Yashica Mat-EM

Buying Tips

The Mat-EM uses a selenium meter and fully mechanical shutter, so it will fire at all speeds without a battery. Here is what to check.

• Selenium meter: The selenium cell degrades over time. Test the match-needle meter against a phone app in bright light. Many surviving Mat-EMs have weak or dead meters. A dead meter does not affect shutter operation — the camera is still fully usable with an external meter.
• Shutter operation: Test all shutter speeds from 1s to 1/500s. The Copal MXV shutter is fully mechanical and should fire reliably. Listen for the slow speeds — 1s and 1/2s should sound distinctly different.
• Mechanical condition: Check the crank advance, focusing smoothness, and lens condition just as you would on any Yashica-Mat. The mechanical parts are shared with other Mat models.
• Price consideration: A dead selenium meter reduces the camera's value but does not make it unusable. Price accordingly — a Mat-EM with a dead meter should be cheaper than one with a working meter, but is still a capable camera.

See our complete TLR buying guide for a full inspection checklist.