I am after one of the cheaper TLR cameras. 120 and of the common design. No plastic or Bakelite. If anyone has one that they would part with for $100 or under then please contact me with photos and details on the condition of the lens, shutter, mirror and ground glass. User condition but working would be obviously accepted, with no urgent need for a CLA and such (though assumed for the long run)
Even though I'm having a hard financial and logistical situation in life right now, I'm looking to get this as a birthday present for a friend to introduce to analog photography.
I have a nice Yashica D - very clean and the shutter sounds good on all speeds. I've owned it for a couple of years and have used it a few times but I don't really like TLR ergonomics. $65 for that one. I also have a clean Graflex 22 which also works well, although I've never run film through it. Much lower end than a D and not nearly as nice to use but its an okay beginning. $30 for that one. I don't know what shipping to Aus would run but I don't think its cheap.
There's one bakelite camera you might want to consider - the lubitel 166B. The lens is a pretty decent tessar design and I've got very sharp images from mine. It's a generally nice quality camera, even if the controls aren't refined like on a Rollei. The biggest issue you'd probably ever face with one of these would be some light leaks around the back, which can be fixed with either gaffer's tape (to seal the edges) or a home-done felt seal replacement.
Sorry I have nothing for sale but you may be interested in this link Dead Link Removed particularly the Massive Guide to TLR's parts 1 through 5. Nothing for sale but you'll get an idea of things. Part 5 has a comparison of the viewfinders brightness for example.