Yashicamat 124G

Mikeulman · May 31, 2014

I picked up a 124G some time back, and have yet to be able to check it out. It has no battery cover, so the price was low. I've had no luck finding just a battery cover for the thing - Mark Hama wanted to do the CLA, without giving me a price for the cover so I could even see if the CLA was worth doing. Any ideas? I sure would appreciate it.

snapguy · May 31, 2014

cover charge

I would be very surprised if you cannot use the YM without putting a battery in it or having a battery cover. The little 1.3 v. button battery, I am sure, powers the light meter but not the camera. I have two Yashicamats sans any lightmeters and a Rolleiflex with no light meter, too. To me the built-in light meters are not very good anyway. There's the Sweet 16 rule and of course, hand held light meters. Don't let anybody kid you, Yashicamats are fine cameras and I am speaking as a guy who got his first Rolleiflex in 1956.

Rick A · May 31, 2014

Just use a hand held meter. The camera only utilizes the battery for the meter, the rest is mechanical.

Mikeulman · May 31, 2014

Thanks. Those are alternatives, of course, but I get a little anal about having things work right - a personality flaw. My dad taught me TLRs on his Yashica. Of course, he didn't let me use his Rolleiflex until I was 13 or so, and then, only if he were right there to "supervise". Everything seems to work on the 124G, so I think I'll just have to load it and see what happens. That's half the fun anyway!

snapguy · May 31, 2014

scrounge

You can try out the 'Mat without the battery cover and if it works do what a zillion of us poor devils out here in Dig****land are doing -- scrounge for old parts. I have a Kodak 35 rangefinder made in about 1945 that is missing a small part, the cover thingamabob that sits on the top of the lens/shutter assembly. I'll probably have to buy a whole camera to get that part but I am looking. You never know. Film shooters are optimists.

summicron1 · May 31, 2014

tlr meters are so wide-field they're only advisory, at best. Put some black tape over the battery compartment and take pictures.

trythis · May 31, 2014

I would try ordering a battery cover again. Just use a new email address and request a price. Maybe this time Mr. Hama is in sell the mood to the part. He sold me a small black plastic part for mine...for $20, but not available anywhere else.

Mikeulman · Jun 1, 2014

And this is why I'm retuning to film. You can always find a way around a problem. Thanks all.

Axle · Jun 1, 2014

Don't worry about the battery, shoot with an external meter (you can even download one onto your smart phone), or just use Sunny-16.

My first TLR was a Yashica-12, great cameras!

trythis · Jun 1, 2014

I thought I should add that replacing the battery wire in this camera is a piece of cake, in case it is corroded. After I got mine working I carried a meter with me for a few rolls for comparison. Now I dont carry one because I find it rather dependable.

Pioneer · Jun 1, 2014

I bought a little Vivitar V3800N at a yard sale a while back for $5 mostly because the little battery cover was missing (and the owner wasn't even sure film could still be developed.) This is not exactly a camera that gets a lot of praise but it works just fine. 4 years later the cover is still missing and the camera is still going strong. I am sure it is psychological but I can go through roll after roll in this camera without getting all sweaty about it. I don't talk about it much but every year it is one of my most used cameras.

Great pictures as well.

Maybe your Yashica Mat will turn out the same for you. Sometimes knowing that the camera is not perfect allows you to look at it a little different then one where everything works. Shove a cotton ball where the battery goes, tape over it with a piece of gaffers tape and go shoot film.

MarkF48 · Jun 2, 2014

This is for the MAT 124, not the G model, but the seller said to contact him regarding the cap for the 124G. See description. Might get lucky. Appears to be located in Marietta, GA
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-Cap...shica-12-/161316197747?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

GRHazelton · Jun 2, 2014

YashicaMat 124 G uses a MERCURY cell, BTW

I have a 124 G on which I can't remove the battery compartment cover! It's just plastic and I don't want to damage it so, since the needed cell is or would be a mercury cell, I just rely on a hand held meter. Nice cameras, aren't they!

If you don't have an instruction manual, http://www.butkus.org/chinon/yashica/yashica_mat124g/yashica_mat_124g-splash.htm has one for downloading. Send Mike Butkus a little money so he can keep up the good work.

Mikeulman · Jun 3, 2014

Thanks everybody!

bvy · Jun 3, 2014

As of about five minutes ago, mine is back on the air. I bought the MR-9 adapter and it works quite nicely with a 386 battery. (I, for one, like having an on-board meter.)

Rhodes · Jun 4, 2014

I have one, been using for a few years and it's impeccable. For the batery I used the WeinCell MRB625, bought on amazon.

summicron1 said:
tlr meters are so wide-field they're only advisory, at best. Put some black tape over the battery compartment and take pictures.

I do not know if I am right, since I am writing from memory(may have read it some were), but I think the Yashica 124 meter is suppose to be like a 90mm lens coverage. Sorry if I could not expose it right, missing some terms in english!

camtec · Jun 19, 2014

The biggest problem that I've seen with the Yashica TLRs is the self timer . When it jams up, the camera doesn't work. Rather simple fix though.

ToddB · Jun 19, 2014

Did you try search Fleabay?.. On occation I've seen obscure parts show up on the radar.

Todd

Pioneer · Jun 19, 2014

Actually most of the TLR meters have an acceptance angle equivalent to a 75mm lens, which is what you would expect for the lens FOV typically used.

But I find the Yashica Mat meter is very accurate if I can get close and meter my subject directly. Either that or I meter my White Balance card.

Rick A · Jun 20, 2014

camtec said:
The biggest problem that I've seen with the Yashica TLRs is the self timer . When it jams up, the camera doesn't work. Rather simple fix though.

With Yashica TLR's, you must make sure the flash synch switch is in the 'X' position, never the 'M'. Most people jamb the switch (or super glue it) to permanently lock it in the 'X' position.

camtec · Jun 21, 2014

Thanks Rick. I haven't seen that on the Yashicamats, I'll remember that the next time one comes into the shop.

Yashicamat 124G

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