beginner medium format camera

[k_jupiter]

I too went from a fm2 to MF. I bought a c220 and a 65mm lens. In 1994. It took till about 2004 for me to get comfortable with the TLR. I love it but I have gone away from it again. I now shoot a rb67 with 65, 90, 150SF, and 180 lens. Still dirt cheap but as they say, a handful.

I think Ole hit it on the head... find a Super Ikonta 6x6 or 6x9. I really wouldn't mess with 6x4.5. Not that is a terrible format, but it's not enough different from 135 to justify the price. Go 6x6, 6x7, or 6x9. Be prepared to be amazed. If you luck into a Fuji rangefinder in your price range... jump on it.

tim in san jose

 

[Wishy]

Folder. Cheap. Lighter than the TLR. Guestimate focal distances are remarkably accurate.

 

[IloveTLRs]

I don't know about the rest of the world, but here in Japan Mamiya gear is really cheap. RB67s & 645s are selling for less than $200 (that's cheap.)

 

[B&Jdude]

WOW! Ole, I thought I was the only guy around doing any shooting with a Zenobia folder . . . a very simple to use 4.5x6 camera 1 - 500 shutter, f3.5 - 22 lens-front focusing. It's a VF camera, but I keep a Prazisa rangefinder in the accessory shoe, and use a Sekonic Auto Lumi meter. I can carry it all in one blue jeans pocket. My Zenobia was $23 including shipping.

 

[larsco2002]

The clear winner in my mind....

The Fuji GS645S Professional (the one with the crash bar on the front)

Rangefinder.. very accurate and visible dual image
Meter.. easy to use over/under type of read in the viewfinder
Modern Shutter... all mechanical. If the battery dies, you only lose use of the meter.
Durable, although very light. Many think them very plastic, but they have an internal steel frame.
Fixed 60mm lens... equivalent to the 40 you liked on your 35mm.
Still serviced by reliable camera repair facilities
Incredible images... lenses equivalent to anything that has been suggested in this post.
Not much bigger than your Nikon and probably a tad lighter. Very compact for a 645.
PRICE>.. the best news yet. $250 (bargain) to $400 (Excellent plus).
Should be available from KEH readily in various condition.
Frequently on eBay.

There is another .... the GS645W for wide. 40mm lens, BUT it's not a rangefinder. It is a scale focus camera. Because of the "extra wide" angle lens, often sells for much more than the GS645S Pro.
The scale focus is less exacting, but the lens has an inherently larger DOF to compensate somewhat.

 

[larsco2002]

WOW! Ole, I thought I was the only guy around doing any shooting with a Zenobia folder . . . a very simple to use 4.5x6 camera 1 - 500 shutter, f3.5 - 22 lens-front focusing. It's a VF camera, but I keep a Prazisa rangefinder in the accessory shoe, and use a Sekonic Auto Lumi meter. I can carry it all in one blue jeans pocket. My Zenobia was $23 including shipping.

I have about 5 Zenobias, including a Zenobia R... uncoupled rangefinder. Indeed, they are the "undiscovered and undervalued" small folder. All of them are in various condition, but they are all light-tight and they all work nicely. Great little shooter. Very close copy of a Zeiss Ikonta 516 645folder, with 4 element tessar style lenses. I don't think I paid over $25 for any one of the ones I have currently.

 

[fschifano]

A used Mamiya or Pentax 645 in good shape is a smart choice. The Mamiyas, in particular,are very inexpensive on the used market right now, and you get a lot of bang for your buck. They handle a lot like a 35mm SLR, have a wide range of very good lenses, and the negatives are almost the perfect aspect ratio for the most commonly sized papers. Some have interchangeable backs, which means that you can shoot different films without finishing a roll. You simply swap out the backs. There are some models of the Mamiya 645 with interchangeable finders, which means that you can use either waist level viewing or a pentaprism for eye level viewing.