How to operate a TLR camera

[@lochlanpeacock1145]

Bought one of these cameras from you last week, waiting for the shipment to arrive and thought I would start some research on how to use it. So perfect that the person I purchased it from has a video on same camera. So excited for it to arrive!

[@followtheboat]

I recently picked up an Olympusflex 2.8, my first TLR, and this video has been really useful. Thank you for demystifying a completely new system to me.

[@iankilcullen8539]

Just purchased the Yashicaflex from Jeff at Japan vintage camera. Have to say the camera is excellent and superb service from jeff

[@your_dad_on_vacation]

I could listen to this guy talk about these amazing cameras all day, great work

[@africanpenguin3282]

Thank you for making thse videos, i just received the same model for Christmas and really looking forward to testing it soon.

[@rajendrabareto8065]

My father bought a his camera more than 50 years ago. I used it Pille of times when I was school. It is still there in my house.

[@jeremyparr4238]

Jeremy Parr thank you for sharing this video yours truly Jer 😁👍

[@dkehlenbach]

Many thanks for taking the time to produce this. I just inherited a Mamiya C33 from my father in law and look forward to experimenting with it. This video is quite helpful.

[@mariacalderon9737]

I just bought one from your shop got it 2 week ago. Already shot my first roll, Can't wait to get it develop.

[@nickfanzo]

Develop at home and then get a darkroom It’s the best

[@maxcalifornia94]

Thank you for this. I love vintage film cameras and I will be finding this model or something similar. I love things like this.

[@daniellesmit5985]

Excellent video. It's super comprehensive and easy to follow. Thank you!

[@yanellasuarez3341]

Just ordered a Ricohflex Holiday from your shop! I'm so excited, hopefully this video helps me figure it out

[@shr1975]

Could you please let me know which site you purchased from? Thanks.

[@yanellasuarez3341]

I ordered it from your Etsy shop!

[@aarongomez4305]

Thank you for this very helpful video. After following your instructions, I was able to get some great photos with some Portra 400. First time using a TLR.

[@isofilmy]

I just picked up this model. I'm waiting for it to arrive. Thanks for the guidance

[@frnvito]

thanks for the video, i didnt know about the trick to rewind the shutter count meter!

[@adventureswithvs6461]

Since I can only like this once, I’m just going to comment each time I come back so I can remember how to load the film and when to click the little button for the counter

[@jcsantos2896]

was recently in roppongi, but sadly you were closed wanted to shop :(

[@japanvintagecamera8869]

My shop is actually in my home...

[@Jsantos443]

@@japanvintagecamera8869 no way?! i called the number you had on the website with no response to double check :(

[@africanpenguin3282]

I recently received the same model to sheka. In the film counter it stay stuck with a circle and a dot in the window. The counter release button also seemed stuck in the press position Thank you!

[@africanpenguin3282]

Hi there I have the same model but sometimes I seem to have an issue with the winder will not stop after a shot or even sometimes when loading a roll. Am I missing something or do you suggest a cleaning oiling point on the camera?

[@robertyoung1777]

Great clear explanation. Thank you

[@999jwilson]

Thank you for this video (and so many others). I just got this camera, and I have a question. I’m used to the film counter being automatically reset when the door opens. I’m confused why you reset the counter after loading the film rather than before? Is that correct? Thank you!

[@davinpark]

i just bought two of these from your site! love this video 👌

[@brooklynbound1000]

Great video. You sound a bit like Jordan Peterson. I have yet to see a video, and I have yet to do it, where I can load a TLR the first time without having to do something with the paper or my finger in some weird position. But the beauty of the 6x6, from the viewfinder to how small the camera really is, makes me go through that “inconvenience”.

[@blaskkaffe]

Just bought a Beautyflex model D, looks almost identical to the yashicaflex.

[@blakeyvision]

What's that app you use ? You don't say 🤔

[@vanessabarrios482]

How do you set the ISO or does this yashicaflex not influence the ISO of the roll?

[@SatumangoTheGreat]

If a camera does not have a light meter, you don't have to set the ISO. You either estimate the shutterspeed and aperture while keeping the film ISO in mind (sunny sixteen rule) or you use an external light meter, on which you should indeed set the ISO. Cameras without a light meter do sometimes have a film reminder dial where you can set the ISO (sometimes called ASA) and often the film type (color, B/W) as a reminder to yourself, but the camera does nothing with that.

[@phamthituongvi8224]

Thank you for the very useful info

[@randykirby2326]

How do you set the film speed on the camera? I don't see a knob or dial to select the film speed.

[@japanvintagecamera8869]

Most TLR cameras have only shutter and aperture settings, if you use a handheld light meter or light meter app on your smart phone, you have to input the film speed in either of these.

[@TXGRunner]

While some TLRs (e.g. Olympus Flex) have a dial for film speed, it only serves to remind the photographer of what film they loaded. The same was true on older Leica rangefinders. On SLRs with coupled meters, we set the film speed because the meter indication or recommendation changes based on film speed. So, in given light with the aperture set to f/16 with the shutter set on 1/100th with ISO 100 film the meter might indicate the exposure is fine, but with everything the same except the film being ISO 400, for the meter to center, the photographer would need to adjust by two stops by changing aperture or shutter speed. TLRs without coupled meters (80%+ maybe?) aren't making any readings or calculations on light, so there is no need to set film speed.

[@Pucciii882]

my yashica doesn’t lock when it hits one but i think it still shoots is that normal ?

[@josephawatson]

what is the name of that light meter app? I have one but its not nearly as intuitive. I have a seagull TLR w/ no meter.

[@japanvintagecamera8869]

It is the "Exposure meter and learning app." The App store is a little different here in Japan, but you should be able to find it where you are.

[@narelle4868]

I've just acquired a Yashica Flex S with built in light meter. How does it work? I have 400asa film. Thanks in advance.

[@ionataberham5983]

what film would be the best type to use for this camera? brand etc. Thanks!!

[@japanvintagecamera8869]

I like Fuji Superia 120 for color, and Koday Tri-X for black and white.

[@ikindalikebowie]

Hi, thanks for the video, cant wait to get shooting with my TLR this weekend! I have a (dumb) question: When the film is full, can I swap out the spool fir a fresh one on the go or will the film be destroyed? Do I have to change it out at home in complete darkness?

[@japanvintagecamera8869]

You need an empty spool in the top part of the camera. A new roll of film comes with a new spool inside. After you shoot all the film, it will be on the old spool you put in the top of the camera, and the spool the new film came with will remain. When you put more film in the camera, you will reuse the spool which came in the previous roll of film.

[@blooky102]

Hmm the 35mm film TLR camera I made and bought for my sister is a far simpler version of this camera.

[@thomasheckhaus205]

Nicely done. As far as light meter apps go in smartphones. The phone must have a light sensor which is separate from the camera lens. I have a Samsung low end phone and it has no sensor. Even though the apps download and install I get a message that informs me there is no light sensor in my phone. It's a Gakaxy A10e.

[@khoibut6206]

phim bổ ích quá thầy ơi

[@vinhhuy2005]

Nó đã truyền tải cho tôi rất nhiều cảm hứng, thật ý nghĩa 👉👈

[@mattdruery9963]

00:02:00 - Not true at all. A heavily biased opinion. I shoot both digital and on film, and I know for sure that in all aspects of image quality digital is the 'better' medium, for lack of a more suitable word.

[@japanvintagecamera8869]

Digital imaging provides a lot of "eye candy," with manufacturers constantly engineering their cameras to create visually-appealing results. People like intense colors in the way they like sugar, camera makers know this. Film was manufactured with the same idea in mind, but the process had to be "organic" due to the organic nature of the medium. And some people are of the opinion that organic is more natural, and prefer more natural image renduring. I do like digital, I live almost across from the headquarters of the Fujifjilm company and their photo museum. They keep an assortment of their latest digital cameras and lenses on hand, and happily rent them out to anyone who wants to try them. I have an X-Pro and an XT100, great cameras, but not enough to make me walk away from film.

[@TXGRunner]

The context was in terms of higher resolution and broader dynamic range, which is measurable. "Better medium" is just a subjective opinion. The "film look" is distinct and individual taste dictates which one prefers. Not until about 2017/2018 did full-frame digital cameras approach 35mm film in resolution, and then only the most expensive models with the highest density sensors. I don't know what the prices are now, but to achieve resolution comparable to the TLR cost over US$10k just a few years ago, and even then the density didn't yield the same resolution. About five years ago, Ted Forbes had a video where he used a digital back on a large format camera - the cost was either $100k or $150k - simply cost prohibitive even for a professional portrait studio. So, while digital will someday offer comparable resolution to film at prices hobbyists can afford, that day is not today. Today, film offers "better" (as in higher) resolution than digital in sub $2k cameras.

[@robertyoung1777]

Taking a picture isn’t necessary about resolution. I use a great digital Nikon D850 as well as various film cameras. I take the bulk of my images with an iPhone. Lenses have a lot of impact on the look of an image as does film and/or sensor type and size. Film cameras are often simple and intuitive to use for people who understand camera basic operations. They can be a joy to use because the machine gets out of the way and it’s easier to focus on taking pictures. Film processing and printing isn’t for everyone. I personally love the look of film images - I’m happy that film photography is alive and well got those of us that appreciate it.

[@Johan-og4ru]

But how do I rewind the damn thing

[@Crawlerbasher]

you don't rewind it, once the film is finished with, you just hand it in to be developed.

[@ivogaspar4716]

Im a film enthusiast, but the phrase " 35mm film is far better than anything you can get from any digital system" is kind of, very much bullshit ahaha

[@japanvintagecamera8869]

35mm film is capable of resolving an image equivalent to around 100 megapixels in digital format, or more, depending on the particular way a sensor manufacturer computes its resolution, not to mention film having far greater dynamic range.

[@kacperuminski1547]

@@japanvintagecamera8869 I'm pretty sure Kodak themselves stated that a frame of fine-grained, low-speed 35mm film was equivalent to about 20 megapixels in digital resolution. Most film has around 13 stops of dynamic range, while the better modern sensors have up to 15, with most staying around 14. All in all, I don't think this matters. The way film distorts an image is for many, including me, a good thing. Having perfect resolution, dynamic range, etc. is something we can let modern digital cameras do. It doesn't stop us from liking film more. We can love vintage cars without claiming that they are still the fastest. :)

[@japanvintagecamera8869]

@@kacperuminski1547 An interesting thing about digital photography is that each manufacturer seems to have their own definition of megapixel or dynamic range, and their claims about the resolution and dynamic range of their cameras are often (always?) exaggerated. I have had some digital cameras were the real resolution was about half (or less) what was claimed. When Kodak were commenting about the resolution of their film vs digital, they were a little biased. Kodak invented the digital camera, and was trying to sell their technology and license it to others. The main problem with film is making the most of its resolution, a home scanner can give you excellent results for monitor-size images, but movie-screen resolution is harder to achieve. One of the reasons why JJ Abrams returned to film for his series of Star Wars movies was because it simply gave him more "image" to work with than the digital equipment which had been used in the previous movies. Coincidentally, I have supplied some film equipment to Weta Digital for the production of some of their movies.