I always wanted a TLR ever since I attended a wedding where the photographer there used a TLR for the entire wedding which I found incredible. Not sure how the pictures came out, but ever since then I have lusted for a TLR. I already own a medium format camera, actually my one and only Mamiya 645 1000s. The Mamiya lets you mimick the steps in taking pictures with a TLR, by using a waist level finder which is one of the many accessories you can use on that camera. Although the waist level finder allows you to view your subject(s) at waist level like you do with a TLR the two cameras are totally different. The TLR is a Twin Lens Reflex camera in that it uses 2 lenses, one for focusing and the other for composing. The Mamiya is a Single Lens Reflex camera, in that it uses one lens to do both. The only thing they really have in common is that they both use 120/220 medium format film.
Having said that, I really don't have any experience with a TLR, but I would like to. There are 3 main TLR cameras selling on eBay. The Rollei wich is quite expensive, the Minolta Autocord that is less expensive and the Yashica which is the cheapest and most populous of the three. Of course I would love to have a Rollei but I'm not willing to pay up to a couple of grand for an experience I might not really like. Yashica put out a lot of TLR models much cheaper than the Rolleis starting in the 1940' all the way to the late 1960's early 1970's. Each model improved on the previous with the last models offering a bulky light meter. Minolta jumped on the band-wagon a little later, but their TLR cameras were known for their excellent optics. I did my research, and to tell you the truth, unless you do some serious pixel, oops grain peeping you really can't tell the difference between the image quality of all three cameras. The big difference is in the build quality of the camera and the enjoyment one feels when using one. This is where the Rollei excels. The build quality is really good on the Rolleis.
Right now I'm leaning toward the Minolta Autocord becuse of the so-called optical quality which some say bests the Yashicas. What Yashica has going for it is that they sold more cameras than the other two combined, so there are a lot of parts available on the used market. I was about to spring on a Yashica last December, but something came up so I had to delay that purchase. I'm in no rush, so this gives me a little more time to think. This is not a must-have item for me just something I need to do out of curiosity or maybe pure pleasure.
Having said that, I really don't have any experience with a TLR, but I would like to. There are 3 main TLR cameras selling on eBay. The Rollei wich is quite expensive, the Minolta Autocord that is less expensive and the Yashica which is the cheapest and most populous of the three. Of course I would love to have a Rollei but I'm not willing to pay up to a couple of grand for an experience I might not really like. Yashica put out a lot of TLR models much cheaper than the Rolleis starting in the 1940' all the way to the late 1960's early 1970's. Each model improved on the previous with the last models offering a bulky light meter. Minolta jumped on the band-wagon a little later, but their TLR cameras were known for their excellent optics. I did my research, and to tell you the truth, unless you do some serious pixel, oops grain peeping you really can't tell the difference between the image quality of all three cameras. The big difference is in the build quality of the camera and the enjoyment one feels when using one. This is where the Rollei excels. The build quality is really good on the Rolleis.
Right now I'm leaning toward the Minolta Autocord becuse of the so-called optical quality which some say bests the Yashicas. What Yashica has going for it is that they sold more cameras than the other two combined, so there are a lot of parts available on the used market. I was about to spring on a Yashica last December, but something came up so I had to delay that purchase. I'm in no rush, so this gives me a little more time to think. This is not a must-have item for me just something I need to do out of curiosity or maybe pure pleasure.
