What Medium Format Cameras Are Members Here Using?

[Vaughn]

I watched a fellow and his assistant make stereo images in Yosemite with two SLR MF cameras. Cameras were about 25 feet apart on an old road that use to come down into the Valley across from Bridalvail Falls.

The photographer would toss a rock up to land between the cameras…and both he and his assistant would click the shutter of their respective camera at the sound of the rock hitting the ground.

Quite clever, I thought.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

I exercised my Rolleiflex 3.5E Xenotar recently. This is a work shed on Marine Drive in Astoria, Oregon. That is an interesting city , well worth a visit. Tri-X 400 film, developed in Xtol.

 

[ChrisGalway]

That's pretty neat. At that size, can the eye notice a difference between MF and 35mm 3D images?

Yes, definitely. The Realist 5p 35mm format gives twin 21x23mm slides and the 7p ("European") gives 28x23mm twin slides, and in both cases the typical 50x50mm mounted medium format slides are a step up in quality and viewing experience.

 

[ChrisGalway]

I watched a fellow and his assistant make stereo images in Yosemite with two SLR MF cameras. Cameras were about 25 feet apart on an old road that use to come down into the Valley across from Bridalvail Falls.

The photographer would toss a rock up to land between the cameras…and both he and his assistant would click the shutter of their respective camera at the sound of the rock hitting the ground.

Quite clever, I thought.

I'd love to have seen that!

 

[Vaughn]

I'd love to have seen that!

Because of the moving clouds and the wind blowing Bridalveil Falls back and forth, the exposures needed to be timed very very close.

The photographer made prints for the wall, and you held a large viewer and stood back several feet. Hyper stereo.

 

[mshchem]

I exercised my Rolleiflex 3.5E Xenotar recently. This is a work shed on Marine Drive in Astoria, Oregon. That is an interesting city , well worth a visit. Tri-X 400 film, developed in Xtol.


View attachment 418448

Great shot

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Great shot

Thank you. A volunteer group is rebuilding a steam locomotive in that shed.

 

[mshchem]

Thank you. A volunteer group is rebuilding a steam locomotive in that shed.

That's fascinating!! Opportunity to get some great pictures!

 

[Craig S.....]

Wow - I had to check. Then, of course, there's what lenses (other than fixed lenses) for each camera!

Mamiya RB67 ProS. My favourite clunky, heavy, manual, versatile MF camera! Many 6x7 film holders (incl. 220) but also have a 4.5x6 (rarely used). Lenses for the RB67 are 50, 90, 127, 180, 250, 360 plus 2X converter and 45mm & 82mm extension tubes. Virtually a complete package.
Rollei 6006. I love its very accurate light-metering system and I use it mainly for transparency film. 50mm Distagon, 80mm Planar.
Zeiss-Ikon Super Ikonta 532/16. Fixed 80mm Tessar.
Mamiya C220. 80mm Sekor.
Zeiss-Ikon Nettar. Fixed 75mm Novar.
Then there's my Sinar Zoom roll film back for my Chamonix and Sinar P2 LF cameras.

Arghgee, it's good to see some-one from Australia on the site , I from Tassy myself. I started off with a Mamiya C3 and 3 lenses, after a while this lead to a Mamiya RB67 Pro S with a 50mm lens. after a some time, my lens collection grew and I am now up to 8 lenses and a 360 on it's way. This also included buying aluminium cases to store the lenses and some accessories in. the cases come mainly from Op shops such as Vinnies where I volunteered from. I am not that gentile when I travell with the gear when I travell around the bush for photos. I have come to a halt at the moment due to the need to fix my Landrover, when that is done, I have a darkroom to build under my house, got to dejunk it first . I have all the gear for the darkroom but time at the moment is a bit of a premium.

 

[Romanko]

Kodak Box Brownie № 2 Model F

 

[loccdor]

I've just received the lens board, mounted, and calibrated infinity stop for this 1924 lens on the Horseman 6x9. So far it's the only lens I have for it that allows the camera to be folded, and the most all-purpose lens of the 3 I have.

Next steps, sanding a manufactured cam for it, and taking test shots.

 

[Romanko]

I've just received the lens board, mounted, and calibrated infinity stop for this 1924 lens on the Horseman 6x9. So far it's the only lens I have for it that allows the camera to be folded, and the most all-purpose lens of the 3 I have.

Next steps, sanding a manufactured cam for it, and taking test shots.

I did the exact same thing except my tessar is 135 mm focal lengths. I have not tried it yet.

The infinity stop is pretty straightforward. Can you explain the part about "sanding the manufactured cam"? Did you custom-build a cam for your lens? How did you design it?

 

[loccdor]

I did the exact same thing except my tessar is 135 mm focal lengths. I have not tried it yet.

The infinity stop is pretty straightforward. Can you explain the part about "sanding the manufactured cam"? Did you custom-build a cam for your lens? How did you design it?

Sure, there was an exchange of scans of the cams, from that a high contrast image was made, then a forum member helped me make a file for laser cutting steel. Then it was sent to a laser cutting company. There are some burrs and extra material on the steel that will need to be removed. It's detailed in this thread: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/possible-to-manufacture-a-horseman-970-rangefinder-cam.218162/

 

[minhnk1990]

Rolleiflex 3.5 MX

 

[JRSCollection]

I mostly use a Hasselblad system (previously 501, now X2D II), but I’ve also worked with Sony, Olympus, Canon (still have a 5D classic, which I really enjoy) and some Mamiya systems.

Recently I’ve been getting into older medium format systems like Kowa, which has a bit of family history for me. It’s a very different experience, but really enjoyable.

 

[Bob Merlin]

I've got a Minolta Autocord and a Mamiya 645. I've also got a lot of Kodak folders and box cameras that I picked from thrift stores. Oh, and an original Diana.

 

[dave olson]

A Pentax 6X7 late model, a Mamiya 7II, a Pentax 6x4.5, a Rollei f 3.5 Xenotar, a Fuji GF 670, a Hasselblad 503 CW, Horseman VH-R (2).

 

[campy51]

Picked up a Fuji GW670 III last night at a good price so I thought I would try it. It will be nice to have something other than 6x6.

 

[grant.goodes]

Plaubel Makina 670 which I’ve had since the mid 80’s. Great Nikkor lens and builtin meter. It’s a great travel camera, though I miss 220 film (it was great having 20-shots/roll)

 

[ChrisGalway]

Plaubel Makina 670 which I’ve had since the mid 80’s. Great Nikkor lens and builtin meter. It’s a great travel camera, though I miss 220 film (it was great having 20-shots/roll)

Do you know how the Plaubel compares in use to the Mamiya 7ii ... they seem similar in many ways? (I have the Mamiya, not the Plaubel, one is expensive enough!)

 

[grant.goodes]

Do you know how the Plaubel compares in use to the Mamiya 7ii ... they seem similar in many ways? (I have the Mamiya, not the Plaubel, one is expensive enough!)

My friend has a Mamiya 6, so I think I can compare the two. Of course the Mamiya is an interchangeable lens camera, which makes it bigger than my Plaubel (especially when folded). The Plaubel is surprisingly heavy, especially with the optional steel/rubber grip (though I do like how the handling is improved with the grip), and actually heavier than the Mamiya, even with its bayonet mount. The 80/2.8 Nikkor on my Plaubel is faster than the Mamiya lenses I believe, but I rarely shoot wide-open, and it's not like you get a brighter image to focus on (because rangefinder). If I was doing it again, and had the money, I'd probably go for the Mamiya 7 and the wide+normal lens, but that ship has sailed, and I'll just keep my Plaubel.

 

[Pieter12]

Do you know how the Plaubel compares in use to the Mamiya 7ii ... they seem similar in many ways? (I have the Mamiya, not the Plaubel, one is expensive enough!)

Plaubel has a fixed lens. And the Mamiya has a plastic body over a metal chassis, the Plaubel is all-metal.

 

[ChrisGalway]

My friend has a Mamiya 6, so I think I can compare the two. Of course the Mamiya is an interchangeable lens camera, which makes it bigger than my Plaubel (especially when folded). The Plaubel is surprisingly heavy, especially with the optional steel/rubber grip (though I do like how the handling is improved with the grip), and actually heavier than the Mamiya, even with its bayonet mount. The 80/2.8 Nikkor on my Plaubel is faster than the Mamiya lenses I believe, but I rarely shoot wide-open, and it's not like you get a brighter image to focus on (because rangefinder). If I was doing it again, and had the money, I'd probably go for the Mamiya 7 and the wide+normal lens, but that ship has sailed, and I'll just keep my Plaubel.

They are both very nice (but expensive) cameras!

 

[Jarno]

Picked up a Fuji GW670 III last night at a good price so I thought I would try it. It will be nice to have something other than 6x6.

Keen on hearing how you get along with it, I love the GW690 for street photography and the GSW690 for landscapes, but the slighly more cropped in look of the 670 might work well for street also. Something like a 50 rather than a 40, and two extra frames obviously.

 

[dokko]

Do you know how the Plaubel compares in use to the Mamiya 7ii ... they seem similar in many ways? (I have the Mamiya, not the Plaubel, one is expensive enough!)

I had both for a short while and shot some images side by side...

If you put an 80mm on the Mamiya 7, you have quite similar cameras in general.

Handling wide, the Mamiya 7 feels a bit more modern to me, faster to operate and easier to grip. The Plaubel is a bit more clunky but looks lovely.

In terms of the lens, the Nikkor Plaubel is a stop faster, but the Mamiya 80mm is significantly higher resolution.
The Nikkor is a great lens that works very well for portraits and atmospheric shots, and as long as you do moderate enlargements it performs very well.
But for really big prints (like over 1.5meters), the Mamiya will capture noticably more details.

The same can be said for pretty much any other medium format lens though. The Mamiya 7 lenses are the highest resolution of all medium format films I've seen.

Of course the biggest difference is that you can change the lenses on the Mamiya 7. I use the 65mm nearly all the time on mine.