a friend of mine introduced me to TLRs earlier this year and i wound up buying a Yashika Rookie. have now shot at least 6 rolls on it alone in the 3 or so months ive had it.
Is it possible to find good service techs for these cameras in Japan? Also, do the mirrors lose their silvering? I'm trying to pick a TLR that has a bright viewfinder also.
Hi there, I bought a Flexaret last year and the mirror was absolutely rubbish - moldy and the silver coating had perished in many spots. I then attempted to clean the mirror with a simple lens cleansing spray solution from Zeiss when, to my utter surprise, the entire silver coating simply dissolved. So I phoned a local shop that cuts regular mirrors and told them that I was looking for a replacement, so I asked if they would cut a small mirror for me in the shape of the old camera one. They told me to take the original piece there so they could take a look, and the only issue we found was that the camera mirror was much thinner than the mirror they worked with, so they said they couldn't do it. After a bit of drama, I asked if they could cut me a piece anyway so I could try and it worked! This was for the Flexaret, in which the mirror is put in place by these screws and metal holders that allowed me to slide the thicker mirror in place without much of a difference. It works perfectly now and the reflection is superb in the viewfinder. In short, check if the screws/holders allow enough space for a slightly thicker mirror and get a local shop to cut one. :)
