Yashica Mat advice

[aphilpot89]

Hi guys, I'm new here.

I've decided to have a go at Medium format film and as such just got myself a Yashica Mat off eBay. (Not the 124G, I believe its from c. 1966).

Getting used to the reverse image is going to be interesting.

My main question is advice on getting the focus on point. The little flip down magnifying glass doesn't seem to help much at all and focusing in lower light seems impossible. Is it just a case of practice or am I missing a trick?

cheers!

 

[dxqcanada]

You could be missing something, it is not the easiest thing to focus on the ground glass ... or there is something wrong with the camera mirror, or its very very dirty ... or the viewing lens is not collimated properly.

 

[terri]

My advice, if you like the camera well enough and it seems to be functioning properly, is to take it somewhere for a CLA - clean, lubricate, and adjust.

That might be enough to help with clarity and brightness. The mirrors can fade over time on these cameras, too. So, another thing you could do would be to replace the original ground glass - but that can start adding up in your cost outlay. Someone who can do a CLA on it could point you in the right direction.

 

[webestang64]

Idea of cost..... Yashica-MAT Repair

I do not know this place just that it has good reviews on Google.

 

[aphilpot89]

hi guys, thanks for the reply. the camera was sold as recently having been CLA'd. It seems to be working well but I've only sent one roll of film off to be developed so far and am awaiting on the results so hopefully it won't be as bad as I think in my head.
It is probably a learning curve for me having never used ground glass before.

 

[pendennis]

There's also a great amount of "light leak" around the magnifier, and onto the ground glass. You'll need to juggle, get a neck strap, use a tripod, etc. to mask the extraneous light using your non-support hand.

 

[Dave Maciak]

Hi guys, I'm new here.

I've decided to have a go at Medium format film and as such just got myself a Yashica Mat off eBay. (Not the 124G, I believe its from c. 1966).

Getting used to the reverse image is going to be interesting.

My main question is advice on getting the focus on point. The little flip down magnifying glass doesn't seem to help much at all and focusing in lower light seems impossible. Is it just a case of practice or am I missing a trick?

cheers!

That was the camera I used back in 1969 (while having Rollie dreams), shot my first wedding with it. If at all possible remember "f/8 and you're there." Of course, practice.