compact medium format camera

xya · Apr 14, 2020

my personal advice: go for the GA series, but not for the ZI. I had a GS as well, nice, but in no way as handy as the autofocus GA. you can concentrate on framing and forget about the rest. the GA cameras are real workhorses. for some more information have a look at my website http://www.120folder.com/ . otherwise, depending on the size of your prints, consider a compact 35mm camera, good film material and a good lab. there is a wide choice. I have tested quite some of them at http://www.135compact.com/

John Koehrer · Apr 14, 2020

When you check the bay, look at the completed listings; that will tell you what things have sold for.

GRHazelton · Apr 14, 2020

As a happy owner of the Pentax 645n, do note that while the camera will furnish autofocus with autofocus lenses, those lenses are really expensive, probably driven by the 645 digital cameras, which can use them. Indeed, many of the manual focus 645 lenses have jumped in price after the digital 645 was introduced. Note that the 645n furnishes a focus indicator in the viewfinder, and an optional audio "beep." The manual focus lenses have smooth, easy action and are a pleasure to use..

I personally would avoid the original 645. Its user "interface" is clumsy, the viewfinder is dark by comparison with the 645n and 645nii, and it lacks the focus indication. The only substantive difference between the 645n and 645nii is the mirror lockup on the nii. According to The Luminous Landscape the lockup is really not need.

mgb74 · Apr 14, 2020

muhco3 said:
well the P645N might not be the lightest camera in the world but it is relatively small(it almost weights 2 Lb) But in comparison to other medium formats such as bronica ETR/SQ series it is considered small

First, before you lump together (with respect to size) the ETRS and the SQ, do some research. They are very different in size.

I've had both the Pentax 645 and the ETRS. I haven't compared them side by side, but - based on memory - I'd say they are very similar in size with perhaps a slight edge to the Pentax when compared to the ETRS with speedgrip.

abruzzi · Apr 14, 2020

GRHazelton said:
The only substantive difference between the 645n and 645nii is the mirror lockup on the nii.

While it may net be terribly substantive, the NII allows the camera to be configured for 15 frames per roll instead of 16. Some people have claimed that if shot at 16 frames per roll, and left to sit for a period mid-roll, a bend in the film can cause flatness issues, which don't occur in 15 frame mode.

mgb74 said:
I've had both the Pentax 645 and the ETRS. I haven't compared them side by side, but - based on memory - I'd say they are very similar in size with perhaps a slight edge to the Pentax when compared to the ETRS with speedgrip.

The ETR cameras have a size benefit in that they can be shot in much more diminutive form with no grip and waist level finder instead of prism, where the Pentax always has the grip and prism.

mgb74 · Apr 14, 2020

abruzzi said:
The ETR cameras have a size benefit in that they can be shot in much more diminutive form with no grip and waist level finder instead of prism, where the Pentax always has the grip and prism.

Very true. And even if you don't have the ever elusive crank, you can still wind the film.

muhco3 · Apr 17, 2020

Thank you very much for your help , some of you really help and others (have tried to bully me abut the difference between Bronica SQ and ETR )
I have decided to get the Fuji GA645ZI for now , and maybe in the future I'll get a 6x6 camera .

Stay safe .

eli griggs · Apr 17, 2020

Good luck and Stay Safe and Healthy,
Eli

Alan Gales · Apr 19, 2020

GRHazelton said:
As a happy owner of the Pentax 645n, do note that while the camera will furnish autofocus with autofocus lenses, those lenses are really expensive, probably driven by the 645 digital cameras, which can use them. Indeed, many of the manual focus 645 lenses have jumped in price after the digital 645 was introduced. Note that the 645n furnishes a focus indicator in the viewfinder, and an optional audio "beep." The manual focus lenses have smooth, easy action and are a pleasure to use..

I personally would avoid the original 645. Its user "interface" is clumsy, the viewfinder is dark by comparison with the 645n and 645nii, and it lacks the focus indication. The only substantive difference between the 645n and 645nii is the mirror lockup on the nii. According to The Luminous Landscape the lockup is really not need.

The lenses shot up in price on the introduction of the 645D. I knew it was coming so I purchased a 400mm FA lens for $400. I held onto it for over a year and after the 645D was released I put it on eBay and it sold for almost $1300.

I've owned all three of the cameras. I agree with you about the original model but some say it is easier to focus the manual lenses with the original model. I used FA lenses on the N and Nll except for the 35mm manual focus lens I owned.

You are correct about the mirror lock up being unnecessary. The thing I really liked about the Nll was the finish. It's not as pretty as the N but the Nll finish hides scratches a lot better.

compact medium format camera

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