Using a TLR in Practice

You now understand the anatomy of a TLR and the 120 film it uses. This lesson takes you through the complete shooting process, from loading film to removing the finished roll. If you have a TLR in hand, follow along step by step. If you are still shopping for one, this will give you a clear picture of what the shooting experience is like, so you know what to expect when your camera arrives. The metergeist TLR camera guide can help you find the right model.

Before You Shoot: Checking Your Camera

Before loading film, spend a few minutes checking that your camera is in working order. With no film loaded, you can safely test every function without wasting a frame.

Test the shutter. Cock the shutter (if your camera requires cocking before each shot) and fire it at each speed. Most TLRs have speeds from 1 second to 1/500 second, plus B (bulb). Listen to each speed: 1 second should produce a clear, sustained opening; 1/500 should be a barely perceptible click. If speeds sound similar to each other or the shutter sticks, the mechanism may need a CLA (clean, lubricate, adjust) from a repair technician. A sticky shutter is the most common problem with vintage TLRs and is usually straightforward to fix.

Check the lens. Look through the taking lens while holding the camera up to a light source. Check for fungus (faint web-like patterns), haze (general cloudiness), and separation (visible circular lines where cemented elements have come apart). Minor haze at the edges rarely affects images, but central fungus or heavy haze will reduce contrast significantly. Clean the exterior lens surfaces gently with a microfiber cloth and lens cleaning fluid. Never disassemble the lens yourself unless you have proper tools and training.

Inspect the light seals. Open the camera back and examine the edges where the back meets the body. Many TLRs use foam or felt light seals that deteriorate over decades. If you see crumbling black foam, the seals need replacement before you load film. Replacement seal kits are available from specialist suppliers and can be installed with patience and a toothpick.

Check the battery (if your TLR has a built-in meter). Some later TLRs like the Yashica-Mat 124G have a built-in selenium or CdS light meter. Selenium meters need no battery, but CdS meters require a small button cell. If your camera has a meter and it does not respond, try a fresh battery. However, most TLR photographers use an external handheld meter or a smartphone meter app like metergeist, which provides camera-specific settings matched to your exact TLR model.

Loading 120 Film

Loading 120 film into a TLR is straightforward once you have done it a few times, but the first time can feel awkward. Work in shade, not direct sunlight. The paper backing protects the film, but there is no reason to stress-test it with intense UV.

Step 1: Open the camera back. Most TLRs have a latch or catch at the bottom or side of the body. Slide, push, or turn it to release the back panel. The back typically hinges open or lifts off entirely. Inside you will see the film chambers: one for the supply spool (usually at the bottom) and one for the takeup spool (usually at the top). You will also see the film gate — the rectangular opening where the film sits during exposure — and the pressure plate on the inside of the back door.

Step 2: Place the takeup spool. If there is already an empty spool in the camera from a previous roll, confirm it is in the takeup position. If not, place an empty spool in the takeup chamber with its slot aligned to engage the film advance mechanism. The spool should sit securely and rotate freely when you turn the advance knob.

Step 3: Insert the fresh roll. Break the adhesive seal on your fresh roll of 120 film. Place the roll in the supply chamber with the paper leader feeding toward the takeup spool. The emulsion side of the film (matte side) should face toward the lens; the paper backing faces toward the back of the camera. On most TLRs, the film feeds from the bottom spool upward across the film gate to the top spool.

Step 4: Thread the paper leader. Unroll just enough of the paper leader to reach the takeup spool. The leader has a tapered end that threads into a slot in the takeup spool. Insert the paper into the slot and turn the advance knob one or two turns to make sure the paper is caught and winding correctly. The paper should wind evenly across the spool without bunching to one side.

Step 5: Advance to the start mark. Close the camera back. Now advance the film using the knob. If your camera has a red window, watch for the arrow or "START" mark on the paper backing to appear in the window, then continue to frame number 1. If your camera has an auto-stop mechanism, simply advance the film until the mechanism locks — the camera automatically senses the film start position and stops at frame 1. On auto-stop cameras, you usually need to press a release button on the film advance to begin winding, and the counter will reset to 1 when the film is in position.

Metering the Scene

With film loaded and your camera ready, the next step before every shot is measuring the light. Unlike digital cameras, which let you review and reshoot instantly, film requires getting the exposure right the first time. A light meter translates the brightness of your scene into the aperture and shutter speed settings that will produce a properly exposed negative.

Most TLR photographers use one of three metering approaches:

Handheld light meter. A dedicated light meter like the Sekonic L-308 is the gold standard for accuracy. Handheld meters can measure both incident light (light falling on the subject, measured by pointing the meter at the camera from the subject's position) and reflected light (light bouncing off the subject, measured by pointing the meter at the subject from the camera's position). Incident metering is generally more reliable because it is not fooled by the subject's brightness — a white cat and a black cat in the same light will get the same exposure recommendation, which is usually correct.

Smartphone meter app. Apps like metergeist use your phone's camera sensor to measure reflected light. The advantage is that your phone is always with you and the app can be configured with your exact TLR's available aperture and shutter speed settings, ensuring the readings it gives correspond to actual settings on your camera. For most daylight shooting, a well-calibrated phone meter is perfectly accurate.

Sunny 16 rule. In bright, consistent daylight you can skip the meter entirely. The rule states: on a sunny day, set your aperture to f/16 and your shutter speed to the reciprocal of your film's ISO. So with ISO 400 film on a sunny day, shoot at f/16 and 1/400 second (or the nearest available speed, 1/500 on most TLRs). From there, adjust for different conditions: open one stop (f/11) for light overcast, two stops (f/8) for heavy overcast, three stops (f/5.6) for deep shade. This method is surprisingly accurate once you learn to read the light.

Setting the Exposure

Once you have a meter reading, transfer the settings to your camera. TLR exposure controls are all on or near the lens assembly on the front of the camera.

The aperture is set by a small lever or ring on the lens barrel, typically marked with f-stops from f/3.5 (or f/2.8 on faster models) to f/22. Moving the lever clicks between detents at each full stop, and many TLRs also allow half-stop settings between the detents.

The shutter speed is set on a ring around the shutter housing, typically offering speeds from 1 second to 1/500 second plus B. Some models have the speeds printed on a ring you rotate; others use a lever that points to the selected speed. The available speeds usually follow the standard sequence: 1, 1/2, 1/5, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100, 1/250, 1/500. Note that some older TLRs use a non-standard speed sequence (1/25 instead of 1/30, 1/300 instead of 1/250) based on the Compur or Prontor shutter installed.

After setting the aperture and shutter speed, you must cock the shutter before firing. On most TLRs, this is done with a lever on the side of the shutter housing. Cocking tensions the shutter spring and prepares the mechanism to fire. Some cameras (like certain Rolleiflex models with the Synchro-Compur shutter) cock the shutter automatically when you advance the film; others require you to cock it separately. Forgetting to cock the shutter before pressing the release is one of the most common beginner mistakes — the release simply will not respond, leading to a moment of confused button-pressing.

Composing on the Ground Glass

This is where the TLR experience diverges most dramatically from other camera types. You hold the camera at waist or chest level, look down into the open hood, and see your scene projected on the ground glass. The image is bright, detailed, and roughly the size of the actual negative — about 56×56 mm. It is a fundamentally different way of seeing compared to the small, tunnel-like viewfinder of a 35mm SLR.

The first thing you will notice is that the image is laterally reversed. Left and right are swapped, as if you were looking in a mirror. This is because the image reflects off the 45-degree mirror only once. When you pan the camera to the right, the image on the ground glass slides to the left. When a subject walks from your left to your right, they appear to move right to left on the glass.

This reversal is disorienting at first and is the single most common complaint from photographers new to TLRs. The key to adapting is to stop thinking about directions and instead focus on the image itself. Rather than telling yourself "I need to move the camera right," look at where the subject is on the ground glass and move the camera to place them where you want them. Work with the image in front of you, not with your mental model of the scene. Most photographers adapt completely within three or four rolls of film.

The waist-level perspective has compositional consequences. Because you are shooting from a lower angle than you would with a camera held to your eye, subjects appear slightly more imposing. Flowers and children are at the camera's natural eye level. Street scenes have a more immersive, ground-level feel. Many of the most iconic TLR photographs — Vivian Maier's Chicago street scenes, for instance — have this characteristic low, intimate perspective.

Focusing

To focus a TLR, turn the focusing knob on the side of the camera body while watching the ground glass image. As you turn the knob, both lenses move forward or backward together, and the plane of sharp focus moves closer to or farther from the camera.

For critical focus, use the magnifier built into the viewing hood. Flip the magnifier into position (it typically swings up from the front of the hood interior) and look through it at the center of the ground glass. The magnifier enlarges the image roughly 3 to 4 times, making it much easier to judge exact sharpness. Rock the focus knob gently back and forth through the point of sharpest focus, then stop at the position where fine detail is most clearly defined. For portraits, focus on the subject's nearest eye.

For zone focusing — useful for street photography and situations where you need to shoot quickly without checking the ground glass — set the focus to a predetermined distance using the distance scale on the focus knob. At f/8 or f/11 with a 75-80mm lens, everything from about 3 meters to 10 meters will be acceptably sharp. Pre-focus to 4 or 5 meters, set a moderate aperture, and you can shoot without looking down at the ground glass at all, using the sports finder for approximate framing.

Taking the Shot

With your composition framed and focus set, the moment of exposure follows a simple sequence:

Hold steady. Brace your arms against your body. The TLR's waist-level position is inherently more stable than holding a camera at eye level — your arms are closer to your body and the camera's weight is lower. Some photographers rest the camera on a railing, table, or their camera bag for extra stability at slow shutter speeds. For exposures longer than about 1/30 second, a tripod or solid surface is strongly recommended.

Squeeze the shutter release gently. The release is typically a small lever or button on the front or side of the camera body near the taking lens. Press it smoothly without jabbing. Any sudden pressure will transmit vibration to the camera. For maximum sharpness, especially at slower shutter speeds, use a cable release — a flexible cable that screws into the shutter release and allows you to fire the shutter without touching the camera body at all.

The shutter fires with a soft click. Because there is no mirror to slap, the TLR shutter sound is remarkably quiet — barely audible in a conversation-volume environment. The viewfinder remains bright throughout the exposure. You see the subject uninterrupted, and unless you are paying very close attention, you might not even be certain the shutter fired. Glance at the cocking lever or try to fire again: if the shutter will not fire, it has already been tripped and needs to be cocked again (or the film advanced, on cameras with double-exposure prevention).

Advancing the Film

After each exposure, you must advance the film to the next frame before you can shoot again. Turn the film advance knob clockwise (on most TLRs). If your camera has an auto-stop mechanism, the knob will rotate freely and then lock with a positive click when the next frame is in position. If your camera uses a red window, watch for the next frame number to appear centered in the window.

On cameras with automatic film advance, the advance knob is typically coupled to the shutter cocking mechanism. Advancing the film also cocks the shutter, so you are immediately ready for the next shot after advancing. On simpler cameras, you must cock the shutter separately after advancing. Check your camera's manual (or the metergeist camera guide) to understand your specific model's advance sequence.

You have 12 exposures per roll of 120 film in the 6×6 format. That is not many frames — it is roughly one-third of a 36-exposure roll of 35mm. This constraint is actually one of the joys of TLR photography. Every frame matters. The deliberate pace of compose, focus, meter, expose, advance encourages a more thoughtful, intentional approach to photography. Many TLR photographers find they produce a higher percentage of "keepers" per roll than they do shooting 35mm or digital, precisely because the limited frame count forces careful attention to every shot.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Every TLR photographer makes these mistakes at least once. Knowing about them in advance will save you some wasted frames.

Forgetting to advance the film. If you press the shutter release without advancing after the previous shot, you get a double exposure — two images layered on top of each other on the same frame. On cameras with double-exposure prevention, the shutter simply will not fire until you advance. On cameras without this feature (many older and simpler TLRs), nothing stops you from exposing the same frame multiple times. Get into the habit of advancing immediately after each shot, before you do anything else.

Forgetting to cock the shutter. On cameras where cocking is separate from advancing, it is easy to advance the film and then press the shutter release without cocking first. The release does nothing — the shutter is not tensioned. You cock, then shoot. Some photographers develop a rhythm: advance, cock, compose, shoot. Making it a physical sequence helps build the muscle memory.

Parallax errors at close range. As discussed in Lesson 13, the viewing and taking lenses see slightly different things, and the difference grows at close distances. At distances under 1.5 meters, pay attention to your camera's parallax correction marks on the ground glass. If your camera does not have correction marks, simply aim the camera slightly higher than the ground glass image suggests — the film will record slightly lower than what you see in the viewfinder.

Camera shake from pressing too hard. TLR shutter releases often require more pressure than modern camera buttons. It is tempting to push hard, but this transmits vibration directly into the camera body. Use a smooth, rolling pressure rather than a stab. Or invest in a cable release — it is one of the cheapest and most effective accessories you can buy for a TLR.

Not sealing the camera back properly. If the back latch does not close fully, light can leak in around the edges, fogging frames along the sides of the roll. After closing the back, run your finger along the seam to confirm it is flush and latched. If your camera has worn light seals, replace them before trusting the camera with valuable exposures.

Loading the film backwards. If the paper backing faces the lens instead of the back of the camera, the film emulsion is facing the wrong way. The frame numbers will appear as mirror images through the red window. If this happens, remove the film in shade, re-roll it, and load again with the paper facing the back. On most TLRs the correct orientation is obvious, but if you are unsure, check your camera's manual.

Finishing the Roll

After exposing the twelfth and final frame, you need to wind all the remaining film and paper backing onto the takeup spool before opening the camera back. On auto-stop cameras, the advance knob will usually unlock after frame 12, allowing you to continue winding freely. On red-window cameras, keep winding until the paper backing has completely left the supply spool.

You will feel the tension release when the paper leader detaches from the (now empty) supply spool. Continue winding for a few more turns to make sure all the paper is tightly wound on the takeup spool. Then open the back — again, in shade rather than direct sunlight — and remove the full takeup spool.

Immediately seal the roll by licking the adhesive tab at the end of the paper backing and pressing it down firmly. If the adhesive is weak, use a small piece of tape. An unsealed roll can loosen in your pocket or bag, allowing light to creep between the layers and fog the edges of your film. Place the sealed roll in a dark container, a pocket, or your camera bag until you can have it developed.

The now-empty supply spool remains in the camera and slides into the takeup position for your next roll. Load a fresh roll in the supply chamber, thread the leader, and you are ready to shoot again.

The TLR Rhythm

Shooting a TLR has a rhythm unlike any other camera. It is slower and more deliberate than 35mm, more physical and hands-on than digital. Each shot involves a series of distinct actions: advance, cock, meter, set aperture, set speed, compose, focus, shoot. This deliberate cadence is not a limitation — it is the camera's greatest teaching tool. Every step makes you more conscious of the decisions that go into a photograph. After a few rolls, the sequence becomes automatic, and you find yourself making better, more intentional images because the camera demands your full attention.

Twelve frames per roll. One hundred and twenty seconds of actual exposure time if every shot is 1/100 of a second. But between those twelve frames and those fractions of seconds are twelve acts of seeing, composing, and deciding. That is what makes TLR photography special, and why photographers who try it often find it difficult to go back to rapid-fire digital shooting.

In the next lesson, we move to what happens after the click: developing your film in the darkroom.