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-12 (1967) is a 6×6cm twin-lens reflex camera built by Yashica in Japan. Despite its name suggesting a 12-exposure capability, the "12" designation refers to 120-film use yielding 12 exposures — as distinct from the "124" designation of the dual-format Mat 124, which also accepts 220 film for 24 exposures. The Yashica-12 does not accept 220 film.
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.
View profile →BW
Ilford HP5 Plus is a flexible ISO 400 black-and-white film with classic grain and strong push-processing tolerance.
Develop — film
We're growing the lab directory near you. Browse all labs.
Before you buy used
About this camera
The Yashica-12 was Yashica's 120-only dual-frame TLR of 1967, offering CdS metering and crank advance in a clean package that sat just below the dual-format Mat 124 in the lineup.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120 film, 6×6cm (12 exposures) |
| Mount | Fixed |
| Taking lens | Yashinon 80mm f/3.5 |
| Viewing lens | Yashinon 80mm f/2.8 |
| Years | 1967–1971 |
| Shutter | Copal-SVL leaf: 1s – 1/500s + B |
| Flash sync | All speeds (leaf shutter) |
| Meter | CdS, match-needle, uncoupled |
| Battery | PX625 (meter only; mechanical fallback) |
| Film advance | Side crank handle |
| Viewfinder | Waist-level, ground glass + Fresnel + sports finder |
The Yashica-12 was introduced in 1967 as part of the mature phase of the Yashica TLR line, which by then offered a range of models from the meterless Yashica-A up through the Mat LM and Mat EM. The 12 was positioned as a capable mid-tier model with CdS metering and crank advance — improvements over the older selenium-metered siblings — but without the dual 120/220 format capability that the Mat 124 (1968) would soon introduce.
Production overlapped with the Mat 124, and the Yashica-12 was phased out by approximately 1971 as the Mat 124G consolidated the line's upper segment. The 12 today occupies a slightly obscure position in the Yashica TLR family: better specified than the A or C but less sought-after than the 124G, which has captured most collector and shooter interest.
The Yashica-12 offers excellent value for a metered, crank-advance Yashica TLR. Prices typically run below Mat 124G equivalents, yet the optical and mechanical quality is very close. The Yashinon 80/3.5 taking lens is sharp and well-coated, and the Copal-SVL shutter is reliable and serviceable.
For photographers who shoot 120 film exclusively — with no interest in 220 — the Yashica-12 is a practical and economical choice within the Yashica lineage.
The Yashica-12 accepts Bay 1 accessories shared across the Yashica TLR line:
C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
View profile →Yashica 12
Image coming soon