Thanks for acknowledging this. This is why I’ve joined this community. I feel as if I’ve been searching for a MF camera for about 2 years, but didn’t know this existed. I feel like I don’t know enough about all the variations, but I know enough to know that I don’t want to spend the few dollars I have on junk. I’d rather buy a lesser TLR in good condition than get a fancier one that needed a ton of work off the bat. And I realize I might need to eventually pay for a CLA, but would prefer to not have to do it immediately, yk?Maybe this was clarified above, but the Yashica D lens Paul is recommending is named 'Yashinon.' This is the 4-element 'Tessar-type' lens for Yashica, labeled as 'Yashinon.' Most Yashica Ds have the Yashikor lens, which is a 3-element lens design, so know which lens you are buying (Yashikor is a good lens but has some distinct 'issues' used at larger apertures).
I'd strongly encourage the OP to look at places like the classifieds here and other photo forum communities. Condition is critical, and people in places like this will be honest and you will know what you are getting yourself into. Or used sellers like Blue Moon Camera or Glass Key. Hoping to score as a bottom feeder on Ebay these days is not very easy.
Maybe this was clarified above, but the Yashica D lens Paul is recommending is named 'Yashinon.' This is the 4-element 'Tessar-type' lens for Yashica, labeled as 'Yashinon.' Most Yashica Ds have the Yashikor lens, which is a 3-element lens design, so know which lens you are buying (Yashikor is a good lens but has some distinct 'issues' used at larger apertures).
I'd strongly encourage the OP to look at places like the classifieds here and other photo forum communities. Condition is critical, and people in places like this will be honest and you will know what you are getting yourself into. Or used sellers like Blue Moon Camera or Glass Key. Hoping to score as a bottom feeder on Ebay these days is not very easy.
See if you can borrow a copy of Chavez Ravine, 1949 a Los Angeles Story, by Don Normark. He used a little tin can Ciro Flex with an 85mm Wollensak Velostigmat. A $50 camera. The work is jaw dropping. It was all he could afford in 1949 when he was a college student.
My entry into MF was a Minolta Autocord and it remains my favourite TLR after all these years, even though I'm now mostly shooting with a Rolleiflex. I probably have over 20 TLRs, mostly Autocords, Yashicas, and Rolleiflexes/cords of various vintages and styles.
If you decide to go the TLR route (or any camera for that matter), condition should be the first consideration.
Are you willing to sell any of them?
Two more TLRs that are (or at least used to be) priced well below the above list and still capable of good images as long as you don't shoot wide open (they'll be soft on the largest and next smaller aperture):
Seagull (several models, also sometimes labeled "Hai Ou") -- works very much like a Yashica, has f/3.5 triplet.
And Lubitel 166 -- a little different operating, but has a bright finder with a focusing patch, making it easier to compose (but no better to focus) in low light. Also f/3.5 triplet. These are one of the original "Lomography" cameras, but if you aren't welcoming fuzzy, vignetted corners and light leaks, they're easily put/kept in that state as well.
Hey, Glausuche, welcome to the forum. I'm also in Upstate SC (Greenville). I'd be willing to meet up some time and you can try out my Yashica D. PM me.
Everything I’ve read/ seen says both of those are lousy. Like I said at the top. I have a holga. And I have a foldable (Ansco Viking Readyset)which I got for $25 and I’m currently testing. I want something that will make good images consistently. Plus I want to refine my craft to my early days when I was shooting more often on my first semi automatic Pentax.
Minolta Autocord best value out there.
Minolta Autocord best value out there.
Yaschica D with the 4 element Tessar taking lens and 2.8 viewing lens. The Shutter must be cocked before tripping the shutter and film manually wound allowing for easy multiple exposures. The D with 3 element taking lens and 3.5 is also good if want a bit of softness wide open. Also in the 3 element range was Yaschia A and C.
Maybe this was clarified above, but the Yashica D lens Paul is recommending is named 'Yashinon.' This is the 4-element 'Tessar-type' lens for Yashica, labeled as 'Yashinon.' Most Yashica Ds have the Yashikor lens, which is a 3-element lens design, so know which lens you are buying (Yashikor is a good lens but has some distinct 'issues' used at larger apertures).
The one thing that increase the contrast with a Yaschica is flock the interior. One reason the Minolta Autocorde is sharper with more contrast is that it is better flocked. If you are very careful you can pain with a very small bush with a very flat black paint or line with black felt cloth. And use a lens hood.
Oooh. I did not know about the flexibility of 6x6 and 6x4.5 on them. That’s a valuable argument for them. Plus the switch for double exposure… but weight is a factor that is important to me…
...I can't quite see the reason for the popularity of the Mamiya, and I'd never buy one after testing a friend's one. A really bulky camera, really huge compared to the Rolleicord, and if I wanted a heavy camera with interchangeable lenses I'd personally go for a SLR...
The reason the Mamiya C series was popular for me is that I wanted a MF camera to make money with in the late-1980s/early-1990s and could not afford a MF SLR at that time, and I think that is why many professionals used them. That being said, the quality of images and usefulness of the camera truly approaches even top end MF SLRs for many purposes, and the Mamiya is lighter and easier to use then many of them (6X6 at least). They truly were the best value for the money then, and probably still are if you want a system level 6x6 MF camera.
I'll join the heretical crowd and suggest a folder. A nice Zeiss Nettar with a f4.5 lens and prontor shutter can be had for ~$50 - $15 if you lay in wait. Which should be appealing to someone on a 'tight' budget.
The older 6x4.5 models are tiny.
But 35mm is more suited for street photography.
An advantage of using a TLR for street work is that passerby/subjects think you are navel gazing and pass you by. Walker Evans did a series showing workers getting off shift - he sat in a folding chair on the sidewalk with a TLR on an up-pointing tripod and took pictures as people walked past. https://artblart.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/walker-evans-labor-anonymous-web.jpg https://davidcampany.com/anonymous-and-incognito-walker-evans/ Also in the book Hungry Eye.
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