The Yashica Mat 124G was my first introduction to medium format film photography. And what a fine introduction it was. Speaking in terms of value for money the Yashicas are really up there. Of course we can talk about how good the Rolleiflex and Hasselblads are – the Ferraris and Lamborghinis of the medium format world, but I’d be quite content sitting in an Audi or Porsche (which is where I think the Yashica sits). Ease of use and the quality of images are great, you really can’t do any wrong getting this guy.
Contents
Ergonomics
Like all medium format waist level viewfinder cameras, the Yashica Mat 124G can be a little cumbersome to use initially and it feels as if one may never learn to use it with the deftness of which a 35mm camera can be used and you know what – sometimes I think that’s a good thing. It forces the user to slow down and really think about their composition critically. You spend more time lining up your image and more time thinking about what is going to look good through that lens. They are bulky cameras though and not as easy to carry around slung over the shoulder as their 35mm SLR counterparts. Having said that, the uniqueness to them are great conversation starting points so they can be worth lugging around.
Who Should Get The Yashica Mat 124G?
If you’re looking at stepping your photography game up from the 35mm realm to the medium format, these are great entry level cameras that yield very pleasing results for a very affordable price. A great camera to learn the ins and outs of for using 120 film and getting used to the unorthodox feeling of composing those images through the waist level viewfinder.
Why Shouldn’t You Get The Yashica Mat 124G?
Medium format film is expensive to shoot on. Depending on what you plan to use the photographs for it can be debated whether it would make financial sense to shoot on 120 film. Not so much an argument against the camera as it as against shooting the style of film itself. Having said that the results are very impressive, once you start to get your first few shots back from this camera you won’t want to stop. The sharpness and exposure are just incomparable to any 35mm camera.
Quality Of Shots – Take A Look
Coming Soon.
#keepfilmalive
