C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →tlr-medium-format
The Yashica-Mat 124G Black is a cosmetic variant of the standard Yashica-Mat 124G (1970-1986), distinguished by an all-black painted or anodized body finish in place of the standard silver-chrome trim. Produced during the later part of the 124G production run (approximately 1980 onward), it retains all core specifications: Yashinon 80mm f/3.5 Tessar-formula taking lens, Copal-SVK leaf shutter, CdS uncoupled meter, waist-level TLR viewfinder, and switchable 120/220 film compatibility. Like the standard 124G, it supports dual-format shooting via a pressure plate and frame counter that accommodates both roll sizes.
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Recommended film stocks for the — format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
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About this camera
The 124G's late-production all-black dress — same Tessar-formula taking lens, same dual-format capability, darker coat.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 (12 frames) and 220 (24 frames), 6x6 cm |
| Taking lens | Yashinon 80mm f/3.5 (Tessar) |
| Viewing lens | Yashinon 80mm f/2.8 |
| Finish | All-black |
| Years | ~1980 – 1986 |
| Shutter | 1s – 1/500s, Copal-SVK leaf, all-speed sync |
| Meter | CdS uncoupled (needle in finder) |
| Weight | ~1,080 g |
| Battery | 1x PX625 mercury (meter only) |
The standard Yashica-Mat 124G launched in 1970 as the successor to the Mat 124, adding a Copal-SVK shutter and the gold-trimmed cosmetic that gave the "G" its name. By the late 1970s and early 1980s, black-finish TLR variants were fashionable across the medium-format market, with Rolleiflex and Mamiya both offering black editions. Yashica's black 124G variant appears to have entered production in the early 1980s. All 124G production ceased in 1986, ending the Yashica TLR line entirely, as medium-format TLRs were by then commercially unviable against the SLR competition from Hasselblad, Mamiya, and Pentax 6x7.
The black 124G occupies a niche within the already-niche world of Yashica TLRs. Functionally it offers nothing the silver model does not, but the all-black finish is more visually discrete and more aesthetically aligned with the professional look of a late-era Rolleiflex Black. For street and documentary photographers using medium format, reduced reflectivity and lower visual profile are genuine operational considerations.
On the collector market, the black variant is notably rarer than the standard 124G and commands a premium accordingly. This premium reflects scarcity rather than performance difference. For photographers who want to actually shoot the camera, the standard 124G provides identical results at lower cost; the black version is the choice for those who value aesthetics or collect variants.
Fixed taking and viewing lens system — no interchangeable optics.
Accessories compatible with the standard 124G:
No interchangeable lens capability; the system is self-contained.
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →Yashica Mat 124G Black
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