Inexpensive 6x9 ?

colivet said:

I bought a Zeiss Super Ikonta 6x9 with the 105 mm. Jena tessar type lens.

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With respect to the Tessar in the 6x9 Ikontas I owned one (coated) and was a bit diasppointed. This front-focussing design performs nowhere near to the tessars in the Rolleiflexes even when well stopped down. They are decent but so are the better cooke-tripplets like the Agfa Apotar if used around their optimum aperture. In a word: Don't pay a premium for famous names like "Compur" or "Tessar". A light-tight bellows and working shutter together with a clean and well aligned three-element lens may deliver everything you could ask for.

For a cheap way to try 6x9, I got an Agfa/Ansco Viking. The pictures are very sharp, and the exposures seemed to be spot on. However, with this brand you need to watch out for two things - the bellows might be shot, and the shutter lube may have turned into glue over the years. In my case, I lucked out. You do have to pay attention when using it; did you advance the film or did you not advance it? On the other hand, if you want to deliberately do a double exposure, it is so easy to do.

To come back to the beginning of this thread, my father saw by accident the email I sent to my mother, suggesting we pair up and buy him a 6x9, so we found out upfront that he wouldn't need the camera, having already enough equipement for his taste.... But I think _I_ may like a nice 6x9 now!! Infinite thanks to the knowledgeable people in here, I will keep this thread near at hand.

I just went back to check - I paid EUR 27.50 for the Voigtländer VAG 6.5x9cm with 10.5cm f:4.5 Skopar lens, six plate holders, and bag. Then I paid about the same amount for a rollfilm holder and four sheet film inserts. All in all less than $90 for a perfect folding plate/film/rollfilm camera with basic movements, in near-mint condition...

I'm with JimGalli--A Mamiya Press with a 90/3.5 (a Tessar design) will smoke just about any folder out there, and when you've got a little more money you can upgrade to better glass, like the Planar-design 100/2.8 or Biogon-design 50/6.3. These are robust cameras that (other than sometimes needing rangefinder adjustment) stand up very well over time. Folders are far more likely to have serious mechanical issues.

Just watch what back you're getting--there are a lot more 6x7 backs out there than 6x9s

Sure, a Mamiya Press will have fewer alignment issues than a folder. But I can put any of my 6x9 folders (even the bulky Moskva-5) in a coat pocket -- and I challenge the Mamiya to make a negative distinguishable from those out of my 1928 Voigtlander Rollfilmkamera, barring flare from the uncoated lens or enlargments bigger than about 16x24 inches...

Here's beauty - there are cheaper ones, but not many nicer! http://www.ritzcam.com/catalog/index.php?category_id=1130

Ole, mine is the Rollfilmkamera model, the direct precedent to the Inos I. It's 6x9 only (Inos was 6x9/6x4.5 with double framing windows) and has simpler accents etc., but otherwise very similar; it has a 10.5 cm f/4.5 Skopar in rim-set Compur with unit focusing, pull-out front standard rather than the self-erecting type that started to show up in the late 1930s, and no body release -- but the waist level finder is clear, clean, and bright, so I can cradle the camera and release with a thumb, and hand hold dead steady about 90% of the time down to 1/25, and effectively 100% at 1/200. This was surely a very expensive camera in 1928. I've been tweaking and tuning it since I got it.

What'd I give for it? I traded a lens and shutter. I got the combination of 105 mm Dominar Anastigmat and Press Prontor for $10, with the shutter jammed solid in the open position (based on how it was mounted, I think it had been used for enlarging), repaired and cleaned the shutter, and machined the mount into a retaining ring, then fabricated a lens board to fit a Baby Graphic. Since I have more time than money just now, it was a pretty good deal...

I'd love to have a Bessa rangefinder, or the 6x9 Prominent (with Heliar, please), but until I find my gold mine, this Rollfilmkamera will do the job nicely...

I just recently sold a Mamiya Press 23. It is a great camera with great lenses, but they have to be one of the heaviest and bulkiest hand held cameras out there. I couldn't carry it on long walks. I have a Century Graphic that weighs much less and folds much more compact and will match the optical quality. It's my first camera of choice for serious work.
I keep a Moskva 5 loaded for a grab camera. The pics I've taken with it look just as good as my heavier cameras, but I haven't made any big enlargements from it yet. Smaller prints look very sharp and contrasty. Moskva's do vary in quality, though. I had to buy two to make one good one, so be careful where you buy.
I also have a Wirgin Auta that is even lighter and more compact than the Moskva 5. It has a 105mm f=4.5 Gewironar triplet lens with four shutter speeds (25, 50, 100, 125) plus B. Stopped down a stop or two it takes great pictures and is very sharp and contrasty. If this had a couple of slower shutter speeds and a 250 speed as well, it'd be my pocket camera of choice. In the meantime, the Moskva 5 does an excellent job.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I have a Kodak Tourist II with an Anastar lens. This lens is as good as the Moskva 5 Industar lens. The camera origionally took 620 film, but can be modded to take 120. I did this this a couple of years ago (camera had an Anaston triplet on it then.) It takes a good afternoon's work and a dremel tool to convert, but works well when done.

Dave