Hi my brother is tempting me with medium format TLR's

Not that this is a cry for help here. I did have the opportunity to play with a Rolleiflex last fall and I quite enjoyed the experience. My primary world is 35mm SLR and rangefinder photography. Playing with a TLR would be a really nice change of pace. Would a Rolleicord be the best route to go? I want a nice reliable TLR with decent lenses, I don't want to spend a fortune as this is not my primary format. As much as a Rolleiflex would be my ideal, I really do not have the $1000-1500cad lying around to buy one. Thoughts and ideas for this curious newbie?

Bill

To start out with, you could get a Yashica 12 or 124 variant for under $100. Tack on a $125 CLA and you've got one reliable, inexpensive camera that has good resale value and takes nice images.

- Randy

In addition to the Yashicas there are Minolta Autocord, Meopta Flexaret, and Ricoh Diacord. All are good and can be had inexpensively.

I just picked this one up ebay listing---- Rolleiflex Camera Franke Heidecke Zeiss,vintage 1950's
Item number: 7584743945

excellent Carl Zeiss Planar 3,5 lens--scratch free
$153.50-(plus shipping, of course!)--already had it delivered--shutter speeds are dead on though I'll get a better focus screen like a Maxwell Precision Optics as I have four of those from my 3,5 Planar 12/24 thru my Tele models and i highly recommend them)-- Quite a bargain--I have about dozen RollieFlex models and a couple of 'cords--Go for the Planar over the Xenotar (I have both in 3, 5 and 2,8 models and the Planar 3,5 is supposedly the sharpest). There are lots of bargains out there!!!

I forgot to add -- give in to the temptation!

You will love the change of pace that a TLR brings - not only is it a nice way into medium format, but its a totally fresh approach to taking photos for someone who is used to having to bring a SLR up to their face to take a photo. There is a charm and a character about all their own.
The Yashicas are absolutely dirt cheap - keep an eye out and $50 for a useable example is not out of the question, and I hear that at least the ones with the Yashinon lenses are quite good optically.

Peter.

The Yashicamats are great, I shot with one for months before getting my Hasselblad. I still shoot it on occasion, as it is lighter and has a decent built-in reflective meter. I'd highly suggest one as an affordable alternative to the Rollei.

If you do get a TLR, make sure the front plate that the lenses are mounted on is flat. When I was getting my Mat, I had a friend tell me how important this was, as he had bought one that had been dropped and the front plate was uneven. If the plate is uneven you end up with a different focus between the groundglass and the film plane, and that's no good. Also make sure that the linkage between the shutter/apo and meter is intact, I had to repair mine to get the meter to work right.

As mentioned above, MF really changes the way you take photographs. Not only are you looking at subjects with a different perspective (be it waistlevel or even through a prism), you only have 12 exposures per roll. You'll end up focusing on making every shot count, and start focusing on composition and the like with a better eye. I loved when I changed from 35mm, but I still shoot it when I need a faster system.

Bonchance!

I used to own a Minolta Autocord - it's an excellent camera. I really liked focusing with a lever. And the lens is very sharp. Just be aware that the Autocords with Citizens shutters are easier to service.

http://www.dantestella.com/technical/autocord.html

I have a Meopta Flexaret VII which was a gift from my father-in-law [it was his camera when he was a young man] and I love using it.

There is something nice about composing on the ground glass and about working with a TLR.

The image quality is good although I've been unlucky in that the last couple of rolls I shot on it were ruined by me in the developing so I don't have many scans from the camera to demonstrate.

I have to stick my oar in at this point and defend my little cord Va, the Rollei's are amazing cameras that will go on for ever and continue to take spectacular pictures. I got mine from Ebay for 60 GBP and have not regretted the purchase since, from what I have read it would appear that the cords are much sturdier than most of the Yashica's, Minoltas, Ricohs e.t.c. although obviously the newer Yashica 124G will have more up to date lens coatings. At the end of the day it's all down to personal preference, deciding whether you want....

- to shoot B&W or colour
- lever wind over knob wind
- a light meter

..... the options are endless.

Good luck with whichever TLR you choose as they're great cameras - Mathew