[J.Scott]

Well, not exactly new - but they are new to me! Since 3 are Rangefinders and the fourth a TLR (Twin Lens Reflex) I can't brag about any of them being "new"! They were only made between 25 and 35 years ago yet they seem like relics from a lost planet.

I recently purchased 3 of the 4 cameras shown below. (not actual pics of the cameras - that will happen shortly).

The Konica I just snagged on Ebay for $14. I have no idea if it is a worker or a dud.

The Yashica Lynx 14E I bought a year ago and is waiting for me at the local post office after a CLA job at Mark Hama's in Georgia.

The Canonet was another Ebay purchase a couple years ago.

If you noticed, all of the rangefinders have a better-than f2.0 lenses, so I am hoping for some nice 'available light' photos. I plan on running slide film through each one and then scanning the film. Once it is all done I want to write up a comparison for all and sundry to read.

The Yashica Mat 124G was an impulse purchase again from Mark Hama. He mentioned he had one that would be going on Ebay soon and if I was interested I should act quickly. It arrived yesterday and looks to be a real beauty. Of course this is a 120 or medium format size - a first of this type for me so I am excited!

If anyone has had any experiences with any or all of these cameras I would enjoy hearing from you.

I promise to follow up with actual pics of and from each of the cameras in the near future. I plan on doing some street level and other similar types of shots as these rangefinders are all great 'pocketable' cameras. The TLR I am saving for landscapes, scenery and portrait shots.

Film lives!

---

Last edited by J.Scott; 03-30-2009 at 03:28 AM.

[TaoMaas]

I have a Canon GIII and I used to have a Yashica Mat 124G. At one time, I was toying with the idea of switching over to a Leica, but wasn't sure how much I'd like using a rangefinder, so I bought a Canon GIII to try out for a while. It made a great walking-around camera and was fun to use, but I learned I'm primarily an SLR type of guy. The Yashicamat is a camera that I've often regretted selling. I really liked using it and it took great pictures. I only got rid of mine because I had stepped up to a Pentax 6X7 and consequently didn't use my Yashica that much anymore. If you're shooting film and you want the best image quality possible in the smallest, least expensive package, it's hard to beat that Yashica 124G.

[clawhammer]

my friend had a yashica for a couple weeks until he dropped it and broke it. Takes some getting used to seeing the image upside-down and reversed on the ground glass, but it does force you to be creative. Thanks to the film size you should get some pretty good pics.