2nd medium format camera suggestions

[Tony Sipes]

I have been using a yashica mat 124G for about a year now. I love this camera and will never sell it but I would like to purchase another medium format. I borrowed 2 mamiya m645's from a friend of a friend who was selling them but both turned out to have shutter problems so I ended up nothing to go by to see what kind of negative this camera can produce. my enlarger is a besseler 67 so I was considering maybe a 6x7. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Tony

 

[Justin Cormack]

6x6 and 6x7 are only 17% different. Is that what you are looking for? What do you want to do that you cant?

 

[Nick Zentena]

Like Justin said what features do you want to add?

 

[Roger Hicks]

I have been using a yashica mat 124G for about a year now. I love this camera and will never sell it but I would like to purchase another medium format. I borrowed 2 mamiya m645's from a friend of a friend who was selling them but both turned out to have shutter problems so I ended up nothing to go by to see what kind of negative this camera can produce. my enlarger is a besseler 67 so I was considering maybe a 6x7. Any suggestions?

Thanks
Tony

'Baby' Linhof with Linhof 6x7 (56x72mm) back. A very different camera with a completely different range of applications (including hand-held with the rangefinder!).

Yes, 6x7 is only 25-30 per cent bigger (not 17%) if you print all in; but if you normally crop to a rectangle, it can be over 50 per cent bigger.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Tony Sipes]

6x6 and 6x7 are only 17% different. Is that what you are looking for? What do you want to do that you cant?

I'm looking for something with more options for lenses. Mabye a wide angle and a a good lens for portraits.

 

[resummerfield]

You already have the 6x6, so I would look for something in 6x7. If you want a variety of lenses, your best choice would be a SLR. Look into the Pentax 67 system, or maybe the RB67 system. Both are selling very cheaply now, and both would give you an excellent system.

 

[Tony Sipes]

'Baby' Linhof with Linhof 6x7 (56x72mm) back. A very different camera with a completely different range of applications (including hand-held with the rangefinder!).

Yes, 6x7 is only 25-30 per cent bigger (not 17%) if you print all in; but if you normally crop to a rectangle, it can be over 50 per cent bigger.

Cheers,

R.

I am not familiar with the Linhof but will do some research on it.

Thank you

 

[Nick Zentena]

I'm looking for something with more options for lenses. Mabye a wide angle and a a good lens for portraits.

For studio:

Mamiya RZ67 or RB.

For walking around Bronica ETRSI.

Of course you can use either for both but the Mamiya isn't light.

 

[Paul Sorensen]

I use the RB67 for portraits and I absolutely love it. The rotating back is incredible, and I usually want to print in a rectangle, so for me it is a lot more negative than 6X6. Thanks to the rotating back, a waist level finder is really easy to use, no trying to look at a waist level finder with the camera on its side, which I found to be really irritating with my old Mamiya 645.

The downside is probably weight and size, if you are looking for something to hand hold. I do a little hand held work with it and it is okay, but I would not be as happy with it if I was doing mostly that.

RBs are available really cheaply now, check out KEH.com for an idea. I think you can get into a setup with a ProS model camera, a 180mm portrait length lens and a 120 back for about $250 or $300 if you are willing to take bargain condition. (I always do bargain from KEH) There are tons of lenses, most all of them are good, especially if you keep with the C or K lenses.

 

[wclavey]

My main MF kit is Mamiya c220 & c3 and assorted lenses. I have 3 "secondary" MF cameras that I use, depending on the circumstance: Bronical s2a (6x6), Ansco Speedex RF (6x6) and Crown Graphic with 6x9 back. I personally like the square format, hence the prevalence of 6x6, but the Crown with 6x9 back gets a good bit of landscape use.

Basically, with the exception of the 6x9 option, my choice of which camera to use is a function of the type of shooting I expect to be doing and which camera actually fits that circumstance best: the Ansco for casual snapshooting, the Bronica for times when I don't want to worry about the parallax between taking and viewing or special situations requiring seeing exactly what I'm taking, and the Mamiyas when I am doing most of my outdoor, travel or location shooting.

 

[fparnold]

If you like the TLR, then your choice is the Mamiya C-series, as it's the only one with interchangable lenses. (yes, the Koni-Omega is out there, but similar to Bigfoot in terms of ones you'll ever see)

If you want an SLR, there are several, all discontinued, choices, but a 6x6 or 6x7 Bronica isn't unreasonable, and the lenses are often less expensive than the TLR ones.

Still, give them a try first, as the dedicated lens TLRs are compact in a manner which none of the other options are. A C220 with a couple of lenses is far heavier than your Yashica, which may matter when hiking.

 

[2Ldude]

There is a 6x7 for sale in the classifieds. (hint, hint).

 

[MenacingTourist]

Like others always say, "it depends on what you want to shoot". My first MF was the RB-67 (90mm and 180mm). I had a small studio to shoot it in and loved it. Last spring I moved to NJ and a much smaller living space. I got a Yashica-124, used it all summer long chasing the kids, going on walks and loved it. In 8 months I've used the RB once.

In my new life out here if I'm using a tripod there's a LF camera on it. Otherwise I'm shooting the Yashica or one of the Dianas.

I'd say go with whatever sounds like the most fun.

 

[fotch]

One of the all time best and a classic.

Baby Speed Graphic (or Crown or Century) is light weight and does nearly everything you will ever need. 6x7 Roll film back. Or, full size 4x5 with 6x7 roll film back. This use to be the most popular camera for pros. Can do some of the jobs of a View Camera, Field Camera, Extreme Close Ups, Rangefinder Camera, Point & Shoot, has interchangeable lens, backs, and is very rugged. Very little to go wrong compared with the more complex camera.

If you decide to get a bigger enlarger, 6x9, you can add another back. Or, 4x5, etc. Did I mention interchangeable roll film backs with different films in it or preloaded. Price these against other SLR backs for blads or other similar.

Always one of my favorites.
JMHO
Jim

 

[Mike Kovacs]

What exactly are you after? Portable and light weight? Suitable for handheld shooting? Close focusing? Interchangeable film magazines? Leaf shutter? Its difficult to find one camera that can do it all.

My approach is to use TLRs for the portable, light weight and handheld role, and an interchangeable lens 6x6 SLR system for the remainder of my requirement. Any 6x6 or 6x7 SLR system should work well - there were really none made that weren't intended for professional use.

 

[Tony Sipes]

Thanks to all for for your responses. This gives me some good ideas to think about as I begin to look for my next medium format.

 

[darinwc]

Coming from a yashica, here are some good options for you:
1. A Rolleiflex with a planar lens would be a nice straightforward upgrade and would not cost you too much. Many people rave about the quality of the Rolleis.
2. you said you wanted more lens options. As mentioned before a mamiya TLR would fit the bill. the C330 has all the bells and whistles but i found it was excessive. I prefered the C33 with auto shutter cocking but otherwise simple design (and can be had for a song on ebay!). However both of these are heavy and clunky compared to the yashica. The C220 is much lighter that either but you have to cock the shutter separately from the film advance. There are alot of lenses out there and they vary widely in date of manufacture, amount of use, and thus quality i suppose. i havent heard too many stellar reviews of the optics either. But im not a regular user of them. I have a c33 i dust off every once in a while.
3. i wont go into the various MF SLR's, but suffice it to say they are all bigger, heavier, and very expensive. The mamiya is the biggest (ITS FRIGGING HUGE!), but also probably the cheapest for a system. The mamiya is reliable, straightforward, and good quality though. Again, people dont fall in love with the lenses except maybee the latest KL's. The 'Blads are beautiful, compact, have wonderful optics, but are the most expensive of the bunch.
4. Dont count out the graflexes either. they have many lenses available or even adaptable. The rangefinder can be adjusted for any one lens (takes a couple hours but its dead-on accurate) The common lens on them is a 101mm raptar or ektar which is ok, some have an 80mm f2.8 Xenotar which is a fabulous lens (i have one).
5. Another option is the rangefinder cameras including mamiya press, mamiya 7/6. graflex Xl, koni omega, and Fuji. These all have good quality lenses and may have a good option for you in one. I havent owned any so i will not comment.

 

[darinwc]

on a side note, dont think about it in terms of what is the best camera, but what camera will fit you best.

 

[ricksplace]

I have a yashica, Rollie, and a few other tlrs, a Pentacon 6tl with lenses from 45 to 250mm and a Century Graphic. The century graphic (6X9) is the most versatile of the bunch. I put a 100/4.5 (four element) lens from a Kodak Monitor on a lens board and tried it on the Century. The results are excellent with more of an "old-world" look than the 80/2.8 Xenotar that I use as a standard lens. Some other lens-shutter examples I have are 105/3.5 Colour-Heliar, 135/4.5 Tominon and 170/6.3 Zeiss Kodak Anastigmat (!) A few roll film backs (RB67 backs fit) and you are ready to go.

 

[David Henderson]

As a user of two MF systems myself, i found that there was only a point in getting the second if it would help me get different shots than I could obtain with my Bronicas. So I bought a 67 rangefinder , that gives me a different format, better portability, a less conspicuous appearance that means I get to photograph in places where 'porfessional' cameras are discouraged. I get to avoid a tripod in large measure, and I get to make great, flexibly sized panoramics by cutting them right out of the 67 film.

 

[Robert Budding]

I use a Bronica RF645 as a carry-anywhere camera. The body and 3 lenses are about the same weight as a 35mm SLR kit. A rangefinder does have limitations, but at least it's light and compact enough that I'm likely to have it with me.

The Mamiya 645 is excellent, too. But the flash sync is slow unless you buy a leaf shutter lens. Excellent lenses, but not as quiet and compact as a rangefinder.