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.
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The Yashica-Mat LM (1957) is a 6×6cm twin-lens reflex camera built by Yashica Co. in Japan. It shoots 12 exposures per 120 roll and is distinguished from its predecessor — the unmetered Yashica-Mat — by the addition of a selenium cell exposure meter wrapped around the taking lens barrel. The "LM" designation stands for Light Meter.
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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.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
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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 Yashica-Mat LM was the first Yashica TLR to integrate a built-in exposure meter, paving the way for the iconic Mat 124G.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120, 6×6cm (12 exp per roll) |
| Mount | Fixed |
| Taking lens | Yashinon 80mm f/3.5 |
| Viewing lens | Yashinon 80mm f/2.8 |
| Years | 1957–1963 |
| Shutter | Copal-MXV leaf: 1s – 1/500s + B |
| Flash sync | All speeds (leaf shutter) |
| Meter | Selenium, uncoupled |
| Film advance | Side crank handle |
| Viewfinder | Waist-level, ground glass + sports finder |
| Battery | None (selenium self-powered) |
Yashica entered the TLR market in 1953 with the Pigeonflex and quickly iterated through a series of models building toward the definitive Yashica-Mat line. By 1957 Yashica had established itself as a credible mid-price alternative to Rollei and Minolta Autocord. The Yashica-Mat (1957) — without meter — was joined almost immediately by the Mat LM, which added the selenium cell in response to market demand for integrated metering.
The LM was manufactured through to approximately 1963, overlapping with the introduction of the Yashica-Mat EM (with electric-eye automatic exposure) and the Yashica-D. Yashica continued refining the line through the Mat 124 (1961) and the long-running Mat 124G (1970–1986), which became the best-known camera of the entire range. The Mat LM is an intermediate but historically significant step — the first Yashica TLR to show that built-in metering was a viable feature in the mid-price category.
The Mat LM demonstrated that a Japanese TLR could offer integrated metering at a price well below a Rolleiflex with external meter. The self-powered selenium cell required no batteries and was dependable for decades if the cell remained unexposed to direct sunlight for extended periods. The Yashinon 80/3.5 taking lens delivers fine image quality — corner sharpness and contrast hold well at f/5.6 and beyond — making the Mat LM a capable shooter for portraits, landscape, and documentary work on 120 film.
Today the Mat LM is overshadowed by the more common Mat 124G but represents a more affordable entry into the metered Yashica TLR line. Functioning selenium cells are increasingly rare; buyers should verify meter accuracy before relying on it.
The Yashica-Mat LM has a fixed lens and does not accept interchangeable optics. Standard accessories include:
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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