NONE!
If you have your heart set on a TLR add the extra money and go for a Rollieflex or Mamiyaflex. The Yashica 124G was their best and still has soft optics, the 635 worse.
+1 Totally agree.It's interesting for all the suggestions to "hold off" until something better comes along.
The OP is in Korea, not New York. Does anyone actually know what the market is near Yongsan?
Start with the Yashica, The others don't seem to have the same common experience
I'd hold off for a Rollei. Rolleiflex if you have the budget; Rolleicord if your budget constrained.
I'd hold off for a Rollei. Rolleiflex if you have the budget; Rolleicord if your budget constrained.
If you are looking for a TLR, and you are at Yongsan, you will probably find using a TLR in the street surrounding will be great fun. Look at what @TheFlyingCamera has done with a TLR in the streets of Washington, DC.
Lots of people do have opinion about the Yashica. In a forum as diverse in experience as APUG, it is possible that someone who read this thread may actually know what a ALFAFLEX or MuDan are, that could help answer from experience on the suitability of those models.
I hope someone will be able to shed light on the cameras that no one seems to have heard of. Meanwhile, can the OP provide more information such as the labeling on the lenses on these other cameras?
It is good, though, to have opinions on alternatives - it does provide more information for the OP to consider - who should do with this knowledge as fits the objective. AND - all of these threads are usually useful to many more readers than just the OP; who should not assume they "own" this publicly posted question, but participates in a a greater conversation - at least that is how i look at all of these threads. So, the OP of any thread should have that approach and understanding.
On the outskirts of Seoul, in the environs of Yongsan is a fun shopping district along a many blocks strip - Itaewan. Walking up the hill from the Crown Hotel towards Yongsan Air Base, starts that road. Personally , the only places i could find to eat at that my palate could tolerate, were the cafeteria on Yongsong for breakfast, and the Pakastani restaurant up the hill from that shopping street. The curries there were terrific. Nothing else there to me was edible, including the Wendys, McDs and any chinese takeaway. Lunch for me was always in the DMZ, which i chose to carry in each day - fruits mostly just to hold me until i could get back to Itaewan. About the only option available to me where i was in the DMZ was kimchi soup...
I would say take advice of @Cholentpot to make the deal if you are shopping in Iteawan. Unless looking at or handling any of them seem a bit off to you. All those vendors want to do is make a deal so make them an offer. But, you know this already. And, if you have opportunity to look for other sellers of cameras who have TLR, branch out some if in reach. Must be more in the whole Seoul complex. And, you probably already know they want dollars more than won, at least that used to be true, so if still true make the offer in dollars. The Yashica, though, is a clear known quantity. I have been playing with a Yashica-D along the boardwalk in Asbury Park for a couple weeks now and thoroughly enjoyed it. Nice to handle.
As i walked down the main street, every vendor would come flying out to the front of the store from the back of the store screaming - hey, joe, i sell you two price one. My reply was "i already got won, i got won." I would have 6 leather fighter pilot jackets now if i had responded to every vendor!
>michael
Yashica, my first 120 camera as a kid. It took great pictures, simple and very light weight. Check out the taking lens make sure no haze or fungus. Mamiya C330 are cool, but heavy, and if you can get by with standard lens Yashica will work fine. Rollies are beautiful if they are in nice shape, but then they are expensive. Get the Yashica and a simple tripod, decent incident light meter and you are un business.I really want to do portraits. Besides that these days, I do mostly street photography. The idea of a TLR for me is more of a side dish. Nothing too serious, just mostly for a little taste of the other side. Maybe down the road I'll end up with a rollei, but for now I am pretty much deciding between these 3. Budget for the camera is 75-100 USD thoughly. The guy wants 100k won for each. Could probably talk him down to 75k.
+3!
+3!
$20 Lubitel 166 1980 Moscow Olympics edition. Looks new, works great!
I think the Yashica is a great starting point - I started with an Autocord, then with many different flavours of Yashicas, and finally bought a Rollei a couple years ago. The Rolleiflex is way overhyped (unless you go for one of the more recent/better lens models, maybe) - you can definitely get some great photos with lesser cameras, everything depends on the condition of the camera/lens. The Yashica is a cheap way to find out if you do indeed like shooting with a TLR - if you do you can always upgrade later, if you don't, you haven't wasted too much money, and in all likelihood, can recoup your costs later.
If you have an itch for spending money on one of the three, get the Yashica. It is a wonderful camera and it can use 135 film. Else, get a Lubitel. It does wonders and it costs a mere nothing:
Of old doors again...
Yeap! That triplet lens is pretty sharp. It is a bit of pain focusing it, but you will get used to it in no time.
If you have an itch for spending money on one of the three, get the Yashica. It is a wonderful camera and it can use 135 film. Else, get a Lubitel. It does wonders and it costs a mere nothing:
Of old doors again...
Yeap! That triplet lens is pretty sharp. It is a bit of pain focusing it, but you will get used to it in no time.
The Rolleiflex is way overhyped (unless you go for one of the more recent/better lens models, maybe)
I dunno for the 635, but I owned a 124, a 124G and still have a Rolleiflex. By no ways can I make the difference between the 3 if I have no notes about the shooting. I kept the Rollei because it was the one in the best "shape", but could do with either of the 3.NONE!
If you have your heart set on a TLR add the extra money and go for a Rollieflex or Mamiyaflex. The Yashica 124G was their best and still has soft optics, the 635 worse.
^^^
This is an important moment - so many of us on the same page voting for the Yashica ...
Hmm. My old $400 3.5 MX-EVS is much better made and finished than my $2000+ 2.8GX. The GX has an easier to focus screen and spot meter but that is the only advantage. The pics look the same.
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