6x6 SLR/RF suggestions

[Sanjay Sen]

I've been thinking of moving up to medium format, and the 6x6 format particularly interests me. I've seen a thread for beginner's MF suggestions, but I am interested in knowing what you think would be a good 6x6 camera to start with - SLR preferred, but I'd be interested in hearing RF suggestions too. Of course, money is a constraint.

(If you can point me to an existing thread that I may have missed, then I would appreciate it.)

Your suggestion(s) will be highly appreciated.


Regards,
Sanjay

 

[Jimster]

Hello Sanjay. I use and recommend the Bronica C, which is a 60s SLR. It is
heavy, completely mechanical, no meter. It is a lot of fun to use and I am
very satisfied with the quality of both the camera and the photos. These
early Bronicas (including S and S2) have a weakness with the wind gears/
shafts. If you buy one, make sure the seller guarantees its ability to take
pictures; advice for any used camera. Jim.

 

[Mongo]

I'll second Jim's recommendation. I use a Bronica S2a, and it's an amazing camera. Fully mechanical, built like a tank, razor-sharp Nikon lenses...it was my first MF camera and I still use it quite often even though I have much more technologically advanced systems in my arsenal.

One thing to be aware of with the C/S2/S2a Bronicas is a problem with the ground glass foam deteriorating, which throws off the focus of the camera. The fix is very easy, and is detailed at Dead Link Removed - it took me about 10 minutes to fix mine when I got it and the focus is still spot-on years later. (There is a lot of information about the Bronica systems at Dead Link Removed)

The Bronica system included lenses by Nikon and Komura, a bellows with tilt and shift features, a portrait lens with its own leaf shutter for flash synch at any shutter speed, a couple of different finders, and backs for 6x6 and 6x4.5. The camera has a focal plane shutter so most lenses only have flash synch up to 1/40th of a second, but the portrait lens with the leaf shutter fixes that if you need it. The focal plane shutter means that you can mount any lens on the camera that you can hack together a mount for...I've put everything from cheap plastic loupes to large format lenses in front of my S2a just for fun.

All in all, it's a very capable camera with many options available. You'll learn as much on one of these as you will on any MF camera. It doesn't have the cachet of a Hasselblad (and there are a lot more Hasselblad lenses out there than old Bronica lenses), but a starter system can be had very inexpensively. The cameras still be repaired if necessary.

Probably the best recommendation I can give you is this: When I was headed to Europe last year, I took the Bronica with me. I felt very confident that it would be a workhorse and that I wouldn't have any problems. I wasn't disappointed.

Best of luck with your decision.
Dave

 

[medform-norm]

There is of course the Kiev option. Get a good revised body from a reliable source, snatch some lenses from eBay, load her up and shoot away. Film transport will be an issue with most of them eventually IME, but there are good lenses available. Try to get a (Graflax) Norita if you want a similar camera with better quality. Last summer the deal of all deals passed on this, when a complete set w/ all lenses went for a mere $500...(I still have dreams about this featuring lots of missed busses and trains....)

Next route: Optika/Rittreck SLR, for formats from 6x4,5 to 6x9, takes interchangeable (barrel) lenses. Has interchangeable backs and a huge waist level finder. Interesting but rare camera. No shift lenses available and shortest focal length is ca. 92 mm, which can be a drawback for those who love the wider angles.

Getting a nice and cheap TLR is always a good and cheap option, but you have to like their limitations and features. OTOH, there are a lot of Mamyia TLR's on the market right now for low prices. Perhaps they're out of fashion....because they are heavy and bulky???

It may be a good thing to try and lend/hire a 6x6 SLR or TLR for a week or so and try out how it feels. Would save you some trial and error money spent on several different camera-types.

Good luck choosing - somehow your first MF camera is the hardest to choose, the rest come a lot easier

Norm

 

[JosBurke]

I'm a MF SLR user myself (Hasselblad) and really like the Hasselblad but suggest you don't discount the Rollei TLR's. A properly working 3,5 Planar or 2,8 (among others) is a fabulous camera. I have several and actually tend to prefer the TLR over the SLR in use though the TLR is not nearly as versatile as the Hasselblad but I think the optics are just as good plus no worry of mirror slap/vibration (an advantage to the TLR). I do suggest a split-image screen on a Rollei (Maxwell preferred) but then I prefer a split image screen on my Hasselblads too. I also have several RolleiFlex Tele (135mm Carl Zeiss Sonnar)models as well if that gives you an idea of my fondness of the RolleiFlex TLR's. You'll not lack for quality in the RolleiFlex and a good one can be had for about 5-6 hundred dollars. I also just pcked up a Mamiya 7II (Rangefinder) that I like the feel of but haven't procesed any film yet but it sure is easier to use handheld than the Hassy SLR or Rollei TLR. Dang I haven't helped at all!! Decisions-Decisions!!
Joseph Burke

 

[waynecrider]

You might want to look athe Mamiya rangefinders depending on your needs. Although I have not owned one, many do consider it sort of a classic.

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

If money is a restraint, possibly the Pentacon Six is a good buy. If you're stepping up from 35mm, you'll find it very handy. I owned and used one for a long time: it was a classic for beginners when other cameras had prohibitive prices. Prefer the Zeiss Jena lenses, which are of very good quality IMHO.

There is a recent topic of Kiev vs Pentacon, if you perform a search.

 

[Nick Zentena]

Right now the Bronica SQs are fairly cheap. If you can live with 6x4.5 the ETRs are even cheaper. If you can live with a bigger camera the Mamiya RBs aren't too expensive if you look around. A lot of the MF choices right now are very reasonable but the Bronicas tend to be more reasonable with Bronica having killed off the line.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

There's a Bronica S kit in the APUG classifieds right now at a very good price.

---

Nevermind. That one's sold. There's an RB system though, also at a very attractive price.

 

[Kevin Roach]

I went through the same process recently. I ended up with a Bronica S. The body w/wl, 2 lenses, 2 backs for $400.

I think the newer Bronicas could be had in the same price range. Or perhaps a little bit more. A Mamiya RB67 is in the same range. Hassleblad and Rollex cost more.

I decided on the Bronica S mostly because the lenses are much cheaper than other SLR systems. Damn nice lenses too.

 

[r-brian]

I've been using an used Broncia SQa for 10 years now and would never get rid of it. It has been through the swamps of south Florida and the sand of New Mexico and has never failed me. The lenses are great and I'm shooting the older S lenses not the newer PS lenses. And right now the prices are almost too cheap.

 

[msloane]

I'm a hasselblad user and with everyone dumping MF for digital you will be able to find a good deal on body, back and 80mm lens as a kit but additional lens are pricey. Also they make an A16 back if you ever want to shoot 6x4.5

mike
www.michaelsloane.com

 

[David Henderson]

If you get a Bronica bear in mind ( if you didn't know already) that the Bronica S lenses you see on eBay fit the SQ-Ai/SQA/SQ series of 6x6 cameras and not the much older Bronica S cameras that take different lenses altogether.

My opinion, for what its worth, is that Bronica equipment is now so cheap that there is little advantage to be gained from buying anything other than the most recent SQ-Ai or SQ-B bodies and lenses designated PS- being as careful as possible to ascertain that the equipment hasn't done a few weddings a week for the last fifteen years. I recently bought a virtually unused SQ-B ( which doesn't take a meter) with lens/waist level finder and back for £275 as back-up. I don't see a lot of point trying to save a little of that by buying an old and potentially hard-used camera unless you're interested in collecting as well as photographing.

 

[juanito]

TLR's as the Rolleiflex are very fine cameras with excelent lens. Small and lightweight. Not noisy also. Mine is a 1958 model with a 75mm tessar. German build quality. The viewfinder is not to bright but you can change the focusing screen in most cases. It's a joy working with. Outsanding image quality.

 

[ineffablething]

Norita 66. Big, but first class optics. I have the 40,55,70ls,80,160.240,and 400 lenses. They are all outstanding.

 

[medform-norm]

Norita 66. Big, but first class optics. I have the 40,55,70ls,80,160.240,and 400 lenses. They are all outstanding.

hey ineffablething! you are not by any chance the lucky man who bought the whole set two years ago in the summer of 2004 for a mere $500 off eBay? If you are, you are one lucky man! It really is an outstanding camera and I would love to have one as well - a complete set if possible, but a nice Norita with some three or four lenses is fine as well

 

[Sanjay Sen]

Thanks all for the suggestions!

I went and got me a Bronica SQ-A with a 120 back for 6x6, a 80mm 2.8 PS lens, and a ME prism finder for $300. Think it was a pretty good buy. Now I will have more questions for you all MF experts!

 

[Lowenburg]

Mamiya 6 for me!

Dear Sanjay,

I highly recommend the Mamiya 6 rangefinder. I've owned one for about 10 years and it's a terrific camera. I used it to shoot most of my book , and don't really have a bad thing to say about it. There are three lenses available for it (possibly 4) and I use the wide model. I also used the short tele, I believe it's 200mm or thereabouts, and it is also fine.

The thing that is so attractive about the M6 is it's simplicity of design, ease of use, and solid professional construction. The lenses, in my opinion, are easily equal to Hasselblad and the other major companies. (On the pro level cameras, all such discussion is really irrelevant, they all make great images). It's also a cool-looking camera, with the lens that recesses into the camera body for transport, and the shutter click is very quiet (and quite addicting).

Hope this helps - there are plenty of more technical discussions on this camera all over the Web, but this is just the testimony of a long-time user.

Bill
http://www.crashburnlove.com

 

[Soeren]

Though you have bought Ill give you my 0.02$ anyway

Ill second, third or fourth the SQ-Ai suggestion.
It's a fairly newmodel, cheap and the optics are great.
I still regret parting with mine and probably will get another one someday.

Mamiya 6 is a 6X6 RF you can find on the used market. I have seen reports about failing/broken transport mecanism which should be about the only weakness.

Not only are Hassys and Rolleis more expensive they also tend to be used hard by pros. At least here in DK, you get a worn down sample if you don't want to pay big bucks.

My first MF was a Yashica Mat 124G TLR. Though it makes great images it was not untill I got the Bronica I really got hooked on MF

If you look at 4,5X6 you'll find great camera from Pentax, Mamiya and Bronica.
I would probably look into Mamiya or Bronica for a SLR and look for the Bronica RF645 if I needed a Rangefinder. In 4,5X6 You can have cameras with AF from Mamiya and Pentax.

Regards Søren

 

[Sanjay Sen]

Thanks Bill & Søren for the suggestions. I will keep these in mind if (rather, when ) I decide to get a second MF camera!

 

[digiconvert]

No I won't recommend a Lubitel if you want an interesting experience ... Oh go on then I will suggest you get a cheap Lubitel for a challenge, the only camera whose value increases by 20% every time you put a film in it.

Welcome to MF sensanjay, I also own a Bronica (SQ-B) and my 35mm camera gets used less and less these days.