'Coolest' Medium Format Camera?

[E. von Hoegh]

What about the Hasselblad EL? Having gone to the moon makes that model camera interesting and the moon camera specifically quite cool.

Alternately very cool and very hot. The moon camera(s) are still on the moon. If you insist on coolness being equated with having been on the moon or not, then men are cooler than women, no woman having stood on the moon.

 

[Richard Jepsen]

I define cool as neat, has the wow factor, draws attention, etc.. Plastic does not make the cut. The choice has to be a classic & therefore a mechanical wonder. My vote is for the Rolleifex TLR. So refined dressed out in a simple black cocktail dress.

 

[Ian Grant]

I've gone back in time getting a 6x9 Ensign Speed Film Reflex with the fastest lens it was sold with a 4" f3.4 Aldis Butcher. I need to replace the shutter curtains and then . . . . . . . start shooting.

Will post some photos in a day or two in a seperate thread.

Ian

 

[Jerevan]

Ian,

how's the other projects going - the one with the new-made mirror (Thornton-Pickard?) - you seem to have gotten into the restoration business.

 

[Ian Grant]

My restorations go in fits and starts at the moment depending on time constraints and demands at home (I'm my mothers carer as she has dementia plus getting my house restorations finished to sell it).

Apart from the TP Ruby Reflex I have 5 TP (or similar) roller blind shutters in bits needing new shutter curtains then re-assembly, I've french polished the cases just need to clean the brasswork etc as well. On top of that I'm doing odd restoration jobs for others inc parts for a US restorer like a 6'x8" shutter curtain for a RB Reflex Graflex, bellows and screens etc.

Ian

 

[mhcfires]

When I use a RB Graflex (2 1/4 X 3 1/4), people want to know what I do...

+1 Great cameras

 

[JPD]

For me, it's an Art Deco Rolleicord. I'm still looking for a clean example that's 100% functional.

I have one! The Art Deco Rolleicord isn't only a photography tool, but also something you can wear. Suit or shirt doesn't matter, you will look like a gentleman. That the Carl Zeiss Triotar is a fine lens doesn't make things worse.

 

[Diapositivo]

Looks like a carbon-fibre finishing.

 

[Jim Jones]

My other vote would be for the Kodak Medalist. Only gripe with this one is having to respool onto 620. Other than that, an outstanding camera that would double as a hammer if you put it on the end of a stick.

Yes, indeed. A fine performer in addition to being an odd camera in looks and operation. Runner ups would be Andy's RB Graflex and a Speed Graphic or Century Graphic.

 

[Absinthe]

Unfortunately you are asking for medium format, but just on cool factor alone consider these:

http://boyofblue.com/cameras/hiv.html

 

[Slixtiesix]

That is pretty weird! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Uncle Bill]

Rolleiflex, either an E or F.

 

[naaldvoerder]

Would a Contax 645 be "cool", or way "uncool"?

 

[Slixtiesix]

There is no such thing like an uncool medium format camera

 

[nicholai]

The red and gold seagull TLR. Oh my goodness.

 

[hoffy]

What a cool thread! We can have fun after all, right ;-)

I'm going to vote for the Koni-Omega (from my experience). I get asked A LOT of questions about that when its out. Of course, there are plenty others. The Blad Super Wide that was posted a few pages back, that is beyond sub zero cool.

As for Uncool MF camera's, I'd have to say the Bronica SQ, ETR and GS series. They are so much tradesman tools that they could never be cool

 

[lxdude]

As for Uncool MF camera's, I'd have to say the Bronica SQ, ETR and GS series. They are so much tradesman tools that they could never be cool

Horseshit. Tradesman tools have their own kind of cool. Part of the cool of a Hasselblad is that it's such a capable tradesman tool.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Another vote for the Rolleiflex 2.8 E. It just has "the look". And that Planar lens... what can I say but awesome?

 

[E. von Hoegh]

The Uber-Cool MF camera is the Linhof 2x3 Super Technika.

 

[Heinz]

The Uber-Cool MF camera is the Linhof 2x3 Super Technika.

Yes! I like mine also very much - with 47mm f8, 65mm f6.8, 90mm f6.8 (small for a lot of front shift), 105mm f2.8, 180mm f5.5 and 360mm f5.5. The 65mm, 105mm and 180mm are rangefinder-coupled.

 

[Steve Smith]

We should have a list of all medium format cameras with their coolness factor expressed in Milli-Fonzies.


Steve.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

We should have a list of all medium format cameras with their coolness factor expressed in Milli-Fonzies.

Steve.

No. Temperature, measured on the Kelvin or Rankine scale. Fonzie was an ignorant yutz, not to mention a character on a TV show. TV is highly uncool.

 

[Steve Smith]

TV is highly uncool.

TV measures a mere 0.02 milli-Fonzies.


Steve.

 

[E. von Hoegh]

TV measures a mere 0.02 milli-Fonzies.


Steve.

You could at least give a conversion chart or formula.

I propose degrees Rankine, Kelvin is already used for color temperature.

 

[Marvin]

I will just vote for what I have Bronica ETRSi.