Yashica MAT-124 G - Jo Geier

April 3, 2021 Jo Geier

Winter. Lockdown. Perchtoldsdorf.

What to do on a freezing Sunday in February.

Get out the 6x6 TLR of choice, some films and get some images.

The Yashica 6x6cm TLR (Yashica MAT 124 or 124-G or MAT-124) has become a very wanted tool. It is very simple to handle, has a built-in exposure meter which operates with a 1.5V PX625 battery. The Yashinon lens has a 1980's flair to it and the very reliable COPAL-SV shutter makes it fun to use. It is a perfect camera for beginners and hobbyists so it got a lot of attention recently.

Some dust specs on the lens - giving an extra vintage look

Focusing is easy with the built-in magnifier in the waist-level finder. Adjusting the shutter speed and aperture is smoother than on Rolleiflex or compareable TLR vintage cameras from the 1940-1970's. Only the late Rolleiflex 2.8GX and FX (and the Tele 4.0 FT and wideangle Rolleiflex 4.0 FW) versions with the modern shutters are as smooth to handle but in a total different price league. My „everyday“ 6x6 camera with Tele and Wideangle attachment (which are really useful tools), bayonett I filters and a strap.

Kodak Portra 160

Ilford HP5 (expired June 2020)
With Tele-Attachment (slightly vignetting)

Ilford HP5 (expired June 2020)

The Yashica MAT-124 G is really a camera we can recommend to everybody who wants to get easily into medium format, trying out different settings and filters. It is a joy and fun to use. The lens isn't the most crisp out there but has enough detail and a certain flair to me and the results are very fine. Of course the next step would be a Rolleiflex but more on this in a future blog post.