MF for hiking trip

Snapshot · May 27, 2014

02Pilot said:
I know the OP indicated he doesn't want an old folder (why)

I presume that he wanted something more "modern" or have a interchangeable lens form factor. He indicated that the Mamiya 7 was a first choice and such cameras weight about 1.3kg with an 80mm lens. So while portability was an issue, it didn't seem to be an over riding factor as the Fuji 6x7 and 6x9 cameras he was requesting information on weigh in at 1.5kg. My proposal was about 1.2kg with an 80mm 2.8 lens and 1.3kg with a wide angle 55mm 2.8 lens.

cliveh · May 27, 2014

How about an old hassy.

q_x · May 27, 2014

Or an Xpan...

Texsport · May 27, 2014

Mamiya 6 is a good size idea, but it's 6X6.

If you're hiking, I'd thing you'd want 6X9 for the scenery.

Another idea is XPan - both square and panoramic possibilities.

Texsport

Regular Rod · May 27, 2014

EdSawyer said:
Fuji GSW690III would be an ideal choice.

+1

RR

RobertoMiglioli · May 27, 2014

A MF for a hiking trip? I love Rolleiflex but I recomend a folding 6x9 or 6x6. Don´t bother with an overpriced modern Fuji. Any 6x9 - even old ones - will do the job. The rest of the money you spend in films.

mgb74 · May 27, 2014

I've thought about one one the earlier (non-electronic) versions of the Fuji 645s. I've heard good things optically; not sure if they have an "Achilles Heel".

Doc W · May 29, 2014

I may have to reconsider the folder thing. I never found one I really liked and I always felt they were kind of fussy. But I will take another look.

I am not fond of either the 6x6 or 645 format.

Lots of good suggestions here. Thanks a lot folks. I will stew on this a bit.

Mark Fisher · May 30, 2014

Any of the Fuji rangefinders. I prefer the 645zi. The image quality is stellar and it has its own lightmeter, It is a bit loud with the auto winding. The autofocus is loud, but accurate. The lens is slow, but insanely sharp over the full zoom range (what little there is) Any of the 6x7 or 6x9 Fuji rangefinders are worth considering also. I've used TLRs and folders and this is the best choice for me if I don't bring my ancient Leica M2

pdmk · May 30, 2014

+1 for Fuji690 or Fuji645

mfmike · May 30, 2014

Fuji Folder

I recommend a Fuji GF670. Small, compact, great shots, under $2k loaded new.
Cheers, Mike

RedSun · May 30, 2014

This thread is interesting. You can carry almost any MF to a hiking trail. Some even carry LF to mountain.

A lot of the 6x4.5 MF are just like a pro 35mm camera. I carried 2 Bronica ETR cameras, and another time 2 Bronica SQ to a trail. Still very easy.

You can pretty much carry any MF with you.... Stop wondering.

mgb74 · May 30, 2014

Mark Fisher said:
Any of the Fuji rangefinders. I prefer the 645zi. The image quality is stellar and it has its own lightmeter, It is a bit loud with the auto winding. The autofocus is loud, but accurate. The lens is slow, but insanely sharp over the full zoom range (what little there is) Any of the 6x7 or 6x9 Fuji rangefinders are worth considering also. I've used TLRs and folders and this is the best choice for me if I don't bring my ancient Leica M2

I "gave up" on an Olympus Stylus for hiking for the noise reason. Inherent (it seems) with all auto wind cameras. Just something about the noise that seemed inconsistent with being outdoors. Since I did not need the auto wind, the noise was an intrusion.

RattyMouse · May 30, 2014

mfmike said:
I recommend a Fuji GF670. Small, compact, great shots, under $2k loaded new.
Cheers, Mike

And around $1200-1400 used when available. Absolutely an astonishing camera. Not fussy. At all.

blaine.minazzi · May 31, 2014

Subject matter? Style of working? Price considerations? Other details would help. If your into "light" then an old folder in good condition with a decent old lens, and lightweight tripod would be nice. Google "human rangefinder" and you can even do with something scale set. You are used to 4x5, so I assume that slow and deliberate are ok with you, but if you want something a bit more "handy" then the 6x9 folders or rangefinders should do the job. Rolliecords are nice and light, and you can get a 6x6 or 6x4.5 neg ( either via crop, or via the attachment some take ) Hard to beat the lens on a decent rollei.

RDWestPR · May 31, 2014

Yep! A Fuji GSW690III with a 65mm lens is very light compared with other cameras in its class and the quality of the image is very high. A 6cm x 9cm frame will render lots of detail.

giannisg2004 · May 31, 2014

What about a Fuji GA645W ?
Cheap, rangefinder camera which means compact (for MF) and light with amazing 45mm f/4 wideangle (leagues above the SLR wides).
Being 645 means more shots per roll, which would be good for hiking.

Also, integrated lightmeter (and aperture priority) and quartz timed shutter, which means great accuracy (compared to mechanical ones) for slides.
It's motorized and autofocus, but during hiking I doubt the sound will disturb anyone.

Too old to care · May 31, 2014

TLR, a light one. Yashica MAT would be perfect for.

Gimenosaiz · Jun 6, 2014

Hi.
A folder 6x6 camera like the Hapo 66-E ... I love this oldie ;-) Its Enna Haponnar 75mm f/3.5 lens is wonderful !
Regards from Spain

k.hendrik · Jun 6, 2014

Do as the Romans did: walk first and make pictures later.

papagene · Jun 6, 2014

I have used the Fuji GW670II & GSW690III on some hikes in the Rocky Mtn National Park and a Rolleicord on other hikes there. I am very pleased with the results from all of these cameras.
This summer I will be carrying the 'Cord and the GSW690III (the GW670II will be headed out for servicing) up on the trails of RMNP.

destroya · Jun 7, 2014

i just spent 3 days hiking in and through the Yosemite region. I brought all my med format gear for tripod use, but when I went on a more serious hike I brought the fuji 645zi. perfect camera for the job and fits nicely in my cargo shorts pockets along with several rolls of fill

narsuitus · Jun 7, 2014

Doc W said:
I am going to the UK in the fall to walk St. Cuthbert's Way. Although I am mainly a LF guy, it would be too much to backpack an 8x10 or even a 4x5 for this hike (at my age), so I am thinking of a lightweight MF. My current MF camera is an RB67 and it is a bit of pig to carry on a long hike. I can't afford a Mamiya 7 at this point, which would be my first choice. So what is left? I don't want an older folder and I don't need TTL. Folks keep telling me about the Fujis - 6x7 and 6x9 - which sound quite interesting and affordable. Any thoughts on these and others I don't know about? .

I use large format but have never needed to carry one on a hiking trip.

I use 35mm but would never carry one on a hiking trip were I needed to shoot black & white because I have never been satisfied with the image quality of small format black & white.

I have used a Yashica TLR and a Mamyia 220 TLR for medium format black & white work and loved them both. As far as image quality, I would never have hesitated taking either one on a hiking trip. However, I would hesitate exposing the bellows of my 220 to hostile field conditions.

When I needed to replace my Mamiya 220, I would have done so with another Mamiya TLR but Mamiya had stopped producing them. The Mamiya 7 rangefinder was my next choice but it was too expensive for my budget, plus, I was mad at Mamiya for dropping their TLR cameras.

The Pentax 645 SLR was my second choice. The equipment recommendations of an Alaskan landscape photographer I met greatly influenced this choice. However, I did not pick the Pentax 645 because I needed more film real estate than the 645 format provided.

I went with my third and fourth choice, the Fuji 6x9cm rangefinder with a wide-angle lens and a Fuji 6x7cm rangefinder with a normal lens. These two cameras have given me what I need. I recommend either or both for capturing high-quality images on a hiking trip.

By the way, when I made my selection, the Fuji rangefinders were still in production. I was very disappointed when Fuji stopped producing these excellent medium format cameras.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/11336821@N00/5266483453/

riverie · Jun 7, 2014

I went hiking couple month ago and couldn't find a better companion than my folding billy record III. I highly recommend folding camera as they are as compact as you can get....without compromising the negative size.

Urmonas · Jun 8, 2014

I have used or owned many of the cameras suggested above. A lot of them were chasing a larger negative (6x7 or 6x9), but I always end up back at the Rollei TLR. I find it the most adaptable to the range of photographic situations that travel presents. It is surprisingly light and compact. It delivers a very high quality image. Of all the cameras I have carried around on my travels, it is the one camera that fellow travellers have been jealous of.

MF for hiking trip

Snapshot

cliveh

q_x

Texsport

Regular Rod

RobertoMiglioli

mgb74

Doc W

Mark Fisher

pdmk

mfmike

RedSun

mgb74

RattyMouse

blaine.minazzi

RDWestPR

giannisg2004

Too old to care

Gimenosaiz

k.hendrik

papagene

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destroya

narsuitus

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riverie

Urmonas

MF for hiking trip

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