MF choice for newbie

Got the Lubi

OK I got the Lubitel today and the Weston Meter yesterday, one a fine piece of old fashioned engineering the other a Russian camera
:rolleyes:

Loaded the film I bought, that's an art. I don't think the camera has seen a film so everything is really stiff, I also wonder how the back stays shut with that clip.
Anyway I see what you mean about the focussing but otherwise I love the lubi for the moment, lots of clicks and whirs like a camera should make !!
I'll let you know how it goes and where I end up. Thanks for all of the advice- I sometimes think I'm the last film person on the planet when everyone at the photo course is going on about photoshop and their £2k+ kit but this site has made me feel positive about my decision to go film again. I am feeling the urge to dust my old processing gear down as well.
As for cameras I may end up with a mamiya TLR or an RB67 maybe even a bronnie or pentax AE (ETRSi prices in the Uk are silly-£500 for full kit inc metered prism)
Thanks again and good shooting .

I used to shoot with TLR's (and still have a soft spot for them), but since I've moved to the Bronica SQ-A and SQ-Ai, there has been NO looking back. These cameras handle very fast - especially with the Speed Grip-S and any of the prism finders.

digiconvert said:

Loaded the film I bought, that's an art. I don't think the camera has seen a film so everything is really stiff, I also wonder how the back stays shut with that clip.
Anyway I see what you mean about the focussing but otherwise I love the lubi for the moment, lots of clicks and whirs like a camera should make !!

Click to expand...

I wondered the same thing about the clip - but so far... I have photos that I took by swinging the camera around by its strap with the timer on, and its been thrown into bags and car seats - no issues, no lightleaks. Trust the Soviets!
One thing I would pay particular attention to is the cable release - if you use it, make sure it releases properly - I think mine had an internal kink or something and I have ruined some pics that way. Other than that - you'll be fine, especially in bright light and when you use it at infinity to shoot landscapes and such.

Lubitel is Cyrillic for frustration, but they make great doorstops that can start a conversation. On the real cheap, try a Brownie Hawkeye with some JandC offerings for 620. 1/30, 5.6 will get you a load of shots.

The next consideration is the Yashica 124. The G looks classier but does nothing more than extract extra money from your wallet. Around $50-90 on eBay for a good one, $20 for a Micro Tools seal kit, and you have something that you can enjoy for a lifetime and stacks up against any Rollei TLR.

If the bug bites ya, the Mamiya RB/RZ series is plentiful and cheap when building a SLR system. Hassies and Broncos are nice, but you best be loaded with green...

Whatever the make, go for it and have fun!!!

OK, I'll take this into a different direction: I know you've all been talking about 6x6 cameras, but Convert, have you considered 6x7?

I own a Pentax 6x7, and I love, love, LOVE it.

It is a beast, but the closest thing to 35mm with the advantage of 6x7 negs. I like the versatility of the format, exchangable lenses, and good deals on ebay every day. (More money than a fixed lens MF, though).

6x6 is nice, and I think a great learning tool (I have one, took me some head scratching learning to compose in a square), and from a creative viewpoint, a good challenge.

In any case: enjoy, and welcome to MF!

Imke

It's amazing, I thought I enjoyed my 35mm work but in one session I used a roll of 120 film and wanted to get more, there's no "what shall I do with these other 5, 10 shots left in the camera" with MF. As a result I thought about shots, moved about ( I last had a non zoom lens in about 1980 on a Praktika) and generally had great fun with the Westoin and Lubitel, I felt like a photographer - even though my efforts are not that brilliant (Please don't laugh at my gallery ).
Got a B+W in now and have found my old reels and tank out, might even develop the B + W in my Canon as well.
Thanks to everyone for the encouragement.