Choosing a 6x6 TLR camera. Help!

[Richard Kelham]

Eva

Ffordes up near Inverness have a couple of Rollei Ts and a 'Cord for £179 each. Obviously not in mint condition... By contrast their Mamiya C330s are all over £200. You should be able to pick one up for £150 from somewhere (try MXV).

I had a Yashicamat many, many years ago. Took some nice pictures with it but I managed to break it too often, ie build quality isn't up to much. Forty years later the chances of finding one that will carry on working long after Mr Hama's retirement are probably slim.

 

[Warren T.]

Hi, of the cameras on your list, i only used the Yashica 124G. I really enjoyed using it, and only sold it after I acquired a Hasselblad. My brother-in-law started with a Seagull, but like everyone else mentioned, he found the build quality less than satisfying so he eventually found a nice, used Yashica 124G and is using that now. The 124G can be found in the U.S. for very reasonable prices, somewhere in the neighborhood of $200. Too bad they are expensive in the UK.

--Warren

 

[Mark Antony]

"100pounds? That's sounds great but all I could find were some for about 400 Euros on German Ebay"

€400 sounds steep Fffordes have a few £179-299
Dead Link Removed

 

[Shelley-Ann]

I have a Mamiya C330 and a Yashica 24. Every time I think I'm going to sell the Yashica, I take it out for a spin and am amazed by the quality of the pictures.
If you go for a Yashica, make sure it is a Yashinon lens.

 

[Ian Grant]

The best lenses are in the Rolleiflex with the Planar or Xenotar type. Tessar or Tessar type lenses are not as far behind as Ian suggests. YashicaMats are good cameras and are lightweight - just make sure you get one with the 4 element lens (Yashinon), and avoid the 124g model -

I do use a few Tessar's & a Xenar, and I've tested them against Xenotar's, Symmar's, Sironar's etc, and yes for most images they aren't far behind.

So while I'm happy to use them given a choice I'd go for the Planar, Xenotar in preference only because they do have a slight edge at wider apertures. The Yashinon is a Tessar type design, it handles flare well, except in heavily backlit situations with direct sunlight, but few cameras/lenses would cope, . Shooting the start of a sunset there was no flare, when I tried it 2 weeks ago.

Ian

 

[MattKing]

I've used a Mamiya C330 since the mid 70s. After lusting over a used C220 body in a store three or so years ago, I received it as a gift for my birthday (aren't wives and friends wonderful? ).

The C220 is a bit lighter and simpler than my C330, but it does make a real difference having available to me the lens and accessories that I've accumulated over the years for my C330 (most are compatible).

The other TLRs mentioned here are smaller, and are lighter, but that may or may not make a lot of difference to you. Rollieflex lenses are wonderful, but subject to some relatively rare other models, you are restricted to a single focal length.

My kit with 65mm and a 135mm lenses is incredibly flexible, incredibly small, and gives great results.

Otherwise, with just a little more camera bag space, my kit with 55mm, 80mm and 135mm lenses also is incredibly flexible, reasonably small, and gives great results.

With a paramender and a decent tripod, really good macro is easy to accomplish.

Maybe most important for the OP, if you start with a good Mamiya TLR body and lens, and you like it, you can expand!.

Matt

 

[Anscojohn]

I was always told the "biggest bang for a bucK" (or explosion for a Euro, if you wish) is a later model Rolleicord with a Xenar lens. IMO, any Rollei is worth the outlay and will doubtless go up in value. Watch out for the Flexarets, which were known to have a cranky shutter, "hergestellt in der sogennanten DDR" I think. I liked my Mamiya C3 and C330, but as others have mentioned, they are heavy. I once worked for a company doing children's home portraits. The cameras, which were worked very hard, were Yashica D's with the 3 element taking lens. Everything was shot at F/11. I never once had to use my backup camera. A Yash D with the four element Yashinon lens would do a good job for you and, perhaps, cost less than a Mat or a 124. My understanding is there are some slender chains in the film advance which sometimes give trouble under hard use in the crank film advance Yashicas; never happen with a Yash D.

 

[lolaluna]

Great, thanks for the Ffords tip Mark! I just saw a Rolleiflex with Tessar for 350 pounds in a shop today....it must be the London prices they've got here. I'll definately have to order one from somewhere else. Although it's only fixed lens it really sounds like it will be the Rolleiflex. Also the brighter mirror is an advantage against the Rolleicord. I'm getting really excited about it. Hopefully I'll get a decent one soon!

 

[mjs]

My first TLR was a 124G; the lens was sharp although not particularly contrasty, and the meter was so-so. I wasn't all that pleased with it. Used a Minolta Autocord for a while -- ok, it works. Always wanted a Rollei but couldn't afford one, then last year I got a New Standard (ca.1939,) and just -- wow! It isn't the sharpness of the lens (it's sharp,) or stuff like that, I just love the look of the images it produces, even uncoated. Even color, which ought to suffer from the lack of coatings. It has a unique look all its own -- I was right to pine for the Rollei all those years!

Mike

 

[Katier]

I recently bought a Yachicamat LM and love it to bits. Lovely sharp images, light and easy to use.

 

[bighilt]

I don't know what the situation is in your part of the world but in South Africa medium format cameras can be had for next to nothing. I recently swapped a Nikon speedlight for a mint Rolleflex T and a dozen rolls of film. This from a dealer.
You can read the whole story and see photo examples on my blog.
If you can get a Rollei you'll never regret it. I also have a Yashica A which takes nice pictures but is very easy to double expose.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Years and years ago (like in the 1960's) I had a Yashicamat 635 and was very happy with it. I traded it on a Nikon SLR but probably should have kept it. Last year I bought a Yashicamat 124G (details in a moment).
Just bear in mind that the only difference in the "G" model to its' predecessor is that it uses gold plated contact for the electrics - nothing else is different, but because it was the last model it sells for more. It does have a built in meter though, and mine works fine. Go for an earlier model (mostly better made) with the 4 element Yashinon 3.5 lens and use a hand held meter, which is better anyhow.
There is a guy in Western Australia who sells a very good line of Yashicamat cameras and mine was virtually "mint". You can find him on EBay. Search "yashicamat" and then go to the items sold by stores. You'll find a range of cameras and cases listed with "Buy it Now" prices. Or you can contact him direct if you like on <admin@shenzhenangel.com> His name is Peter Pickering. He doesn't usually sell direct but you could try.

 

[Leigh Youdale]

Just in case you have difficulty finding his site, here it is <http://stores.ebay.com/Yashica-Australia>

 

[Ian Grant]

Leigh, I just fixed my meter on my Yashica 124 a few days ago, it had stuck on the Speed setting part, 3 days use alongside my Luna Pro has shown it's remarkably accurate to within ½ a stop, and that tends to be reding half a stop under, so gives great B&W negatives.

Ian

 

[k_jupiter]

Radial bokeh?

Damn, I learn something new every day.

I suspect I have had radial bokeh for 20 some years and never knew it. I'll start looking for it.

If weight is your concern, get a Yashicamat recently overhauled, if not, get a mamiya c220 with a CLA'd 65/80/135 setup. (for the same money as your Rollieflex anything).

tim in san jose

 

[2F/2F]

If you like to have interchangeable lenses, go for a Mamiya C of some sort. They are fine cameras and are cheap.

They are *relatively* heavy and have a lot of little quirks and interlocks, though. They are fine once you learn to use them, but most people I have loaned mine to cannot figure them out without me having to show them. Same when I first got mine. The camera repair guy had to show me all the little switches and knobs and the interlocks they caused. The sissies also complain about the weight. If you want something very light, small and simple, but still great quality, I would look at Rolleicords. They have the build quality of a Rollei, but a lower price than a "Flex. They are cute little devils too. Very small. They are usually in the $75 to $150 neighborhood.

I personally do not have a problem with the Mamiyas. I think they are a superior camera for my purposes, all things considered. However, there are certain times when I wish I was just using a beater Rolleicord instead.

 

[Adrian Twiss]

As previously stated the Mamiya is the most versatile. This is the route I would go down. However a couple of points to note. Avoid the C2 because the winding mechanism was flimsy and they developed frame spacing problems. Secondly, avoid silver lenses with Seikoshah shutters. They are good lenses but impossible to repair due to lack of spares. Black lenses are still repairable.

 

[Prest_400]

I would like to have a start to MF with a TLR. Possibly a rolleicord. Wouldn't need a flex, the cord would be enough for some MF. And I'd have the money that I've not spent on a flex; This would go to something else in my future hobby plans (LF, darkroom..).
Is the Xenar good for portraiture? In bokeh quality specially, tessar designs are said to not have the best. I know that all these TLRs have a softness wide open, that is interesting for me. I'd be using this camera more for people photography, and kind of special snaps.
What advantadges/disadvantages does the rolleicord offer against a yashica 124? I think that without the meter, all is fine. Is the crank advancing on the rollei so inconvenient? How reliable are the rolleicords?

 

[archphoto]

If been using my Rolleiflex 2.8F for the past 20 odd years now.
The cranck: I don't see any problem with it, it is something to get used to I guess.
Reliability: as good as it gets, I had a good Vb that I sold off when I got the 2.8F, served me without any problems over many years.

Cords and flexes are verry well build and will give you a lot of good pic's.
As with any camera they will need some CLA during those many years.

Peter

 

[Rolleiflexible]

A Rolleicord is a Rolleiflex
without the intricate film
wind/shutter interlocking
mechanism. Otherwise it
is the same camera --
same build quality, same
reliability, a bit lighter, a
bit less expensive.

 

[Prest_400]

Maybe the Rolleiflex T is better. Similar tessar lens than those on the cords but brighter screen, seems so.
I was searching info around the foruma about the cords and I fould this link to a member's blog:
http://photo-utopia.blogspot.com/2008/06/rolleiflex-t.html
If the flex T has that VF, I won't regret to pay some euro more on it. I love bright and clear Viewfinders. And the T has "flex" instead of "cord".

 

[gerryyaum]

I would go with a Mamiya C330, camera body sells at a cheap price, lens sells cheap and is sharp (for the most part)..and camera allows you to focus nice and close because of the bellows. These images were made in 2008 with a Mamiya C330, trix and flash, love the camera.

http://www.gerryyaum.com/LB2.htm
http://gerryyaum.blogspot.com/2009/02/nit-48-freelance-sex-worker.html

www.gerryyaum.com

 

[gerryyaum]

one final point I agree with 2f, the camera takes awhile to get used to, lots of little buttons and locks and such that screw with your mind till you figure them out and then its A ok!

 

[MVNelson]

I agree wth the benifits of the component based Mamiya c330 system which I have ... they are a bit heavier... the lenses are sharp as it gets ... The only problrm I have had is with the film advance intermittently malfunctioning Think it has something to do with how forcefully you close up the back after loading ???? Anyway, when it works it is one fun camera to use .... be square ...

 

[JohnRichard]

I don't know about the quality, but I have a Yashikamat and I love it. It doesn't have all the fancy lenses and whatnot, but I have never had a problem with it. It most likely needs a good CLA, as the shutter doesn't sound as strong as... I think it should. Of course, one thing to be mindful of (if you come from an SLR world) is that it will be substantially quieter than an SLR.
Picked mine up on Ebay for about $80... still working.