Need help deciding on a medium format camera

[JCook0113]

A lot of wedding photographers used to shoot 6x6. They liked the square format because they could decide upon the crop later. So what I am saying is that you can shoot square and then crop to a rectangle later. Of course you will be using more film than a 645 camera. With 6x6 you also don't have to change the tripod head position for shooting landscape versus portrait images. RB67's have a revolving back to solve this but of course the downside is that the revolving back makes the camera larger and heavier. RB's are essentially 7x7 cameras that expose 6x7 images.

Personally, I own an 8x10 camera and a couple medium format 6x6 TLR's. I find mixing it up (rectangle versus square) helps me creatively. It's fun too!

I was thinking about that too maybe trying something I am not comfortable with so I can learn and get out of my comfort zone. Ive made a decision to get something ill have fun with and something different. I can always sell it if I dont like it at all but I doubt that will happen

 

[Ian Grant]

I was thinking about that too maybe trying something I am not comfortable with so I can learn and get out of my comfort zone. Ive made a decision to get something ill have fun with and something different. I can always sell it if I dont like it at all but I doubt that will happen

TLR's are fun to use, I use them alongside my LF equipment, don't be afraid of the square format, I can think of some great photographers who shot to the format and never cropped, but that's a personal choice (not to crop).

If you're happy with a fixed lens then something like a Yashicamat 124 or 124G is a good first TLR, sometimes you cam=n be lucky and get Rolleiflex cameras at bargain prices as well. If you want inter changeable films them there's the Mamiya C series are excellent, something like a C33 or C330.

Ian

 

[Theo Sulphate]

Heres just a website link
https://jacomedia0113.imgur.com/all/

I like the composition of the light post and buildings in the first photo; I also like the photo of the old building.

Don't dismiss what may seem to be boring small towns - I think it would help to view it with "different eyes", so to speak - like a newcomer to the town. Such places are what I enjoy making photos of as a sort of historical archive, since I know they will change as time goes by.

...
Re hand held meters, shop for a used one. Coupla years ago I bought a cute little Sekonic L-328 at a camera show for all of $20. They're offered on eBay for similar prices.

My recommendation as well.

 

[JCook0113]

I like the composition of the light post and buildings in the first photo; I also like the photo of the old building.

Don't dismiss what may seem to be boring small towns - I think it would help to view it with "different eyes", so to speak - like a newcomer to the town. Such places are what I enjoy making photos of as a sort of historical archive, since I know they will change as time goes by.



My recommendation as well.

Thanks for the feedback on my photo! Pensacola is not what you think of when you say boring town. I love those run down towns or small towns but pensacola is like....i dont know how to put it you just have to live here I guess. Its so depressing here theres no market so nothing has changed for a while now. Im actually making a photo book of this place just to show how bad it is and it actually has improved my photography quite a bit. Ill be moving to bentonville arkansas this december.

 

[JCook0113]

TLR's are fun to use, I use them alongside my LF equipment, don't be afraid of the square format, I can think of some great photographers who shot to the format and never cropped, but that's a personal choice (not to crop).

If you're happy with a fixed lens then something like a Yashicamat 124 or 124G is a good first TLR, sometimes you cam=n be lucky and get Rolleiflex cameras at bargain prices as well. If you want inter changeable films them there's the Mamiya C series are excellent, something like a C33 or C330.

Ian

Ya i dont crop either. What do you think about minoltas? My 35mm is a minolta my mother gave me and I might want a collection going

 

[Ian Grant]

Ya i dont crop either. What do you think about minoltas? My 35mm is a minolta my mother gave me and I might want a collection going

The AAutocords are good camera not as common so can fetch higher prices. Like all older camera factor in the possibility they might need a CLA.

Ian

 

[JCook0113]

The AAutocords are good camera not as common so can fetch higher prices. Like all older camera factor in the possibility they might need a CLA.

Ian

Oh ok thanks probably not worth it. So in tlr's is the composition ever off because the lens you look through is seperate from the actual lens in front of the film? I think its concidered parallax

 

[mshchem]

 

[Ian Grant]

Oh ok thanks probably not worth it. So in tlr's is the composition ever off because the lens you look through is seperate from the actual lens in front of the film? I think its concidered parallax

Only when working very close, some cameras have built in correction. I shot a jewellery catalogue with a Mamiya C33 and just used the centre column of my tripod to position the taking lens where the viewing lens had been, there are paramenders to do this more simply.

Ian

 

[M Carter]

Look into the Pentax 67 if you really like shooting handheld. it's a pretty badass system.

 

[JCook0113]

View attachment 189991

Seems reasonable

 

[Neil Grant]

[The kind of architectural photography I do doesnt really require movements because the buildings I photography are usually at max 2 stories (i dont live in a city) and I could be completely wrong because my knowledge of movements it pretty small. And thank you so much for the meter recommendation.[/QUOTE]
...with smaller/lower buildings you just end up getting closer to them, then tilting the camera upwards...and introducing the unattrative converging verticals. The 'fix' in post isn't very convincing either - typically rendering an 'over-squat' appearance.

 

[macfred]

Though you said that you don't like square format ...
There's a nice Kiev 88 Medium Format SLR Outfit (Arsat 3,5 / 30mm + Arsat 2,8 80mm) for a great price in the Classifieds : https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...ormat-slr-outfit-300-shipped-in-conus.154675/

Edit : I just saw it comes with a 6x4.5 insert for the back too ...

 

[JCook0113]

Though you said that you don't like square format ...
There's a nice Kiev 88 Medium Format SLR Outfit (Arsat 3,5 / 30mm + Arsat 2,8 80mm) for a great price in the Classifieds : https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...ormat-slr-outfit-300-shipped-in-conus.154675/

Edit : I just saw it comes with a 6x4.5 insert for the back too ...

Oh my gosh I want it. I have found the one lol. Are they reliable or is there anything I should know about the camera? Not to knowledgable with kievs

 

[JCook0113]

Though you said that you don't like square format ...
There's a nice Kiev 88 Medium Format SLR Outfit (Arsat 3,5 / 30mm + Arsat 2,8 80mm) for a great price in the Classifieds : https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...ormat-slr-outfit-300-shipped-in-conus.154675/

Edit : I just saw it comes with a 6x4.5 insert for the back too ...

Doing some reading it seems like they break pretty easily

 

[macfred]

Doing some reading it seems like they break pretty easily

I never had one but I was always tempted ...

I guess there are a few Kiev user here at Photrio - maybe they can tell you more. An older thread : https://www.photrio.com/forum/threa...-a-hasselblad-vs-kiev-88cm-comparison.131856/

 

[btaylor]

Russian (FSU) cameras are fun, but there are few that you can count on to be reliable. The optics, however, are often outstanding. You can count on a nice old Yashicamat, not so much a Kiev 88.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

View attachment 189991

That's the nicest Graflex SLR I've ever seen. Most of the ones I find look like they've been through a war.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Hasselblad advertised "Square is the perfect format." I shoot mostly 6x6 and some 4"x5".

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

A lot of wedding photographers used to shoot 6x6. They liked the square format because they could decide upon the crop later. So what I am saying is that you can shoot square and then crop to a rectangle later. Of course you will be using more film than a 645 camera. With 6x6 you also don't have to change the tripod head position for shooting landscape versus portrait images. RB67's have a revolving back to solve this but of course the downside is that the revolving back makes the camera larger and heavier. RB's are essentially 7x7 cameras that expose 6x7 images.

Personally, I own an 8x10 camera and a couple medium format 6x6 TLR's. I find mixing it up (rectangle versus square) helps me creatively. It's fun too!

Actually, an RB/RZ is an 8x8 camera - you can get 6x8cm backs for the RB (which can be adapted to the RZ). So yeah, it's a big pig. But I just came back from a three-day excursion to Mexico City with an RZ and three lenses (50, 110, 180). Didn't shoot a single frame of my 10 rolls with a tripod (although I brought it just in case). And 10 rolls is somewhat low production volume for me, but I had other things I was doing in addition to photographing.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Just as an example of what can be done with an RZ67 handheld, and "architectural":

That was with the 50mm f4.5 lens, hand-held at 1/15th of a second, wide-open.

 

[Alan Gales]

Actually, an RB/RZ is an 8x8 camera - you can get 6x8cm backs for the RB (which can be adapted to the RZ). So yeah, it's a big pig. But I just came back from a three-day excursion to Mexico City with an RZ and three lenses (50, 110, 180). Didn't shoot a single frame of my 10 rolls with a tripod (although I brought it just in case). And 10 rolls is somewhat low production volume for me, but I had other things I was doing in addition to photographing.

Thanks! I didn't realize that.

Yeah, I guess there are more things to do in Mexico City than just photography! I hope you had a great time!

 

[macfred]

... The optics, however, are often outstanding. You can count on a nice old Yashicamat, not so much a Kiev 88.

It's not the Kiev 88 itself but the Arsat 3.5/30mm which attracts me so much ... I guess it should be a very special and exciting affair to shoot that lens. There aren't many comparable medium format fisheye lenses I can afford.

 

[btaylor]

More than once I have heard of people purchasing the Kiev expressly to use that lens. Makes sense, the camera and lens together were much cheaper than the lens alone in another system.

 

[jgoody]

Oh ok thanks probably not worth it. So in tlr's is the composition ever off because the lens you look through is seperate from the actual lens in front of the film? I think its concidered parallax

The parallax issue with TLRs is not really an issue at most distances. For very close shots you'll need the rolleinar cu attachments, one fits the viewing and one the taking lens & parallax is corrected for. The Minolta Autocord is a fine camera. You do not have interchangeable lenses in TLRs except for Mamiyas -- but they are way heavier than the Rollei and Rollei copies like the Autocord.