RB67 vs. 501CM

[Sirius Glass]

I have one of those (with the full set of disks), but I've never used it with film. I don't do much portraiture, so I'm not certain when I'll use it...

I am missing one disk and since I do not do much portraiture, I have never used it.

 

[Roger Cole]

I just always felt too like there was a lot involved in using an RB67. Aside from the separate cock and advance operations, you have things like how on later CRC lenses you have to read the focused distance off the side scale then manually set the CRC ring. I know none of those things by themselves are a big deal, but they all add up to enough that a 4x5 camera isn't that much bigger/heavier or really all that much more tedious to use.

My 4x5 outfit is much smaller and lighter to carry than my RZ67. Yet I find myself gravitating to the RZ, mainly because of the hassles (dust for one!) and cost of sheet film in comparison, and the fact that with modern films, even the supposedly older style ones, 6x7 is plenty large enough for me.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Still life; glass

I should do some still life. I could probably also make use of it for corals in my partner's aquarium, if I can tame the reflections from the tank's glass...

 

[paul ron]

i like the 150 soft focus lens too. it gives your pix that playboy glow in the highlights.

 

[OrientPoint]

I shoot a fair amount of 70mm film (don't ask why - I don't know myself). I've had both an RB and a Hasselblad 501c, and for me a big advantage of the RB was the 70mm back, which is much less prone to misbehaving than the Hasselblad back. When I bought my RB 70mm back they were going for sandwich money. For some reason now they are rare and expensive ($300+).

 

[Donald Qualls]

If 70 mm film were still readily available, a 70 mm back and half dozen cassettes would still be tempting, even at today's collector prices. No comparison to 20 frames on hard-to-find, expired, or questionable quality 220...

 

[Ben Hutcherson]

If 70 mm film were still readily available, a 70 mm back and half dozen cassettes would still be tempting, even at today's collector prices. No comparison to 20 frames on hard-to-find, expired, or questionable quality 220...

From what I've seen, there's been a BIT or resurgence in interest in 70mm film, and also some modifications out there to at least allow the Hassy backs to take 70mm unperf and even 65mm. The latter, of course, is tempting since it turns up as cinema short ends in Vision and a few other stocks.

A few years ago, I bought a couple of in-date 100ft rolls of Rollei 200 w/type 2 Perf. At the time I hunted around for an A70 back but didn't want to pay $100 for one. Now they go for double that...