Want to Buy WTB - TLR (Found one)

Interested in trying medium format as I've strictly been shooting 35mm. Willing to spend up to 150$ USD (plus reasonable shipping to Canada, postal code R3L 0P1). Looking for something that will shoot 120 film and is in good working condition.

with that budget you can find a nice yashicamat tlr in working condition, 6x6.

If I was back home in Manitoba I'd have a couple of Yashicas available, unfortunately I have no access to them here in Japan! Good luck with your search though.

Rolleicord. With patience you can win one for 100.

mooseontheloose said:

If I was back home in Manitoba I'd have a couple of Yashicas available, unfortunately I have no access to them here in Japan! Good luck with your search though.

Click to expand...

Total non-sequitur but how is the job market for English speakers in Japan? I just finished a geography degree at U of W and the wife is really keen on spending some time in Japan. Is it tough to get an English teaching position with a TEFL/TESOL certificate?

baachitraka said:

Rolleicord. With patience you can win one for 100.

Click to expand...

Is it really worth holding out for a Rollei TLR? I mostly take pictures of my cats and abandoned shopping carts. I'd be happy with something that works and takes reasonably sharp pictures in the smaller f-stop range and sharp-ish in the corners would be nice too.

paul ron said:

with that budget you can find a nice yashicamat tlr in working condition, 6x6.

Click to expand...

Any particular model I should be keeping an eye out for?

If not earlier cords, most of them equipped with Xenars which is equivalent to the lens found in Yashicamats.

Xenars are bitingly sharp from f/8 and above.

Daniel Sokal said:

Any particular model I should be keeping an eye out for?

Click to expand...

The Yashicamat, Yashicamat EM, LM, 635, Yashica D should all be great choices in your price range. I have the Yashicamat LM and I absolutely love it.

baachitraka said:

Rolleicord. With patience you can win one for 100.

Click to expand...

+1

look for a type Ia some had a sweet triotar lens

btw, don't forget no matter what the camera or price is,
you might want to get a cla to make sure the camera is in tip top shape when you use it.
i had zack's do my rolei and he did a fantastic job.

john

Regarding the camera - as others have said a Yashica is probably the best value if you can find a clean working one, but even they have gone up in price significantly since I bought my first one over 10 years ago. You *might* find a decent condition early Rolleicord, but from what I've seen you'd be looking for a long time for one in your price range to show up. Lots of other options out there, like Argoflex, Ricohflex, Ikoflex, Flexaret, Graflex, etc. Seagull and Lubitel are others you might consider. In the end, if all you want to do is get your feet wet with medium format, then the most important thing is to find one in good working condition. If you like shooting with TLRs, you can always upgrade to another model.

As for Japan, a Bachelors degree will get your foot in the door (a TESOL certificate helps a lot too), but you'll probably be limited to conversation schools or middle men organisations like Westgate that don't have the greatest reputation (but they can get you into the university teaching world). If you're lucky, you can find work at businesses, or pick up private students, but I don't think it's as easy now as it once was (nor as well-paying). Some part-time work at universities might be available, but there are so many competing for jobs that a Masters is almost necessary for something decent. If you have a Masters, then the university teaching world is open to you, regardless of your degree (although if its not related to English teaching, then the TESOL certificate will help). When I first came here in 1999 I worked at an eikawa (conversation school) where the base salary was 3 million yen ($35,000 Cdn). It's still about that now - salaries haven't increased much at all in that sector. Despite having a Masters at the time (I now have 2), it wasn't until I got my CELTA certificate that I was offered university teaching work. Most contract teaching jobs at a university will start at about 5 million yen ($58,000), but you have to look at the conditions - I've seen full-time work with Ph.D required go for as low as 4 million a year. Contracts last no longer than 4-5 years, as by law then the university would have to offer you full-time work (thus 2+2 year, or 3+2 year contracts are the norm). There are plenty of teachers who just cobble together various part-time gigs at different universities and probably make somewhere between 5-8 million yen a year, but it takes time to build connections and you'd never get a visa without a contract first somewhere, so you'd have to start with something like that. The best places to be are in Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo) or Tokyo, as there are plenty of universities needing teachers. That said, if you are willing to go to a more rural area (think, the size of Winnipeg or smaller), then there might be fewer options BUT they might be more willing to overlook weak qualifications because not as many people want to live in those places.

Consider a Zeiss-Ikon Ikoflex. Very similar to the Rolleicord in operation but later ones have a very bright focus screen of Zeiss' own design. Most of these Ikoflices are fitted with Zeiss Tessar 75mm 3.5 lenses.

Ikoflex Ib or Ic.

Advantage of Rolleicord or YashicaMat is the accessories. They are plenty and cheap.

Yashica 12. Everything you get from a yashicamat but only shoots 120. Not as well known as a yashicamat 124 or 124g. Includes a useful meter if find one where battery wasn't left in it to corrode the wires.

trythis said:

Yashica 12. Everything you get from a yashicamat but only shoots 120. Not as well known as a yashicamat 124 or 124g. Includes a useful meter if find one where battery wasn't left in it to corrode the wires.

Click to expand...

+1 I'm a fan of the Yashica 12, Yashicamat, and Yashica D - never had any problems with any of those cameras.

From repair point of view, internals of Yashicas were not made to last long. I do not know about earlier models but later models are made up of plastic. :-(

baachitraka said:

From repair point of view, internals of Yashicas were not made to last long. I do not know about earlier models but later models are made up of plastic. :-(

Click to expand...

The 12 is pretty metalic, the 124g is supposed to have some plastics.
I find the old rolliecord in my possession to be surprisingly fragile with thin front levers that bend. They don't weigh as much though.

I usually recommend a Graflex 22 or Ciroflex and spend the money you saved on film.

Thanks for all the advice folks, it gives me even more to think about, a little overwhelming but I'm sure I'll eventually get myself sorted out.

Contact Beau Photo in Vancouver. They seem to be collecting lots of inexpensive older film cameras for sale to the student market. They check them out (for usability) and provide a short warranty. Nicole is a treat to deal with: http://www.beauphoto.com/frames/filmfrm.html

Whatever you buy, and it really doesn't matter much what it is, try and find one that states it's been tested, has a good shutter, clean glass, and a good mirror and viewing screen. I find that most simple TLRs are as easy to repair myself as folders, but it can be aggravating chasing down problems if you're not a DIY person and unfamiliar w/ these cameras.

An older Rolleicord w/ a Triotar lens is an excellent medium format camera. They're small and light, have excellent build quality, and the Triotar is capable of making wonderful images. But many of them at your price point are going to need some refurbishing. If you don't mind doing a little work yourself, they're simple box cameras w/ moveable lenses on a fixed board that seldom get out of collimation.

MattKing said:

Contact Beau Photo in Vancouver. They seem to be collecting lots of inexpensive older film cameras for sale to the student market. They check them out (for usability) and provide a short warranty. Nicole is a treat to deal with: http://www.beauphoto.com/frames/filmfrm.html

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip. I've emailed them to see if they have any in stock.

momus said:

Whatever you buy, and it really doesn't matter much what it is, try and find one that states it's been tested, has a good shutter, clean glass, and a good mirror and viewing screen. I find that most simple TLRs are as easy to repair myself as folders, but it can be aggravating chasing down problems if you're not a DIY person and unfamiliar w/ these cameras.

An older Rolleicord w/ a Triotar lens is an excellent medium format camera. They're small and light, have excellent build quality, and the Triotar is capable of making wonderful images. But many of them at your price point are going to need some refurbishing. If you don't mind doing a little work yourself, they're simple box cameras w/ moveable lenses on a fixed board that seldom get out of collimation.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the sound advice and this has kind of been my goal. I know Rollei's are kind of the gold standard in the TLR world but I'm not so much bothered by what's on the name plate as much as I am about finding something in good working order that takes decent pictures - at least as decent as can be with my level of photography skill.

I'll keep an eye out for an older Rolleicord but it seems like people who are into TLRs treat these things like lost children and they're running an orphanage that always has room for one more.

Here's some that are definitely worth considering. I am partial to the older 3 element lenses, but most people would say that the 4 element modern Xenar is hard to beat for sharpness. Having a modern shutter that runs to 1/500 is a plus too. The camera looks pretty nice for that price!. The 2 links below are is for the older models that I favor.

How come these things are never around when I'm looking to buy? This is just an overabundance of nice looking gear, at prices that someone should pick up on.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-Rolleic...103249?hash=item25bb1e1e91:g:fusAAOSw2GlXIl5N

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolleicord-...444606?hash=item33b7e314be:g:HiwAAOSwneRXRIpY

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rolleicord-...078083?hash=item41ab7ea583:g:l~EAAOSwepZXRzxS