Looking to get started in medium format

Jeff Kubach · Jul 17, 2010

You can get a RB67 with a grip. At least it'll be inexpensive.

Jeff

Rick A · Jul 17, 2010

guitstik said:
What about the Balda's or Agfa isollete both use 120 shooting 6x6 or 645 with a mask (high yo silver). If the OP wants to test the waters for MF then spending a lot of money ($100+) just doesn't make any sense to me. Any of the inexpensive folders can be had on FleaPay for a mere pitance of what he/she would pay for any of those suggested thus far. Do not snub your nose at them just because they aren't as fancy as the hussy's or the mammie's y'all are hot for. True they don't have the option of interchangeable lenses or through the lens viewing but these cameras are the fore runners of what we have today and besides you really have to know what you are doing to take good pics. Most of the older folders were produced with the casual photographer of that time and so are easy enough to use handheld. I have several that can fit in the palm of my hand, are light and easy to manage and with top quality lenses and shutters to match. I would put any of my Voigtlander's or my Rodenstock up against anything out ther today.

I'm with you on that suggestion. I love shooting my Tourist II 6x9, its tack sharp and easily hand held. I've shot Adox CHS 25 ART hand held and the results are stunning. Even shooting without the aid of a light meter garnered incredible photos (using the sunny 11 rule). I think that if the OP is looking for super-sized prints, he needs a LF and tripod, or at least a 6x9 and tripod. IMHO, anything smaller than 6x7 is stretching it thin, and a sturdy high quality tripod and remote release is a must. If choosing an SLR system, they should make sure it has a mirror lock-up option, to reduce vibration.

mawz · Jul 19, 2010

The Pentax 6x7 weighs almost exactly the same as a 645AF body, both are just over 1.7kg without batteries or lens. If the 6x7 is too much camera for you, the 645 AF is as well. (the normal lenses for the 6x7 do weigh more but aren't that heavy, 5-600g instead of 300g and the build is far better than the cheap build of the Mamiya 80 AF).

If you are uninterested in digital, the ONLY reason to get a 645AF is the 28mm f4.5 lens and that requires a 645AFDII or later body which bumps the cost up a lot before you consider the ~$5000 lens. Otherwise a Pro or ProTL body is a much better choice and significantly less money and gets you full support for the M645 lenses and you can ditch the winder when shooting on a tripod for a noticeable weight savings.

I personally shoot with a Pentax 6x7 and a Mamiya 645 Super (older version of the 645 Pro). The 6x7's actually easier to haul around for shooting, but the 645 handles rapid shooting/reloading better. I actually end up with a lighter kit with the 6x7 as I'm not hauling multiple backs and inserts, which add up fairly quickly.

Joe O'Brien · Jul 22, 2010

I really think that iso 100 on MF blown up to 40" wide is pushing the constraints of the films and format. Perhaps try a speed or crown graphics? I've heard great things about them being used handheld or on a tripod. If they are handheld then I suppose it wouldn't be too much different then an RF, but you would also have the option of learning very precise photography with the ground glass on a tripod. Plus, some of the graphics come with a graflex back, revert to rollfilm at your slightest whim.

Sirius Glass · Jul 22, 2010

Joe O'Brien said:
I really think that iso 100 on MF blown up to 40" wide is pushing the constraints of the films and format.

No, the limit is usually the optics of the enlarger. There are always better enlargers and enlarger lenses.

Steve

thegman · Jul 23, 2010

In the end, I ordered a Mamiya 7, now just need to pick up a used 65mm lens for it. Maybe 40" is too much, and I should reduce my expectations, but if I can get 30" across, I'll be delighted with that.

Never thought when I bought my first camera a year or so ago (Sigma DP-1), not long after I'd be buying medium format...

guitstik · Jul 23, 2010

I got back into photography after being gone for 20+ years when my daughter asked for a camera so that I could teach her, so I got her a Minolta X-370 and me an X-700 at a pawn shop and started shooting. That was two months ago and let's see now... five TLR's, an RB67, M645 1000s and I think eight vintage camera's in various film sizes. You are WAY behind the curve.

thegman · Jul 23, 2010

guitstik said:
I got back into photography after being gone for 20+ years when my daughter asked for a camera so that I could teach her, so I got her a Minolta X-370 and me an X-700 at a pawn shop and started shooting. That was two months ago and let's see now... five TLR's, an RB67, M645 1000s and I think eight vintage camera's in various film sizes. You are WAY behind the curve.

Please don't get me started thinking about TLRs...

ashokgoyal42 · Jul 23, 2010

RZ67 and GF670. RZ67 isn't really portable but the results are stunning. Check my flickr stream it has some recent pictures taken with rz67 and gf670.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10420002@N02/

guitstik · Jul 23, 2010

Let's see now... two Rolleiflex's, a Rolleicord, a Walzflex, Yashica Mat 124G and a Yashica 24. Oh darn, I lied, that's six and I forgot I have another on the way and I'm working on a deal for a Mamiya C330, another RB67 and a Zenza Bronica. And before any one says anything, I have shot each and every one of the cameras that I have that are operational and I do so on a regular basis. I am startin to run low on film tho.

lewis-richards · Jul 23, 2010

This has been a very interesting thread to read through... I am just looking in the market for a new medium format camera as I used to have a bronica ETRSi which broke and I sold the lens, back etc. I also have the strugle on deciding which I want being between the Mamiya 7II, AFD and the RB/RZ67. Also the fuji 670. Loads of thought about them all but really can't decide.

Sirius Glass · Jul 23, 2010

guitstik said:
I got back into photography after being gone for 20+ years when my daughter asked for a camera so that I could teach her, so I got her a Minolta X-370 and me an X-700 at a pawn shop and started shooting. That was two months ago and let's see now... five TLR's, an RB67, M645 1000s and I think eight vintage camera's in various film sizes. You are WAY behind the curve.

... and the GAS shall rise again!

Steve

guitstik · Jul 23, 2010

Hush... I'm currently seeking counseling.

Sirius Glass · Jul 23, 2010

guitstik said:
Hush... I'm currently seeking counseling.

No good it will do! Strong the force of GAS is! Hold it and explode something must!

Sully75 · Jul 23, 2010

I'm extremely happy with my Mamiya C330. I think the lenses are the equivalent of Hasselblads. Or close. Or something. It doesn't matter. I think the Mamiya black series 80mm 2.8 lens is just perfect, I'm not sure you could do any better. I've been using it for portraits at 2.8 and it just makes this crazy mash of bokeh in the background that looks like a painter smeared it all around.
Like this:

or this:

One HUGE advantage it has over the Hasselblads that you can't argue about is that because it's a TLR, if you are doing portraits, you can actually see if someone blinks while you take the shot. It's a skill...I'm just getting used to it. But after shooting Dslrs for a long time, it's really wild. I've just gotten used to the person dissapearing at the time of the picture, to the extent that it took me a while to realize that I could look at their face and see if they blinked.

You can get a whole C330 system for the price of a Hasselblad body. I would say that a lot of them have had hard, sad lives. It took me 4 cameras to get a keeper. A lot of them were wedding photographers cameras and got beat on pretty bad. I would be careful about buying one on ebay. I had very bad luck with two of them. Got one from KEH that was kind of messed, the 2nd one seems to be a winner.

Such a great camera. Oh yeah, built in bellows. Just great.

Sully75 · Jul 23, 2010

I'd thought about the RZ67 but never had my hands on one. Just saw one on the shelf in the store. It looks like a joke. It's frigin huge. It could eat my 5x7 camera.

Sully75 · Jul 23, 2010

BTW I'd probably skip the Yashicas...they can be a gateway MF camera, but you can outgrow them pretty quick. They are nice and cheap, but for a little more than twice the price you can be styling.

cfclark · Jul 23, 2010

Sirius Glass said:
No good it will do! Strong the force of GAS is! Hold it and explode something must!

Under the right (or wrong) circumstances, GAS can really clear a room. In which case, you can blame it on the dog (I asked the dog, "should I get another camera?" and he didn't say No, so...).

I'm really fighting it lately--I have a feeling I'm going to wake up one day owning a Speed Graphic, and then I'll just need the space, time, budget and knowledge to make good use of it, and I'll be set. :rolleyes:

Sully75 · Jul 23, 2010

cfclark, you could own a really premo crown graphic if you just looked at my classified ad...just sayin'!

Sirius Glass · Jul 23, 2010

Sully75 said:
cfclark, you could own a really premo crown graphic if you just looked at my classified ad...just sayin'!

You would not mean
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
Would you??

Steve

Brian Legge · Jul 23, 2010

I'm glad the C220 is larger than the Rolleicord/Autocord and that I'm so picky about size.

A friend offered me a lens that needed some shutter work. I was thinking about taking it but then I'd want a body to use it with... and that lens was a telephoto so I would have wanted a wider lens to go with it... and suddenly I would have found myself with a fourth TLR. I'm still testing the YashicaMat I was given to repair recently before passing that on to a friend.

I've used a Bronica SQ-A, several TLRs and a few folders as I went on a medium format purchasing exploration myself. I like walkabout cameras so the TLRs and folders fit me better than the SQ-A, despite the obvious value in interchangeable lenses. The Autocord, Rolleicord and Zenobia are my favorites so far. I still use the SQ-A when I'm doing slightly more studio style shooting (and I would probably use it much more if I had a 50mm lens for it) but be careful about thinking 'flexible == preferable'. A MF camera you can put in your pocket like the Zenobia serves a different roll than a system camera.

Sirius Glass · Jul 23, 2010

Brian, after you corner that part of the market, you can then start a buying spree with Hasselblads, followed by 4x5 cameras. The force of GAS in you is strong, Grasshopper.

Steve

cfclark · Jul 23, 2010

Sully75 said:
cfclark, you could own a really premo crown graphic if you just looked at my classified ad...just sayin'!

Of course I had to go and look--hmm, very nice, still have to work on the space, time, budget and knowledge part of the equation.

Brian Legge · Jul 23, 2010

I have a mantra of '4x5 would be hard to process and work with' right now. I'm only set up to deal with formats up to 6x6 at the moment.

Besides, that would divert money away from my rangefinder buying spree.

guitstik · Jul 23, 2010

Force/grasshopper? Mixed metaphor alert. Tell me more of the CG as that would be the next logical step in my evolutionary slide into photographic purgatory. Step on the GAS.

Looking to get started in medium format

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