Night time: Medium Format Help Me Find the Right Camera

Darryl Roberts

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Greetings photogs,

Below are the requirements I'm looking for in a medium format camera to shoot at night:
  • No red filter counter.
  • Depth of field scale on the lens, or lenses if it's interchangeable.
  • I can handle the weight, it'll be on a tripod.
  • 6 x anything but 6 or 7, i.e. 6 x 4.5 or 6 x 9.
  • Not rare
  • Cheapest you know.

Thank you in advance.
 
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cliveh

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Why would night time require a specific camera?
 

ntenny

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Is lens speed a big concern, or are you expecting long exposures since you’ll be on a tripod?

-NT
 

ic-racer

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The earlier Horsman cameras are pretty inexpensive. Especially compared to Linhof from which they are inspired. No DOF scale, however.

 

ntenny

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Darryl Roberts said:
A decent to excellent lens with a normal focal length.
Click to expand...

Ok, but do you need it to be fast? I’m thinking of the 80/1.9 for the Mamiya 645, which is quite a bit faster than the typical f/2.8 and f/3.5 MF lenses. If you need the speed, that seems like a point to the M645 system.

-NT
 
OP
OP

Darryl Roberts

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ntenny said:
Ok, but do you need it to be fast? I’m thinking of the 80/1.9 for the Mamiya 645, which is quite a bit faster than the typical f/2.8 and f/3.5 MF lenses. If you need the speed, that seems like a point to the M645 system.

-NT
Click to expand...

At night I’ll shoot at f/8 or smaller. There’s always an available shutter speed.
 

Dan Daniel

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6x9- Fuji GW/GSW 690 requires aligning start arrow on paper with a dot inside the back, then automatic.

Kodak Medalist I/II requires getting a '1' in the red window, then automatic.

I can't think of a 6x9 folder with automatic frame spacing but there may be some out there. Bessa II?

I think that pretty much all 6x9 backs for technical cameras and such have an arrow/dot starting system.

I don't know how the assorted 6x4.5 SLRs handle the beginning, but all have automatic frame to frame operation. Any of the early folders like the Pearl or the Voigtlander Baby Bessa 64 that have automatic frame spacing use a red window to start, then automatic.

A Rolleicord Va or Vb with a 6x4.5 kit installed require the arrow/dot start then automatic.

cliveh said:
Why would night time require a specific camera?
Click to expand...
Based on his criteria, I expect that it is using a red window for frame to frame winding that he wants to not deal with.
 

John Wiegerink

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The Kodak Monitor 620 and 616 have auto frame counting after you set exposure one in the ruby window. I love my Monitor 620, but it's hard to find one with a light tight bellows. I had to replace the bellows on mine, but it was way more than worth it.
 

campy51

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Is this allowed?

For Sale - Several cameras for sale

Looking to trim my collection. Instead of me taking pictures of everything I thought I would see what people might be interested in first and take pictures of those items. Bronica EC-TL in excellent condition and was bought here a couple of years ago. I have two 75mm, two 50mm, one 150mm and a...
www.photrio.com
 

Bruce Butterfield

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I really like my Fuji GW690 for night photography; it’s one of the older models that has a true B setting. Amazing contrasty, sharp Fujinon 90mm 3.5 lens, bright rangefinder patch. Not the lightest or most compact camera but wonderful on a tripod.
 

MTGseattle

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Daryl, do you have a specific focal length in mind, or would a "system" be better suited?
 

john_s

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Be careful of depth of field scales or tables. They are based on a fairly low degree of sharpness (lower sharpness criterion leads to "more depth of field"). Read about it. But I would still focus on the most important parts of the subject.
 

neilt3

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Bronica SQ-Ai with the 80mm lens on works for me .
Markings on the lens for scale focus , speed grip , motor drive or crank lever for winding on film . Automatically stops ready for next exposure whilst resetting the mirror and leaf shutter .
Check whichever of the SQ bodies you get have a "bulb" setting for nighttime shooting .
I'm not sure they all do .
 

RalphLambrecht

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Hasselblad 500V system; as to the price; it's cheaper to buy once!
 

RalphLambrecht

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john_s said:
Be careful of depth of field scales or tables. They are based on a fairly low degree of sharpness (lower sharpness criterion leads to "more depth of field"). Read about it. But I would still focus on the most important parts of the subject.
Click to expand...

always good advice; relying on DOF for sharpness will inevitably push the subject into marginal sharpness. always make sure to focus on the main subject and leave the rest to DOF and good luck.
 

dalahorse

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I get great night photography results with my Mamiya RB67 on a heavy tripod. I have the oldest model (Professional, not Professional-S or Professional-SD). I find the ability to fire the camera mirror and leaf shutters independently to be quite useful.
 

hsandler

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If you don't want 6x6, 6x7 or red windows, that narrows things down to mostly press cameras or the relatively modern Fuji 645 or 6x9 rangefinders. The Fujis have gotten somewhat expensive. If you go that route, there is even a 645z model with a zoom and autofocus. Mamiya press cameras are fairly inexpensive, given their extensive capabilities, but I have no experience with them. I have a Graflex Century Graphic with a late model 2x3 Graflex roll film back that has automatic counting and auto stop for lever winding. Cost me next to nothing. Mine came with a cheap Agnar 105mm lens taken from a folder, but I always use it stopped way down so it performs well. You can mount lots of lenses in shutters to such a camera. Most lenses have a depth of field scale, or you can use an app to calculate. I take depth of field scales as only a rough guide to maximum depth of field. If you are using medium format, you probably want to make big prints or high res files, so you may want to stop down more than such tables/apps recommend.

Also, given that your profile says you already shoot large format and weight is not an issue, you could consider a roll film back with auto-stop for a 4x5 view camera or press camera.
 
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