Seagull TLR

By Steve Graham
Format: 6x6 on 120 film
Lens: Fixed 75mm F3.5
Shutter Speeds: 1 - 1/300 + Bulb
Flash Sync: All speeds
Aperture Range: F3.5 - F22
Metering: No
Winder: Manual

Shot on Velvia at 50ASA A Chinese built medium format TLR (twin lens reflex) with a fixed 75mm taking lens and using 120 format film.

Build Quality:
The Seagull TLR is surprisingly well built with the body all metal and coated glass lenses. Film loading and winding is quite easy, and all the controls are smooth but positive in action. Despite mine being a second hand model of dubious age and past, everything still functions without any problems at all.

Optical Quality:
Results from the simple 3 element 75mm F3.5 coated glass taking lens are surprisingly sharp, and exhibit a very surprising lack of flare. Some slight light fall-off towards the image corners is noticeable however - see the example shots above (and yes I know I need to buy a spirit level to help me get the horizon straight).

Handling: Using a TLR after years of 35mm use is a bit of a culture shock - film loading is more complicated, composition using the reversed image waist level finder seems un-natural and being stuck with a single focal length seems restrictive.
However, after a couple of spools things improve, and you start to notice the neat touches - the moving parrallax mask in the viewfinder, the neat cutout on the waist level finder for "sports" use, having a PC sync socket again, flash sync at all speeds etc. The Seagull is really quite well equipped and the handling not at all bad. I quite enjoy all the options using a handheld meter gives - especially on my Sekonic 408, which cost me 6 times what this camera did!
Focussing is quite straightfoward, aided by a reasonably bright screen (the viewing lens at F2.8 is faster than the taking lens) and a central split image aid, and by decent depth of field markings on the focus knob.

Overall:
I paid 500 Hong Kong dollars (about 40 pounds Sterling) for my 4B Seagull - new ones are reputed to sell for 190 Sterling or so. For the price I paid mine is very good value, but at the list price I think I'd be tempted to buy a second hand YashicaMat 124. As mine cost little more than a new Lubitel 166 (which I also own) and as a massive improvement over that, I'm definitely happy with my purchase - which is keeping me in the medium format world while I consider whether to by a 6x7 or 6x4.5 format SLR. Decisions, decisions...

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