Can any mid century folder match a TLR?

cooltouch · Aug 12, 2019

Yes, in fact. My B, which is actually a BX (has the top mounted selenium meter), has the Zeiss-Opton Tessar. I looked for a long time before I found this particular model of the B or BX. This one is a late model with the Synchro Compur shutter and the coated lens. Probably early 50s or so. I consider this combination (Synchro Compur with coated lens) for the A, B, or C to be the best.

Kodachromeguy · Aug 13, 2019

cooltouch said:
Yes, in fact. My B, which is actually a BX (has the top mounted selenium meter), has the Zeiss-Opton Tessar. I looked for a long time before I found this particular model of the B or BX. This one is a late model with the Synchro Compur shutter and the coated lens. Probably early 50s or so. I consider this combination (Synchro Compur with coated lens) for the A, B, or C to be the best.

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What a beauty, magnificent. I do not even see any of the Zeiss bumps (screw head corrosion) under the covering. Does the selenium meter work? If so, that is extra amazing.

Ko.Fe. · Aug 13, 2019

Grim Tuesday said:
Right now my lightest and most compact medium format camera is a Rolleicord. It's around a pound and a half and while small by medium format standards, it is not necessarily svelte. Enter stage left, the medium format folder. The promise is a medium format camera that can be fit into a jeans pocket. But for me, to make it worth the hassle of carrying a medium format camera, the image quality must be good. It must surpass not only my Rolleicord but also my autofocus Nikon 35mm setup (in other words, the best 35mm has to offer).

So are there any cameras out there that can meet my requirements? It should be lighter than 850 grams, fit into a pocket and match or surpass the image quality of a Rolleicord. Bonus points if it has a rangefinder. Is it possible?

Image quality is subjective instance. Cord is only 6X6 with 80 something lens. Folder could be 6x9 and 105 lens. It gives different negatives from the Cord. Closer to LF.
And even 6x9 will fit into the pocket, while Cord never will.as good

Alan9940 · Aug 13, 2019

Ko.Fe. said:
Image quality is subjective instance.

So true! I just printed a couple of negs this morning from my Zeiss Super Ikonta III and, to my eye, they look fine; all the tonality and sharpness that I believe anyone would like in their prints. Personally, I love the square format and this camera is light enough that I don't need anything but my lightest carbon fiber tripod which means I can carry it anywhere.

Grim Tuesday · Aug 13, 2019

Ko.Fe. said:
Image quality is subjective instance. Cord is only 6X6 with 80 something lens. Folder could be 6x9 and 105 lens. It gives different negatives from the Cord. Closer to LF.
And even 6x9 will fit into the pocket, while Cord never will.as good

Not sure if image quality in that sense is subjective. It seems to me that it's either objectively better or worse than something else.

An interesting question is whether the combination of a folder and a tripod can be sharper than, say, a medium format SLR without a tripod, since they combine for about the same weight.

cooltouch · Aug 13, 2019

Kodachromeguy said:
What a beauty, magnificent. I do not even see any of the Zeiss bumps (screw head corrosion) under the covering. Does the selenium meter work? If so, that is extra amazing.

Yep, the meter responds to light, at least. I haven't bothered to check and see if it's accurate. I use a good handheld meter when I use it. As for the Zeiss bumps, if you look a little closer in the last pic, you can count five bumps, a few of which are pretty severe. That's one task I have ahead of me -- attempt to peel back the leatherette so I can remove the corrosion.

Alan, I'd like to get a Super Ikonta III one day. Probably the best of all the square format Super Ikontas. Until then, my BX will have to do.

Ko.Fe. · Aug 13, 2019

Alan9940 said:
So true! I just printed a couple of negs this morning from my Zeiss Super Ikonta III and, to my eye, they look fine; all the tonality and sharpness that I believe anyone would like in their prints. Personally, I love the square format and this camera is light enough that I don't need anything but my lightest carbon fiber tripod which means I can carry it anywhere.

I'm only keeping Agfa Billy Record as MF camera after trying many TLRs , SLRS and folders. It has two focus modes, close and else. Every time I look at negatives from it via scans, I'm astonished how much details its simple lens provides even without tripod.

takilmaboxer · Aug 14, 2019

I own and use an Ikoflex with a coated Tessar, and several Ikonta folders, also with Tessar lenses. The weight and mass of the TLR tends to aid image sharpness especially at slower speeds. However the TLR's interior is very smooth, which tends to increase flare; the lens needs serious shading. The folders' corrugated bellows acts as an excellent baffle for stray light, increasing contrast.
On balance I prefer the folders simply because I'm looking horizontally. The negatives are plenty sharp. And a 6X9 folder on a tripod will produce plenty of detail, almost like large format.

Can any mid century folder match a TLR?

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