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Summer is here with all its attendant craziness. I've still been shooting, but finding the time to develop, scan, and write has been difficult.For this past week I chose the Yashicamat LM, a TLR from 1958-1964. I wrote a post of first impressions with it before I'd started 52 Cameras. I loaded it with a… Continue reading Week 70 – Yashicamat LM
I like the Duaflex. I've called it a pseudo-TLR before, but I've decided to drop that appellation. It has two lenses and a reflex mirror. By definition, this makes it a Twin Lens Reflex. As I experiment with more cameras, the line between TLR and pseudo- becomes harder to define.My Duaflex has character. The leatherette… Continue reading Kodak Duaflex IV – Week 66 Results
Introduced in 1957, the Starflex was all Brownie. As the 'star-' prefix implies, it uses 127 roll film. The "-flex" suffix denotes a TLR. The Starflex features a pair of simple fixed-focus lenses. The taking lens has two apertures selected by a lever; these are marked Color and B&W, corresponding to EV 13 and… Continue reading Week 67 – Kodak Brownie Starflex
Manufactured between 1947 and 1960, the Duaflex series was a pseudo-TLR from Kodak. Multiple lenses and shutters were offered. Mine has the simpler, fixed-focus Kodet lens. The shutter has one speed plus bulb, and there is only one aperture. Although the camera uses a red window to monitor film position, it is equipped with a… Continue reading Week 66 – Kodak Duaflex IV
The Arugs 75 is a nice example of why I enjoy pseudo-TLR cameras. It provides all of the simplicity of a box camera with a huge, bright wasit level finder. The 75 has a thin, permanently attached strap; it's more of a lanyard really. It hangs gently at the perfect position for shooting. The shutter… Continue reading Argus 75 – Week 42 Results part I
Produced between 1949 and 1964, the Argus 75 was a simple Bakelite pseudo-TLR. It features a fixed-focus 75mm taking lens (perhaps the source of the name?) It is essentially a box camera with a large, bright waist level viewfinder. Film advance is via a knob on the right side, with a red window on the… Continue reading Week 42 – Argus 75
I really enjoyed the D. When shooting a TLR I've found that a good neck strap is a necessity. My FPP Super Groovy strap fits the bill. This camera has a nice, bright waist-level viewfinder. The motion is smooth and solid when focusing, winding, or shooting. I shot the entire roll on an overcast hiking… Continue reading 52 Cameras – Week 18 results – Yashica D
The Yashica D is a nice, hefty twin lens reflex (TLR) camera of unknown vintage. I'm guessing mine dates from around 1960. It features a pair of 80mm Yashinon lenses; f3.5 for the taking and f2.8 for the viewing lens. Shutter speeds are up to 1/500 with M or X sync for bulbs or electronic… Continue reading 52 Cameras – Week 18 – Yashica D
I have heard large format photographers claim that their cameras force them to slow down when shooting. I experience a version of this phenomenon when shooting a twin lens reflex. The waist level finder forces one to let the camera hang, look down, and frame carefully. The reflex mirror causes the image to be reversed… Continue reading Week 10 Results – Super Ricohflex
My first twin lens reflex. This was actually the second one I bought but the first to arrive on my doorstep. Built in the 1950's, the Super Ricohflex TLR features a pair of 80mm lenses geared together for synchronous focusing. Top shutter speed is 1/200 and aperture ranges from f3.5 to f16. It takes 12… Continue reading Week 10 – Super Ricohflex
Notes from Mosquito Hill 