot @ f/3.5, so I'm not sure if it was simply a user error on my end. However, I also noticed that what I see through the ground glass is not in focus when set to infinity. Is this normal? And is there a possibility one of the lenses or ground glass is not aligned properly?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Hmm… good question. Not all lens markings for infinity are accurate, so I would use the magnifier on the ground glass to achieve critical focus. It may be worthwhile running a cheap roll of a low iso black and white film and test the focus at different distances wide open to be sure, using the ground glass rather than the distance scale. Do this in good, contrasty light (maybe on a tripod) to control for all other variables that might make the images soft. Hope this helps and good luck!
Very nice camera. And on mine the light meter works perfectly, but then I use it with a battery converter for the 1.5 V battery... Oh, and don't try to use it with Fomapan films. Perhaps something is "wrong" with their backing, at least the camera doesn't recognise them (meaning it lets you wind the whole film through, never stopping at frame 1).
I did, when stopped down a little. I do my own processing and scanning and, as long as the negative lays flat, can get good sharpness (for the age of the lens) into the corners.
I’m 48, and know that these were made up until 1986. Honestly, I don’t remember ever seeing anyone out with a TLR back in the day, I see more TLR’s today than when they were newer.
That's interesting to know since they've seen quite a resurgence lately. I think, by the 80's, many folks (even photojournalists) had moved on to smaller and lighter 35mm SLRs. The 124G was in fact the last TLR made by Yashica, so they seemed to be going out of fashion at that point. Thanks for the insight!
I'm 75, and you are correct. Apart from the Rollei TLRs and Yashicas, there were half a dozen German and dozens of Japanese TLRs produced in the 1950s, all riding the Rolleiflex coattails to some degree. By the mid-1960s most of those makers had phased out of TLRs, which were not selling well. Mamiya tried to revive a market by introducing their interchangeable lens TLRs, seeking the pro market at a budget cost compared to Hasselblad, etc., with some success. Yashica held on to the "Mat till 1986, probably because they were cheap to make and they had no other foot in the MF door. In 1986, Yashica found itself with a backlog of TLRs no one wanted. In 1989, they still had a warehouse full of 'Mats, so they sold them all to B&H to get rid of them, and B&H knocked the new price down from around $140 to $80 to move 'em out. Contrary the video, the Yashicamat is a fairly crudely made camera with the worst lens of its type (4-element) ever put in a TLR, using the same lens from 1959 to end of days. They sold relatively well because they were the cheapest, not the best. They sell today because they are common as dirt. Models prior to the 124G are better made; The 124G was a cheapened build. Its poor optics are relative to what you want to do with the photo you take. If you are scanning on a flatbed and posting to digital output, then lens quality is irrelevant. If you want to shoot at 4.0 and enlarge in a darkroom to 16x20 inches, that would be a waste of film. I know, "what the hell does he know? I went nuts about 25 years ago looking for the best TLR short of a Rolleiflex Planar I could find, shooting lens tests of about half a dozen options, including a new in the box Yashicamat 124G my friend had acquired. Results: Minolta Autocord, best; Yashicamat, worst by a significant margin below all others. At $125 in very good condition and for non-critical use, the "mat is a good buy. Otherwise, look for an Autocord, Rolleicord, or Diacord.
@@randallstewart175 very good analysis. I do remember seeing the B & H ads in the late 1980’s and very early 1990’s for the YashicaMat 124G as you mentioned. I have attempted to enlarge images made with my YashicaMat 124G to 16x20 and see the loss of sharpness. If one has the money, a Rolleiflex is the best TLR and is capable of making sharp prints. The problem with Rolleiflex is that they are at the age where finding one in good optical and mechanical condition can be a challenge. I have seen so many Rolleiflex cameras with good mechanics but damaged optics such as etching of the lens and haze caused by the lens separation. Finding a good Rolleiflex or Minolta Autocord is a very good recommendation,, I would definitely stay away from the he Seagull TLR, I had two of them and both broke after a couple rolls of film.
Not that I've experienced. To be clear, do you mean haze in the viewing lens when composing the shot or the taking lens when you develop the film? If you're referring to the viewing lens, the mirror in the waist level finder could need a cleaning in that case.
@@MatthewArringtonphoto in the taking lens, I have picked up another yashica mat and I hope it won’t give me that problem cause I know it’s normal, hoping ✌🏻
It might be more helpful to note that the 124G sold for as little as $80 new. Although a superficial copy of a Rolleiflex, it has neither the mechanical or optical performance of a Rollei. In fact, it is generally inferior to nearly all other TLRs made in Japan during those years. It may have the worst lens of its type ever sold. So, if its inferior, why are so many other there? Because it was the cheapest TLR you could buy. With all the hype driven by social media, a good condition used 124G is between $400 - 600. Other Japanese TLRs which cost twice as much as a 124G new and are much superior in every way cost $225 - 325.: Ricoh Diacord, Minolta Autocord, and (best) the fairly rare Kalloflex. If you are determined to have a Yashicamat, the earlier models like the 12 or 124(no G) were somewhat better built and use the same challenged lens.
I picked up the 124G a month ago, and a Mamiya C330 last week, but I’m returning the Mamiya. Technically superior but I find the shooting experience on the Yashica much more pleasing.
I bought one new in 1972. The salesman couldn't understand why I choose it over a 35mm. 1/500 sec. flash sync, big square images., That camera launched my career. I wore it out, eventually. I was just about the only kid in high school using medium format, working for the local newspaper. Incidentally, Just to nitpick here, the ISO speed is the speed on the box, the speed your light meter is set to is E.I (exposure index).
Thanks for sharing this! There is something really extraordinary about the big, square negatives and slides. Thanks for the call-out about the proper designation of E.I., the meaning of ISO has definitely been muddied with digital now.
I started shooting 35mm film recently and I'm currently having the itch you mentioned. The Yashica Mat range is what I'm looking at. Though not the only TLRs I am looking at. Yeah, this was helpful. I didn't know about the close up lenses for instance.
I use an MR-9 adapter in my 124G, which allows the use of a widely available 1.55V silver oxide battery. To my astonishment, the light meter on mine is very accurate!
Great call-out! I've been so used to ignoring the meter reading on mine. I'll have to check out the adapter and see how that works! How long does the battery tend to last in your experience?
@@MatthewArringtonphoto I haven't replaced the battery in about 3 1/2 years. Out of habit when I'm shooting, I only leave the hood open long enough to quickly frame/meter/focus/shoot, then shut it, which turns off the meter.
That's great! I'll give the adapter try and it should simplify my setup a bit. A least when I'm not doing incident readings. Thanks again!
Fantastic review and information. I just picked up a Yashica-Mat, need to take some pics...
You can get the telephoto lens kit and the wide kit so you can shoot portraits.
Hi Matt, great video! I just picked up a 124G and the majority of the images from my first roll were slightly off focus. However, the majority of these were shot @ f/3.5, so I'm not sure if it was simply a user error on my end. However, I also noticed that what I see through the ground glass is not in focus when set to infinity. Is this normal? And is there a possibility one of the lenses or ground glass is not aligned properly?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Hmm… good question. Not all lens markings for infinity are accurate, so I would use the magnifier on the ground glass to achieve critical focus. It may be worthwhile running a cheap roll of a low iso black and white film and test the focus at different distances wide open to be sure, using the ground glass rather than the distance scale. Do this in good, contrasty light (maybe on a tripod) to control for all other variables that might make the images soft. Hope this helps and good luck!
Appreciate the suggestion! I'll give it a try@@MatthewArringtonphoto
Very nice camera. And on mine the light meter works perfectly, but then I use it with a battery converter for the 1.5 V battery... Oh, and don't try to use it with Fomapan films. Perhaps something is "wrong" with their backing, at least the camera doesn't recognise them (meaning it lets you wind the whole film through, never stopping at frame 1).
Very informative, thanks for making this video
Awesome video! Where did you purchase yours from?
Thanks! I got mine from a private seller on eBay. He’d recently gotten it professionally cleaned and checked out, so I was lucky there.
..i love mine and i use the yash beside a 645 mamiya, ...BM
I think 💭 once I start using 120 to shoot Street Photography I most likely won’t go back to the 135, 35mm.
Nice video! Thank you!
Did you really find the lens to be sharp at the edges? My experience was that it was soft on the edges.
I did, when stopped down a little. I do my own processing and scanning and, as long as the negative lays flat, can get good sharpness (for the age of the lens) into the corners.
I’m 48, and know that these were made up until 1986. Honestly, I don’t remember ever seeing anyone out with a TLR back in the day, I see more TLR’s today than when they were newer.
That's interesting to know since they've seen quite a resurgence lately. I think, by the 80's, many folks (even photojournalists) had moved on to smaller and lighter 35mm SLRs. The 124G was in fact the last TLR made by Yashica, so they seemed to be going out of fashion at that point. Thanks for the insight!
I'm 75, and you are correct. Apart from the Rollei TLRs and Yashicas, there were half a dozen German and dozens of Japanese TLRs produced in the 1950s, all riding the Rolleiflex coattails to some degree. By the mid-1960s most of those makers had phased out of TLRs, which were not selling well. Mamiya tried to revive a market by introducing their interchangeable lens TLRs, seeking the pro market at a budget cost compared to Hasselblad, etc., with some success. Yashica held on to the "Mat till 1986, probably because they were cheap to make and they had no other foot in the MF door. In 1986, Yashica found itself with a backlog of TLRs no one wanted. In 1989, they still had a warehouse full of 'Mats, so they sold them all to B&H to get rid of them, and B&H knocked the new price down from around $140 to $80 to move 'em out. Contrary the video, the Yashicamat is a fairly crudely made camera with the worst lens of its type (4-element) ever put in a TLR, using the same lens from 1959 to end of days. They sold relatively well because they were the cheapest, not the best. They sell today because they are common as dirt. Models prior to the 124G are better made; The 124G was a cheapened build. Its poor optics are relative to what you want to do with the photo you take. If you are scanning on a flatbed and posting to digital output, then lens quality is irrelevant. If you want to shoot at 4.0 and enlarge in a darkroom to 16x20 inches, that would be a waste of film. I know, "what the hell does he know? I went nuts about 25 years ago looking for the best TLR short of a Rolleiflex Planar I could find, shooting lens tests of about half a dozen options, including a new in the box Yashicamat 124G my friend had acquired. Results: Minolta Autocord, best; Yashicamat, worst by a significant margin below all others. At $125 in very good condition and for non-critical use, the "mat is a good buy. Otherwise, look for an Autocord, Rolleicord, or Diacord.
@@randallstewart175 very good analysis. I do remember seeing the B & H ads in the late 1980’s and very early 1990’s for the YashicaMat 124G as you mentioned. I have attempted to enlarge images made with my YashicaMat 124G to 16x20 and see the loss of sharpness. If one has the money, a Rolleiflex is the best TLR and is capable of making sharp prints. The problem with Rolleiflex is that they are at the age where finding one in good optical and mechanical condition can be a challenge. I have seen so many Rolleiflex cameras with good mechanics but damaged optics such as etching of the lens and haze caused by the lens separation. Finding a good Rolleiflex or Minolta Autocord is a very good recommendation,, I would definitely stay away from the he Seagull TLR, I had two of them and both broke after a couple rolls of film.
Great video
Your voice is nicer than the camera, and I have one I love...!
Lol I just bought my mat 124 g just because my RB67 is too big
Does the yashica mat give you haze’s problems?
Not that I've experienced. To be clear, do you mean haze in the viewing lens when composing the shot or the taking lens when you develop the film? If you're referring to the viewing lens, the mirror in the waist level finder could need a cleaning in that case.
@@MatthewArringtonphoto in the taking lens, I have picked up another yashica mat and I hope it won’t give me that problem cause I know it’s normal, hoping ✌🏻
Great, now I want one and money is tight... 😋
It’s the curse of this hobby!
Nice video. Keep it up :)
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Get a Paramender.
The stunning part is what you will pay later.
It might be more helpful to note that the 124G sold for as little as $80 new. Although a superficial copy of a Rolleiflex, it has neither the mechanical or optical performance of a Rollei. In fact, it is generally inferior to nearly all other TLRs made in Japan during those years. It may have the worst lens of its type ever sold. So, if its inferior, why are so many other there? Because it was the cheapest TLR you could buy. With all the hype driven by social media, a good condition used 124G is between $400 - 600. Other Japanese TLRs which cost twice as much as a 124G new and are much superior in every way cost $225 - 325.: Ricoh Diacord, Minolta Autocord, and (best) the fairly rare Kalloflex. If you are determined to have a Yashicamat, the earlier models like the 12 or 124(no G) were somewhat better built and use the same challenged lens.
I picked up the 124G a month ago, and a Mamiya C330 last week, but I’m returning the Mamiya. Technically superior but I find the shooting experience on the Yashica much more pleasing.