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 LM Black is the black-body variant of the Yashica-Mat LM, the first Yashica TLR to incorporate a built-in exposure meter. Introduced around 1958 - approximately concurrent with or shortly after the standard chrome-and-leatherette Mat LM - the black version uses identical optics, shutter, and metering electronics in a body with a darker finish treatment.
Reference
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.
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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 battery-free metered TLR in discreet black - the Yashica-Mat LM's professional-finish variant, with the same selenium cell and Yashinon optics.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120, 6x6 cm (12 exposures per roll) |
| Mount | Fixed |
| Taking lens | Yashinon 80mm f/3.5 |
| Viewing lens | Yashinon 80mm f/2.8 |
| Year introduced | ~1958 |
| Shutter | Copal-MXV leaf: 1s - 1/500s + B |
| Flash sync | All speeds (leaf shutter) |
| Meter | Selenium, uncoupled, battery-free |
| Film advance | Side crank handle |
| Viewfinder | Waist-level, ground glass + Fresnel + sports finder |
| Battery | None (selenium self-powered) |
Yashica entered the TLR market in 1953 with the Pigeonflex and iterated rapidly through the Yashicaflex A, B, and C models before settling the Yashica-Mat line in 1957 as its mainstream 6x6 product. The standard Yashica-Mat (1957) was unmetered; the Mat LM followed quickly with the addition of the selenium cell as an integrated feature - an important competitive response to cameras like the Rolleicord Va and Minolta Autocord which offered optional or integrated metering.
The black-body variant was a factory finish option aimed at photographers who preferred a less reflective, more professional-appearing instrument. Black-body TLRs were less common than black SLRs of the same era, making the Mat LM Black a less frequently encountered variant today. The standard chrome and leatherette finish was the more common production run.
The Mat LM line ran until approximately 1963, overlapping with the Yashica-Mat EM (electric-eye auto-exposure), Yashica-D, and the Mat 124 (1961). The Mat 124G (1970) ultimately became the best-known camera in the Yashica TLR line and runs alongside the Mat LM's historical position as a direct ancestor.
The Mat LM Black holds the same historical significance as the standard Mat LM - it represents Yashica's demonstration that integrated metering in a mid-price TLR was viable and commercially successful. The black finish adds a layer of collector interest and practical utility: reduced body reflectivity matters in available-light documentary and street photography where chrome bodies can catch and reflect light sources.
The Yashinon 80mm f/3.5 taking lens delivers consistent performance - corner-to-corner sharpness at f/5.6 and above is comparable to other respected 80mm TLR optics of the period, including the Xenar-equipped Rolleicord. Wide open at f/3.5 the lens shows some softness and vignetting characteristic of the period, which many photographers find useful for portraiture.
The selenium meter, if functional, provides reliable reflected-light readings without batteries - an advantage for collectors and photographers who dislike battery dependency. Selenium cells degrade with age and prolonged light exposure; a dead cell does not affect any mechanical function of the camera.
The Yashica-Mat LM Black has a fixed lens and does not accept interchangeable optics. Standard accessories:
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →Yashica Mat LM Black
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