Looking for a medium format folder with a good viewfinder/rangefinder

P C Headland

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Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
822
Location
New Zealand
Format
Multi Format
The Super Fujica-6 folder has a pretty good viewfinder. It's got a decent unit focusing lens and its film advance gives nice evenly spaced frames. There seem to be a good number for sale on eBay these days.

The next best I have are the Iskra and Super Ikonta III. My Iskra is in fully working condition, the film loading the simplest of any 120 film camera I have with nice even frame spacing. Many for sale these days have been converted to red-window. The Super Ikonta III frame spacing can be a bit tight unless you wind a little beyond the start line before closing the back.
 

Helge

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Joined
Jun 27, 2018
Messages
3,938
Location
Denmark
Format
Medium Format
The Fuji folders are far bigger and heavier than the equivalent 50s folders.
Stopped down to 8 the old folders produce practically indistinguishable results.
The non motorized variety doesn’t include the 16nth frame for spacing reasons. While not an absolute dealbreaker, it’s not good for film economy or time/redundancy. Some of the reason for shooting 645 goes away.
And also the issue with the bellows…

The Isolettes with Solinar lenses are superb. The folding mechanism is second to none. Very stiff, rigid and clicks into place in a uniquely satisfying manner.
Also the film loading, with the fold out holder is just butter when you are used to the Ikonta blade springs.

Unit focusing vs. front cell focus is vastly blown out of proportion. Theoretically one is superior to the other.
But only at the extremes at the focus scale and only full open and mainly at the edges of the frame.

If you shoot at infinity or close up you will almost always tend to stop down and/or place the subject close to center.
What’s more where FCF fall the most short, is in distances closer than a meter.
Most folders can’t even focus that close due to lens - film plane distance and parallax from finder.

For closeups just use diopters and a measuring tape.
It’s works very well.

Mechanically there is very good reason why FCF was so popular with folder manufacturers.
It makes the whole lens/shutter assembly much more rigid, precise and light. You also avoid having to retract the lens to infinity every time you fold.
That’s OK on a small Retina where the spans of material is much smaller and therefor stronger, but with a folder it’s very easy to bend something in a moments inexperience/stupidity.
 
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henryvk

Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2021
Messages
380
Location
Europe
Format
Medium Format
No Super Isolettes under 600-700€, unfort... I'd probably get a Fuji GS645 Pro for the same price instead.
 

Alex Varas

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Joined
Mar 24, 2018
Messages
822
Location
Bilbao
Format
Medium Format
I wear glasses and I have tried some folders now, in these next models I can see the square frame with glasses “on”

Postwar Nettar
Mess Ikonta 524/16
Super Ikonta 531/16 - 534/16
Super Isolette
Isolette III
Iskra
Welta Weltur (all 3 models with silver top cover)

Being winners Weltur and Iskra. I never had Mamiya 6 folder or Fuji folders.
Also I never had problems with older albada finders.
 
OP
OP

lrlebron

Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2023
Messages
38
Location
Huntsville, AL
Format
35mm

thanks
 
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