Praising the RB67 Pro S -- Hail the Emperor of Medium Format

[Kirks518]

The 645 is normally smaller than that, unless you carry it around with the 100mm. Seems odd to compare the 645 with a lens nearly twice the normal-for-format focal length with the RB and a wide angle that's closer to (just over) half normal-for-focal length. But I guess that's what you had. The RB is still 2.5" taller and a whopping 2.25" longer with a wide angle lens than the M645 is with a moderate tele.

I never owned one but from looking at them the RB always looked to me like it would be similar to carrying a very light weight cinder block around. Light that is as cinder blocks go.

I was just measuring what was sitting around, the way it was sitting around.

 

[cb1]

Hello all~ I just replaced the light seals on my ebay RB67. Most of the old foam was gone. It took a couple of slow-n-easy hours to get it done. I'm very pleased. It is nice and quiet now when I release the shutter.
The only seal that was not included in the kit was the seal that is on the back of the rotating back where it connects to the body. All the other seals were included.

Life is good, now where is that film.....

 

[Roger Cole]

I was just measuring what was sitting around, the way it was sitting around.

I get it, but it's interesting - my M645 Pro with back and winder grip and the lens are about all I'd want to carry around, and I don't like doing that for hours - for that it's either my Yashicamat 124 or one of my small Pentax 35mms, the LX or MX. I have the 55, 80 and 150 for my M645 and the 150 isn't much bigger than the 55. The 80 (2.8, dunno about the 1.9 I lust after) is the smallest of all but again not by a huge amount.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I may be a fan boy, but when someone chooses their camera it is their camera and I do not put them or the chosen camera down.

more accurately, you don't pick it up because it's not a Hasselblad.

 

[mweintraub]

Oh, they're heavy enough. Not a camera I want to take on walkabout or to do "street" photography with (not the least reason being how loud it is when you actually take the photo). But they CAN be hand-held - I had a several hour photo shoot in the studio recently where I shot with my RB-67 ProSD, the motorized 6x7 back (it takes 4 AA batteries!) and the 180mm f4.5 lens. That's one end of the spectrum. The other end is one of my photography professors took an RZ 67, I forget what lens (might have been the 110 f2.8), a back, the AE prism, the left-hand grip and the motor winder with him for a day's worth of shooting at Longwood Gardens, where they don't allow tripods. The weight was enough that the next day, his hand and wrist had gone numb from a pinched nerve and he was unable to use the left hand for two or three days afterward.

I've done "Street" with the RZ67 in it's basic form: Body, WLF, 110mm (180mm in bag) and back (polaroid or 120). It's not bad. It's actually really enjoyed it.

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=85058704@N00&view_all=1&text=fp-3000b

 

[Sirius Glass]

more accurately, you don't pick it up because it's not a Hasselblad.

Not true, I still go to Samys and look at and handle other cameras several times a year.

 

[Wayne]

Not true, I still go to Samys and look at and handle other cameras several times a year.

Does your Hassie know that?

 

[Sirius Glass]

Yes. Most recently I was back to handling thread mount Leicas and M Series Leicas, but other than the feel of operating a Leica it does not give me anything that I do not already have in Nkon slrs and a whole lot less. The Hasselblads get to travel with the Graflex and Speed Graphic.

 

[Wayne]

So whats the secret to remembering the orientation of the film back? I have a Pro-S body and back, and when I compose something in one or the other I often forget to rotate the back to that orientation, or vice versa. I know there is a way to address this (at least on later cameras) but I either forgot or never knew what it is.

 

[flavio81]

So whats the secret to remembering the orientation of the film back? I have a Pro-S body and back, and when I compose something in one or the other I often forget to rotate the back to that orientation, or vice versa. I know there is a way to address this (at least on later cameras) but I either forgot or never knew what it is.

Mmm... The red lines tell you, in the viewfinder, which orientation you're in. I've never had any issues with this. You can also sense it by feel by just touching the back...

 

[markbarendt]

Mmm... The red lines tell you, in the viewfinder, which orientation you're in. I've never had any issues with this. You can also sense it by feel by just touching the back...

The older bodies don't have the lines

 

[MattKing]

The older bodies don't have the lines

But the Pro-S that Wayne has definitely does.

 

[Wayne]

My bad; I have the Pro

 

[markbarendt]

But the Pro-S that Wayne has definitely does.

Maybe they aren't working?

 

[Wayne]

You can also sense it by feel by just touching the back...

haha, if I remembered to check before each explosure I could just look at the back!

That's a typo but its sort of pretty descriptive of the results when I do it so I'll just leave it. I think I just coined a new term

 

[MattKing]

My bad; I have the Pro

With a Pro body, you need to get into the habit of glancing down at the back. If the winder isn't on the top, the film is in portrait orientation.

Where it gets to be a real challenge is when you have a 6x4.5 back mounted. Because portrait orientation is the norm, and landscape is when the back is turned.

 

[flavio81]

Where it gets to be a real challenge is when you have a 6x4.5 back mounted. Because portrait orientation is the norm, and landscape is when the back is turned.

EXACTLY!! But then the 6x4.5 back requires the 6x4.5 mask, where you don't have more "red bars" anymore, so you need to double-check.

 

[Roger Cole]

Why would you want to shoot 6x4.5 on an RB67? Maybe if that's your only medium format camera and you want to extend your film supply, maybe.

I have an M645 Pro I like a lot. I'd just use it.

 

[Wayne]

With a Pro body, you need to get into the habit of glancing down at the back. If the winder isn't on the top, the film is in portrait orientation.

Where it gets to be a real challenge is when you have a 6x4.5 back mounted. Because portrait orientation is the norm, and landscape is when the back is turned.

No no you don't get it. I can rotate the back, look in the finder and by that time I've already completely forgotten about the back.

I need help. I may need to get a Pro-S, if that's what it takes.

I think having the finder with both landscape and portrait lines hurts me, because can frame either way in my mind and it doesn't necessarily correspond to the back. I'm used to large format, where you KNOW if you've rotated the back.

 

[Trail Images]

Wayne, I use 4x5 & RB67 ProSD. As I learned my RB world originally on a Pro body, I just learned to look at the winder location. This may not be what you wanted to hear, in that case just buy the upgraded product that seems to be your goal at this point.
However, to date I use my RB all the time and still look at the winder / back orientation. Seems to work best for me working that way.

 

[paul ron]

when you advance your film between shots, you'll realize where the back is.

oops... paul, you beat me to it.

 

[MattKing]

Why would you want to shoot 6x4.5 on an RB67? Maybe if that's your only medium format camera and you want to extend your film supply, maybe.

I have an M645 Pro I like a lot. I'd just use it.

Several reasons.

Leaf shutters.

Rotating back.

Built in bellows.

Most important, my 6x6 slide projector, and the relatively high cost of E6 film and processing.

Not to mention more shots on a single roll, and all those shots fit on the same Printfile page.

I use my 645 Pro and like it too a lot.

But those 6x7 black and white negatives are wonderful, so if I am going to be shooting both black and white and colour transparency on the same outing ....

 

[Sirius Glass]

With a Pro body, you need to get into the habit of glancing down at the back. If the winder isn't on the top, the film is in portrait orientation.

Where it gets to be a real challenge is when you have a 6x4.5 back mounted. Because portrait orientation is the norm, and landscape is when the back is turned.

No no you don't get it. I can rotate the back, look in the finder and by that time I've already completely forgotten about the back.

I need help. I may need to get a Pro-S, if that's what it takes.

I think having the finder with both landscape and portrait lines hurts me, because can frame either way in my mind and it doesn't necessarily correspond to the back. I'm used to large format, where you KNOW if you've rotated the back.

If you shot 6x6 you would not have this problem. Check out the Mamiya C330, Rollei or Hasselblad.

 

[Wayne]

when you advance your film between shots, you'll realize where the back is.

oops... paul, you beat me to it.

No, I won't. I need a visual reminder when I'm looking through the finder. 30 years of looking through finders that tells me the film orientation is not overcome merely by willing myself to remember. Every 110, 35mm, Brownie 120, rangefinder and field 4x5 and 8x10 camera I've ever owned tells me the orientation when I look through the finder/GG. Very strange that they somehow overlooked that detail on the RB.

 

[Wayne]

If you shot 6x6 you would not have this problem. Check out the Mamiya C330, Rollei or Hasselblad.

ha! But then I'd be a square.