Recommend a TLR. Lubitel?

[rxmd]

If "under $50" is the criterion, hunting for a Yashica might take a while. The most serious contender to the Lubitel is definitely the Flexaret. The old Flexarets have a Triotar-type lens (Mirar 80/4.5) that has a beautiful, if not super-sharp rendering; on eBay Germany they regularly sell between 25 and 50 EUR. I have a friend who used to use an oldish Flexaret almost exclusively for 6x6 (well, later he also used a Kiev 88 with a 65/3.5 lens) and who produces some outstanding images with it. The camera is quirky, but it's definitely worth it.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Cheap and still good quality, take a Rolleicord IV or V or one of the best Flexarets. In the past I have taken pictures with both and they give sharp images. Once the Ikoflexes (Zeiss Ikon) were are cheap, but nowadays pricy because they are more and more collected

 

[POSTI-Tuomo]

... The old Flexarets have a Triotar-type lens (Mirar 80/4.5) that has a beautiful, if not super-sharp rendering; on eBay Germany they regularly sell between 25 and 50 EUR. I have a friend who used to use an oldish Flexaret almost exclusively for 6x6 (well, later he also used a Kiev 88 with a 65/3.5 lens) and who produces some outstanding images with it. The camera is quirky, but it's definitely worth it.

I have a Flexaret III (1948-?), but it doesn't have the Mirar lens but the Belar 80/3.5. And obviously the shutter mechanism has been changed also to accommodate for the maximum aperture of f3.5. It'd be nice to do comparisons between the two. Anyone up to it?

 

[niblue]

I've got a Lubitel 166U and also used to have a Seagull TLR.

A few samples using the Lubitel: http://www.pbase.com/niblue/lubitel_166u

A few with the Seagull: http://www.pbase.com/niblue/seagull_tlr

The Lubitel is useable but prone to light leaks and has a nasty viewfinder. The Seagull is much better and the lens is pretty sharp though uncoated.