Fastest MF camera to load?

[Richard S. (rich815)]

The Hasselblad is the fastest. You swap one back for the next back which you had already loaded.

By the way, after a while you learn load a roll of film quickly without swapping backs.

Yeah I agree with this nothing faster on the fly. Otherwise my Fuji GA645 loads pretty quickly.

 

[Nikonic]

Great responses.

About swapping out the backs. First, I would rather not have to buy extra backs. They're quite cheap, yes, but, many of one adds up. Seems like there are a few people on here who have ten lenses, five bodies, and all the trimmings--but that aint me.

Second, it certainly is fast to swap out the backs, but they have to be loaded sooner or later. And yes, 20 seconds IS a long time for me--as I suspect it is for many. It's not that I'm impatient, per se (I'll wait hours to get a shot), it's just that this is one area where I would rather be doing something else.

Third, those Hassy backs are bulky as all hell. I like to roll with just one camera, one lens.

 

[MattKing]

I have owned a Mamiya C330 and I have two Hasselblads. It is faster to swap backs on a Hasselblad than load a C330. Furthermore one can change film types mid-roll on a Hasselblad without wasting a frame or the rest of the roll. The Mamiyia C330 is much more fiddlely requiring flipping from one side to the other to set and cock some of the lenses. There is no such nonsense with a Hasselblad.

As regular APUG visitors will know, Sirius and his C330 did not get along well with each other, whereas he and his Hasselblads have bonded like family.

I'm just the opposite - when I used to sell cameras, I found the Hasselblad 500C awkward and difficult to handle and use.

Isn't it great that we have choices!

By the way, I think advocating for a camera with interchangeable backs in response to the OP's question is cheating .

And I can load my C330 faster than I can load the backs and inserts for either my Mamiya 645 Pro or my Mamiya RB67 - not much faster, but still faster.

 

[MattKing]

being left one-handd, this is an interesting subject to me. however, i'm afraidthe answer is 'digital!

Ralph:

I'm mostly left one-handed.

I have a bit of dexterity in my right hand (I can work the film crank on my cameras, but cannot accurately adjust shutter speeds or apertures).

A Mamiya C330 or 645 Pro with a left hand trigger grip works well for me.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Ralph:

I'm mostly left one-handed.

I have a bit of dexterity in my right hand (I can work the film crank on my cameras, but cannot accurately adjust shutter speeds or apertures).

A Mamiya C330 or 645 Pro with a left hand trigger grip works well for me.

Being able to focus with either the left or right focus knob probably works well for you, too.

 

[MattKing]

Being able to focus with either the left or right focus knob probably works well for you, too.

On the C330 and RB67, it certainly does!

For the 645 Pro, I like the focus assist lever on those lenses it fits on, because I can use that with my right hand.

 

[RattyMouse]

For me, the mamiya 7 is the fastest non-interchangeable-back loading. Compared to other cameras I've used, the spools pop in and out very easily. If I'm out with the hasselblad and shoot multiple rolls of a couple of film types, I'm not going to carry multiple backs for each film, so eventually I'll have to reload a back, and it may not occur at the most opportune moment... So loading speed is still a factor for me.

The Fujifilm GA645 would be even faster. The rolls pop out almost instantly and once the film is threaded, the autowinder does the rest of the job. VERY fast.

 

[Ghostman]

I am going to say Mamiya 7, but that's because it's the only non-interchangeble back camera I own in Medium Format. I can load it faster than I can load my Leica and can do it with minimum fuss, standing, on the go, etc...

 

[benjiboy]

Great responses.

About swapping out the backs. First, I would rather not have to buy extra backs. They're quite cheap, yes, but, many of one adds up. Seems like there are a few people on here who have ten lenses, five bodies, and all the trimmings--but that aint me.

Second, it certainly is fast to swap out the backs, but they have to be loaded sooner or later. And yes, 20 seconds IS a long time for me--as I suspect it is for many. It's not that I'm impatient, per se (I'll wait hours to get a shot), it's just that this is one area where I would rather be doing something else.

Third, those Hassy backs are bulky as all hell. I like to roll with just one camera, one lens.

You can't have everything, life is about compromise and you want the impossible, medium format photography is about a more leisurely and considered approach, you have a cannon not a machine gun, if 20 seconds is too long for you to reload and you need to reload M/F cameras far more times than 35mm ones and you don't want interchangeable backs then roll film isn't for you, I suggest you stay with 35 mm if you want to shoot film.

 

[laser]

A variation on the subject. What MF camera is easiest to load if you are standing and have no place to temporarily set down camera parts?

.

The Kodak Medalist.


You can simply hold the camera vertically, flip open the back so it hangs down, pop in the new roll, insert the tongue into the spool and turn the knob. If you try this with Rolleis and many other cameras you run the risk of dropping the camera.

 

[cjbecker]

It used to be quite important when I shot weddings!

You got me there. I shot a few weddings on medium format film and I just had 2 backs going and just made sure they did not run out together. Any down time i would be reloading the empty.

 

[cjbecker]

I also thought that the pentax 6x7 was fast and easy to reload.

My rolleicord sometimes gives me problems getting the take up spool seated correctly.

 

[Hatchetman]

The good thing about the Pentax 67 is that you don't have to take it off the tripod to load it.

When I first got mine, I had to put it on the tripod just to load it. I didn't have enough hands otherwise. What a pain!

 

[revdocjim]

I confess I haven't read every post in this 4 page thread, but with regard to all the questions about needing to set the camera down while reloading while shooting handheld, all you need is a neck strap. I think every MF camera takes a little getting used to, but that's part of the fun. Certainly cameras with removable film backs take a little more work, but then you have the advantage of being able to use multiple backs and preload them at home. I was glad to see cjbecker's favorable comments about the P67. It has a reputation for being hard to load, but I've never found that to be true. You just have to spin the spool a bit until it is properly seated.

 

[tessar]

I have 4 MF cameras of different makes and, believe it or not, my pre-WW2 Baby Bessa is the easiest and fastest to load. Voigtlaender's design used swinging half-cylinder holders for the film spools that line up the feeding roll perfectly with the film-advance sprocket. Works like a dream.
Otherwise not up to Hasselblad or Mamiya standards, however!

 

[piu58]

> if you are standing and have no place to temporarily set down camera parts

It is at least possible with the Rolleiflexes and Rolleicords. I own cameras fro whcih that requires artistic skills.

 

[j_landecker]

I will carry one back for color and one for b/w, but not 2 of each. Sure, if I run out of color I can switch quickly to the b/w back, but it's not how I like to work because if I've chosen color for a particular shot it's for a reason.

I carry both black & white film backs and color film backs. Sometimes I will take a composition with both backs. I spent a week at Yosemite at the beginning of December one year. I was only planning of shooting color, but it had just snowed and after shooting a few scenes in color, I ended up shooting only black & white the rest of the time. I have some fantastic photographs from that trip. Be prepared for anything and wonderful opportunities arise.

Also when I am using the Hasselblad I already have the 50mm, 80mm, 150mm, 250mm lenses, the filters, close-up rings, 2X adapter and a 903 SWC available. How much more trouble does it take to have an extra film back too?

 

[revdocjim]

Rangefinders and the P67 have the distinct advantage of working like a 35mm SLR. You just swing open the back and do your thing; thus no removable parts that require another hand or pocket while reloading.

 

[EASmithV]

+1 for hasselblad and film backs

 

[Sirius Glass]

Rangefinders and the P67 have the distinct advantage of working like a 35mm SLR. You just swing open the back and do your thing; thus no removable parts that require another hand or pocket while reloading.

But if you need to change film mid=roll, you loose the rest of the roll. If you are using a slower film during the day and have 10 exposures on a 36 exposure roll and you need to change to high speed film for available light photography are you going to waste 16 exposures on the first roll?

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I never had a problem loading my RB67 or the Rolleiflex TLR 2.8. Usually I can to it within 5 years!

Jeff

 

[studioesper]

Fuji with bar coded fuji film. no need to align start marks, no 120220 setting or set ISO.