Just bought a Yashica D - what should I know?

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david b

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So I've been dying to buy another camera for no other reason then to have another camera.

I got a deal on a Yashica D TLR.

What can you all tell me about it?

Thanks,
david
 

Pastiche

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I'm sure you know about the paralax issue.... so close up, start framing tighter and tighter to the top of the frame.... I know there are special purporse tripods that allow you to raise the center standard by the same distance as separates the lenses...

I've got a TLR, and really like it, although I've not shot much with it for a bunch of reasons, besides it not having a built in meter..
 

Paul Sorensen

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Does it have the Yashinon lens? If so, that is a great lens and should give very nice results. I have not heard much about the Yashikor lens, except that you want the Yashinon. I have a 124G and I love it. I am not sure that I can tell you anything else about your D, however.

Have fun!
 

David Brown

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david b said:
Yes it has the Yashinon 3.5 lens. Got a sweet deal on it ...

Well, I'm suitably jealous! Good luck. It's a pretty straight forward machine. Run some film and let us know.

Oh, if you've never used a waist level finder, the image is backwards! (You have already figured this out, of course :wink: ) It won't bother and/or amuse you until the first time you're trying to follow a moving target. :tongue:

Cheers!

(the other) David B
 
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david b

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Well I hate to say it but I bought two of them for $60 each. I am told they are in excellent condition and work perfectly. A leather strap and leather case are included are are lens caps.

I'll have them next week and will report back.
 

noblebeast

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I had a very nice one that I sold last year. The sharpness of the lens is quite amazing (esp. stopped down of course). The one quirk I always had to keep track of is that there is no double exposure prevention - if I didn't make it a habit of advancing the film every time I made a shot (and I'm talking a need for a very anal retentive habit of doing that) I could end up with some unpleasing double, and even triple, exposures. The later Yashicas - like the 124G - had a similar function to the Rollei's, the shutter isn't cocked until the film is advanced. So be aware of that fun little quirk, and enjoy your new cameras - it sounds like a nice score!

Joe
 

Michel Hardy-Vallée

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I have the one with the Yashikor and have had excellent results with it, so if you're keen on comparing, we could trade prints. Personally, my first error was that I didn't know that you need to push on the advance knob to go to the next frame. I though my camera was broken after the first frame...

If you want to use a cable release on it, you'll need an adapter (called a "Leica nipple") to reverse the threading around the shutter button.

You can shop for Rollei Bay I filter if you really want, but I suggest you rather invest in BayI - threaded adapters. I use a BI-49mm adapter when I want a yellow/red/etc filter.

I use it as well with a 49mm thread square lens hood on the adapter. Try to find one if you can, because the round ones will cover your viewing lens. They're better than the original bayonet hoods, and they will cost you way less. I haven't noticed any vignetting with adapter+filter+lens hood.

The accesory shoe is reversed from a normal accessory shoe, so that the stopper goes behind the flash instead of being in front of it. This causes problems when you have a flash that does not have a continuous groove on the sides (I think those were made to put on accessory shoes without any holding mechanism). For now I spent 10$ (canadian, of course!) on a flash bracket to hold my flash.

I take the habit to advance the film AFTER I've taken any shot. That way I can rest assured that whenever I pick up the camera I am ready to shoot. You can do the opposite, of course, but the important thing is to have a system that equates picture taking with film advance. Occasionally I forget, but then I willingly advance, because I prefer losing an unexposed frame than an exposed one.

The self-timer on these camera shutters tends to be flimsy and I've heard that some people have jammed their shutter from using it. I didn't have any problem with mine, but I use it very sparingly.

Some people also lock the M-X flash synch (M for bulbs, X for electronic flash) into the X position because it's easy to kick it by accident when you are adjusting aperture.

Avoid at any cost changing the shutter speed once you've cocked it. You can damage the mechanism. Again, I've done that by mistake and my camera didn't explode, but try not to.

Double exposures ARE fun!
 
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