Yashica Mat wide angle adapter

Has anyone any experience of using a Wide Angle Adapter with a Yashica-Mat. I've recently been given one but haven't had a chance to use it yet. Specifically, does it require extra exposure? It looks a well made piece of kit, but I'd be interested in what others think of it's optical quality.

Rob

I used to have one, liked it, used it on occasion. Sold my Yashicas and both tele and wide lenses.

I have the Yashica branded set and keep it on the 124G most of the time. Stopped down it is reasonably sharp in the center, but it is not really a substitute for a 50mm Distagon. The smaller viewing lens is just for focusing and composing. To really preview what the image will look like on film, put the taking lens on the upper TLR lens and check it out (then put it back to the lower one for the exposure).
Also, for a good "Diana/Holga" effect, make the exposure through the smaller viewing lens.

No extra exposure is needed.
When you stop down, it WILL vignett the corners. To avoid the vignetting you will need to open up.
Diane Arbus did not mind the vignetting and I don't either.

The instruction sheet with the focus scale changes and other specs can be found at Butkus : http://www.cameramanuals.org/yashica_pdf/yashica_tlr_aux_lenses.pdf

Rob Archer said:

Has anyone any experience of using a Wide Angle Adapter with a Yashica-Mat. I've recently been given one but haven't had a chance to use it yet. Specifically, does it require extra exposure? It looks a well made piece of kit, but I'd be interested in what others think of it's optical quality.

Rob

Click to expand...

I used them briefly back in the 80s with my 124G. They were OK but you can get the same effect without them by taking two steps forward or two steps back.

On the exposure question. No it doesn't require compensation

I believe the reason the front-add-on lenses don't require aperture change is that when the 'tele' adapter is used it not only lengthens the focal length, but it also enlarges the entrance pupil size, thus keeping the F number the same. A typical teleconverter for a 35mm camera, since it is not on the front of the lens, can't alter the entrance pupil size, thus the F number must decrease if the focal length increases.

Thanks for the responses. I'm taking it out Friday for a trial. I'll let y'all know how the results turn out.