Affordable MF camera with meter?

gurkenprinz · Feb 5, 2010

Dear Friends,

I am hoping you could point me in the right direction for an affordable (max EUR 300/USD 500) medium format camera with built-in meter. As I am not much of a tripod fan, maybe something like a folder, rangefinder or TLR would be better than an SLR..

I usually shoot an old Meopta TLR in 120, and have enough experience in guesstimating exposure for negative film. But now I have somehow managed to be given half a fridge full of slide film in 120 - and I dont have confidence in my ability to guess exposure accurately enough for slides. And I certainly don't have enough hands to run around with my old Leningrad meter (which still has the GOST scale) and a pocket calculator, measuring and converting GOST to ISO all the time.

Please help me out with your suggestions and experience! I dont care about formats too much, although I really like 6x6 and 6x9, I am also happy with any other as long as it has a built-in meter.

Many thanks in advance,

gurkenprinz

2F/2F · Feb 5, 2010

Any affordable medium format camera plus an affordable incident meter.

If the Digisix were more affordable, it would make a great slip-on camera meter for your affordable meterless camera. Maybe you can find a used one for cheap.

verney · Feb 5, 2010

I have no experience with them but some of Fuji's range finders are within your price range. If SLR would be okay then Mamiya 645-series are nice cameras.

Jerevan · Feb 5, 2010

I think that it would be better if you like the Meopta you have and it is working well, to just get a good incident meter. If you do mostly daytime shooting, a Sekonic L-398 will do very well. If you still want to get another camera, I think you could get a Bronica ETRS or a Mamiya 645 with a metered prism for 300 - 350 euros, shopping around a bit. As for TLRs, there isn't much with a still working meter in that price range. In that case I suggest a Rolleicord. Folders? Look at the Zeiss Ikon Ikontas, for example.

What do you like to photograph? Landscape, portrait, street, close-ups?

Cainquixote · Feb 5, 2010

The mamiya 645e might work for you. Decent built in meter outstanding optics and you can throw czj lenses on it with an adapter.
The bronica 645 system might be an alternative. I haven't worked with it yet. Their 6x7 system is awesome. The meter is simple but reliable.

Ektagraphic · Feb 5, 2010

I Mamiya 645 system is outstanding. I prefer the M645/M645 1000S vintage.

gurkenprinz · Feb 5, 2010

thanks for the recommendations so far! As I am mostly shooting street and available light (no studio, usually, and landscape only when I stumble upon it), I would really prefer a camera with built-in meter to a handheld meter. For the same reason I dont really want an SLR which is rather big and slaps its mirror around.. I find I am shooting at 1/15 and 1/30 a lot.

verney, thanks for the Fuji suggestion, I am looking at the GA 645 series which is unfortunately a little bit over my budget, at least here in Europe..
jerevan, thanks for the pointer to Zeiss Ikon Ikontas - will see if I can find one with a working meter..

any other suggestions for metered folders and TLRs are very welcome!

Jerevan · Feb 5, 2010

The Yashicamat 124 is a TLR with a coupled, inbuilt meter. As is the later, probably more expensive 124 G. I don't know what the going prices are, though.

The Zeiss Ikons with meters are a more risky business as all of them have selenium meters which or may not work. The meters are possible to repair but I am not sure what that costs.

Laurent · Feb 5, 2010

Jerevan said:
The Yashicamat 124 is a TLR with a coupled, inbuilt meter. As is the later, probably more expensive 124 G. I don't know what the going prices are, though.

The Zeiss Ikons with meters are a more risky business as all of them have selenium meters which or may not work. The meters are possible to repair but I am not sure what that costs.

I'd go for a "plain" Yashica mat 124 and not a G, because the camera is the same, meter is the same, and it's better built. Only reason I could prefer a 124G would be it's age, but on the other hand, the later ones seem to be reported as being even worse. I never used my 124 for slides, but the meter was very convenient for negatives.

Cainquixote · Feb 5, 2010

another option would be a hotshoe meter.

Cosina built a few for their bessa range and their might be some other old ones floating about.

Pentax and soligor made spotmeters that included a neat little optic.

Other than the yashica mentioned above i'm having a hard time thinking up a non slr with a built in accurate meter that meets your budget.

Fuji and bronica both made them but i think they are out of your budget.

Mark Fisher · Feb 5, 2010

Yashica 124 or Pentax 645. The Pentax mirror is insanely well damped and it is a very "handholdable" camera. The Yashica will be better, but limited to one lens and no aperture priority

Ektagraphic · Feb 5, 2010

Going with the 645 format will offer you medium format quality and you will be able to get a whole 15 shots out of a 120 roll or 30 out of 220.

filmamigo · Feb 5, 2010

I recommend the Yashica LM. I had one alongside a Yashica 12 (precursor to the 124). I found the LM to be a little sturdier and more reliable. It has the 4-element Yashinon lens and the built in meter was surprisingly accurate. Makes a great street shooter.

Pupfish · Feb 5, 2010

I'm an SLR fan from decades of use of 35mm; the absence of parallax error in closeups is key for me.

I can recommend the Pentax 645N as a wonderful camera that has terrific metering (Dual 6 Segment evaluative, Spot, Center-weighted) and a bright beautiful viewfinder. I really enjoy using mine with the lens that I bought it specifically for, the SMC-A 35mm f/3.5. That said, there are some things that it doesn't do especially well. The well damped mirror does allow handholding with excellent sharpness at shutter speeds down to 1/15s and even 1/8s, but it comes at a cost of a long shutter lag. So it's really not the best camera for shooting action or candids. (But this will also be true of most MF SLRs, not just the Pentax.)

kwm · Feb 12, 2010

I recommend an early Yashicamat 124G. (until 1980)

The built in lightmeter ist good enogh for BW and CN films.

On the other hand I can see, that the 124G ist totally overprized in Europe.

Mine costed 398,00 DM and would reach nearly the same prize on ebay today.

Sometimes Rolleicords ( II - Va) are cheaper on this market-place.

vG

Karl

Affordable MF camera with meter?

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