I got into medium format with a Mamiya C330. My wife's uncle in Japan lent me his Grand Father's (he used to be a studio photographer). Great camera.
I got back into medium format inheriting a Mamiya C330 with three lenses and every accessory in the known world. I was never able to become one with it, so I traded it all in for a Hasselblad 503 CX and never looked back.
You want it. You will use it. You will enjoy it. You worked your adult life to earn money to pay for things others needed or wanted. Now is your time to do something for yourself for a change. Just be done with it and buy a Hasselblad. You will not regret it, only not buying it.
I'm quite happy with my RB kit, thanks.
I got back into medium format inheriting a Mamiya C330 with three lenses and every accessory in the known world. I was never able to become one with it, so I traded it all in for a Hasselblad 503 CX and never looked back.
You want it. You will use it. You will enjoy it. You worked your adult life to earn money to pay for things others needed or wanted. Now is your time to do something for yourself for a change. Just be done with it and buy a Hasselblad. You will not regret it, only not buying it.
I dented the tripod pole with a couple of marks to indicate the correction. I set it to mark one, focus & compose, move to mark 2, take a shot. A poor man's version of this accessory, basically.
You never could become one with the camera, Sirius? Do you mean like this?
Go to the 48 second mark.
I haven't done a lot of close focus work with my C330 in the 40+ years I've owned and used it, but I have done some. And while I once had two bodies and three lenses, I'm down to one body, two lenses, two finders and more accessories than most.I added a paramender to my collection when I came across a reasonably priced one in a local shop, but they're still a cludgy workaround for accurate macro work on a TLR.
To me it boils down as an advantage if you want to do some macro work on top of a focus on normal photography, but a poor choice if macro is going to be a large part of your work.
And if you're not looking to do any macro/close focus or use any lens besides something near 80mm, then the Mamiya TLRs are a poor choice in my view.
Early Mamiya lenses had the f/stops on one side and the shutter speed on the other, so the camera needed to be flipped back and forth. The 65mm and 80mm lens cocked with film advancement; the 250mm lens did not cock with film advancement. I just never felt comfortable with that camera and yet I never had annoyances like that with any other cameras.
I would suggest that you look at the Mamiya TLR because it has built in bellows for close ups, interchangeable lenses and you can focus with either hand.
The Flexaret was also my first and only MF camera. A recommended source is http://www.ebaystores.com/Cupog-Col...sid=6561830&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=3 The better ones are the later models 5 and 6.I bought a Meopta Flexaret largely because it was much cheaper than other options, and not popular. I can't compare it to the cameras you're considering, but I quite like it. More here: https://www.thisold.camera/2020/09/meopta-flexaret-vi.html
They're also heavy and not cheap, which are the two main reasons people try TLRs. And the ergonomics are abysmal - it's meant to be held with your fingers firmly placed through the bellows.
Thanks for all the great info everyone, and thanks Jim for the heads up about the site!
Is a Rolleicord a better value? I've also considered the Mamiyas. I tend to go into an analysis paralysis death spiral with these things...too many good options!
They're also heavy and not cheap, which are the two main reasons people try TLRs. And the ergonomics are abysmal - it's meant to be held with your fingers firmly placed through the bellows.
You are holding it wrongit's meant to be held with your fingers firmly placed through the bellows.
Is that why people buy TLR's? Because few of them are very light in my experience and the good ones usually price competitively with other MF cameras of similar age and quality. A good Rolleiflex can cost more than a basic Hasselblad with lens, and I think we know which is more versatile and has better accuracy of composition. Now the Rolleiflex can be remarkably light for a TLR depending on the model, I'll give you that, but most TLR's?I bought a Meopta Flexaret largely because it was much cheaper than other options, and not popular. I can't compare it to the cameras you're considering, but I quite like it. More here: https://www.thisold.camera/2020/09/meopta-flexaret-vi.html
They're also heavy and not cheap, which are the two main reasons people try TLRs. And the ergonomics are abysmal - it's meant to be held with your fingers firmly placed through the bellows.
One of the reasons I want a TLR is for infrared-type exposures. Being able to focus through one lens, while the other has the filter, is very handy.
Buy two matched filters, with index marks!They are a bit problematic with some groups of filters where you really want an accurate preview of what's going on. Polarizing filters, hard line graduated filters, and anything where the placement of the filter actually matters for composition will open up headaches for you.
They are a bit problematic with some groups of filters where you really want an accurate preview of what's going on. Polarizing filters, hard line graduated filters, and anything where the placement of the filter actually matters for composition will open up headaches for you. So if you're doing that kind of work then an SLR style camera is far better suited.
Yeah, I knew the C33 was the beast of the family.Rolliecord IV: 2.0lbs***
Mamiya C330f: 4.0lbs***
***with strap and film
They are a bit problematic with some groups of filters where you really want an accurate preview of what's going on. Polarizing filters, hard line graduated filters, and anything where the placement of the filter actually matters for composition will open up headaches for you. So if you're doing that kind of work then an SLR style camera is far better suited.
Yeah, I knew the C33 was the beast of the family.
I really need to get around to designing that idea I had-- I want to make a filter adapter with a slider. The idea is that it attaches to both lenses on a TLR, holds the filter over the viewing lens, and then when you're ready to take the picture, you slide it down to the taking lens. That way you can use the polarizers / grads, etc. without changing their rotation.
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