RicardoD
Well-known
I recently picked up a nice shooter Yashica Mat 124G from another RFF member. This is my first TLR and first time with 120 film. Thought I'd share my newbie experience.
Film loading is pure joy. I found it easier then loading 35mm film. This may have to do with the clear Yashica Mat instructions and positive mechanical feeling of every step.
Composing a shot a such a different experience and the red lines on the ground glass really aid the process. I was wondering what those lines were for but as soon as you start framing images you figure it out right away. The flip image thing took a bit of gettng used to but by the end of my roll I was hand holding shots and starting to get used to it. I was warned about using a TLR to take pics of my little kids, but they are starting to listen to daddy and stay still for just a moment. My Yashica Mat does not have a neck strap and I need one badly. Trying to hand hold this thing, focus, compose and then hit the shutter is just too much.
Focusing with the loupe is a snap. I can see that with a max shutter speed of 1/500s that using small aperatures will be difficult in daylight unless I use really slow film or get an ND filter. To makes things worse in this regard I develop in Diafine so I have to shoot at the higher ISO speeds that Diafine requires.
I bought 3 rolls of TMX and shot it at 200 based upon the Film/Diafine review which can be found here. (I found that loading 120 film on a stainless steel reel is easier than 35mm.) Diafine is easy but a cruel mistress as basically when your shots are over or underexposed you pretty much have yourself left to blame. That was the case on several of my shots. I relied on the built in Yashica Mat meter but that is only as good as how you use it. Could be the shutter speeds on my Mat are off, or the meter is off, but I am sure Mark Hama can take care of that down the road. Which reminds me, I really need to get a light meter, and a hood, and an ND6 filter.....
My loving wife got me my Father's Day gift early, a refurbished Epson 4180 scanner with medium format capability. Wow, is there a ton of detail in a 6x6 negative. This is going to get very addicting. Happily a few of my shots on my test roll turned out. The tones I was envious of in other TLR photos are there and the camera appears to be working. So its time to reload and give some proper portraits a try.
Sadly however I have to report that buying a new piece of well regarded equipment doesn't magically turn you into a gifted photography (despite my delusions to the contrary which seems to fuel my GAS). I still have so much to learn about the proper lighting situations to use this camera, or any camera for that matter!. I was depressed after the inital scan of my negatives, feeling like a hack, but a day later I managed to cheer up a bit, after all, there are two more rolls of 120 film in my fridge!
BTW, where is the TLR forum where I really should have posted this?
Film loading is pure joy. I found it easier then loading 35mm film. This may have to do with the clear Yashica Mat instructions and positive mechanical feeling of every step.
Composing a shot a such a different experience and the red lines on the ground glass really aid the process. I was wondering what those lines were for but as soon as you start framing images you figure it out right away. The flip image thing took a bit of gettng used to but by the end of my roll I was hand holding shots and starting to get used to it. I was warned about using a TLR to take pics of my little kids, but they are starting to listen to daddy and stay still for just a moment. My Yashica Mat does not have a neck strap and I need one badly. Trying to hand hold this thing, focus, compose and then hit the shutter is just too much.
Focusing with the loupe is a snap. I can see that with a max shutter speed of 1/500s that using small aperatures will be difficult in daylight unless I use really slow film or get an ND filter. To makes things worse in this regard I develop in Diafine so I have to shoot at the higher ISO speeds that Diafine requires.
I bought 3 rolls of TMX and shot it at 200 based upon the Film/Diafine review which can be found here. (I found that loading 120 film on a stainless steel reel is easier than 35mm.) Diafine is easy but a cruel mistress as basically when your shots are over or underexposed you pretty much have yourself left to blame. That was the case on several of my shots. I relied on the built in Yashica Mat meter but that is only as good as how you use it. Could be the shutter speeds on my Mat are off, or the meter is off, but I am sure Mark Hama can take care of that down the road. Which reminds me, I really need to get a light meter, and a hood, and an ND6 filter.....
My loving wife got me my Father's Day gift early, a refurbished Epson 4180 scanner with medium format capability. Wow, is there a ton of detail in a 6x6 negative. This is going to get very addicting. Happily a few of my shots on my test roll turned out. The tones I was envious of in other TLR photos are there and the camera appears to be working. So its time to reload and give some proper portraits a try.
Sadly however I have to report that buying a new piece of well regarded equipment doesn't magically turn you into a gifted photography (despite my delusions to the contrary which seems to fuel my GAS). I still have so much to learn about the proper lighting situations to use this camera, or any camera for that matter!. I was depressed after the inital scan of my negatives, feeling like a hack, but a day later I managed to cheer up a bit, after all, there are two more rolls of 120 film in my fridge!
BTW, where is the TLR forum where I really should have posted this?
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