{"id":27508,"date":"2017-11-01T09:08:05","date_gmt":"2017-11-01T13:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.keh.com\/?p=27508"},"modified":"2017-11-01T09:08:05","modified_gmt":"2017-11-01T13:08:05","slug":"yashica-mat-124g-medium-format-camera-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.keh.com\/expert-advice\/camera-gear\/product-reviews\/yashica-mat-124g-medium-format-camera-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Yashica Mat 124G : Medium Format Camera Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Yashica Mat 124G<\/a> is one of those cameras that has just always caught my attention. It\u2019s a beautiful camera, even without knowing what it can do photographically. The hefty metal body makes this camera feel like a small film-holding tank. And really, there is just something iconic about the TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) look \u2013 it\u2019s a pretty camera.<\/p>\n

I finally got my hands on one to call my own, thanks to KEH Camera. I found my beautiful Yashica on their website, listed as a \u201cBargain\u201d for the condition, but I must tell you, it was in fantastic shape when I received it. I ordered a special battery (a Wein MRB625) and hoped they would arrive together and be ready to go. I quickly loaded a roll of film, and since then\u2026 this camera has easily become one of my favorites.<\/p>\n

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The camera has a built-in meter, and if the battery stays fresh, it does all the work for you. I often play it safe and just meter the scene by hand, to double check that the camera is metering correctly. If the battery dies, the camera will still work, just without the meter.<\/p>\n

Loading film is self-explanatory, thanks to an easy open bottom and clear instruction literally printed on the inside of the camera. While it is an easy to load the camera, I\u2019ll offer one tip \u2013 roll the film tightly. Loose rolls can lead to light leaks and other problems, so just keep it tight at loading.<\/p>\n

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The 80mm f\/3.5 lens is part of the camera, so no lens changing is ever needed. The camera is a 6×6 format which creates twelve square photos on a roll of 120 film. The first thing I noticed when shooting with this camera is the mirror effect of the viewfinder. It can take some practice to get used to seeing the scene a bit differently in this viewfinder.<\/p>\n

Focusing is done with a large knob on the side, and it is a silent and smooth operation on my camera. The winder is a handle, that turns just short of a full turn to set up the next frame. The aperture and shutter are controlled by two small dials on the front of the camera. The shutter was the real surprise to me \u2013 it\u2019s super soft and quiet. It\u2019s somewhat odd to have such a heavy camera with such a quiet shutter. I\u2019ve shot with other medium format cameras and they give a vibrant slap of a shutter \u2013 not the Yashica.<\/p>\n

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\"\"So, why do I love this camera? It makes some stunning photographs. Medium format film can provide such a different look from 35mm, and this camera adds a fun square format to that dynamic medium format film. The photos come out with a depth-of-field that I wouldn\u2019t expect from a f\/3.5 lens, and even more surprising to see at f\/8 or f\/11. The detail and sharpness is unmatched, from all of the cameras I\u2019ve used. I shoot digital alongside film, and I think this camera gives me the sharpest and most intriguing images than from any other camera I\u2019ve used. I look forward to shooting with this camera at any opportunity. Here are some of my favorite shots taken with this beautiful camera (all taken on Kodak Ektar film, and the locations are Alabama Hills, Yosemite National Park, a San Diego beach, Joshua Tree National Park, and Death Valley National Park):<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"\"A word of advice, should you choose to take a camera like this out for a shoot \u2013 expect that just about everyone will stare and some will ask you what in the world you are shooting with. It\u2019s an attention-grabbing camera, and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever gone out with it without someone striking up a conversation!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve never shot with a waist level finder I\u2019d urge you to get right around to finding one. The process of making the photos is almost more fun than seeing what you created. Almost!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Yashica Mat 124G is one of those cameras that has just always caught my attention. It\u2019s a beautiful camera, even without knowing what it can do photographically. The hefty metal body makes this camera feel like a small film-holding tank. And really, there is just something iconic about the TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) look […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":27520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_oasis_is_in_workflow":0,"_oasis_original":0,"_oasis_task_priority":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1150],"tags":[53,184,100,194,244],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t