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-   -   Trouble focusing Yashica Mat 124 TLR (http://www.photobanter.com/showthread.php?t=28620)

[email protected] February 19th 05 02:39 AM

Trouble focusing Yashica Mat 124 TLR
 
I just got a Yashica Mat-124, and after putting the first roll of film
through it today I realized either I'm doing something really wrong or
my camera's broken.

This is my first experience with medium format, I've used 35mm up until
now (except for a Holga, but that doesn't count). I'm having trouble
focusing. No matter how much I twist the focus knob on my Yashica I
can't see a difference in focus or sharpness on the viewfinder on most
things - I could see a difference when I shot a picture of a really
long and wide hallway, but the other 11 frames on this roll of film I
just assumed that since it looked sharp on my viewfinder it would come
out like that on my negative. That wasn't the case when I developed it,
everything was way, way out of focus.

What's the trick to focusing a TLR? I'm excited about using this
camera, I'm just a little confused with how focusing works since it's
obviously not the same as it is on my SLR's.


jjs February 19th 05 03:51 AM

wrote in message
oups.com...
I just got a Yashica Mat-124


What's the trick to focusing a TLR? I'm excited about using this
camera, I'm just a little confused with how focusing works since it's
obviously not the same as it is on my SLR's.


If there there a magnifier inside the hood, then flip it up and put your eye
down to it. You should see a huge difference in focus.



Phil Stripling February 19th 05 05:01 AM

writes:

What's the trick to focusing a TLR? I'm excited about using this
camera, I'm just a little confused with how focusing works since it's
obviously not the same as it is on my SLR's.


I had one 20 years ago or so. There should be a flip-up magnifier in the
hood. Flip that up for focusing. If it's not there for some reason, use a
magnifying glass and use that when you focus. If you cannot see the mage
snap into and out of focus with a magnifying glass, my suspicion is that
the camera is broken. Can you see the lenses move back and forth as you
turn the knob?

--
Phil Stripling | email to the replyto address is presumed
The Civilized Explorer | spam and read later. email from this URL
http://www.cieux.com/ | http://www.civex.com/ is read daily.

Stacey February 19th 05 06:14 AM

wrote:

I'm excited about using this
camera, I'm just a little confused with how focusing works since it's
obviously not the same as it is on my SLR's.


It should be. If what you see in the finder is sharp and the negatives
aren't, it's out of calibration/it's broken.

--

Stacey

[email protected] February 19th 05 06:42 AM

the front panel the lenses are on move back and forth when i turn the
focusing knob like they should. i did try to use the magnifier and im
afraid i still had trouble.

i've read that the viewing screen on 124's have 4 compositional lines,
but mine does not have that, it has a circle in the middle (i can't
remember the term for it, but that circle is always in focus) and then
little black lines radiating out from that. the little black lines make
it really hard to see if it's in focus through the magnifier!

i CAN see a very, very tiny difference when using the magnifier but
it's a really small change in focus when i turn the knob, whereas in my
negative the subjects were so out of focus they were just giant blobs,
not even recognizable. is that huge difference in what i see in my
viewfinder and what i see in my negative just part of using a TLR?


Stacey February 19th 05 09:10 AM

wrote:


i CAN see a very, very tiny difference when using the magnifier but
it's a really small change in focus when i turn the knob,


Sounds like either someone has changed the focus screen or something to me..
If it has a good ground glass sreen, you should be able to easily see where
the focus is. It should be -NO- different from an SLR in that respect, this
isn't some sort of "TLR" issue you're having.
--

Stacey

[email protected] February 19th 05 05:58 PM

I think you may be right that someone has changed the focusing screen -
when I touch it it feels like plastic, not glass. Is there anywhere I
can obtain a new screen from to replace it?


gearoidmuar February 19th 05 06:54 PM

I just happened to be reading this here in Cork Ireland and just dug an old
broken 124g out of the attic and have taken out the screen.
You can have it for the cost of postage.
Where are you?



[email protected] February 19th 05 07:11 PM

That is very generous! I'm in Savannah, GA, USA. I will gladly pay
postage for it, please contact me through email at brad (at)
tenfortyfive.org.


jjs February 19th 05 11:09 PM

"gearoidmuar" wrote in message
news:1108835990.64c8f569bc93d1133888be14d9767058@t eranews...
I just happened to be reading this here in Cork Ireland and just dug an old
broken 124g out of the attic and have taken out the screen.
You can have it for the cost of postage.


Oh megawd... County Cork. That's where my grandfather came from.




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