New system question

[Kodachromeguy]

Hasselblad FlexBody
Hasseblad ArcBody

I thought about those. But the gent specifically said he was not in the Hasselblad price category.

As someone above pointed out, there is a 75mm Pentax shift lens. I completely forgot about it. Sadly, it is probably a rather rare and high-priced gem.

 

[Horatio]

Have you considered the Bronica systems? ETR series is 645. Newer ones have AE metering prisms. Lighter than the SQ-series, but I love my SQ. 220 backs are fairly cheap and will accommodate 120 film.

 

[jwd722]

If you can't use a tripod do they allow a monopod? I use one with my RB67 more than a tripod and find it amazingly versatile. Mine is an older Bogen 3218 with a Bogen 3262QR ball head. Also, in lieu of a tripod/monopod, I occasionally use my Bronica S2 left hand grip and works very well
As for the weight of the camera (I also use mine handheld quite often), using something like the Black Rapid Sport Breathe strap is a godsend for carrying it over distances.
Can't comment on the 50 mm lens but I do have the 65, 90, 127 and the 180. 65 and 90 are my most used, I find all the lenses quite nice.

 

[Vaughn]

Another example from the Press Camera, again with a long lens. A platinum contact print, so when it is enlarged on screen, it tends to show the paper texture.

The two images I showed were both on tripod...otherwise difficult with long lenses. A monopod--as-walking stick should be easy to get away with, and perhaps one of the heavier duty table-top pods...one with all the bendy parts. A sandbag can be used to steady the camera on a hard surface.

 

[eli griggs]

You can probably buy a Hasdelblad 500 EL for little money perhaps $250 or less, with an A12 or less expensive A24 back back, on which you need to do a new light seal change, right off the start.

Older C lenses, a 50mm and an 80mm, or 150mm with a lens doubler, a Ten stop ND, a polarizer, a user bellows lens shade, two Vivitar 283 flash units, with a extra long double connector cable, and a home made flash testing cable, two lightweight light stands, bought there, Pentax V spot meter and, a Luna Pro F.

A few colour contrast filters, gels will work, or, Bay 50 or threaded filters the corect size plus 5 - 10 mm and an adapter to Bay 50, all of whichwhich are down right cheap on eBay at the moment for used kit, like B&W glass. Also one really good UV as a protection filter on each lens, and a good tall loupe to more finely focused on top of your waist level view finder.

You'll also want a really good older metal tripod and monopod, both old style aluminum Gitzo, because you will want a steady fixture too mount you camera on, and a heavy vs. Carbon fiber, tripod and monopod is best to throw at snakes, monkeys, and beat off other beasties away from you composition.

IMO.

 

[Andrew Kleinfeld]

Koni=Omega's are a terrific buy now (although I've been a twin-lens reflex fan since the 1950's). I'm pretty impressed with what my ancient Koni-Omega does and how easy it is to carry. Another camera that's been great for me is the Horseman, also usable without a tripod and pretty easy to carry. 120 film is a pleasure.

 

[Paul Howell]

I've used the Koni Omega Rapid when I was in the Air Force, a great camera, 6X7 backs, 3 lens, wide normal and short tele, Konica glass is as good as it gets. The reasons I chose a Mamiya Universal are that the Mamiya as a wider selection of lens, has both 6X7 and 6X9 backs. My primary reason is that the Konica uses a ratchet system to advance the film, one pull out and plunging back advances the film and coocks the shutter. With the Mamiya you have to advance the film using a lever on the film back and cock the shutter. Draw back is that Konica is a professional level camera, saw lots of heavy use, the ratchet film advance will wear out and parts will become hard to come by. If the film advance lever on the Mamiya back gives out it has a better chance of being repaired, if not a new back not a new body.

 

[choiliefan]

Would an older Mamiya Press with the tilting back be useful shooting for architecture?
Otherwise, I vote Graflex XL or Century Graphic.

 

[abruzzi]

Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t thing it’s really tilt that you want for architecture, but front rise to allow you to get the tops of buildings without pointing the camera up.

 

[one90guy]

IMHO the Pentax 645 is hard to beat, especial if you already have the body and the manual lens tend to sale at reasonable prices. I am 72 and love the weight of it. I have no problem shooting hand held.. Good luck in your search. I have always wanted to travel Mexico and visit all the ruins. Hope to see some phots posted.

David

 

[Pieter12]

Seems the OP was about archeoligcal sites in Mexico. From my recollection, they tend not to have many vertical lines to be concerned with. Tilt will allow you to get more depth of focus at a given f-stop, so for example, the top and base of a pyramid would both be in focus.

 

[one90guy]

Thank you, I know zero about cameras with tilt and shift.

David

 

[jgboothe]

It's true that back tilt could well have been useful, but this would be pretty difficult to use without a tripod, as you have to rely on the ground glass for focusing (and the ground glass has to be swapped in/out for each shot). Also, the Mamiya Press cameras with this feature only allow for the film plane to be moved further away from the lens, which means that you are restricted in how far away the focal plane can be with most of the lenses. The standard lens (is it the 105mm?) can collapse into the tube somewhat I believe, to allow for more flexibility in focal distance, but the others can not.

The no tripod stipulation was the main reason I didn't suggest one of the folding press cameras with rangefinder (eg Horseman 980 or VH-R). The movements could certainly be useful with a tripod, but handheld, I'm not sure how useful they would be. Maybe a bit of front rise or fall could be doable handheld, but it would be quite difficult to be sure of your composition. The other thing is that these cameras generally have a minimum focal length of 65-75mm, while the OP was looking at wider than that. Given that changing lenses also means changing cams in order to keep the rangefinder calibrated, I thought that this type of camera might end up being a bit of a faff compared to the Mamiya Press or Koni-Omega, with not much benefit from the movements.

 

[Pieter12]

Once again, I think the Rolleiflex SL66 is ideal for this project. It features lens tilt, can be hand-held (although better on a tripod) and a variety of lenses and finders.

 

[eli griggs]

Speeds/Crowns of any size from the Pacemaker or post-War period are easy to make lens boards for (I've cut them from Masonite and made the hole with a hole saw), so you don't need to be limited to one lens on one of these. A 65, the 105 normal, and a 150 or 180 would work well, though you'd have to recalibrate the RF with a ground glass each time you switch lenses, or focus on the ground glass for two of the three. Plenty of bellows to accommodate portraits with the 180, or to shoot macro with the 65.

 

[eli griggs]

Is there a cask system set-up you can recommend or are there issues there to be cautioned on?

I have a real beater, pre-ani. Speed Graphic and I've used it in the past for model testing, but as a travail kit I'd want only one small set of lenses, to cover most needs in a small package.

While you're at it, how many carriers for 4x5 in or 5x7 in. press cameras, and other specific to S.G./field/press, camera tools?

Cheers.

 

[elmartinj]

Hmm. Architecture. Hmm. Think about what you'll need for that. Rise in particular.

On the other hand, why not 35 mm? Smaller, lighter, easier to travel with.

Finally, even though you're in MX and your government hasn't yet told people to stay home, are you sure you want to risk travel and exposure to strangers right now? Before the big clamp down but after airfares collapsed I contemplated a quick field trip to the Dominican Republic. I didn't do it because I didn't want to risk being stranded there.

Ah, the trip wouldn't happen until everything's calm. These months are perfect to begin planning the whole thing.

 

[Alan Gales]

Are you going to shoot close to the car or are you going to do some backpacking? I've never owned an RB but I did own an RZ67. It's my favorite medium format camera but with a 3 lens kit it is pretty heavy!

An SL66 outfit will run you pretty much the same as a Hasselblad outfit and you mentioned that Hasselblad was too expensive. Bronica SQ or Mamiya TLR would be a lot cheaper. Of course if you are going to crop all your shots to rectangle then you might as well buy a 645 camera.

If you are not interested in changing lenses then the Fuji rangefinders are great.

You can't beat a 4x5 monorail for architecture but of course sheet film is a completely different animal.

 

[Pieter12]

Although a 4x5 would indeed produce excellent results, it would necessitate a tripod. The OP is intending to photograph archeological sites, not architecture.

 

[moto-uno]

Over the years I've had the good fortune to visit quite a few of the archeological sites in Mexico and a few in Guatemala , having
said that , I'm not too convinced anything more that a wide angle should be necessary . None of the buildings were so tightly spaced
that one should need movements . YMMV , Peter

 

[Donald Qualls]

Is there a cask system set-up you can recommend or are there issues there to be cautioned on?

I have a real beater, pre-ani. Speed Graphic and I've used it in the past for model testing, but as a travail kit I'd want only one small set of lenses, to cover most needs in a small package.

While you're at it, how many carriers for 4x5 in or 5x7 in. press cameras, and other specific to S.G./field/press, camera tools?

Cheers.

I've generally bought whatever lens, generally in shutter, was cheap on eBay and had the focal length I need. Pretty much any lens in the 105 mm range will cover 6x9, many 65 mm will (especially if you stop down to f/11 or so and/or focus in to hyperfocal). I've got a 105 that covers 4x5 that way. So, one approach, especially if your focal plane shutter works well, would be to buy ratty-looking folding cameras from eBay and rob the lenses off them. A 6x4.5 or 127 4x6 should have a lens in the 65-75 range, lots and lots of 6x9 with 105 mm, and 9x12 plate cameras and 4x5 press cameras have lenses in the 125-150 range. Shutters don't have to work, you can lock them open and use the focal plane. With a little patience, and access to a drill press, you could build a set of three lenses in boards for a 2x3 Speed for $100 or so. And the whole rig including roll holder would weigh about what my Kodak Reflex II TLR does.

 

[mshchem]

If you are dedicated to film a nice 35mm camera. You can do perspective control in PS. A lightweight di**#al camera that can operate on AA cells?

I would take a nice 35mm and two lenses. 28mm and a 50-60mm. And a good cell phone in case an alligator eats your camera

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Once again, I think the Rolleiflex SL66 is ideal for this project. It features lens tilt, can be hand-held (although better on a tripod) and a variety of lenses and finders.
View attachment 243164

He said he was not in the Hasselblad cost category. Now he can afford the SL66 and it's lenses and backs?

 

[eli griggs]

Donald Qualls, "I've generally bought whatever lens, generally in shutter, was cheap on eBay .. "

Cheers.

 

[eli griggs]

Although a 4x5 would indeed produce excellent results, it would necessitate a tripod. The OP is intending to photograph archeological sites, not architecture.

But often, the inside of such sites are where the jewels of archeology are found.

Why would these be any different and what does the OP do when and if, he befriends some one working at the site, who offers special access?

Plus, even small press cameras require space, and the Mayan and Olmec were small folks, physically, and would no build secret places for rituals for large people of today, no?

While I still like a Hasselblad system, including with some extension tubes, a Slr in 35mm with a bellows, 135mm lens and a Pringles can macro light setup, also bought and built on site, would be great for taking details in the dark.

I'm building an new chip can light set-up and there is a good video or three on YouTube on making and using this simple tool.

Skittles cans are smaller but can be made to use with smaller flash units.

IMO, these are worth the time to build and use, and, if you have a 2.5 - 3.in. skittles can or Pringles, and similar size colour filters, you can have some fun with coloured light effects.

Do no forget the ND Polarize filters for the lenses and, IIRC, mineralization in the building stones and possible, maybe wireless interference, if you do use such a flash set-up, might no work, so carry long flash cables and spares..


IMO.