medium format rangefinder with built-in light meter? 6x7 or 6x9 negative?

That's a very good deal, Dan.

I have owned and used Fuji 6X9 rangefinders with no meter as well as Mamiya 7II with built-in meter and Voigtlander Bessa III with built-in meter. My background is mainly view camera and I know how to use both incident and spot meters. However, when it comes to medium format I find a built in meter to be a great convenience over a camera that does not have one and there is no question but that not having a built-in meter has cost me some important shots over the years.

All things considered I much prefer the 6X9 cm format of the Fuji 69 cameras to 6X7 format, but given the choice of a camera with a built-in meter, or one with no meter, the meter trumps format for me.

Sandy King

DaveOttawa said:

Mamiya 7 then??

Click to expand...

I own a Mamaya 7II, it makes as much noise as my Leica M7 and about as heavy. 6x7 is a great format too. As far as comparison, I own a Pentax 6x7 which is outstanding, but heavy and loud and that is with mirror lock up.

I've got a Plaubel 67W and it works fine -- bought it from Frank Marshman at Camera Wiz repair in Harrisonburg, VA. He'd just finished putting it back in top working order. He did tell me that the main problem are the wires and connections that run from the body to the lens via the folding struts. The key to long Plaubel life is to never push the lens release button and let the lens drop out until it snaps to a stop; always set lens focus at infinity before collapsing the lens, and always advance the film relatively slowly and evenly, as that same motion is being transmitted to the lens to cock the shutter. It's not a Nikon F, I'm not in "Blow Up" and I can't bang-bang-bang one shot after another with the Plaubel. It IS a great travel camera, so compact when collapsed, built in meter (I usually use an incident meter with my meterless cameras, but it's nice to just carry the camera by itself), great lens. Get one.

The new Fuji folder or a Mamiya 7 appeal to me the most. Not that I'm likely to get either. Maybe the Fuji folder some day if I find one for a good price.

I have the Mamiya 7 II and the Fuji III. Both are great cameras. I do shoot the Mamiya much more than the Fuji however. It is more portable and has the built in meter. But mainly because of the interchangeable lenses. For travel, the camera is terrific. I can fit one body and three lenses in a small shoulder bag.

I guess I've never had a problem with the internal meter on the Mamiya. I tested it with my film/developer combination and adjusted to get the correct exposure.

The Fuji is a great camera, and I shoot it when I want the 6x9 ratio. Great lens. Yes, it is big, but not overly bothersome.

They are both good, so weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each to decide which would be best for our shooting style.

Allen Friday said:

I have the Mamiya 7 II and the Fuji III. Both are great cameras. I do shoot the Mamiya much more than the Fuji however. It is more portable and has the built in meter. But mainly because of the interchangeable lenses. For travel, the camera is terrific. I can fit one body and three lenses in a small shoulder bag.

I guess I've never had a problem with the internal meter on the Mamiya. I tested it with my film/developer combination and adjusted to get the correct exposure.

The Fuji is a great camera, and I shoot it when I want the 6x9 ratio. Great lens. Yes, it is big, but not overly bothersome.

They are both good, so weigh the strengths and weaknesses of each to decide which would be best for our shooting style.

Click to expand...

There is nothing wrong with the meter on the Mamiya 7II. You just have to learn how to use it. The metering area is a fixed size in the center of the field of view and its relative size changes with focal length of the lens. The meter functions like a center spot meter with wide angle lenses but with the 80mm and 150mm lens the meter covers a much wider field of view. Once you understand this it is easy to adjust for the use of a specific lens with a given scene.

If you want a modern folding MF camera I would strongly recommend the Fuji 667 (Voigtlander Bessa III) over the Plaubel Makina with 80mm lens. The PM is way over priced in my opinion as the price on ebay ($2000-$2500) for a used model, which would be 15 years old or so, is about the same as a new Bessa III. This makes zero sense in my book. On the other hand I would sure like to have the PM with 55mm lens, but that one goes for over $3000.

Sandy King