One of the great (?) things about the internet is that if you can think of something, someone’s done it and written about it at some point in time. In this case I’ve been thinking lately about medium format cameras. Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) cameras to be exact. My particular one (a Rolleiflex Automat from the 50s) is in need of repair and last night a friend mentioned that his Yashica TLR was playing up and also in need of repair.
I know that Brian uses his Minolta TLR as often as he can, and from my online correspondence with Janne I’m reasonably sure that he is quite fond of his Yashica TLR. So what is it about TLRs? The attraction differs depending on the person (and to a certain extent the origin of the camera. Mine was originally my Grandfather’s, then my Father’s before becoming mine).
I recalled that holga blog had written a great four part series/guide to TLRs. Given that today is Sunday, and Sunday is generally reserved for reading (the paper), I thought today might be a great opportunity for some of you to get up to speed on these great cameras.
You can find Part 1 here. Since there aren’t any obvious links on the site to the next articles, here’s a direct link to parts two, three and four.
Anyone else using a TLR and want to sing it’s praises?
April 11th, 2010 at 10:42 am
That´s great news man!!!
i´m just starting with cameras and have none yet except a little digital one and a plastic cheap kodak that i found laying on the roadside, but! i just fall in love to cameras and been exploring the local dedicated stores (really too few for an enormous city like this -Mexico city)there are few cameras and some TLR beauties among them. i´ll try to get some for me when i can.
Great site! Congratulations!
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April 11th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
I have a Mamiya c220
I don’t see much advantage over other formats for landscape photography. In fact, I usually think the square format’s a difficult format to work with.
For portraits, the TLR has an advantage with the way you position your body as a photographer. SLR’s look like weapons with which you ‘attack’ the subject, the TLR naturally shows your dignity for the subject due to the bow you make.
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April 11th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
I like the square format, and stubby formats in general, and I find a waist-level finder far preferable to a reflex finder. I just have an easier time seeing what the image will be like. and as Mike says, a WLF is not threatening to people.
But another benefit of TLR’s specifically is that they’re generally really compact and light cameras. My Yashica is lighter than my DSLR with normal lens, and while the overall size is about the same, the form of the TLR – a straight box without protrusions – makes it easier to take along. It’s a great travel camera.
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April 11th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
I’ve been on a pretty big TLR kick recently. My Yashica mat 124g is the only camera I’ve used for the past month, and probably the one that will get the most action for the rest of the year. I’ve been keeping it with me everyday and chewing through a lot of film with it. So much so I just went and purchased 100 rolls of 220 400H to use in it over the summer. http://bit.ly/dxMISG
I’ve always found that a WLF to be a huge advantage over bringing the camera to the eye for street photography. Not having to bring a camera between my eyes and someone else’s is a huge advantage. Compared to my Leica, the shutter sound is far less noticeable. If I may plug my own blog for a moment, I wrote an article praising praising TLRs for street photography last fall after the Vivian Maier story broke.
My new dream is to wander into a random estate sale and find a mint Rolleiflex on sale for $50.
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April 12th, 2010 at 8:23 am
After an hour with Yashica Mat’s WLF, I started to wonder how on earth I managed to take any pictures at all without that wondrous thing. Found it cheap with one old timer, later got it CLA’d by Mark Hama. People on the street have made fun of me for carrying “that antique thing”, but all in good humour of course. I still would love to use something better – a Mamiya, a Minolta, or even a Rolleiflex.
Someday…
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