watermelon Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Hiya, I have just bought a Yashica Mat 124G used. It apears in perfectly good condition, with no marks on any glass and all levers performing as I would expect them too, etc. Loaded it with a roll of old 120 to see if it went through properly and was a bit mythed to realise I could only get the shutter to fire on just a few shots per roll. The shutter simply didnt click some times, however after rolling on a few frames maybe I could get it to click properly. I think it may have exposed about 5 frames of that roll. Used some different settings for each shot, and the timings sounded right when it did trip. Film is at the lab now, will see what if anything comes back! Anyone able to tell me much about this system?? Thanks a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victorm. Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Sounds like a typical leaf shutter issue: lack of use. Fire the shutter as many times as you can (before you die of boredom) at each speed. That may revive it. Otherwise it's cla time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anupam Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Unfortunately I had a similar bad experience with my 124-G. Shutter started sticking on several frames each roll. I even got it CLA-d by Dean Williams here on Photo.net. When it came back it work fine in a few est shots. But I put it away for several weeks and after that pretty much the same problem - looks like more oil on the shutter. I've pretty much given up on it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_rath Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Take the front and rear lens out and clean the shutter blades, use a lens brush, and an air blower, it's not that bad of job. Have fun:-)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vrankin Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Unfortunately, this is typical of the Mat 124G. I had two, and they both developed the same problem. Unnerving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean_williams Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 Anupam, more oil on the shutter? Please feel free to send it back. I'll make it right with you. I hadn't heard anything about this from you in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anupam Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Dean, I had sent you the mail immediately after it occured on my first full roll - on the 11th of Feb - but I hadn't heard from you - maybe it ended up in your junk filter or something. Anyway, it's just been sitting on the shelf since then. Glad you read this post. My only medium format has been pinholes since then :-{ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerry_sousa Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 I bought a Yashicamat -EM (the one with the selenium meter), last year, having read good things about it. Had it CLA'd. After the first roll of B&W it was obvious that the lens was out of adjustment, the images were horribly soft around the center. Sent it back for repair. Next roll, the images were sharp enough, but the shutter did not always open when I pushed the release, as Robert experienced. You then fiddle with the winding crank to get the shutter to work, and end up with overlapping exposures! It's back in the shop now, but I will put it up for sale if it's repaired. Photography is a hard enough craft to practice without encountering baulky, uncooperative cameras as the Yashicamat. Having said that, if your dear old grandfather gifts one to you, then accept it graciously. They can't all be bad, but otherwise save your money for a Rolleiflex! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watermelon Posted April 5, 2006 Author Share Posted April 5, 2006 Hi, thanks for the responses. Although not all particulary what I wanted to hear! This may sound silly, but How do I actualy take the lens off the camera? A good bit of poking has revealed no tricks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watermelon Posted April 5, 2006 Author Share Posted April 5, 2006 Oh, noticed it fires quite reliabley now as long as the bellows are fully extended! If I focus a little bit further away and fire it eventualy stops triggering. Somewhere in the middle the shutter trips whilst I return the winder handel upright. How odd! Not realy prepared to pay for a CLA as I only paid little over 50gbp for the camera and who knows what a repair would cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrydressler Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Keep extending and retracting and fireing it if that does not work after about 3 days it is Lighter fluid time. and after that it is CLA time but then again if you don't want it Email me it will then be my Time. LOL Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_andrews10 Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 I inherited an old Yashicamat from my uncle. It was bought in 1959, and is still going strong, despite only getting occassional use, so it's not fair to brand all of these cameras as unreliable. The advice to give the shutter a good workout is sound. Also, the going rate for a 124G in good conditon seems to be around 90 to 100 pounds, so you can't really say you've been fleeced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonphotographics Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Do a forum search on Mark Hama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watermelon Posted April 5, 2006 Author Share Posted April 5, 2006 Okay thanks for your ideas and responses. Sorry Larry - i'll keep it! Have come up with a workaround until I can afford to move on and up... If I focus close then wind on I can then focus where I need it and shoot. Then repeat.... Going to be tedius but if I remember should work. Deffinetly moving smoother after a day of tripping the shutter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrydressler Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 Darn But worth a try I hope you enjoy it I won a photo contest with a shot of an old drying hedge apple on a tree torn down by a tornado back in 76 with a Mat 124. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_rath Posted April 5, 2006 Share Posted April 5, 2006 The lenses screw out, use a small very soft paint brush and white gas to remove any oil on the sutter blades.The Mat 124g is a very good camera. Clean it up and have fun:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charles_kim__jr. Posted August 17, 2007 Share Posted August 17, 2007 I recently purchased a yashica mat-124. I'm having similar problems getting the shutter to open, it seems that it is stuck. Are there any tutorials online that show how to give the shutte blades some CLA, keep in mind that i have no experience with camera repairs...thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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