Looking for 6x4.5 SLR

[rowghani]

Any suggestions? Not looking to crop 6x6 so please only give suggestions matching the title. Prefer manual focus with metering built in. Thanks in advance.

 

[Richard Man]

Hasselblad 203FE with a E16 back. $$$ though.

 

[Jerevan]

Mamiya 645 or Bronica ETRSi with a metering prism and a grip. Either is good, with a bunch of good lenses.

 

[macfred]

If money is no object : Contax 645
Otherwise I would go for :

Mamiya 645 or Bronica ETRSi with a metering prism and a grip. Either is good, with a bunch of good lenses.

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I have the ETRSI with 3 PE lenses, a metered AEiii prism (essential for portrait orientation - the AEiii has spot metering added) and the speed grip, but I prefer the WLF (unmetered - landscape orientated) for compactness.

 

[Cholentpot]

Mamiya M645.

It's a brick, it's old but it sure is nice to use. And they're cheap. Also if one part fails you can swap it out for another for not too much money.

 

[Harry Stevens]

Rolleicord VA/VB with a 645 mask kit, mine is a permanent fixture.

No metering of course but hand held is of course a option.

 

[itsdoable]

The original Pentax 645 has a nice selection of lenses, inexpensive, AE or metered manual, runs on AA batteries.

 

[spijker]

I have a Mamiya 645 Pro with the AE prism, the small winder grip and multiple lenses that I no longer use. It would fit your needs. It worked for me but I upgraded to autofocus. Let me know if you're interested,

 

[Sirius Glass]

You can avoid the fuss and bother by just shooting 6x6 and be done with it. A Hasselblad or Rollei would be good starts.

 

[Cholentpot]

You can avoid the fuss and bother by just shooting 6x6 and be done with it. A Hasselblad or Rollei would be good starts.

Some of us like to get 15 shots to a roll. I shoot less 120 because of the cost and getting those few extra shots feel nice.

Not that I would say no to a Rollie or a Hassel if one dropped in my lap though...

 

[chassis]

Mamiya RB67 with 645 back and metering prism. 645 backs are affordable and plentiful on the used market. This suggestion opens the door to 6x7 and 6x8 in the future, if (when) your tastes change.

 

[R.Gould]

For 645 I have a couple of folders, Ensign 1620 and ikonta 645, not slr's but take great photos and light and portable, plus I get 16 shots per roll

 

[ntenny]

Mamiya M645.

It's a brick, it's old but it sure is nice to use. And they're cheap. Also if one part fails you can swap it out for another for not too much money.

Amen to that. It's hard to beat the M645 for the ability to build a really good system on the cheap. It's the camera that basically replaced 35mm for me.

-NT

 

[Gerry M]

The original Pentax 645 ticks all your boxes. I have had M645, ETRSi, 645 Pro TL and kept the P645 over the others. If possible, best to try all for best fit for you.

 

[MattKing]

For 645, I either use my Mamiya 645 Pro or a 6x4.5 back on my RB67.
I value having the ability to switch film backs mid-roll, so within the Mamiya choices, I prefer those latter manual focus versions (Super, Pro and Pro-Tl).
There are definitely some complexities when trying to determine which accessories (grips, finders both metering and not and power winders particularly) work with which models, but all lenses work with all versions of the manual focus bodies. They even work with reduced functionality (manual focusing and stop-down metering) on the even later, auto-focus versions.
The film inserts will also work in all the manual focus bodies.
The biggest reasons for using the 645 backs on the RB67? The rotating back, and the fact that 6x4.5 slides fit in my projector.

 

[Fixcinater]

M645 is a great cheap entry. I bought a "for parts" 645J body here which I fooled around with for a while, sort of got it working, took a chance on an "untested" 1000S body from eBay which has been working flawlessly. If you don't need hot-swap capable backs (it takes inserts), it's a great option. I have the 80/1.9 and 110/2.8, like using it with the WLF over the prisms due to better ergonomics but meter prism works fine and they aren't expensive in general so get the later model one.

 

[Cholentpot]

Amen to that. It's hard to beat the M645 for the ability to build a really good system on the cheap. It's the camera that basically replaced 35mm for me.

-NT

I would love a 135 back for my M645. Did they make one? Or even a 135 back for my Bronica S2. I love the form factor of these cameras. If I could shoot 35mm through it I would be oh so happy.

 

[MattKing]

There is a 135 film back for the Mamiya 645 interchangeable back cameras - the Super, the Pro and the Pro-Tl. It isn't really a panorama back though - it just gives you a standard 24mm x 36mm frame.
The viewing system isn't great for 135, because you are using just a portion of the screen. There is a special purpose screen that originally came with a new back.
There is a reference to a "panoramic" adapter, but it is one of those silly things that just cuts down the height of a standard 24mm x 36mm frame.
I've never seen one in real life - just in the brochures.

 

[Cholentpot]

There is a 135 film back for the Mamiya 645 interchangeable back cameras - the Super, the Pro and the Pro-Tl. It isn't really a panorama back though - it just gives you a standard 24mm x 36mm frame.
The viewing system isn't great for 135, because you are using just a portion of the screen. There is a special purpose screen that originally came with a new back.
There is a reference to a "panoramic" adapter, but it is one of those silly things that just cuts down the height of a standard 24mm x 36mm frame.
I've never seen one in real life - just in the brochures.

Thanks.

Guess I'll stick with rolling into backing paper.

 

[wiltw]

For 645, I'd say that Mamiya or Bronica or Pentax would be fine selections. In part, the three are different in character, and each has its strengths.
Mamiya is a nice focal plane shutter camera, with optional metering prism automation
Bronica is a nice leaf shutter lens camera and a favorite among wedding shooters in the past due to the leaf shutters, with optional metering prism (and in the ETRSi with SCA module has TTL flash automation), but Tamron discontinued Bronica a few years after buying out the business.
Pentax is a nice focal plane shutter camera with integrated TTL ambient metering and a lot of the 'feel' of the 1990s era 35mm SLR

 

[Alan Gales]

I'd recommend the Pentax 645n or 645nll over the original 645. They are newer, have brighter viewfinders and real shutter speed dials. They also have matrix metering. You don't have to shoot the autofocus FA lenses with them as they will accept all the original manual focus lenses.

The Bronica and Mamiya 645 cameras are also good choices. I'm a Contax fan but the Contax 645 and lenses are very pricey.

 

[RichardJack]

For the price I don't think you can beat a Bronica ETRS with a AEII finder. It handles like a dream and has a very large and bright viewfinder. Most lenses can be found for under $100 on Ebay if your a careful shopper.

 

[wiltw]

For the price I don't think you can beat a Bronica ETRS with a AEII finder. It handles like a dream and has a very large and bright viewfinder. Most lenses can be found for under $100 on Ebay if your a careful shopper.

$300 today for a kit that would have cost over $3000 originally!

 

[mweintraub]

Also a Bronica SQ-A series with 645 back.

 

[macfred]

$300 today for a kit that would have cost over $3000 originally!

A German price list for the ETRSi system (in EURO) from the year 2004: