OMG, is GAS contagious here? (Maybe semi OT)

dmr

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Wow, I never thought I would ever use the term GAS in the first person. I never heard the term until I joined here and then I thought I was immune, since before coming here I could count the number of cameras I owned in my lifetime on one hand.

Anyway, to make a long story long ...

Last week I and a friend of mine at work were going over a bunch of mounted prints I had and we were deciding which ones would go in whose office. Another co-worker came in and asked what we were doing and who took those <bfg> and asked me if I was into cameras. I told her I was into photography. <touche'> 🙂

So she starts telling me the story that she has a camera at home which used to belong to her ex-husband and he left it when he moved out and never asked for it, and this was many years ago. She said that if I could use it I could have it since it's just been collecting dust for 20 years. I asked her what kind and she said something like :

"It's one of those very old ones that you look into the top of."

So anyway I didn't even think of it until a couple hours ago when she comes in with this camera and case.

Anyway, it turns out it's a Yashica model D TLR. Except for the case, the thing is IMMACULATE!

I said that I would be willing to help her find a buyer if she wanted to sell it, but she insisted "It's yours, I'm not taking it back home!"

Soooo ... I've been spending the last 1/2 hour looking the gift horse in the mouth so to speak. It's really in good shape. Glass is clean, no grunge anywhere, shutter works and I have to assume it's accurate, maybe.

(I guess I should go back and read that TLR thread from last week now, huh?)

I've never used one of these. I haven't shot anything on 120 since I would occasionally shoot my dad's old folding Kodak once in a while. I still don't know what's available in 120 or 220 film, and I was unsure if anybody regularly processed it. I phoned this independent camera shop and they said to come in and they would show me what's available and also that they did process it, and said they did "a run of it every 2-3 days or so" and yes they can scan the negatives to CD-ROM.

Is anybody here familiar with this camera? Any hints? (Sorry if this is somewhat OT, I know it's not a true rangefinder.)

It appears to be all manual. No metering or anything. You have to manually cock the shutter. It has a flash shoe on the side, but not a hot shoe. I guess I'll have to apply the sunny-16 rule for a test roll.

I realize this is not a Rolleicord by any means, but it looks fairly decent. Any comments about it? Thanks in advance. 🙂
 
The Yashicamat TLR is a Classic camera. Capable of professional results. It can still be repaired.
IT uses 120 size film, which is still used extensively in pro work. Camera manufacturers such as the medium-format Hasselblad, Contax, Mamyia, Pentax all still market cameras for 120 size film. So there are plenty of choices. In fact, almost all the choices in pro film that you can get in 35mm are also available in 120 size.

Almost all the new "semi-exotic" films from former Eastern Europe are available lin 120, names such as Adox, Efke, Foma, Forte, etc.
 
Now that's a real lucky break! Enjoy the camera, you'll have a lot of fun with it. I don't have a Yashica, but once you get used to the shape and layout a TLR is quite straightforward to use.
 
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greyhoundman said:
I have one. They are good cameras.

It looks really nice. I guess I'm gonna find out how it performs.

Stay away from the self timer until you can have the shutter CLA'd.

Well, uh, I already kinda stumbled on that. 🙂 It works! 🙂

Is it black leatherette or gray?

All black. The case is showing its age, but the camera itself is spotless! There are a few obvious differences between this one and the one shown in the manual on the web. I think mine is newer than the one pictured.

I also guess it's 120 only, no reference at all to 220 film. NBD. One web page I pulled up a few minutes ago said it was made 1957 to 1973 or so. I have a hunch this is one of the later ones. 🙂
 
dmr436 said:
Wow, I never thought I would ever use the term GAS in the first person. I never heard the term until I joined here and then I thought I was immune, since before coming here I could count the number of cameras I owned in my lifetime on one hand.

Anyway, to make a long story long ...


Anyway, it turns out it's a Yashica model D TLR. Except for the case, the thing is IMMACULATE!



There are two things you need to do now.

1. Play your Queen CD (another one bites the dust).

2. Shop online for several things that you will need now (while listening to the cd) Like a lens hood, some filters, maybe a film developing tank, a changing bag, film developers, fixer, drying clips, oh heck. You may as well get an enlarger and a new scanner to handle medium format negatives. Then you will probably need to get a nice 6x7 and a 645 medium format cameras to compare to the Yashica 6x6. A nice 4x5 camera would be a lot of fun too. Maybe an 8x10 camera to make contact prints?

Welcome to the madness.

Wayne
 
No she has to throw it back it's a TLR.

Quick sell it and buy three FSU rangefinder cameras. Or, A FED2 and an Iskra. Best of both worlds. Now you're cookin' with GAS.

Or get really crazy and hunt down at least 4 c-44s.
 
Fedzilla_Bob said:
No she has to throw it back it's a TLR.

Quick sell it and buy three FSU rangefinder cameras. Or, A FED2 and an Iskra. Best of both worlds. Now you're cookin' with GAS.

Or get really crazy and hunt down at least 4 c-44s.

I'll help wirh the FSU rangefinders if I can have the TLR. I have all the dev kit to go with the Ensign Selfix so it will save the hassle of someone having to get it!! 😀
 
Great find. You must report back when you get back your first shots.

I bet I know what your reaction is going to be. 😀
 
Fedzilla_Bob said:
I should have said 'bay it. 😀


Actually, I did (and still do) feel a bit guilty taking it with nothing in exchange. Later this afternoon I offered to do something like sell it and we would split the profit, but she insisted that it's mine. (I'm assuming it's prolly worth $100 or so ...)

What I think I'll do is send her a nice thank-you card with a print of something cool I take with it. That's assuming I do take something cool with it, of course. 🙂

I really don't know what to take with it. It does have to be something I can guess at regarding exposure. I'm thinking of maybe taking a tripod on an overpass and doing some long(er) time exposures, which is something I've thought of doing with 35mm.

Of course I have to take the obligatory self-portrait, something I just remembered I haven't done with the GII yet. 🙂 🙂 🙂

(Yeah, just what she wants, an 8x10 of me looking down to shoot myself in the mirror!) 🙂 LOL!
 
You have to start thinking square. I actually shoot color with 6x6. The big color negs are great, sooo much depth. Don't sell it, keep it, you will love it. Use one of your 35mm cameras as a meter for it if you don't have a handheld meter.
 
dmr436, I have a Yashica A, kinda like your Yashica D's older sister. I can assure you that they are great cameras to use, and so easy to learn too. The 6x6 negs are so detailed. I took a photo of a nearby church from across the road and I swear you can literally count every brick in the front of the place. I use Ilford XP2 Super in mine. This is a great film in 120 format.

Kim Coxon, how many Ensigns do you have? I have a Selfix 20, Selfix 420, Commando, Ful-Vue and a Ful-Vue Super. I love the old Ensigns.

Heath
 
I had a yashica D, which later migrated to South (Barcelona, more precisely). It was too cold and wet up here.
Seriously, it is a very good camera. You say it's not a rolleicord; well I agree, but it's not worse, just different. Some things are even better on it than a rolleicord (the V model i had in the same time).

Does it have yashinon or yashikor taking lens? The yashinon is supposed to be better - i myself never had the yashikor so can't compare, however, compared to the Schneider Xenar on the Rolleicord, it's equally good. But lately i discovered that for 6x6 a triplet is also good enough!
The finder glass on mine had a Fresnel lens and was much brighter than the rolleicord's old groundglass. Also the loupe was bigger and covered a largeer part of the 6x6 groundglass.
One thing to remember with the D: it has no double exposure interlock. You can wind the film twice before exposing and you can expose twice before winding (or as many times as you forget/want).
Film winding is tricky; first you have to push the button in the middle of the wind knob. It took me some time before I figured that out 🙂
Loading works with aligning the arrows on the film's paper backing with the two signs inside the camera on the film gate.
The camera is very handholdable. Or, infact, neck-holdable (get a neckstrap for it of there is none). Tripod is only needed for 1/15 and below, in my experience.
If you stop the lens down to f/8 - f/16 your jaws will drop how sharp the images will be. Don't be afraid of using colour film in it; I have found Fuji NPH400 as a great allround film for medium format. You can safely use Sunny 16; or you can get a handheld meter.

Finally, expect a lot of "attention" from overly friendly strangers if you get out with the camera in your neck 🙂

I agree, take a pic of the friend and make a big print and give it to him. BUT, don't make it too good coz he will want the camera back!
 
example

example

this one i took with the yashica D. I had to repair it, the lens board was out of alignment, but i was glad with the end result.
"Neckheld", about f/5.6 and 1/125-1/250 s. Tri-X, dev. in agfa refinal (by a lab, not myself). Scan from a small print. An enlarged version (30x30 cm) hangs on my wall, and the detail in that photo is amazing.
 
Hi Heath,
Just the one, a 620. It was given to me by my father about 30 years ago and I am still using it. 6x9 landscapes on Fuji Reala are something to behold!

Kim

Heath said:
Kim Coxon, how many Ensigns do you have? I have a Selfix 20, Selfix 420, Commando, Ful-Vue and a Ful-Vue Super. I love the old Ensigns.

Heath
 
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