My Yahisca Mat 124G

I don't have a clear direction for this post, other than to show off one of my favorite cameras. I recieved this Yashica TLR about a year ago in a box of cameras that were given to me from a friend who works for an ecology department in the state of Washington. Apparently these cameras were going to be thrown out, when he heard about it and asked to have them to give to a friend (me).

There was a leather case on the camera that protected it well, and it was in full working condition when I received it. On the back of the camera is a small sticker (see photo below) showing that it used to be owned and used by the Department of Agriculture. I am definitely leaving the sticker intact as in my opinion it adds some richness to the camera's history. It was also neat seeing some field dirt stuck in the texture and crevices of the camera, and it made me wonder about all the photos this tool has made.

Before I put my first roll of film through this camera, I disassembled the viewfinder to clean it. I had never done this before, so I was particularly careful to record how everything fit together. I cleaned the ground glass and the mirror that reflects the image from the viewing lens. Once it was all put back together the viewfinder was considerably brighter and easier to use. The viewing lens has an f/2.8 aperture which makes it bright and easy to use in most conditions. The lower lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5, so the resulting images won't have quite the same depth of field as you can see through the viewfinder, but I haven't found this to be a big deal.

With that introduction, here are the photos of this beautiful camera, including one that I shot through it's viewfinder with my Canon 6D, and two photos I made through this camera on Kodak Portra 400.

_{Isn't she classy?}

_{I was able to find a battery to use for the light meter which you can see here. It seems to work quite well, but like any built in meter I tend to err on the side of overexposure, especially when shooting color negative film as it tends to have a lot of latitude.}

_{This side contains the focus knob, and the pins to release the film roll when the back is open.}

_{The sticker on the back of the camera: Department of Agriculture - Soil Conservation Service. So cool!}

_{An evening view through the waist level viewfinder.}

_{Shot with the Yashica Mat 124 G on Kodak Portra 400 in Neskowin, OR.}

_{Shot with the Yashica Mat 124 G on Kodak Portra 400 in Neskowin, OR.}

I have another roll of film from this camera waiting to be developed. This is a classic camera, and one of the best entries into medium format film! Thanks for reading.

Justin

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_{Purchase my photos on Stocksy United! Stocksy United - Justin Mullet
Creating authentic outdoor and landscape photography primarily in the Western United States. Featuring a beautiful portfolio of stock photos that portray some of the earth's most peaceful and quiet areas, and portraying rural life at its best!}