MF folder, rangefinder or TLR with biometar like rendering?

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etn

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Regardless of lens rendering, for portraits I would prefer a camera you can hold at eye level such as a Pentacon 6 with prism, Pentax 67, Hasselblad or similarly constructed camera with (preferably) a 90° prism. Note that prisms also exists for some TLRs.

That is, unless you intend to photograph from "below" or climb on a ladder while shooting.
 
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1kgcoffee

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Thanks all for the responses.

I'll never completely write off the Kiev 60, but I've had too many bad exposures and broken cameras. Arax is also closed due to the situation in Ukraine, so no modified kiev88's right now. Need something a little more reliable and better handling for a daily driver.

I've done a lot of research this week and couldn't help snapping up a Minolta Autocord even though its not exactly what I want. Thinking about getting a rolleicord with triotar or mamiya tlr with longer lens.

This thread has been going for a while, and I find the title somewhat confusing.


Helios 44's are copies of Biotar's not Biometars. Biometars are 5 element Planars, copies of the 5-element planars on the Rolleiflex 2.8's - infact, they are infact almost identical in optical construction, it's just the Jena works name for the same lens. Rolleiflex 2.8B's came with a Biometar, so as your original title says, if a TLR is acceptable, there is one with exactly the lens you mentioned. But from the thread so far, this may not be the lens you actually want, as this lens is well corrected, and has minimal swirly bokeh. As with all fast Double Gauss lenses, there is a little of the soap bubble bokeh, the amount depending on how much under corrected spherical aberrations are present in the final design.

But you posted pictures from a Biometar, so if that is what you want, then most Planar lenses will do (those with minimal under corrected spherical aberration). You mention swirly bokeh with those picture, but they do not have much swirly in the bokeh - mostly soap bubble highlights. Most well corrected fast lenses have soap bubble bokeh, undercorrecting the spherical aberrations is a way to reduce the soapiness.

Biotars and Helios-44's are 6 element (4 group) double gauss versions of the Planar, which originated pre WW2, and are similar to the Xenon's of that era. These do have some swirly Bokeh wide open, but no where as much as a Triplet or Petzval type lens. If swirly Bokeh is what you want, then you can look at the Biotar/Helios44 - Triplets - Petzvals, in that order of increasing swirl.

Thankyou for clearing this up. I think what I'm after is an undercorrected planar, in more compact form. My vega-12b seems to fill the role quite well, if not a bit too soft, but its attached to the wrong camera. Planar is too damn perfect (and expensive!) I'll post a few examples later from my vega-12b.

Does not seem like many planar design were made besides the vega and CZJ biometar. You say the triplet is close and from what I'm seeing on flickr, may fit the bill. Would be nice in a short telephoto (80mm FF equivalent):



The Mamiya C220 with 135mm or 180mm is quite a bargain, and you can focus super close for that extra bhokey.

Again, I don’t know what is the Biometar look, but using a longer lens and focusing close is a very desireable look, much better than using a 80mm lens (in MF terms) up close which distorts faces and fattens them noses.

Really liking the examples I'm seeing on flickr. Did not intend to buy this many cameras but very tempting at this price. The more question is, does the mamiya have the panty dropping power of a rollei?
 
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1kgcoffee

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Which Kiev? 60? 88? They can be very reliable if a good technician services them.

BTW, I love your username.

I have a few copies of the kiev 6c and a few of the kiev 60. Only one is 'working' right now and only accurate at low shutter speeds, everything at faster speeds is overexposed by a few stops.

These cameras need to be operated with a cable release to get sharp images. I don't mind, but it's getting a bit old. Nice to have something a bit more reliable and compact.

I was thinking about picking up a modified kiev 88 with pentacon 6 mount from arax, but with the situation in ukraine, it may be a while before they're back to full production.

Only ever shot MF from kievs until picking up a gw690ii a few weeks back. Bad case of GAS now.
 
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