MF RF with WA?

Frank Miller · Apr 8, 2019

Hi!

I would like to supplement my Rolleiflex with a wide-angle medium format camera for daylight flash photography.

I was looking at a Koni-Omega with a 180 and a 58mm lens. I used the 58 in the distant past and LOVED it. The camera it attaches to... Well, it's not bad at all, but I remember it as more 'newfanlged contraption' than 'precision instrument'...

I'm broke, so I was offering in trade a Mamiya 645 with a 55 and a prism, winder, 120 & 220 inserts... but (sniff) the deal fell through.

Given that this is all of my allowance I can spend right now - could any of you recommend another option? Or is the K/O my best bet? The Fuji 'Texas Leica' cameras look great, but probably out of my range...

Please don't even mention Plaubel Makinas or Rolleiwides or I'll start to cry....

Sirius Glass · Apr 8, 2019

I had the Mamiya C330 with a porroflex prism. The light meter had long since stopped working. While the 65mm wide angle lenses, I felt, was too close to the 80mm lens. The 55mm lens is a much better choice for a wide angle lens with the 80mm lens. Plus the Mamiya Cxxx allows on to change lenses.

Frank Miller · Apr 8, 2019

That's definitely a good option. I've had a couple of C3's in the past and they were nice. And if you got tired of taking photos you could always use it to anchor dirigibles.

I've heard the C330 is lighter....

Devin@RFCo · Apr 8, 2019

Mamiya Press? with 65mm and a 6x9 back. Cheap, cheap, and cheap.

Was looking around for something similar myself but ended up with a Super Fujica-6 well under my budget.

DREW WILEY · Apr 8, 2019

You can get Fuji SW rangefinders with a fixed 65mm lens in three different formats: 6x7, 6x8, and 6x9. The older versions tend to be very reasonably priced.

Kino · Apr 8, 2019

Kiev 60 with a MIR-26B, 45mm f3.5 lens can be had for around $250/275...

GRHazelton · Apr 8, 2019

Pentax 645n with 35mm lens. The body is pretty cheap,the lens is stellar, but since it also fits the 645 digital bodies the price has gone up, especially the AF models. The 645n is easy to focus with focus confirmation. I've never missed AF.

StepheKoontz · Apr 8, 2019

Or even the Fuji 6X4.5, was made with a 60mm and a 45mm that are excellent

Pioneer · Apr 8, 2019

Along with the Kiev 60 the Pentacon TL6 is a wonderful camera with a few idiosyncrasies. The lenses are magnificent
The Pentax 645 series is also wonderful and though the first in the group does not have autofocus the viewfinder is wonderful and makes manual focus sooo easy. The Pentax 645 is usually pretty inexpensive and the lenses are not bad. In fact, along with the SMC A 35, the SMC A 45-85 f/4.5 is a real jewel as well.
Lots of options.

Paul Howell · Apr 8, 2019

Devin@RFCo said:
Mamiya Press? with 65mm and a 6x9 back. Cheap, cheap, and cheap.

+1 for the Press line, I have a Universal and both the 55 and 65mm, only negative is that you need the finder as well. The KoniOmega is a very good camera with a great lens, but the push pull film advance levers are likely to show signs of wear. As mentioned Kiev 60 if it has been rebuilt. Last Crown or Speed 2X3 with wide angle lens, if you use the ground glass for focusing as there is no cam for a wide angle. These all have leaf shutters with flash syn at all speeds, well a speed version will have both a leaf shutter in the lens as well as a focal plane shutter.

Frank Miller · Apr 9, 2019

Thanks for all of your responses!

I hadn't thought of the Kiev's, I will definitely look into that.

spijker · Apr 9, 2019

If money is an issue, why not get a 80mm lens for the Mamiya 645 instead. Leave the winder and Rolleiflex at home and you'll have a compact kit with normal and a wide(-ish) angle lens. Probably lighter and smaller than the 'flex plus an additional MF RF. And on days that you want the smallest/lightest option or want the Rolleiflex experience, you just bring the Rolleiflex and leave the rest at home.

KEH and ebay have some 80mm lenses listed. The ugly N on KEH might be worth a try. Too ugly? You return it and get your money back, no risk. Or the 70mm with a leaf shutter (KEH) for your daylight flash photography.

Frank Miller · Apr 9, 2019

I actually do have an 80 (the 1.9 - which is awesome).

I'm interested in shooting flash outdoors though, and the Mamiya 645s sync at 1/60...

It's starting to look like my best bang for the buck is likely going to be a Mamiya C220 with a 55...

Thanks!

MattKing · Apr 9, 2019

Frank Miller said:
I'm interested in shooting flash outdoors though, and the Mamiya 645s sync at 1/60...

The leaf shutter lenses aren't badly priced. I actually liked the original 70mm version that I had for a while.
KEH has one: https://www.keh.com/shop/mamiya-70mm-f-2-8-ls-lens-for-mamiya-645-manual-focus-58-692959.html
Be sure to obtain and read the instructions!

spijker · Apr 9, 2019

There's also a 55mm leaf shutter lens for the 645.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mamiya-A-5...151757?hash=item443901224d:g:04cAAOSwIz5ccqf~
Selling your current 55mm will offset the cost.

spijker · Apr 9, 2019

Just an afterthought; if the goal is daylight flash photography, I assume that you want the leaf shutter to shoot at a wide aperture and a high(er) shutter speed to balance daylight and flash. Then the cheapest option is to get a 4x ND filter. That enables you to shoot at an equivalent of 1/250 s and F/2.8 with the Mamiya. The downside is a darker viewfinder to focus. But in daylight a 4x ND isn't too bad. It's like using a polarizer or a medium orange filter.

Sirius Glass · Apr 9, 2019

Frank Miller said:
Sirius Glass said:

I had the Mamiya C330 with a porroflex prism. The light meter had long since stopped working. While the 65mm wide angle lenses, I felt, was too close to the 80mm lens. The 55mm lens is a much better choice for a wide angle lens with the 80mm lens. Plus the Mamiya Cxxx allows on to change lenses.

Click to expand...

That's definitely a good option. I've had a couple of C3's in the past and they were nice. And if you got tired of taking photos you could always use it to anchor dirigibles.

I've heard the C330 is lighter....

And that is why I traded in my C330 for a Hasselblad and never looked bad, but that is OT. My Bad

Kino · Apr 9, 2019

There is also the Arsat (Zodiac) 30mm F3.5 for the Kiev, but I tend to think you aren't looking for a fisheye in medium format...

https://www.pentaxforums.com/userreviews/arsat-30mm-f3-5.html

fmiller4 · Apr 10, 2019

A 55 with a leaf-shutter lens?

You, good sir/madam, have just become the champion of the internet!

I didn’t know there was such a thing or that it would be reasonably priced.

That is the easiest and ultimately cheapest solution.

Thanks!

spijker · Apr 10, 2019

Glad I could help. Looks like you bought it. There's also the 80mm F/2.8 N/L and 150mm F/3.8 N/L lenses with leaf shutters for the Mamiya 645 cameras (in case the finances get better). See attached pics.

Enjoy the new lens!
Menno
(male)

edit: found this instruction manual.

MF RF with WA?

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