Yashica Mat-124G Review - One of my favourite medium format cameras
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
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I finally managed to get the edit done for this video about the Yashica Mat 124G TLR. Part of a new ongoing series that I'm calling 'First Rolls'.
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My husband has been using a Yashica Mat 124G for over 30 years! Weddings, Portraits, Landscapes..Excellent results always! Also uses a 6 x 9 speed Graphic! Yes...he's Mr. Dinosaur:)
sweet
Do you have the link to the film work
For weddings?? That’s badass
One should never forget hat even the latest models of this camera are already about forty years old and thus far behind the designed life time. As it happens, I just found my mothers Yashica 124G, which had been kept under worst conditions for over forty years now. The first battery still was in place without any damage to the battery hold. Taking the camera out of its hot storage in our attic, I only observed one problem: The "modern" light seal had vanished under temperatures between low thirties and far beyond the 100 F mark. Shutter, self timer, focus and even the aperture worked exactly as well as I left the camera in 1980. With this experience, I would suggest that the Yashica is an absolutely sturdy camera with all the advantages that have been detailed in this video.
My man showing f/11 and f/3.5 comparison shots!! Super helpful, great review.
Always so good, man. This has been one of my favorite cameras for a long time now and what I usually recommend to people when they wanna jump into medium format. That lens rivals the Rolleiflex Zeiss glass, in my opinion.
Thanks, dude! And yea, it’s a classic!
Unlike Matt, I actually did real, on film, resolution test chart images of a near new 124G (belonged to a friend) as well as a Rolleiflex 2.8F, a late Rolleicord (Xenar 3.5), Minolta Autocord, a Zeiss Ikoflex Ic (Tessar), and a Ricoh Diacord. (I was looking to buy the Rolleiflex and wanted to see how much better than other TLRs it would be for its nosebleed price.) Except for the Rolleiflex, the other cameras use Zeiss Tessar lenses or copies of the same. The Rolleiflex crapped out because the taking and focus lenses were misaligned so it would not focus properly. Of the others from sharpest to least sharp: Autocord, the best by a small edge; the Rolleicord and Ikoflex tied, then the Diacord, nearly as sharp but not quite. Then the 124G: way down the scale. it's resolution was less than half that of the Autocord and half that of the others. With a big 6x6cm image, a 124G negative will print out okay for most modern uses, particularly if its being massaged through a scanner. But just so you know, it ain't "excellent" compared to others of its era and type. Rival to Zeiss glass in a Rolleiflex - check that with your seeing eye dog.
@@randallstewart175 Could you share images of your test? I'm suprised that Autocord's and Mat's Tessars make so much difference. I love my Mat, but maybe I should give a try to Autocord.
@@randallstewart175 compare to a Nettar 517 with a Novar, the Yashica is far away
@@randallstewart175lol
And now I regret selling my 124G 12-15 years ago! But hey, that’s life. Great video as always btw.
Thanks Mattias!
I found this camera in one of my old closet and found this camera. More than 20 years ago my dad had a photo studio.
The Yashicamat 124g was my first camera. I bought it brand new in the '70s when I left school. I shot my honeymoon with it, and I still have it. I still have it, and this video has inspired me to get it off the shelf and use it again. Thank you. B
It was the Yashica Mat that got me, not just medium format...... But film photography! I couldn't believe the detail from my first frame of my first roll of 120. It blew my mind!
Awesome. Yeah, when you first step up to medium format it really is eye opening.
I inherited a 1957 Yashica - Mat (M?). It was purchased by my father in law when he was stationed in Japan. Some of the surviving photos he took with that camera show that particular camera has literally been around the world as his convoy circumnavigated the globe. When I received the camera in 2009, it had sat in a closet unused since the mid-70's. No fog or haze in the Lumaxar 80mm taking lens and the shutter was spot on up to 1 second which lagged a bit at 1.05 seconds. It is by far one of my favorite film cameras.
I just deleted my post on a film group page on facebook where I was trying to sell this camera. Thank you for making me immediately regret wanting to sell mine lol. It deserves good use and lots of love and damnit, i’m gonna be the one to give it that love.
Enjoy!
I have an original Yashica MAT-124, and it's one of my favorite cameras to shoot with by far. It just has so much character and I can't ever see myself parting with it.
Matt you are so right. Had a Yashica Mat 124G myself, back when i studied photography. Was my first middle format camera, too. Sold it a few years ago. It is the only cam i totally regret selling. Like you said, it has a unique image look. I even had a lens hood. I think it is a very good camera to start photographing with. It really trains ones sense or talent for composing images.
My grandma gave this camera to me I used to have a dslr that I tinkered with, wouldn’t call myself a photographer but this camera evokes a feeling inside of me seeing how the camera looks it looks so interesting
Yes, I have that camera, and a P 6x7. The Yashica A was my start into medium format. The large negatives bring so much detail and character to the shots. Thanks for the video !
It was the 124G that brought me back to film several years ago. I'm done with digital. Every year the new version of ____ camera is more and more expensive and if you wanted to keep up you had to keep upgrading - this is unsustainable. I invested in a quality film scanner and haven't looked back. Film helps me to live in the moment and not just machine gun pictures wherever I am. I think that is perhaps my favorite thing about this camera. I actually slow down and enjoy the process again. I take in where I am. It's a much more fulfilling experience.
I have the 124G and a 1950 Rolleicord. Both great cameras. I use them to take B&W and infrared images. Great for IR because you’re not looking through the opaque filter.
i have the same camera my grand father bought it around 1975, and it has been with us.. but safe to say, it hasn't been used for more than 2.5 decades. thinking about giving it a try.
Hi bro! Sorry to ask but would you willing to sell it someday? I could buy it!
I have one I am willing to sell@@maantoor
I'm willing to sell @@maantoor
I'm a year late to the party, but this video finally helped me pull the trigger on a Yashica, after months of thinking about a Rolleiflex (but struggling to justify the price point). Thanks for the comprehensive review!
I just got this camera as my first medium format camera. Looks extremely clean. I don’t see any haze in the taking lens and it has a working light meter. I’m very excited to run my first roll through it.
Have fun. It's a good one!
Love hearing Josh Garrels there at the end.
The 124g actually brought me back into photography about 4 years ago. I happened to see it in a book and fell in love with just how it looked. I got really lucky and found one from a photographer who was selling her old collection that she had kept maintained and functional. Loved it so much I ended up getting a yashica fx-3 as my first slr, which im pretty happy I did because I recently found some Carl Ziess glass for a great deal.
I got my first Yahicamat 124G in 1979, love TLRs ... amazing how cool it is to see stuff backwards!!! When i was little in the 60s the first camera I ever used was my Grandmother's Kodak TLR, no idea what model, but remember following my cat around the yard trying to catch him on film!!!
Love how you added a small history part to this video!
I owned one of these! I love TLRs. I replaced it eventually with a Mamiya C330, which was a beast.
Highly underrated camera. Got mine years ago as my first medium format camera. NEVER felt the need to buy a Rollie. Now I gotta pick it back up after watching this video. Haha. Stay safe, Kyle!
Thanks Manuel!
Perhaps the most flattering video featuring Yashica Mat-124G. Congratulations! Yashica Mat-124G is, my favourite medium format camera. Yashinon 80 mm f/3.5 is too underrated. It's an incredibly good lens in terms of its quality, colour rendition and ability to produce deep, three-dimensional pictures. If somebody comes to me with a Rolleiflex and offers to swap it for my Yashica Mat-124G, I would say, "No, thank you."
Glad you enjoyed, thanks!
If someone offered to trade a Rolleiflex for your 124G and you refused, you'd be an idiot. At one time I had an almost uncontrolled GAS for a TLR. Having borrowing access to many choices, I did a formal lens test (Modern Photography kit) on 6 models, mostly fitted with Tessar or Tessar copy lenses like the 124G. In summary the best was the Minolta Autocord. The worst was the 124G. And that wasn't a shade less performance than the others; it was a whole order of magnitude lower sharpness. The reason that they are touted on YT is that there were many of them sold (because they were also one of the cheapest TLRs made), and everyone who buys a cameras likes to think his judgment, and his camera, is the "best". If you want to try a better TLR than a 124G, pick one at random. Odds are ten to one it is better objectively. If you must have a 124G, buy an earlier Yashicamat instead. For the same reasons, the earlier model will be cheaper, and better made (but wiil have the same doggy lens). Yashica brought out the 124G to cheapen down the cost of manufacture (plastic gearing replacing alloy, but they put some gold paint on the trim to make up for it. In the end, 1986, Yashica couldn't unload their warehouse of 124G units at the $149 list price, so in 1989, they dumped the remainder on B&H, which took another 2 years to discount them out the door for $79.95. That little bit of history should make anyone who paid $250+ for a used unit to toss their cookies.
@@randallstewart175 Are you a photographer or a lens tester? If you think a lens that renders the highest resolution always produces the best pictures, that only shows your photographic IQ, which must be hopelessly low. I said if somebody came to me with a Rolleiflex and offered to swap it for my Yashica Mat-124G, I would say, “No, thank you.” That doesn’t mean I think Yashica Mat-124G is a better camera or more valuable camera than Rolleiflex. I think Rolleiflex is also a good camera. If somebody comes to me with a brand new Rolleiflex 2.8F and brand new Yashica Mat-124G and offers to take one of them for the same price, I may take the Rolleiflex. But I already have my Yashica Mat-124G, which is in a perfect condition, and I’ve used it for over 30 years. It’s part of my body. I would never trade it for a Rolleiflex, even if it’s in a perfect condition. Does that make me an idiot? What kind of short circuit do you have in your brain? Randall Steward said: … everyone who buys a cameras [sic] likes to think his judgment, and his camera, is the “best”. That is correct except that the quotation marks were not necessary. If you buy a camera and you think your judgment is right, that’s your best camera. Full stop. For the record, G in 124G doesn’t mean “some gold paint on the trim”. It is to indicate the gold contacts that were used for this version. And “plastic gearing replacing alloy” is an urban myth. Did you actually disassemble 124Gs and pre-G models and compared the gearings? Or did you pick up that info from some unreliable website?
Love how natural your images and compositions are Kyle! Always a pleasure kicking back with a coffee watching your videos.
Nice P&Co cap as well! I have been a designer + photographer with them for the past 2 and half years... Such a small world
Thanks man! And small world indeed! Just came across P&Co a few weeks ago and fell in love with the brand.
And it is still here working well Kyle😎
Happy to hear that, Kevin!
My very first camera was a Kodak Instamatic 104, with its flashcubes...still have it sitting in my desk. Found it in my parents house doing a clean-up after they had passed. Brings back a lot of memories.
I have one as well, I have been using it for the past 25 years. Great camera when you take care of it. I have the YashicaMat used by mother 55 years ago, I had the shutter taken apart and recalibrated and works like new. Compact and it’s a leaf shutter so lots of fun with flashes :) great vid thanks for showing your love for this camera !
Thanks for watching.
Love my 124G. Solid camera with an accurate meter and I’ve banged it around some. I must have something going on in my brain. The first time I looked through a TLR and a 4x5 view camera everything made sense and I knew what I was looking at.
Just bought this camera today. Cant wait to go shoot it. Great video.
SOLD! Literally. I just bought one. Can't wait for it to arrive. Thanks for the recco, buddy!
You'll love it, man!
My grandfather that bought one new in the very early 70s, called it the "Working mans Rolleiflex". 20 years after his passing, it looks like I may end up with his camera, after its been on a shelf at my aunts since his passing at 90. In regards of the "Sportsfinder" it is excatly that, with the camera set up for either zone focus or hyperfocal distances shooting action/sports/street or just snapshots, just roughly framing through the sportsfinder.
I sold one to get a Mamiya 645. That was 30 years ago and now I’m following the Yashica on an auction site hoping no one else wants it.
I have the first model of the Yashica Mat with a 75mm 3.5 Lumaxar lens from 1957. I wouldn't part with it for any amount of money. I love it.
I really like the new approach of your photography in term of rendering that you chose for your England shots. More contrast, and a departure from that classic American film look that was so characteristic of your projet (and those images where stunning).
As for the Yashica, I love mine, its a very nice camera with excellent taking lense. I also love that people are kind to this kind of cameras with that classic TLR look. It's very easy to take pictures of people or street scenes with it.
I'm happy to see that is now part of your collection again.
Have a nice one man 👍
Thanks, Florian! I’m looking forward to experimenting and seeing where my style goes for this work. Just having fun with it right now.
What a great camera…had one, sold it years ago to raise money for digital! Recently got back to film and purchased another one in mint condition! Also found the original owners manual, don’t need it but nice to have for history! Great video and great shots…be safe. Cheers..
Cool video. my first medium format camera was also a 124G. I eventually moved on to a Mamiya C220 which I absolutely loved. The Mamiya C series has some really great glass available. I actually liked the Mamiya a bit more than the Rolli...even though the Rolli is a great system.
I had a C220 - great camera, but so heavy!
I just dug one up out of our storage! Thankfully I found a place that sells 120 film and I can't wait to experiment!
I've had my 124g around 5 years it truly is my fave of all my camera's something very special about the 124g. Great video by the way.
Thanks!
i use mine since 12 years and i love it....🙂
Hi, I just bought the Yahica mat. It is the predecessor of the 124G. I love shooting it.
Received one of these for my 50th birthday. Only shot one roll through it so far but loved the experience. Thanks for a great video 👍
Thanks Kevin!
Wow phenomenal review! Great images and very informative as well. I have a Yashica 635 which is obviously another variant. It is my only medium format camera so far but already love it and have an attachment to it similar to what you mentioned.
I have a Yashicamat that I bought at a photo market 35 years ago. I have never regretted it.
Nice vid Kyle. It’s obviously a camera that calls to you and it’s nice to see you getting into shooting in the UK. Enjoyed watching and look forward to more content from you. 👍
Thanks so much!
Similar story. My dad had one so I played with it growing up and thought it was so cool just looking through the viewfinder. I ended up selling it in college, and have regretted it ever since. I appreciate this video and I bought one off Etsy just now. Very excited about it!
Worked in a photo studio in the 80's one of the camera's we used was the 124 g,taken little league baseball teams and portraits of players all day long,seniors portraits , weddings,proms,camera worked flawlessly , the camera didn't have pazaz that large format cameras have,hats off to Yashica for making a fine camera.
nice tip on the haze issue. i had an EM given to me that was in my wife's family for years kept in the original case the whole time. i sent it to mark hama a few years ago, everything works. put it on bulb and checked, crystal clear. been dragging my feet to shoot it. (other higher end cameras) you've inspired me to put a roll in it
That’s great to hear it was in nice condition. Enjoy! I’ve heard great things about the EM.
Hi Kyle, I got the Camera on Ebay for just 140€ and everything on this Camera still works beside the light meter. I think I had the best deal ever and the person who sold this even included Kodak Tmax 400 what is really nice.
Nice! Yeah that seems like a really good price. Have fun.
@@KyleMcDougall Thx, I will have fun with it :)
I still have my 124G, also my first intro to medium format. I was blown away by the sharpness of the lens, just surreal. And its going nowhere :)
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks. Glad you enjoyed.
I wish this camera had been my first medium format! I got a rz67 because of the hype. Its size has really limited my enthusiasm to get out and shoot it. This was my second. And I love it!!!!!
Yep. The RZ is great, but definitely a different animal!
@@KyleMcDougall would you recommend this or the rz67 for portrait shots? Trying to figure out which one to buy:)
This was my grandfather camera, I still use it, I love square format
Lovely video Kyle! That baby is a wonderful camera and as you said these Yashica TLR cameras are a little bit underestimated in some way. I own the 635 model which I bought roughly 7 years ago on a small flea market in London. I'm still using it and the built & lens quality is absolutely gorgeous. I like the words you said in the video, it has a lot of character. Awesome video and images man, full of great and interesting personal thoughts and as always well produced. Cheers :)
Thanks, Andrea! Appreciate the comment. I'm hoping to try another Yashica at some point. May have to start keeping an eye out for one of the older models.
I had wanted this camera when I was a kid . I wanted a medium format and didn’t have much money. I had a paper route and saved up and did get a camera . It was a Mamyia msx 1000 . I believe it was a Pentax made for Mamyia. Back then for some reason I wanted Mamyia medium format and into that system . My 35mm was stolen from me so I went away from cameras for a few years. Then got a chance to buy a used Nikon fg program. But didn’t really get into it much . In 2015 I got into digital. I went to the store to get me a Canon DSLR on credit. They didn’t have a Canon in the price range I could afford with the features I wanted. I found a Nikon d7000 and bam I’ve been into Nikons system. I now own a ton of old Nikkor non ai and AI/ais glass. The history of the development of their lenses has got into my blood . Love the Nikon “look” of some of their old lenses. I now like learning about the characteristics of different lenses from different companies. This Yashica 80mm has a special rendering that is nostalgic . Love it! I believe I want into the Pentax 6x7 system . At the moment I shoot a Nikon fe and a Fujifilm Gw690ii. Pentax has some lenes I am wanting to explore with . At the moment most of what I shoot is digital. I have a d850, d810 and d500 . I do a bunch of video with these for live music and live music photography. But am gravitating more into macro, landscape and closeup nature. It just puts me into a piece of mind for creativity. This is also why I love film cameras. Thanks brother and I’m subscribing to your channel. Peace
Thanks for watching and for sharing your story. 🙏
Just purchased one...I'm geeked!
Planning to buy one. Thank you for the video.
Cheers.
A fine performer, a student's workhorse back in the 70's . Excellent review.
Thank you!
Ive loved every yashica ive ever owned. An ad for this one was sent to me by my local shop... 😐 im probably goingvto buy it.
Great video with bit of history. Well done!!!
Glad you enjoyed it
Back in the day it was medium format at a price you can afford. I've had two so I must like them (I do).
Back in the 1970s when I first got interested in "serious photography", a friend lent me an old and rather battered earlier version of the 124G and it truly did teach me photography. In the mid eighties I bought a brand new 124G of my own, I still have it and still use it alongside my other 35mm and digital cameras. I have never had the problems you mention but the in built meter is not that reliable, perhaps buying it in the Far East during the monsoon season could be a factor... so I always use an external meter which to me is no problem, the 124G is for slow and thoughtful photography not action stuff ! However on doing action stuff, providing you have your exposure set correctly, the rather odd flip down arrangement does actually work, I've used it on off shore power boats :)
That's awesome, John. Very cool you've had yours for so long and still enjoy it. Great camera.
Sentimental, -sure. I bought my 124G back in 1971, and it's still here - and still fit for fight. I've got two Rollei's, too (2,8F and SL66 SE), and honest: the Yashica wins on working comfort. IF I some day will be selling, the little japanese will be the keeper...
It's my all time favorite camera! It's just such a beautiful and cool design and I was lucky to finally own one 2 years ago and I will never sell mine!
Great video, as always, Kyle! *Something I've noticed is that newer film shooters looking to buy often read comments on well-crafted videos like yours looking for more advice so, I want to add some more context to things you pointed out at a few timestamps:*
4:28 - 4:34 - here, Kyle mentioned the viewing lens versus the taking lens. With a TLR, you are always composing with the viewing lens, which is above the taking lens. If your version of TLR doesn't adjust for that on the ground glass, then you will have to make a mental note that the closer your subject is, then the more discrepancy there will be between your ground glass image and the negative.
5:02 - 5:06 - it's great that he pointed this out. In my opinion, using the loupe is mandatory for sharp focus _especially_ with portraits. If someone suggests that the lens is not sharp wide open, not using that loupe is often part of their problem. The wider your f stop, the more time you need to spend evaluating critical focus through that loupe.
7:00- 7:10 - here, he briefly mentions one of the many quirks about using TLR that anyone new needs to understand. The ground glass is nice, but only if you can accept that it comes with that mirrored view. In my opinion, this was excellent preparation for moving on to shooting 4x5. If you often take portraits or work with moving subjects, it can become a frustration. Someone will probably mention Vivian Maer, and yes, it's doable.
8:10 - 8:28 - here, he mentions the quality of the Yashikor F3.5 lens and shows a comparison of f/11 vs. f/3.5. Want to save some money? The Yashica 635 has a Yashinon lens, and you will find some UA-cam videos maligning it. However, in my comparison of darkroom prints and scans I've done on my own, the two are very similar for most practical applications today. If you are only posting to Instagram or making 8x10 darkroom prints in your bathroom, then _save your money and buy a Yashica 635 for $100 used on eBay_ .
In fact, in general, _SAVE MONEY_ by _BUYING SOMETHING OTHER THAN A YASHICA MAT 124G_ . Kyle, you briefly mentioned this at the end, and it's worth repeating. You can get a similar performing TLR camera for less. Yashica 635, Yashica A, Yashica D, Yashica LM, the list goes on. Find a cheap, used alternative to try that doesn't have the same name recognition and buy it at a bargain.
The reality is that it doesn't make sense for any channel to cover them because nobody is looking for them online or nobody famous is using them so, _no one cares_ including yourself until you want to save cash.
Great advice here. 👍
This is amazing!!!! Cant wait for more of these!! Do one of the Fuji x-100.
😁
I have the YashicaMat and fully enjoy it.
This is a very nice camera! I've got two of them in case one goes bad on me. Super sharp lens, sharper than the Rolleiflex (but then sharpness isn't everything, and I like the look of the Rolleiflex a bit more). I got a substitute for the mercury battery from the Small Battery Company in the UK -- you need an adapter to reduce the voltage plus a battery. Sounds complicated, but the lightmeter then work perfectly. (The lightmeter of the Rollei still works without any battery, though!) The Rolleiflex always puts a smile on my face, when I use it. The Yashica has a more flimsy feeling to it, but when it comes to the results, it certainly is a great camera to carry around.
Nice video. A great camera, for sure. Mine easily competes with my Rolleiflex 3.5f. Fantastic meter.
I'll trade you a few 124gs for the Rolleiflex.
@@johnirby493 The Rollei is gorgeous for sure.
Love that Josh garrels vibe in the end bro.
Great video. God bless.
Had the same issue with the haze. But the taking lens was super easy to take apart and clean. Did it myself in 1 hour
May just have to try that out.
Just used my first TLR camera and I’m hooked! Definitely looking to grab one of these
I love my 124 G, just wish the minimum focus distance was a little closer
Closeup lens accessories are widely available. You’ll just have to accept more parallax.
Unless you purchase one of the parallax accessories like a paramender or Minolta has one... Paradjuster I think? Something like that
@Mikes a degenerate the rollinars correct for parallax, but not as good as an slr. I use a Kiev 6c with a 90mm 2.8 lens and extension tubes
yes, this is great value. I own a Rollei but would not say anything bad about all the Yashica 6x6 cameras. I have used them. I have shot weddings with 4x5 cameras for several years before switching to 6x6. through these years I learned the advantage of using the frame finders as the one and only type to use when shooting say the bride and groom coming down the aisle.
Now, young photographers would say “how can you frame your photo accurately ? “ Well...it worked ! Now we’re coming to the 6x6 twinlens cameras....look at photos of great stars being photograped by dozens of photographers using twinlens cameras and what you will see most of the time is cameras being used with the “open viewwfinder” in use. Not the ground glass.
The reason is.....precious seconds saved and direct eye to eye contact with the subject. so your Yashica has that “open frame finder” learn how to use it and you’ll love it. Now, is it accurate ? Well not 100 % at all but it does not have to. The main thing is to get the subject in...period. and you will crop you shot in the lab....I once had Elizabeth.Taylor in my finder once....It was so quick !!! I saw her..the she was gone..I kneww I had clicked the shutter but did not more if I really had her or not until I saw the film...And Yes ! I got her thanks to my finder and experience using it. The Rolleiflex has one more exclusive thing that helps a lot but I will not go into it, it would take too long.
I have very similar feelings toward my Yashica MAT-LM, was my first proper medium format camera and I love it.
Even though I have a Rollei 2.8f these days, I still reach for the Yashica, and honestly I don't know if I'd be able to tell the negs apart.
I wouldnt even say they are a good starter TLR, I'd flat-out say they are great and hold their own to anything. I recently repaired, tested and sold a Yashica 635 and the test frames were so good I wanted to keep it haha.
That's awesome, man. Never used a Rolleiflex, but obviously they have quite the history/following. I've certainly eye balled 3.5 and 2.8's quite a bit, but not sure I enjoy 6x6 enough to spend the money.
Mines just back from service so excited to shoot with it again...
I just have the regular Yashica Mat and I wanted to sell it initially but playing with it and shooting it more, it was a must have piece for me, and I’ve been keeping it ever since. Love the yashica, wouldn’t ever replace it. Unless a Mat 124g comes around haha
Glad you're enjoying the Yashicas.
Dude your videos are very well done 👌🏽
Thank you. 🙏
I have one in my cupboard sitting next to my Hasselblad, only put two rolls through it. This video definitely made me want to get out there with it again.
Great presentation. I used to have a Mamiya C330 TLR with all the lenses, grip ETC in the early 80s. I sold the lot for a penny in a moment of madness. Recently I paid a decent sum for a Rolleiflex in good condition. This one would stay with me. Thanks.
Mine has a sketchy taking lens even after cleaning, a chronic issue as you said. I have also bought and sold quite a few Rollei TLR's with the same issue. That was a really good and passionate review, I agree with everything you said.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks, Jon!
Enjoyed the video. I do have a 1224G and can confirm that the taking lens haze is a common issue, confirmed by the repairer I use to get mine cleaned up. I do understand the appeal of your first TLR, as I still have mine an MPP Microflex that I bought in the 80's, still my favourite TLR.
a copy of the F3.5 rollleiflex with a better lens but a flaky winder. I still use it occasionally. Yashica made good cameras and I doubt that Zeiss would have done a deal with them to make contax cameras, if there cameras were no good. I started out with an FX-3 many years ago.
Heeeey is that Josh Garrels I’m hearing in the background around 9:40? Nice stuff man, really enjoy your videos!
You're right, the yashica has something special about it, it's the only camera I've never been able to bring myself to sell.
I've taken my best shots on my 124, stuff I'm really proud of.
The tessar lens strikes a balance between very good sharpness and great contrast while retaining tons of vintage character as well as extremely pleasant swirly and soft oof rendering! Paired with the larger formats the tessar has be one of the best all round lenses.
I think the 124 is very overlooked compared to the far more hyped 124G, same features but classier styling and without the plastic parts!
Cheers kyle 😊
Yep, the original 124 sounds like a great camera. Glad you enjoyed!
I love the Yashica 124G! I also bought mine in Oregon. Glad you are having fun with it!
How much was it?
@@perlaavila4226 I am selling mine in mint condition for just 150 dollers
Kyle McDaddy! I love your videos. As a new film tuber myself I have watched you for a while and wished I could focus on my own photography and make a living out of it. I just posted my own "review" of this camera today. I ripped off your title. Sorry. I don't think I've seen you shoot with this one lately, but I'm sure this was the video I watched before I ended up buying mine. It had issues, but one trip to Mark Hama Yashica Repair wiz sorted that out... though it does still have frame spacing issues sometimes lol Anyway thanks for being you and showing people like me that maybe this path I'm on is more than a pipe dream.
Yes! My favorite as well.
I have the one my father used, it doesn't show any sign on the exterior that it has been used but the shutter is badly in need of a cleaning and oiling as it doesn't trigger anymore!
Thankfully there is place I can send it to for some service but the pandemic has to go away so that I once again can earn some more money and pay the repair costs, and I hope that the guy that does the repairs sticks around too!
You got great color results! Mine are bland for some reason, I need to add some vibrance/saturation in post. Shooting hyperfocal surprisingly well for me in these cameras, otherwise that magnifying glass is a must have for me.
That Kodak Instamatic 126 cartridge my father worked on both the mold and the ejection system for the molds.
I am using TLR too,that makes me remember how to control a image to shooting
My impressions reflect yours exactly. The lens is really nice, the camera is super fun but the build quality in my opinion is lacking. But like you said, sometimes the feeling and the connection you get with some cameras is what really matters. Despite not having one yashica mat I have a rolleicord V (that was my first medium format camera not considering the Holga) and that camera not being top of the line it just feels right in my hand. The lens has some nice character, is plenty sharp when needed and the controls just feel right.
Thank you for these awesome videos you’ve been putting out, nice balance between gear and photography. Keep it up dude.
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying them.
It feels strange to see the British landscape in your video haha. Welcome to the UK man! Hope you're staying safe.
Thanks man! Strange to photograph this landscape, but fun as well.
What people must understand is that the 124g is a special camera that suits a specific shooting style. 1st, this camera is a very slow camera to use so don't expect to compose, frame, expose and then finally take your photo quickly. The focusing screen is inverted which takes time to get used to and slows you down at first. There is no inbuilt level, which further adds onto the time that it takes to frame your photo to get the horizon right. The meter works but is not recommended, resulting in you having to use the sunny 16 rule / an external light meter which further can slow you down. Lastly the camera does not have great close focus capabilities making it common to have to take a step back before taking a close focus shot.
The 124g is for nature / street portraits / family photos / studio setups. The 124g is not for street photography / run and gun / sports (quick action) / macro / anything that requires fast split second photo taking.
There are 4 things that you can get to help you use this camera: a small mini bubble level, a mini external light meter, a lens hood and potentially a tripod.
I’ve always been super interested in this camera, glad to learn more about it honestly
Nice video Kyle, ive owned many TLR,s and the 124G is no slouch as you have mentioned. What I loved about it was how light it was. Unfortunately mine jammbed up and was no longer useable. Another budget TLR worth looking at is the Rolleicord iii and onwards. Light weight, sharp schneider glass and simple to use. I love my 2.8 Rolleiflex, but it is alot heavier and the Yashica Mat 124G does 99% the same job.
Thanks Thomas. I was eyeballing the Rolleis as well. Lots of good affordable options out there. I’ll have to try one out at some point.
I have the Yashica 12. Basically the same camera just metal. It was also my first 120. I had it CLA'd by Mark Hamma so it is basically mint.
Probably the best coonstructed Yashica TLR ever made, The 124G represents the last, dolled up, cheapened down version of the camera - plastic gears replaced metal. And the 12 is usually cheaper without the worthless meter and gold colored plastic trim.
That photos from the church are amazing!
Reminds me of my first TLR, the Zeiss Ikon Ikoflex 1C. It has similar features to the Yashica; built in meter, sport mode, and magnifier. Got a nice Carl Zeiss Tessar taking lens. It’s a finicky camera though. You have to manually set the frame counter to 1 after you load the film and sometimes there’s frame overlap on Fujifilm film. Idk why. Must be a thinner film base. But it’s built like a tank in Germany. Guy in the camera store told me they didn’t sell well in the states because it was right after WWII and it had a German name but that it was a contender to the Rolleiflex with the exception of the taking lens, which only opens up to f/3.5 but idc. I do mostly landscapes anyway so it’s a non-issue