Beginner here, looking for some advice :)

For a starter MF camera I would recommend an old Rolleiflex. Good working samples from the late 40's-early 50's can be had for less than $200 - sometimes for $100 or less - depends on condition. They are quite reliable and are also easy to use. For exposure, just pick up an old GE or other old meter ($10 or so and they usually work). Even Gossens can be had for $50 or so. If you get a cosmetically nice Rollei, you will probably get your money out if you ever sell it, and maybe make a profit due to the collectibility of these cameras.

Steve Perry

Forget about the cheap options. A camera is for life, save a bit and buy a Bronica. Not quite a Hasselblad but equal in lens quality. I'm not a TLR fan at all, so would always go for the SLR option.

Start learning to process film..it's easy once you get the film onto the reels!

all the best.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

I see that many people recommend TLRs. Is there any advantages or disadvantages to having a lens to frame the photo and another to take the actual image? I also believe TLRs have a limited shutter speed of around 1/500 of a second. While this is no major issue, I am trying to see what other benefits or limitations there are when using a TLR.

Again, I appreciate all of the help!

Hi Jason,

I own two MF-camaras a Rolleiflex SL66 (single lens) and a Rolleiflex Automat (TLR). As to my experience most of the pictures I take are with standard focal length. So most of the time I take the Automat. Only for special applications, which make approximately 10% of my pictures, I use the SL66.
The option of visually controling DOF is of limited use with apertures smaller than 5,6 so forget about that. especially for a camera on a tripod a camera internal lightmeter is of limited use (to say the least) either as far as you aren't doing macro work. Most of the time I make an incident light measurement once and then take my pictures. That's all about it.

cheers

Ulrich

SLR vs TLR? Well the TLR is likely to be cheaper, lighter, simpler to use (most of the time), and much quieter. On the other hand parallax can be a problem in close-up use, most of them don't have interchangeable lenses, and they're a pain in the butt when you want to use polarising or graduated filters. Good SLRs also have interchangeable film magazines (and Polaroid options).

Either way, as Ulrich says, use a handheld incident light meter rather than anything built-in – get away from a 35mm mind-set...



Richard

Jason good to see you here too

As you know, I am a rangefinder lover, and I don't think they can be beaten in terms of performance per pound. So if you are looking for something very transportable then they have a definite edge.

I am not anti-TLR, nor anti fixed-lens TLR; there are some amazing deals you can get, but thinking a little longer term: a fixed-lens system does constrain you somewhat. And if you're willing to accept that constraint, well then there is a world of excellent fixed-lens RFs (the fujis and some others) that will tuck into a jacket pocket.

Stepping back from my RF partisanship for a moment....

The best thing you can do is go to a good used camera store and try things and see what makes you productive. Look, with KEH you have a week to try the gear out and see if it fits you. What you eventually wind up with will be individually optimal for you. There will never be a solid consensus on which type of camera is right for a particular task. At first the diversity may seem bewildering, but consider the alternative: everyone using basically the same DSLR gear and therfore having roughly the same capabilities. I don't mean to rant against digital, but *equipment diversity* is why I came to apug.

jasonjoo said:

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

I see that many people recommend TLRs. Is there any advantages or disadvantages to having a lens to frame the photo and another to take the actual image? I also believe TLRs have a limited shutter speed of around 1/500 of a second.

Click to expand...

Shutter speed isn't TLR issue it's a leaf shutter issue. A SLR with leaf shutters will have the same sort of top speed. Only focal plane shutters have higher top speeds. Problem is focal plane shutters bring with them a different set of limits.

Most TLRs are fixed lenses. The ones that aren't will cost more. Most TLRs are older. Some people don't like the handling. If you hate a waist level finder then I don't know how many TLRs let you swap to a prism.

Do any of these things matter? That's up to you.

The information and help here is fantastic!

Keith, I too would really like a range finder, but the one I want (the Mamiya 6) is just far too expensive for me at this point. As for ordering, it will seem very likely to order from Keh. They seem like a very reputable dealer.

Nick, thanks for clearing that up!

The Bronica SQ-Ai seems like a cool MF camera. I'm heavily considering this option as it seems very customizable, and to my understanding, can easily switch it's back for different format operations (including 35mm, though I do have a 35mm SLR already). While looking at different outfits of the Bronica SQ-Ai, I've noticed that most on eBay have a "normal" viewfinder rather than the waist-level viewfinder (forgive my terminology, I am not very familiar with this all!) Will the "normal" viewfinder show the same sized image as the waist-level viewfinder? I've played with my friends Hasselblad and really fell in love with the HUGE viewfinder.

BTW, do you folks think the Bronica SQ-Ai would be a good starter camera?

Edit: Also, the SQ-Ai body themselves are very cheap on KEH, but I'm hoping that the lenses aren't too expensive themselves!

Thanks!

jasonjoo said:

BTW, do you folks think the Bronica SQ-Ai would be a good starter camera?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Sure! Hard to go wrong with those kinds of prices. Look, if your gear trajectory is like mine, you'll be cheerfully trying new stuff for years. Some things you'll love and want to keep, and other you won't. That's all part of the fun. Just go ahead an get in the game and enjoy what MF has to offer!

http://photo.net/equipment/bronica/sq-ai

Thanks for the link Keith. I'm going to slowly start building up the SQ-Ai within the next few weeks. Since the darkroom on campus takes a fee quarterly, and this school quarter is almost over, I'll probably start shooting in in the summer.

I think I may be getting slightly excited!

And one more thanks to everyone else that helped me out! I'm sure I'll have tons of more questions in the future, so please bear with me!