Good starter medium format camera?

[Deleted member 88956]

The OP lost time, which has value. Perhaps the OP should have ordered three bodies, kept the best one and returned the others?

Exactly. + frustration which isn't cheap either.

 

[grat]

Exactly. + frustration which isn't cheap either.

In this day and age, I find frustration to be in plentiful supply.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

In this day and age, I find frustration to be in plentiful supply.

Cannot disagree, yet it has a long term negative impact. Some learn how to deal with it in most cases and KEH must be thinking everyone can.

 

[brainmonster]

So KEH refunded my order, included shipping both ways. I don't have a grudge against them and a lot of people have had good experiences, so I will continue to use them. Just being aware that mechanical cameras may always have problems.

Being more risk averse, I decided to buy a cheaper model. I ordered an Ikoflex Ia for $100, does anyone have any experience with this model and know if it's any good? Comes with a Novar-Anastigmat 75mm 3.5 lens. I've heard mixed reviews of this camera, but it seems fairly unknown and was cheaper and in very good condition compared to the Rolleicords listed.

At this point ANYTHING is better than my crap lubitel

 

[Grim Tuesday]

It's a very different camera, and one you may be pleased with. It's a different style, and from a different era, so no auto anything, and you have to be careful of old shutters being much more inaccurate than you might expect an electrically controlled shutter like the Mamiya to be. It's certainly not the exact camera I would recommend as a starter medium format camera because there are lots of things to remember like cocking the shutter and advancing the film, but Ikoflexes are generally underrated compared to their more famous Rolleiflex-and-cord brothers and sisters. They are quite nice cameras in their own right. Very simple and elegant design in my opinion, and the viewing screen is brighter to boot! Triplet lenses (like your Novar) can be very good, it depends on the manufacture and condition, and to some extent random sample variation. I've taken some of my favorite pictures ever on Yashica triplets which were the same style as your Novar. But even if you get a great sample, you are unlikely to be blown away with high resolution figures or extreme sharpness as you might have been with your Mamiya SLR. But, you may still get a nice image, some cool, swirly background blur, and a great picture out of it! The most important thing is to test your camera, and see if you like it!

 

[Donald Qualls]

I agree, a triplet can be quite good. My go-to folder (Voigtlander Rollfilmkamera) has an f/4.5 triplet, and at f/8 to f/11, it's capable of capturing the texture in an apple blossom's petals from six feet away. I've got several other triplets that produce excellent images on 35mm -- arguably a greater challenge than medium format, because it has to be magnified so much for viewing. If your Ikoflex is clean (and KEH cameras are usually that, for sure) and the taking lens and viewing lens are correctly synchronized (more likely than not, unless it's been serviced by a hamfisted amateur), you're very likely to get images you'll be very happy with.

One thing you will find; that ground glass won't be terribly bright indoors or in dawn/dusk dimness. The hood helps, and using the magnifier helps even more (because your head blocks background light) -- but that isn't a model that came with a Fresnel in the viewfinder; it's plain ground glass. Works fine in daylight, but not the best night shooter.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

So KEH refunded my order, included shipping both ways. I don't have a grudge against them and a lot of people have had good experiences, so I will continue to use them. Just being aware that mechanical cameras may always have problems.

Being more risk averse, I decided to buy a cheaper model. I ordered an Ikoflex Ia for $100, does anyone have any experience with this model and know if it's any good? Comes with a Novar-Anastigmat 75mm 3.5 lens. I've heard mixed reviews of this camera, but it seems fairly unknown and was cheaper and in very good condition compared to the Rolleicords listed.

At this point ANYTHING is better than my crap lubitel

Quite a switch, but Ikoflex is generally fine (it did come with a much better Tessar lens too, which I happened to have, but have not used it yet for shooting, mine is near new condition). It feels a bit fragile internally, so I would suggest to take care of it and go slow frame to frame. It is certainly far above Lubitel in every way. If everything works, it can deliver great shots, as plethora of cameras of that age and type. Screen is indeed on darker side, so focusing is going to be somewhat a challenge, especially with darker scenes (but I would not invest in a better screen, I don't think camera is worth it). I find people get put off with out of focus photos from an older TLR and quickly give up on a camera, where often it was inaccurate focusing that caused it, not the camera itself.

 

[Alex Varas]

I agree, a triplet can be quite good. My go-to folder (Voigtlander Rollfilmkamera) has an f/4.5 triplet, and at f/8 to f/11, it's capable of capturing the texture in an apple blossom's petals from six feet away. I've got several other triplets that produce excellent images on 35mm -- arguably a greater challenge than medium format, because it has to be magnified so much for viewing. If your Ikoflex is clean (and KEH cameras are usually that, for sure) and the taking lens and viewing lens are correctly synchronized (more likely than not, unless it's been serviced by a hamfisted amateur), you're very likely to get images you'll be very happy with.

One thing you will find; that ground glass won't be terribly bright indoors or in dawn/dusk dimness. The hood helps, and using the magnifier helps even more (because your head blocks background light) -- but that isn't a model that came with a Fresnel in the viewfinder; it's plain ground glass. Works fine in daylight, but not the best night shooter.

I agree with him, I have used many and older Ikoflexes and all of them were nice shooters.

 

[pagonzales]

sad to hear about your experience with the 645e. I had a 1000s with the 80 1.9, metered prism and the 645e grip, it was the sweetest 645 kit I used. Still regret selling it to this day.

Regarding the Ikoflex, all the Zeiss TLRs had decent to really good lenses but they were mechanically complicated and the interlocks tend to jam with age. For reliability I would suggest getting the simpler ones with red window for film transport. The mirrors also tended desilver so some examples may need a mirror replacement. The finders are brighter compared to similar era TLRs.

I loved the Ia I had that had a novar lens. The triplet lens has swirly bokeh and has a nice. rendering. Also have IIa with a Tessar but it jammed a year after a CLA so i dont use it anymore.