Found a dusty old Yashica at a garage sale for 15 bucks last Saturday

I was out in Phoenix last weekend hitting random garage sales and spotted this Yashica-Mat EM under a pile of old clothes. The shutter seemed sticky so I figured for 15 dollars it was worth taking a chance. I cleaned it up with some lighter fluid and a q-tip and now it’s firing perfectly. Has anyone else scored a cheap twin lens reflex that needed a little cleanup to work right?

2 comments

2 Comments

ninaross1mo ago

Actually it's a Yashica-Mat EM, not a Yashica-Mat. The EM was a budget version from the late 70s with a simpler lens. Still a decent find for 15 bucks though.

gavinperez1mo ago

Funny thing about that EM, the shutter button placement is actually different from the original Mat. It sits slightly recessed which makes it a pain if you have big fingers, but it also means the camera is way less likely to accidentally fire in a bag. Nobody ever talks about that. @ninaross might know this already but that budget lens actually has a cult following for its softer look, people pay more for that glow now than the sharper original. So that 15 bucks might've been the smartest "mistake" you could make.