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Yashica Mat-EM test & review

I would say that this is a good model to enter the medium format. The vintage look of the "two-eyed" medium format cameras really appeals to me. This camera has been in production since 1964. Equipped with a Yashinon 80mm f/3.5. Mat-EM has a power independent exposure meter with selenium cells. Shutter speed range up to 1/500. The film reads up to ISO 400 Type 120.


What I will highlight as the pros and cons of the performance?
I liked the easy refill of the film, a big plus for medium format. Comfortable focus wheel on the left side of the body. I like cameras that don't depend on power, so fully mechanical mode is a plus.
A plus that doesn't relate to the performance is the price. You can go to our online store to see all the current prices of film cameras in stock.



Minuses are dark viewfinder (shaft). I did not shoot in the sun, no luck with the weather, so for cloudy conditions was poor visibility in the shaft, even with a magnifying glass. The shutter speed and aperture switching mechanisms are very old-school and I was afraid to apply excessive force sometimes when re-setting the values. The shutter button also seems kind of weak, or maybe the shutter sound wasn't so loud that I wanted to push the button in with more force. The aperture of 3.5 is not enough for me, I like fast lenses so I don't expose to slow shutter speeds.
As for the shots. I have a modern approach, so it's easier for me to evaluate color films, but I had b/w again. The "stamp" of the film (digits) caught on the frames, maybe the back was highlighted, because I had a test camera, or maybe something with the film itself. The guys at the service will tell you exactly what's wrong.
I must say I liked the 6x6 format better than the 6x4.5.
I will not give my rating for medium format cameras as I have not held many cameras in my hands. For now, I will just say that you need to try and shoot on medium format, and then decide if you like this time-consuming process.