I might be looking for a new camera (single exposure, fairly portable)

[TheYoungPretender]

You list of 'wants' is pretty much cancelled out by your list of 'nots'. As in, you are looking at a super heavy RB67 and don't want to use a tripod, which I don't think is realistically possible if you want to reliably take full advantage and use fine grain film.

Medium or large format is a slower way of working. So assuming you already have a 35mm camera slow down with that first and see if it suits you. Get some super fine grain slow film, use a tripod, use the lenses you have at their optimum apertures, use a cable release for vibration free exposure, etc. get some ND filters for long exposures, and you are almost three quarters of the way to a medium format way of working and getting excellent quality negatives. If it's simply equipment doubt you are suffering and need some inspirational fun put a different film in your 35mm camera, something like infrared and slow down with that (because you will definitely need a tripod), or rate a fast film at 3200 ISO and go all out for the grain.

If you enjoy the pace of slowing down, contemplating the scene, adjusting your tripod an inch to the left or right, and waiting for a cloud to come along, or a gust of wind to die down, you will enjoy medium format. You may also enjoy slowing down with the cameras you already have. But ultimately I think the type of camera your GAS is searching for will become self evident whether it's large or medium format.

I appreciate your input as it's always useful to hear the experiences of people that's been using the cameras I mention! Hearing about the ergonomics of using different systems handheld helps a lot and I've gotten some good feedback from people using Graflex Graphic's in different sizes and I've read some discussions from Graflex SLR users (even of the Home Portrait) as well and many of them seem to enjoy using their cameras and I did like the Series B that I tried.
I would not say that my primary goal is to fully take advantage of fine grain film - it's being able to be a little bit more flexible with my lens choices as well as being a bit more portable than whenever I lug any of my current large format cameras around. Unfortunately smaller formats have a tendency to lack those coices. I'm not completely opposed to bringing a tripod - just not my 10kg one!

Cheers

 

[John Wiegerink]

I got to thinking, after your last reply, that something like the Mamiya C330 might be just right. Pretty darn portable, very good to excellent interchangeable lenses, about every accessory you could imagine including a sheet film back and holders. I just checked the big auction and there is a back with four holders. I only found one on there, but it looks to be something that might work for you. Otherwise I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I got to thinking, after your last reply, that something like the Mamiya C330 might be just right. Pretty darn portable, very good to excellent interchangeable lenses, about every accessory you could imagine including a sheet film back and holders. I just checked the big auction and there is a back with four holders. I only found one on there, but it looks to be something that might work for you. Otherwise I don't know what to tell you.

The Mamiya C330 series has an arrow at the top the viewing screen to show the top of the parallax window for close ups or one can use the ParaMinder on a tripod to shift the camera up.

 

[GregY]

It's a tough call. The Mamiya C330 has fine lenses...but it not adaptable to different maker's lenses. The RB67/RZ67 is a massive beast to carry around. If I wanted to use sheet film i'd get a Linhof Technika or on the light side, a Buschman pressman. Why would i choose 2x3" sheet film when 120 roll film is much more convenient. Personally if i was thinking along these lines....i'd find the lens first ....a la David Burnett....
otherwise there are lots of good medium format cameras....

 

[pbromaghin]

The Mamiya TLRs (C22, C33, C220, C330) offer great flexibility in lenses: 55, 65, 80, 105, 135, 180 and 250 which need only 2 different filter sizes. As John Wiegerink points out, they make up a real system with paralax and bellows extension indicators in the ground glass, chimney and eye-level viewfinders, hand grips, and more. I find that a good substitute for a tripod is to adjust the neck strap so the camera is hanging at my chest and tripping the shutter with a cable while holding my breath and no hands touching the camera.

 

[John Wiegerink]

The Mamiya TLRs (C22, C33, C220, C330) offer great flexibility in lenses: 55, 65, 80, 105, 135, 180 and 250 which need only 2 different filter sizes. As John Wiegerink points out, they make up a real system with paralax and bellows extension indicators in the ground glass, chimney and eye-level viewfinders, hand grips, and more. I find that a good substitute for a tripod is to adjust the neck strap so the camera is hanging at my chest and tripping the shutter with a cable while holding my breath and no hands touching the camera.

Yes, I have owned the C33, C220 and C330f with 55mm, 80mm, 105mm 180mm. They are workhorses and I had absolutely no problems with any of the outfit. I will be honest that when I read what the OP was looking for this system didn't pop to mind. The only drawback I see is using some out-of-the-ordinary lens on the Mamiya TLR's body, but I'm sure some clever person could figure that out too.

 

[GregY]

Yes, I have owned the C33, C220 and C330f with 55mm, 80mm, 105mm 180mm. They are workhorses and I had absolutely no problems with any of the outfit. I will be honest that when I read what the OP was looking for this system didn't pop to mind. The only drawback I see is using some out-of-the-ordinary lens on the Mamiya TLR's body, but I'm sure some clever person could figure that out too.

"I would very much like to be able to take & develop single shots, not having to finish a whole roll.
If possible being able to use lenses with a more traditional character would be nice. I'm not really chasing sharpness. Adaptability would be a big positive."

"That can use lenses other than the "system lenses", preferably barrel lenses.
That I can use with sheet film if I want to"

 

[Paul Howell]

I think we are back to a Baby Speed or Graflex with Graflok back. Finding one with functioning focal plan shutter may take time and effort as OP lives in the EU. How common are Speeds and Gralfex's in the E.U.?

 

[Dan Fromm]

I think we are back to a Baby Speed or Graflex with Graflok back. Finding one with functioning focal plan shutter may take time and effort as OP lives in the EU. How common are Speeds and Gralfex's in the E.U.?

As has been mentioned several times already, there are other press/technical cameras.

The real problem here is that the OP has laid out a list of desiderata that aren't quite consistent. Kind people have been struggling to come up with gear that meets all that the OP said it wants and have failed. It wants single shot? Suggest a roll film camera. It wants to use any old lens? Suggest an interchangeable lens camera with a proprietary mount system for which a handful of lenses were offered. And so on. If I were king -- I am not -- I would send the OP to the woodshed and command it to think harder about what it wants to accomplish and to educate itself.

 

[GregY]

I think we are back to a Baby Speed or Graflex with Graflok back. Finding one with functioning focal plan shutter may take time and effort as OP lives in the EU. How common are Speeds and Gralfex's in the E.U.?

A Busch Pressman, available in both 6x9 and 4x5.... no focal plane shutter needed....or
Linhof, baby Linhof,..... Horseman....

 

[Dan Fromm]

A Busch Pressman, available in both 6x9 and 4x5.... no focal plane shutter needed....or
Linhof, baby Linhof,..... Horseman....

Right. Just the thing for barrel lenses.

 

[John Wiegerink]

I loved my 4X5 Busch Pressman to pieces, but if you're going to use old fashion lenses on that camera they had better be very small. The lens board just won't handle any lenses of size. I'd look toward a Speed Graphic with working focal plane shutter for barreled lenses.

 

[Paul Howell]

With a MF Baby Speed, smaller lens board for barrel lens, and how many are in the E.U.?

 

[GregY]

Right. Just the thing for barrel lenses.

There are lots of nice lenses w character in shutters...... as mentioned the OP has mentioned a wide swath of characteristics.....many that cancel each other out......
In shutters, Commercial ektars, Dagors.... all of which produce beautiful images....
The sometimes cheaper barrel lenses put another limitation. Sinar shutters or Speed Graphics in top conditions will blow his budget concern.
The quest seems like a pipe dream....when there are so many fine medium format cameras or camera systems to work with.

 

[MARTIE]

It often feels like the quest for a great set-up is the key to unlocking great potential but in truth, it comes at the expense of making great images.

Take it from someone who has scoured and collected great kit over the years, but who has very few images to show for it.

What I'm saying is, it's easy to blame the gear but it's easier to improve the kit than to improve the photographer.

 

[Dan Fromm]

It often feels like the quest for a great set-up is the key to unlocking great potential but in truth, it comes at the expense of making great images.

Take it from someone who has scoured and collected great kit over the years, but who has very few images to show for it.

What I'm saying is, it's easy to blame the gear but it's easier to improve the kit than to improve the photographer.

For more on this idea, see https://www.largeformatphotography.info/chasing-magic-bullet.html and https://www.largeformatphotography....nfessions-of-a-recovering-Magic-Bullet-chaser

Fantasizing about additional gear is a good way to avoid doing anything with the gear in hand. On the one hand, fantasizing without buying is a good way to avoid making a mistake. On the other, fantasizing and not buying can be a mistake. Whatever we do will be wrong.

 

[pbromaghin]

Fantasizing about additional gear is a good way to avoid doing anything with the gear in hand. On the one hand, fantasizing without buying is a good way to avoid making a mistake. On the other, fantasizing and not buying can be a mistake. Whatever we do will be wrong.

Paralysis by analysis.

 

[TheYoungPretender]

I think we are back to a Baby Speed or Graflex with Graflok back. Finding one with functioning focal plan shutter may take time and effort as OP lives in the EU. How common are Speeds and Gralfex's in the E.U.?

There are not a lot of them, in comparison to the U.S., but neither is it impossible to find one. I would say that there usually is a handful or so 4x5 speeds sold locally (not in the EU) every year. Furthermore, buying a baby speed from the U.S. seems to be about the same price as buying an RB67 body without a lens so it's not too much money in comparison.

I definitely know that I have a tendency to (and an interest in) trying out new equipment, especially lenses or cameras of general (historic) interest. Since my interest is not purely that of making the technically best images but also to experiement, play around, dabble in historic printing processes and seeing for myself "what the fuzz is" about a lot of vintage equipment and methodology, a lot of equipment tends to pass through my hands, but that is another question! With the weather being the way it is during the winter months, that tends to limit my abilities to go outside and take pictures any way which makes it a good time to look at equipment and print the few pictures that I manage to take when I don't trip over all of my junk.

I appreciate all the engagement and attempts at finding a good solution. There has certainly been some very witty replies as well. I've made my time up (for the time being) and I will begin by at least attempting to create a more handholdable solution for the speed graphic that I already own, to try out gg focusing as suggest by some by trying to find a good bracket/handle as well as making some kind of a viewfinder that works better than the pop up hood. If anyone has any suggestions on a good bracket, I would really appreciate that!

In addition to that, I looked through all of the options again and it is true, finding something within this budget that might meet all the criteria mentioned might be hard, but with a little bit of patience I think that it should be doable. The Mentor Reflex cameras seem to be the best fit since they actually accepts a lot of the lenses that I already own. While they are on the bulky side, they shouldn't be a lot harder to handhold than the 4x5 Auto Graflex or the home portrait graflexes, whatever that means in practicality, so I'll give it a go whenever an interesting option pops up for sale. There are a few on the bay currently but they are slightly out of reach (compared to a Graflex that would at least double my budget).

Apologizes if I might intially have been unclear about my intentions and if that has caused some confusion. Delineation was never my strongest skill.