remrf
AZRF
A Yashica 124G that is.
A camera I have a lot of good memories of and about. I owned and used a Mat124 in Viet Nam while stationed there as a photographer with the 25th Infantry Div. Some of the best work I did at that time was with the Yashica. Plus-x pan , developed in Microdol X, 1-3 rendered some astoundingly detailed negatives. The Mat 124 went throught some really tough times. It got completely soaked in the rain more than once and never let me down. By the time I was to leave all the imitation leather had fallen off and it had more than a few scapes. But it worked perfectly and I sold it to a fellow soldier before I left.
Coming home from Viet Nam we stopped in Yacota, Japan and in the PX there I bought a Mamiya C-220 with an 80mm and 135mm lens . I was stationed in Germany next and it was there that I found I didn't like the Mamiya as much as my old Yashica. So I bought the new model of the Yashica, the 124 G. And again shot some of the sharpest and most detailed negs I had seen. For reasons I cannot recall nor understand now I sold that camera before I left Germany. And kept the Mamiya.
I had been looking at the 124Gs on ebay and was horrfied. I paid $80.00 at the PX for a new one in 1971. Now they were selling for a couple hundred bucks for a used one. I watched for a while but decided that I could not bring myself to pay that much for the camera.
But I found one just recently that seemed to be overlooked. Or it might be that most people want everything like new when they buy used. The one I got has some corrosion in the meter battery well and the self timer does not work. But otherwise in good shape. I got the camera today and I think I could get the meter to work but I doubt I'll bother. Aside from owning a Luna Star F digital meter I have found f-16 at the film speed to work quite well thank you. Especially with this camera. In the field on a normal sunny day I would shoot asa 125, f-11 at a 250th with the focus set at infinty and I'd use the sports finder for composition and framing. Everything from 1 meter to infinity was in crisp sharp focus.
So for $60.00 w/shipping I now have my old friend back. Now where is that Microdol?
A camera I have a lot of good memories of and about. I owned and used a Mat124 in Viet Nam while stationed there as a photographer with the 25th Infantry Div. Some of the best work I did at that time was with the Yashica. Plus-x pan , developed in Microdol X, 1-3 rendered some astoundingly detailed negatives. The Mat 124 went throught some really tough times. It got completely soaked in the rain more than once and never let me down. By the time I was to leave all the imitation leather had fallen off and it had more than a few scapes. But it worked perfectly and I sold it to a fellow soldier before I left.
Coming home from Viet Nam we stopped in Yacota, Japan and in the PX there I bought a Mamiya C-220 with an 80mm and 135mm lens . I was stationed in Germany next and it was there that I found I didn't like the Mamiya as much as my old Yashica. So I bought the new model of the Yashica, the 124 G. And again shot some of the sharpest and most detailed negs I had seen. For reasons I cannot recall nor understand now I sold that camera before I left Germany. And kept the Mamiya.
I had been looking at the 124Gs on ebay and was horrfied. I paid $80.00 at the PX for a new one in 1971. Now they were selling for a couple hundred bucks for a used one. I watched for a while but decided that I could not bring myself to pay that much for the camera.
But I found one just recently that seemed to be overlooked. Or it might be that most people want everything like new when they buy used. The one I got has some corrosion in the meter battery well and the self timer does not work. But otherwise in good shape. I got the camera today and I think I could get the meter to work but I doubt I'll bother. Aside from owning a Luna Star F digital meter I have found f-16 at the film speed to work quite well thank you. Especially with this camera. In the field on a normal sunny day I would shoot asa 125, f-11 at a 250th with the focus set at infinty and I'd use the sports finder for composition and framing. Everything from 1 meter to infinity was in crisp sharp focus.
So for $60.00 w/shipping I now have my old friend back. Now where is that Microdol?
S
Skinny McGee
Guest
Thats a great story... Nice to hear you found your old friend... Do you still have any of the photos you took over seas? and can't wait to see the new ones with your friend...
remrf
AZRF
Skinny McGee said:
No sadly I do not have a single one from that period. Most of what I did went to the DoD and I didn't make personal copies of many of them. The few that I did keep were lost in a move many years ago.
But I will post what I find worthy of this 124G's output.
fraley
Beware of Claws
Hi RMRF, this is MRF (Michael Richard Fraley)
I just got a 124G about a month ago, from a local used camera flea market. I like it too, very good results. I never used one before, or medium format for that matter. It's a nice tool and seems ideally suited to careful composition, photos of people, etc. Not for quick work but for careful work. Here's one I took near home, hope you don't mind me posting.
I just got a 124G about a month ago, from a local used camera flea market. I like it too, very good results. I never used one before, or medium format for that matter. It's a nice tool and seems ideally suited to careful composition, photos of people, etc. Not for quick work but for careful work. Here's one I took near home, hope you don't mind me posting.
remrf
AZRF
A beautiful shot. Little of Arizona looks like that and I miss the lusher climates of my youth.
I just got mine today. I have yet to load any film in it. But I will very soon.
I just got mine today. I have yet to load any film in it. But I will very soon.
fraley
Beware of Claws
Do you plan to do portraits with yours? Seems well-suited to that. Kind of a novelty too, might loosen up your subjects. Anyway that's my theory, I haven't really put it into practice. One thing I should mention, I bought a filter on ebay which turned out to be plastic and also caused vignetting. So it's back to no filter when shooting. I enjoyed your narrative too, always interesting to hear of someone's past experiences, especially coming from a working photographer. Thanks for the story.
david b
film shooter
I just got TWO Yashica D's with cases and straps for $60 each. Can't wait to get them on Wednesday.