Best medium format folder value

[absalom1951]

I picked up a Zenobia several weeks ago for $45 in almost mint condition. Lens were a wee bit hazy so I cleaned them with vinegar and now they are clear as a bell.
I haven't printed larger than 8x10 from the negs , but the prints look very sharp .

 

[trendland]

And most of them have lower quality bellows that have developed pinholes. Only the late production of Isolettes have good real leather bellows. It's almost a rule that Agfa folders need work before they can be used.

Well I can not agree - I ordered 3 or 5 at once and all bellows are OK !

bad resolution caused from low light and tablet camera (shot is still made - because I take this camera with me today for shooting last frame of film)

with regards

 

[trendland]

[QUOTE="JPD, post: 2173774, member: 19473"Only the late production of Isolettes have good real leather bellows. It's almost a rule that Agfa folders need work before they can be used.[/QUOTE]

Oh sorry - yes that seams to be true (pre war Isolette/early 50s Isolette) may be ALL of mine are form later serial numbers (havn't check it up to now)!

with regards

PS : Remember I checked the bellows !

 

[pbromaghin]

Zone focusing is a piece of cake if the lens has depth-of-field markings.

 

[EdSawyer]

Kodak Tourist with the 101mm f/4.5 Anastar is among the best at any price, and usually available under $50 or so. Shutters can be finicky though.

 

[guangong]

Question posed was about the best value in roll film folder. The best camera for the buck is a Zeiss Ikon post war Super Ikonta B from 50s on. Great lens, coated 2.8 Tessar! Superior strut design that ensures lens and film plane are parallel (this is a serious weakness of most folders, including Voightlander), automatic frame advance (no red window after first frame), robust construction. Also, lens shades and filters available on internet.
The question was about best value, not the cheapest folder.

 

[baachitraka]

Agfa Apotars are no bad lens. Unique for portraits but in general all Isolettes need CLA and new bellows.

 

[baachitraka]

I may prefer dianas or holgas for its unique negatives. ;-)

 

[Martin Singleton]

I'm quite a fan of the Agfa Isolette, maybe I've been lucky but the 3 I've got have all had decent bellows (all post war models.) One had a sticky focus ring but a drop of lighter fluid cured that. Pocket sized when folded with a decent lens plus the most I've paid for one is £10.

 

[Ariston]

A lot of good advice here - thanks!

 

[Theo Sulphate]

The Zeiss Nettar 515/16 is 6x6 format. It has a direct optical viewfinder, scale focusing, apertures from f/4.5 to f/22, shutter speeds from B, 1 sec to 1/300.

They are very compact and rigid when opened. The bellows material is of good quality. This camera is fun to use.

Mine originally had a reversed rear element from someone's prior attempt at fixing something. That produced blurry fringe areas. After fixing that, the images are now normal, but I don't think this lens produces very sharp images - maybe it's just my camera. I don't know about the reputation of the Novar lens. At infinity the images are soft. Medium distance seems acceptable. Close up requires careful distance measurement at wider apertures. I've tried to choose f/11 or f/16 for best sharpness - not the usual f/5.6, f/8.

 

[bernard_L]

But we are not talking about a laser auxiliary RF - because we would not shoot at sparrows with cannons ?
What is that rangefinder about you mentioned? I just googled it but can't find it - but I remember Leica rangefinders out of the 30s!

Ha ha.
Have a look there. And that's just the most common brand; the Voigtlander ones a more pretty, IMO.
https://www.ebay.fr/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=watameter&_sacat=625
The prices seem higher than the amount I quoted (asking prices); but just check the box "completed auctions" and you'll see the real selling prices.

 

[baachitraka]

again not really folding but one that could last a life-time

https://www.flickr.com/photos/g-a-p/

 

[Jojje]

Mamiya-6.
Much better viewfinder than in Ikontas.

 

[trendland]

Ha ha.
Have a look there. And that's just the most common brand; the Voigtlander ones a more pretty, IMO.
https://www.ebay.fr/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=watameter&_sacat=625
The prices seem higher than the amount I quoted (asking prices); but just check the box "completed auctions" and you'll see the real selling prices.

Aha - I see (stupit from me because my spelling was wrong so I did not find it with google)
Yes thats looking mich more fine Bernard!

with regards

 

[baachitraka]

Choose the small aperture where there is still plenty of sharpness, for max DoF. Place the camera on tripod and shoot.

You can work that out for 2m, 4m, 8m....

 

[JPD]

The Zeiss Nettar 515/16 is 6x6 format. It has a direct optical viewfinder, scale focusing, apertures from f/4.5 to f/22, shutter speeds from B, 1 sec to 1/300.

They are very compact and rigid when opened. The bellows material is of good quality. This camera is fun to use.

Mine originally had a reversed rear element from someone's prior attempt at fixing something. That produced blurry fringe areas. After fixing that, the images are now normal, but I don't think this lens produces very sharp images - maybe it's just my camera. I don't know about the reputation of the Novar lens. At infinity the images are soft. Medium distance seems acceptable. Close up requires careful distance measurement at wider apertures. I've tried to choose f/11 or f/16 for best sharpness - not the usual f/5.6, f/8.

View attachment 222273 View attachment 222274 View attachment 222275

I had a late Super Ikonta with the coated 3,5/75 Novar for a while, and it was sharp. It had problems with frame spacing, though. A late Ikonta with coated Novar, or even Tessar, and red window instead of mechanical counter should be cheap and produce good sharp results.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Let's pretend for a second that I need yet another camera. What is the best value in folder cameras?... Lowest price for the best images. I may need it to have a rangefinder, because I am not well practiced in zone focussing; and I prefer it to be as compact as possible.

Brand recognition is not important to me at all, so value does not need to consider resale value, even though the big names can often be sold for what you paid, when you are done with them.

some folders are capable of stunning image quality and have excellent lenses. I have one from 1954 with a Schneider Kreuznach lens for example. Also,they are usually sold for little $. Mine was $25 but are often in poor shape(holes in bellows and frozen shutters)because they spent the last 50 years in a drawer somewhere.Just try before you buy. In general, the risk is low just as the cost.

 

[bernard_L]

I have one from 1954 with a Schneider Kreuznach

Radionar?

 

[pbromaghin]

I had a late Super Ikonta with the coated 3,5/75 Novar for a while, and it was sharp. It had problems with frame spacing, though. A late Ikonta with coated Novar, or even Tessar, and red window instead of mechanical counter should be cheap and produce good sharp results.

Yes, they are great cameras. I have a pre-war 6x4.5 Super Ikonta with a Tessar and a 1952 6x6 Ikonta with the Novar, and both have red windows and produce sharp, beautiful images.

 

[Ste_S]

Another vote for the Nettar, love mine. Always takes me by surprise how sharp photos are from it when you put modern films like Portra, Ektar, Fuji Pro, Delta and TMax through it

 

[M Carter]

A warning on the agfa folders, they have a bad habit of the grease used for focusing turning to glue..

I've restored an Isolette I and a III. No solvent would loosen that epoxy-like green gunk. I put the lens group in the oven at 200° for 40 minutes or so, and they unscrewed with a simple home-made grabber-thingie (some people use two hose clamps). Then they cleaned right up.

The III has an uncoupled rangefinder, and it was seized as well, same green gunk. I held a soldering iron to the threaded bolt where the lube goes and it eventually came loose; cleaned and collimated it and it is simply a kickass little camera now. Stopped down a bit and the negs are very close to RB sharpness. Really love that little guy!

 

[M Carter]

The Isolette III has an uncoupled RF that's very accurate. I've gotten good at finding eBay auctions that just say "Isolette" and look for the extra RF window. I think I paid $25 for my III, it has the Apotar which really surprised me with sharpness when stopped down a bit. I did have to bake the lens as mentioned above.

 

[abruzzi]

You ask for best value/money. Folders with a coupled rangefinder do not fit that description, because of status they command premium prices.

I have to disagree with this, though it may build down to a different interpretation of the term “value”

To me the “best value” almost never means “cheapest.” It is the confluence of low price with desirable features, build, condition—everything the things that you want in a camera. An scale focus only camera has a very low value to me because I am incompetent at guessing distance. So short of shooting everything at f16, most of my shots are out of focus, which makes the camera not a very good value.

 

[bernard_L]

I have to disagree with this, though it may build down to a different interpretation of the term “value”

I believe we both (and the OP) agree that "value" is not absolute value but best value for money spent. Where your personal case diverges is more:

because I am incompetent at guessing distance.

This can be improved through training, just like exposing without a light meter (up to a point). Try a guess, then see what the device has to say; learn from your mistakes.