Moving into Medium Format(what 6x6 camera?)

[_Kay_]

Hello people, my name is Angelos and I live in Greece.
I have been "playing" with analog cameras since I remember myself (my father is responsible for that) and during the last couple of years I could describe myself as a "serious amateur". I am into black and white photography and I am currently shooting with 2 canons, one FTb and one AL1.
Recently, I had a very strong need to shoot 6x6 portraits.
I have never used a MF camera, and with my 35mm ones I mostly used to shoot nature and street themes. So this is a completely new world to me.
My "requirements" from the camera that I need are:
-To be as less bulky as it gets. I am traveling a lot and I have the camera always with me, so I guess that I go for a folding camera.
-To have a decent and reliable light meter.
-To be in my budget , that means maximum 700$

My first thought was to search for a Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta BX, but I have many possibilities to find an old selenium meter which is resting in peace since the 80's....

I am completely comfused.. Any ideas??

 

[dpurdy]

You are asking a question that has been hashed over so much that you could probably spend days reading the past threads in APUG medium format section. That is what you should probably do and try to get an education in your options via that sort of research. No offense intended
Dennis

 

[Konical]

Good Afternoon, Kay,

Ditto to the above. We have numerous existing threads and entries on the topic.

Konical

 

[dpurdy]

also you could look here: http://photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/ On the right side of the page is a list of MF systems and the archives of discussion. You will never make it through all of it.
Dennis

 

[_Kay_]

I have been reading your forum for a long time, I have read lots of threads on folding cameras, but I never found a thread about folding cameras and light meters, which is my main question..

 

[Jeff Searust]

My everyday kit is:

Agfa Isolette III
Sekonic 308
Kodak leather case
cable release

This is an awesome set, and I have made some amazing shots with it. I would add to this kit a table top tripod, (for tilting the camera to take long shots). No where near $700, but think of the amount of film you could add to this type of a kit.

 

[Rolleiflexible]

Kay, you are well-advised not to worry
about built-in light meters, but, instead,
to use a separate hand-held meter. It
will give you better control over your
exposures and increase the number of
cameras available to you.

 

[aluncrockford]

You might find the Fuji range finders will meet your needs , they difference in size between these and the folding cameras is slight . If you need a meter then a weston can be picked up on ebay for about $20 in fact if you look on ebay right now you will find a fuji gw690 which might fit your budget

 

[_Kay_]

Thank you all for your answers..
As I told you I made a decision to jump into completely unknown fields for me, so I would like to keep the safety of the built in meter, as I have no idea practically how to use a hand held meter. The more I go into searching my folding camera, the more I realize that the seperate light meter is a one-way..

 

[Katier]

I don't think you would be any better off with a built in meter than a hand held. Many old cameras I believe you still have to set aperture and shutter speed manualy and some even literally have a meter on them. From what I can tell using a hand held meter is not a hard thing to do.

 

[Jeff L]

I have a Super Ikonta BX. It's a fine camera for sure. I find for me that for 6x6 I end up using my Rollei far, far more. Better lens, easier to use and no possible bellows issues. I think decent Rollei's are around the same price as a decent BX. Don't forget the Yashicamat 124's too. Just my opinion.

 

[Mark Fisher]

I believe that the Yashica 124G had a meter, but you would need to get an adapter to use modern batteries (or use air-zinc Wein or hearing aid batteries). If you are willing to go with a 645 camera, there are a number of choices in used Fuji. Even a small SLR may (?) be small enough (e.g. Pentax 645).

 

[Katier]

Yashicamat LM has a built in meter too, as does the EM.

 

[MattKing]

If you were considering 6x4.5, a Mamiya 645E could easily fulfill your needs (KEH has one for $349.00).

The 6x6 requirement makes it tougher, because the metering is usually in the finders and most of the interchangeable finders that include meters are fairly expensive.

Matt

 

[Lukas Werth]

Kay,
without really knowing you and your concerns, let me offer you a few considerations I take from my own experience:
Don't try to get something as much like 35 mm as possible, only in medium format.
Cameras are bound to be more heavy, everything tends to be more expensive, but it will probably turn out to be worth it (I personally travel internationally with my 8x10" equipment).
See what your style of shooting is, and do not primarily look for what you would like to keep of your 35 mm equipment, but see what you are missing, what you would like to have, and go for that.
I don't know the situation in Greece, however, something to look at for you might be those Eastern European camera systems which appear to be quite reasonably priced even after they have been re-tuned (what seems to be necessary or them).

 

[2F/2F]

I'd for get about the requirement for a meter and get a Rolleicord for about $100, a nice hand held light meter, and a medium format darkroom setup with your $700 (if you don't already have the darkroom for it). They are lightweight, compact, well built, cheap, sharp, and a joy to use. If you decide MF is not for you, you are not out that much $$$. I guess later on you could fit a metered prism to the camera if you really want to, but a hand held incident meter will make for much better exposures than any in-camera meter.

 

[P C Headland]

There are a few old folders with built-in light meters, but on many of these cameras, the light meters are dead or nearly dead....

If you are set on portability, then the Fuji 6x4.5 cameras may suit. There is an older folding Fuji (GS645), which has an in-built light meter. You will need to confirm that the bellows are good. Another option may be the Fuji 645 ZI - this is like a large 35mm point-and-shoot, but in 6x4.5 format. It has 55-90mm zoom lens.

An old folder, like the Super Ikonta (the SI IV is most likely to have a working meter, BTW), Mamiya Six, Iskra or Certo Six would serve you well. Of the Super Ikontas, I prefer the III or IV, which is lighter that the BX. Each of the folders has its weak spot or quirks that you should understand before purchasing. Then buy a small hand-held meter, like the Gossen Digisix or similar.

The Iskra is, for me, the ideal travel camera.

 

[arealitystudios]

One of the beautiful things about Medium Format is that there are A LOT of different camera types, all of which excel at certain things, and perform not so great at others. The difficulty in recomending a camera is that it is really impossible to know what your shooting style is and what you personally would consider a strength or a weakness in your tools.

As mentioned above, the biggest mistake a lot of people make when switching from 35mm to Medium Format is that they become determined to find a camera with "SLR-like" handling. Some Medium Format cameras are like big versions of a 35mm SLR, but that doesn't necessarily make them good (nor does it make them bad either). You must accept that with a different size negative comes a different work practice and different tools.

I would also recommend not pulling your hair out looking for a Medium Format camera with a built in meter. For my part, when doing street shooting I use an Agfa Issollete folder. I also carry a hand held meter but rarely actually use it. I've gotten good at taking good street shots using just the Sunny 16 rule and forgiving film (like HP5 or Tri-X). In tough lighting spots I'll pull out the small meter that fits in the side pocket of my messanger bag and use it but that isn't often.

 

[cooltouch]

I've owned a couple of Super Ikontas -- a B and a BX. They were both great cameras, although I preferred the B over the BX since the latter's meter didn't work and it was so much extra bulk. The B fits easily into a jacket pocket, and mine took stunningly sharp slides (it had a coated Tessar lens). When I carried it, I kept the camera in one jacket pocket and my Gossen Luna Pro in the other. No problems. I've also owned a Yashica Mat 124G, and while I found the meter to be accurate enough and the lens to be acceptably sharp, its added bulk made it more cumbersome to carry than the SI B or the BX.

Best,

Michael