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Yashica Mat 124 G


davidlier

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Briefly, the comments are that this is a good camera with a nice lens. Users say the durability of the camera is good though not great, but it's a good, inexpensive way to get into medium format. Comments seem to indicate that the shutters will require service, but that's true of most cameras. With a reasonable amount of care, this camera should give you plenty of years of service.
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I have several TLRs and this model is my favorite for hand-held shots. But mine is mint, the finder is great and the meter is perfect. It as a nice 4 elements lens, Tessar type. As one of the latest made, it can take either 120 or 220 film, wich is not common for TLRs

 

Since it was not the stronghest builded, it would depend how extensive the repair would be. The weekest points would be the crank and the meter. If it is beat up, an older model would be a better choice.

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Really nice shooting camera, especially because it can shoot 220 film, which makes it a good street shooter. But the crank eventually goes. Mine did and the repair exceeded the amount I spent on it. They take really nice photographs and have a light meter (which I think is part of their popularity) but I think a nice Minolta Autocord might be a better arrangement as far as durability.
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I doubt that. Someone is pulling your leg, & unless they can show you a very costly repair invoice, that bit about the gears being replaced by Rollei gears sounds like pure BS.

 

Incidentally, even in excellent working shape, with a WORKING meter, the Mat 124 G is worth no more than $175-200. If the meter is busted, and it is otherwise working, it's worth no more than $100-125. So let that be your guide, as far as putting more money into it.

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Jeroen may not be entirely wrong. A repair man did tell me years ago that some of the parts in Yashicas and Rollies are interchangeable. Apparently, this led to 'words' between the two companies. I can't at this distance remember which parts he mentioned but the drive train sounds like a possible contender.
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I have the model with Luxomar lens, no meter and no 220. I only ran two films through it. First was BW test and it was fine. I am currently waiting for my Velvia 50 slides and will hopefully post some of them in my portfolio under My Yashicamat Pictures if they are ok.

 

The camera is a lot of fun to take pictures with. On my second film I got quite used to using the built in magnifier for better focusing.

 

It is lightweight too so it would be a great candidate on a backpacking trip.

 

 

rb

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I have two 124G's and a 12 all three purchased on E-Bay for less then $300 for the lot. All three take great pictures all the meters are working, but I use a hand held for all shots.

Why own three.... spare parts when one of them finally goes belly up which I don't see happening in the near future. For an entry level camera you can't beat the price/quality of the Yashica.

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