After about 20 years or so, I finally got back
into medium format with a Yashica 12 and Agfa B2
Speedex. I used to have a MAT-124G at one time, but got
stupid and let it go (when they were still common enough
to be "cheap"). After doing some pricing and some
bidding on E-Bay, I wonder if there is sonewhere that
charges a more reasonable price for lens hoods. I can not
see paying 30 dollars (or more) for a simple little
hood.

Forgot to mention, don't know much about Yashica
parts. Yashica, along with Contax, is run by Kryocera.
Doubt that they still support the camera. The person to
talk to would be Mark Hama. He worked for Yashica,
repairing cameras, and now has his own camera repair
business. Supposedly he is the best at repairing and
restoring old TLRs. Everyone speaks very, very, highly of
him. His shop is in Marietta Georgia. Can be reached
at 770-565-1498.<br>Hope this helps,<br>Jeff

The website for camera depot
is:<br><a href=http://www.camera-depot.com
target=new>http://www.camera-depot.com</a><br><br>You can get most of the basic
accessories for the
Yashica at camera depot. I have the ever-ready case for
my 124g and it is pretty handy. You can probably
track one down at KEH Camera or Pacific Rim Camera
(very good place to find original accessories)for
around $30. I've never used the wide angle or the
telephoto lens add-ons, but I can't imagine that they are
very good. If you find yourself limited by the
Yashica's fixed lens then I would get a cheap camera with
interchangeable lenses instead of the wide angle and telephoto
sets. The mamiya C220 and C330 are nice cameras
(although a bit heavy) and the interchangeable lenses are
excellent. I have the 65mm and 180mm lenses for my C220 and
they are very sharp. The 180 is great for portraits
and the 65 is a great wide angle that can also be
used for macro because of the bellows on the camera. A
C220 in excellent condition can be had for around
$180, while the lenses go anywhere from $80 to $400.
Another inexpensive option if you find yourself limited
by the Yashica's fixed lens, is the Koni Omega
Rapid. These cameras are a great value in medium format,
although a bit tough to find in good condition. My friend
has one and it produces outstanding results. It is a
6x7 format rangefinder and the lenses (I think there
are three or four) are outstanding. I would look into
a cheap camera with interchangeable lenses such as
the Koni or Mamiya before I would use the lens
add-ons for the Yashica, but that's just my opinion and
I'm sure others would disagree with me.<br>Also
Rolleicords, Rolleiflexes, and the Minolta Autocord use
bayonet 1 filters as well so you can use those
accessories on the Yashica (I've heard good things about
Rollei's close-up lens sets). If you ever come across the
Minolta Autopole I recommend picking one up. This is a
very handy polarizer filter made for the Minolta
Autocord. You'll find that using a polarizer with a tlr is
a royal pain because you can't see the effect. The
Autopole corrects the problem by linking two polarizer
filters, very handy. They are hard to find and sell for
around $60 to $90. If you don't want to use step-up
rings I think B&W still makes bayonet 1 filters,
although they're really expensive. <br>Good Luck,<br>Jeff

Jeff<br>printed off your comments.<br>need to
know where that "Camera Depot" <br>is located. Going
to get hood like you<br>recommended also some
filters. Would <br>like to find the tetephoto and wide
angle<br>sets that go with that camera, also a case.<br>I was
going to see what yashica still has <br>in there parts
pipeline. <br>etoymaker@...

Here are some of the things that I've learned
about the camera:<br>1. Use a lens hood when shooting
outside, the camera is prone to flare.<br>2. I've found
that the lens is sharpest around f8 or f11.<br>3. The
built in meter in my camera is not at all accurate.
Though if you want to try yours out you can order the
mercury batteries from Canadian camera stores over the
web, who knows the meter in your camera might be more
accurate. <br>4. I've had some problems with frame spacing,
though that is probably my fault due to not loading the
film carefully enough.<br>5. Use a bracket when
shooting with a flash to get the flash over the lens,
don't use the cold-shoe on the side of the
camera.<br>6. Camera Depot has accessories for the camera like
hoods, caps, and step-up rings. Tough to get on the
phone, but good to do business with. <br><br>All in all,
its a great camera; light, easy to use, and really
sharp pictures. Shame about the price though. I've been
wanting to get a second one, but they have become rather
expensive. I bought a Minolta Autocord instead, also a great
camera. I also own a Mamiya C220, I like the
interchangeable lenses, but it's rather heavy.<br> Have fun with
your new camera,<br> Jeff

Just bought a 124G, I've done a fair amount of 35mm work with a Yashica SLR..
any thoughts or hints I should know about???

Hello, I just picked up my first medium format
camera, a Yashica-A through eBay a few weeks ago and I
just (processed the film Tuesday) printed my first
pictures from the roll with fairly good results. Most of
my photographs were reasonably well focused and
sharp. However, a few were soft, I probably took the
soft photographs at f4 or 5.6 so I recommend stopping
down for good results.<br>So far so good and I plan to
buy the Yashica-D with the 4 element Yashinon lens
whenever possible. I don't need the "Mat" or its high
price when the cheaper ones will do the same
job.<br><br>Mark

I recently acquired my first medium format
camera, a Yashica A through eBay and just processed my
first roll of Ilford HP-5 and I was simply amazed at
how good the photos turned out and the large 6X6
negatives are amazing! In the future I plan to bid on the
"D" model with a 4 element Yashinon lens if I can
locate one. Does anyone know what the major differences
are between the A and D models?
<br><br>Thanks,<br>Mark

Sorry I don't know the answer to your question
but you can probably find the answer at:
<a href=http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/index.html
target=new>http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/index.html</a><br>If that doesn't
work, try posting your question on
the medium format digest which can be found at
photo.net under discussion forums.<br> Hope this helps

I have just received my second Yashica A. My
first one, a black one, was missing the focussing
screen when I got it. I picked up a hood from a broken
Yashica (forget the model... though I think it was an A
as well) and cannibalized the screen from it to put
in my camera. The screen had an attached fresnel
lens under the ground glass screen, which seriously
improved the brightness. I actually plan on shooting pics
with this camera.<br><br>Now my second one is a grey
model. It doesn't have a fresnel lens on the screen. It
also has a different badge on the hood from the other
two I've seen (and they were different as well).
<br><br>Is there any difference, other than comsmetics,
between the two cameras? <br><br>Also, has anybody put
together a timeline of the Yashica medium format
cameras?<br><br>Thanks!

I have a Yashica 124. I like Medium Format I slows you down and makes you think
about photography.<br>Kevin Mayo

B&H Photo in New York has some 127 film. They advertise in Shutterbug

Can anyone recommend a good bracket for the 124g?
I was thinking of getting a Newton Universal
Non-Rotator Bracket for square format cameras with the
forward extendor in the hope that it would clear the
focusing hood. Any other choices that I should
consider?<br> Thanks,<br> Jeff

Depends if its prints or slides.  My local lab charges .40 a print for 3x3. 
Slides are a little more, alot more if you want them mounted.

I just found the group. I had a Yashica D given
to me a short time ago, and a kind gentleman in
Calif. sent me the flip up cover I needed to cover the
viewing screen. Now I'm on the first roll of film. I have
no idea what to expect for cost of processing. My
only local outlet is either let Big Kmart or WalMart
send them to their lab. I'll probably go to Kmart,
since they use a lab in Kansas City, Mo. (Kodak). Can
anyone give me an idea of processing cost?<br>Dave near
Branson, Mo.

...i just got my holga i ordered...anybody else have one of these pieces of
crap???....*smiles*...

...i got the camera at a swap, so i only know what i can tell from looking at
it...it says "em" on it???...thats about all...

which yashica-mat do you have? mone takes a battery.

well...i looked into it...& apparently it doesnt run on batteries...it has a
"photo-cell"...or so says the guy at the photo-shop-thing...*shrugs*...

Your best bet is to change the battery. that should fix the trouble<br>dane

...i just bought a yashica-mat with a built in
light meter...it worked fine for about a month but not
the light meter isnt working...i imagine it needs new
batteries or something...but i have no idea how to get into
the light meter...any help would be much
appreciated...<br><br>...deltaclone@...

It is not a Yashica but I have a TLR with a stuck shutter.  Any info on
repairing it?

Hey squally<br><br>I'm like you I haven't used a
camera other than my 35mm in ages. Where did you get you
Rollei and how much did you Pay for it. I bought my
yashica mat back in 84. I shot one roll of film with it
and was un satisfied with the results. After all
these years and hitting a couple of web sites dedicated
to medium format, I think the problem might have
been processing and or old film stock. The colors were
garish.<br><br>I just bought a roll of reala. I have used reala in
my 35mm and have been happy with the
results.<br><br>When I was in my teens I owned a Mamiya c33 with a
full set of interchangable lens. I got rid of ot when
I needed cash. Wish I would have saved it.

I gave up trying to find find 127 film. Bought a
Yashica 124G and a Rolleiflex 3,5F. The Yashica takes as
good a pict as the Rollei. I use ASA400, stops
anything, Fuji, gives very good warm deep true to tint
color. I am fairly new to photog also after a long
absence. Lets talk. I am Squally_Lassy@...

I am new to the club and have owned a yashica
mat. I haven't used it in years and have the bug to
shoot large format again. What film produces good
results. I have used fuji reala in my 35 mm with good
results. How is it with a medium format
camera.<br><br>Cheers!!!!!<br>Look forward to posting and sharing
ideas.<br><br>Thanks<br>DOK23

Know of any source for color or b&w 127 film for a yashica 44LM.

own a lubitel TLR. i believe firmly that a
camera is a camera whether or not you payed 100 or 6000.
Hassleblads Bronicas or Rolleiflexes all are the same it is
all in how you use it. now when it comes to the
cameras ruggedness that is another thing but quality of
photographs are all the same if you take care of the camera.
some photographs i have taken you would never know the
difference if i told you i took it on a hassleblad.
Photographs i have seen that , took me by surprise, were
taken with a point-n-shoot disposable camera.so
photographers who worry about what kind of camera they use
being high quality usally have gotten into photography
because they had the money to do it and for no other
reason. photographers who have the photography passion
could care less what kind of camera they use. even
pinhole cameras have their place in photography. that is
all they had in the begining of photography. "The
shoes do not make the man" cliche i know but still true

dont own a yashica but i own a lubitel and
TLR's were the mainstream in professional cameras for
well over 20 years in photography it is sad that
photographers today see a good camera having to be expensive.
but it is not so because my camera is merely a toy
and it takes some great photographs. i call it a toy
but is a fully manual camera doesnt have a meter but
everything else is great. really i have only seen one
drawback to most TLR's it is that they, most of them
anyways, dont have interchangable lenses. SLR's have a lot
of drawbacks one they are bulky, loud, heavy,
fragile, and EXPENSIVE!!! I use rangefinders too and they
are just as good as if not better than SLR's.

was getting tired of the 'holier than thou'
attitude of the SLR crowd in the 'medium format'
club.<br><br>No offense intended to anyone, but I don't like the
Yashica referred to as a 'nice starter camera'.<br><br>-J

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