Yashica-Mat Tripod Socket

I was shooting my Yashica-Mat a few days ago when the tripod I was

using literally fell apart. Actually, it was partly my fault. The

tripod was a home-made device that my neighbor built that consisted

of a central metal pipe and wooden legs with spreaders attached to

the central pipe. There was a lock at the head of the hinged legs,

and another lock at the spreaders. Both of these locks loosened,

causing the central pipe (with the camera at the top) to fall through

and smash into the ground. I'm sure the vibration of the impact

passed completely through the pipe and into the camera.

 

Here's the problem: the Yashica-Mat worked perfectly after the

accident; at first, I didn't see any visible damage. I ran through

the roll of film as normal and removed the camera from the tripod to

unload it. When I did, I found that the back opening knob at the

bottom was very hard to turn (it had been smooth and fluid before).

Looking closer, I saw that the knob was tilted at a slight angle,

causing it to rub against the camera base. After removing the film

and inspecting the inside of the camera, I found no visible damage to

the back or the pressure plate.

 

I'm wondering whether the camera is still usable in this condition.

The accident came at a bad time; I'm planning to take this camera on

a camping trip next week. I know that a trip to the repair shop means

a costly repair (they'll inevitably tell me that it'll cost a lot),

and no Yashica-Mat for the next month or so. However, if this damage

is potentially severe, I don't want to unknowingly sacrifice my

vacation pictures. What do you guys think? Thanks!

 

JW

Probably the bottom part of the back is bent a bit. Get a roll developed and see if everything is functioning correctly and that there are no light leaks. If all is OK go ahead and use it.

Doesn't seem like something that would prevent using the camera provided you can get the back closed up tightly. Still, I think I would invest in a test roll if you've got a week before going on your trip. Also wouldn't hurt to take a backup camera. In looking at mine, it doesn't seem like a repair would be very difficult. Might be worth stopping by your local repairman for an opinion, and possibly a quick fix.

The tripod socket and entire bottom panel is the Achilles' heel of this otherwise wonderful camera. It's not very strong and indeed as Al says, I think you've bent the socket seating. I wonder though whether bending it back is quite simple. If the body remains light-tight it may be best to keep on using it as is, since working on the bent part may just loosen it. Your repair man may be able to replace the entire door assembly, but that may be costly.

Probably just a slightly bent back/bottom. Try a test roll and check for focus with the lens wide open. Take the camera out of the leather case and rotate it around in bright sun. When you process the film, look for evidence of light leaks. You should also inspect the camera body casting very carefully for cracks. I dropped a MAT once and actually broke the casting. That was a bad day.