Yashica Mat 124g

David Lyga · Jun 15, 2019

I recently acquired one and I am confused about something. It looks pristine and the shutter and aperture work perfectly. I have not yet inserted a roll of 120 film, but when I wind the crank, it does NOT stop at one 360 degree revolution. Yet the shutter becomes cocked and ready to shoot. Do I have to put in film in order for that crank to stop at one 360 degree revolution? Or is there a problem with the crank being able to continue for as many revolutions as I wind? - David Lyga

neilt3 · Jun 15, 2019

Going off memory , as I'm not at home to check mine , you wind on almost 1 rotation clockwise , then turn the arm back anticlockwise about 1/2 a turn ( untill it stops) as if you were going to fold the crank arm back into its storage position , and the shutter can then be fired .
The Minolta Autocord is the same and probably others .

David Lyga · Jun 15, 2019

So it does not stop and one simply winds a bit past, then puts the crank's end in its hole? I will wait for other comments. Thank you neilt3

I had a Minolta Autocord CDS back in the 60s and that crank DID stop at 360 degrees. - David Lyga

JPD · Jun 15, 2019

That sounds normal to me. On Rolleiflexes. It's like that after you have finished a roll and you need to wind up the rest of the film and backing paper.

The manual, if you need it: https://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica/yashica_mat124g/yashica_mat_124g-splash.htm

voceumana · Jun 15, 2019

If I remember right from my Mat 124 (not the G version, but only cosmetics are supposed to be different), the winder doesn't stop without film--but the 1st turn cocks the shutter, so you can dry shoot without film. The frame counting and stopping is measured off the film, not the spool.

ic-racer · Jun 15, 2019

If the wind handle stopped at the same location, your frames spacing would keep getting wider and wider as the roll advances.

But are you indicating the handle does not stop at all, and will wind the entire roll?

neilt3 · Jun 15, 2019

Do you mean yours just continues to rotate without stopping ever ?
I can't remember if mine does that or not .
I know when I bought mine the chap in the shop warned me not to mess about with it without film in as it can damage the mechanisms .
I can't remember his reasoning , but took his advice .
I keep an old roll of 120 for testing cameras , and rewind ready to test the next camera .

neilt3 · Jun 15, 2019

If you don't get confirmation , though I'm sure you will , I will check mine both with and without film when I get back home on Monday .

David Lyga · Jun 15, 2019

ic-racer said:
If the wind handle stopped at the same location, your frames spacing would keep getting wider and wider as the roll advances.

But are you indicating the handle does not stop at all, and will wind the entire roll?

Yes, it keeps winding and there seems to be no limit to the wind. But, in each case the shutter is cocked after one revolution. Yes, the entire roll could be wound.

David Lyga · Jun 15, 2019

[QUOTE="neilt3, post: 2186750, member: 71439"
I know when I bought mine the chap in the shop warned me not to mess about with it without film in as it can damage the mechanisms .
I can't remember his reasoning , but took his advice .
.[/QUOTE]
This is as scary as it is interesting.

macfred · Jun 15, 2019

David, did you insert a take-up spool and did you close the camera back? I'm not quite sure but I guess it 's necessary.
--
Otherwise let's wait for Dan Daniels - he should know.

Ko.Fe. · Jun 15, 2019

Start watching it at 2:45:

GRHazelton · Jun 15, 2019

David, I have a Yashica Mat 124 and an Autocord L. Without film, either will wind indefinitely, since they haven't sensed the film. As far as I know winding without film does no damage. Do download the manual from orphan cameras as mentioned above. IIRC there is a caution about changing from M to X sync or the reverse, and an interaction with the self timer which can break the shutter. Unless you use both flash bulbs and electronic flash probably no worry. Have fun, its a nice box.
Brother Dan would indeed know, he worked over my Autocord L. Good work!

abruzzi · Jun 15, 2019

my yashica mat g cranks several times upon loading before it reaches frame 1(I don't remember exactly how many times) and I've never tried triggering the shutter during that time, and between frames it only cranks about 180 degrees to get to the next frame. So between frames, you go forward then back on the crank. (when you fold out the crank it is at about 1 o'clock, crank it to 7 o'clock, rotate back to 1 o'clock and fold away)

tessar · Jun 15, 2019

Hello David, nothing scary or very interesting. My Yahica-Mat does the same thing; if there is nothing in the space for the take-up spool, the crank will keep on winding indefinitely, same as after you have shot the last frame. Sometimes after winding up a roll, the shutter will be cocked without having been cranked counterclockwise, no harm -- just release it. If you look inside the space for the take-up spool, you"ll see a thin spindle mounted on a slant, with a toothed wheel on the left side. This measures the thickness of the roll and spaces the frames. A Rolleiflex has the same kind of spindle and works the same way.
The guy in the shop might have been warning against testing the shutter without a take-up spool installed. I don't think this would harm anything but I've never tried it.
Have fun with the Yashica -- I've used four models over the yeara and have been very happy with them. The Yashinon is a good Tessar-type lens.

ic-racer · Jun 15, 2019

David Lyga said:
neilt3 said:

I know when I bought mine the chap in the shop warned me not to mess about with it without film in as it can damage the mechanisms .
I can't remember his reasoning , but took his advice .
.

Click to expand...

This is as scary as it is interesting.

Winding without film in place can cause it to stop winding before the shutter is cocked. So, if one is trying to 'test' the shutter, one might just 'crank harder' with the expected unfortunate results.

BTW, if it stops winding without film, then press the shutter button (even if the shutter is not cocked) then it will wind and cock the shutter again.

dxqcanada · Jun 15, 2019

When you open the back you will notice a spring loaded wheel in the upper film chamber. This revolves IF there is a roll of film there. It turns the film counter, which is engaged with the film advance winder to stop it when the next frame has been reached. If there is no film then the film counter remains at S, which does not engage the film advance mechanism ... so it can rotate freely (same that happens after the counter goes beyond 12/24).

neilt3 · Jun 15, 2019

tessar said:
Hello David, nothing scary or very interesting. My Yahica-Mat does the same thing; if there is nothing in the space for the take-up spool, the crank will keep on winding indefinitely, same as after you have shot the last frame. Sometimes after winding up a roll, the shutter will be cocked without having been cranked counterclockwise, no harm -- just release it. If you look inside the space for the take-up spool, you"ll see a thin spindle mounted on a slant, with a toothed wheel on the left side. This measures the thickness of the roll and spaces the frames. A Rolleiflex has the same kind of spindle and works the same way.
The guy in the shop might have been warning against testing the shutter without a take-up spool installed. I don't think this would harm anything but I've never tried it.
Have fun with the Yashica -- I've used four models over the yeara and have been very happy with them. The Yashinon is a good Tessar-type lens.

The take up spool could have been the reason , I can't remember as I bought it around 15 years ago , and still enjoy using it .
Never put it to the test , every so often any cameras I have that haven't been used for a bit gets loaded with one of my test rolls to keep the shutter moving .
Out and about this weekend with my newly bought 80 or so year old Rolleicord , so having fun with that instead .
Always fancied getting a Rollei !

neilt3 · Jun 15, 2019

ic-racer said:
Winding without film in place can cause it to stop winding before the shutter is cocked. So, if one is trying to 'test' the shutter, one might just 'crank harder' with the expected unfortunate results.

BTW, if it stops winding without film, then press the shutter button (even if the shutter is not cocked) then it will wind and cock the shutter again.

Thank you , that's what he must of told me .
I remember that he did tell my why not to do it without film loaded , but forgot the reason .
Just remembered the DON'T do it !

DWThomas · Jun 16, 2019

I have a 124g and I am surprised you say the shutter was cocked by just winding forward, but I guess I haven't actually tried that without film loaded. I have a habit when I'm cruising a target rich environment of snapping a shot, then absent mindedly cranking to the next frame and being surprised that I can't fire the shutter for the next shot because I haven't cranked the lever back the quarter turn or so counterclockwise that is normally needed to cock the shutter. As noted above, film travel is sensed by a toothed wheel on a spring-loaded shaft, so I would not expect "normal" operation without film (or at least a roll of backing paper) in it.

I had mine CLA'd about a year and half ago by Mark Hama. He actually got the meter working and calibrated with a non-mercury cell, and also put a little fillister head screw next to the sync lever to keep it on X sync. Apparently some internal shutter mechanics are shared between the M sync and the self timer and trying to use the self timer in M sync can lock up the shutter. (Sorta like dividing by zero in those old mechanical desktop calculators! )

I've been quite happy with the results I get from it.

David Lyga · Jun 16, 2019

OK, these were the very answers I was hoping for. I started back in 1966 (age 16) with a Minolta Autocord CDS and loved it. But switched to 35mm in the late 70s and never looked back. I MIGHT have a rew rolls of 120 film buried somewhere and I will try this with film loaded. I really think that that is all there is to my (contrived?) 'dilemma'. Thank you all and I have to admit, over and over again, that I still cannot get used to how fast one's problems can be solved with the power of the Internet. (At 16, it certainly was not a fast fix!). - David Lyga

mklw1954 · Jun 16, 2019

I have one and without an empty take-up spool on top, you can wind the crank forever. With the take-up spool in place, or with film loaded, initially (from "S") it will stop cranking in just under 4 revolutions and you pull the crank back until it clicks, just under one revolution. After that, to advance a frame it cranks a little less than one revolution and you pull the crank back until it clicks, just under one revolution.

Deleted member 88956 · Jun 17, 2019

I always thought that shutter cocking happens on the back swing of crank, hence with no film crank keeps going forward as there is nothing to stop from going since counter is not engaged. When you back swing the crank, shutter is cocked and can be tested. I'm pretty sure that with no film all needed is a short turn forward, then backwards about half turn to cock shutter, fire it and then again.

If this so, nothing will get damaged without film, so long as one just keeps turning forward. Trying to bring it back and possibly force through the stop certainly would.

MaheshMC · Feb 20, 2023

I just bought a used Yashica mat 124G. After loading the film, the winding stops and the shutter is cocked right at the film counter is at #1. Unfortunately after the first shutter is fired, the winding stops quarter way not enough even to cock the shutter. Any advise please?

Kino · Feb 20, 2023

Locate a either a darkroom or a changing bag. Take a sheet of aluminum foil about a foot square and grab a roll of masking or art tape.

Go into a dark room or use a changing bag to open the camera in total darkness. Gently remove both spools and carefully wind the film back to the supply spool and tape down the end of the paper.

Wrap the film in the foil carefully to avoid light getting to the roll.

Now, bring the camera out into the daylight and examine it carefully. You can tinker around with it, but don't force anything.

However, if it is frozen, don't force it and start looking for a camera repair facility.

You are in Chicago, so you should be able to find a local repair place or an old camera shop that can look it over and give you advise.

Yashica Mat 124g

Deleted member 88956

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency