Recommendations for a medium format folder

[Peltigera]

I like Ikontas - particularly the half frame Ikonta 520. No need for a rangefinder unless you are going to be doing close-ups. Guesstimating distances is easy with very little practise and if you keep to f5.6 or smaller the depth of field will cover poor guesses.

 

[k.hendrik]

Impress the girls, hey ? go for simple:

http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Dacora_Digna
1953; retro does it these days. I have the 1:8/80: cheap and light.
no folding but pushing and no metering.

 

[Peltigera]

I have a Dacora Digna. Makes Holga cameras look like advanced engineering!

 

[k.hendrik]

I have a Dacora Digna. Makes Holga cameras look like advanced engineering!

So your 'story' isn't right; girls are not interested in technology!

 

[JPD]

Impress the girls, hey ? go for simple:

http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Dacora_Digna
1953; retro does it these days. I have the 1:8/80: cheap and light.
no folding but pushing and no metering.

It's true that many girls are interested in retro cameras. Wear one around your neck and girls 17-30 will look at you, and maybe they'll give you compliments. In reality it's about your camera and not you, but you can pretend it's about you. That helped me through my midlife crisis.

 

[cliveh]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys and in the end I bought a Zeiss Ikonta 520/16 6 x 6cm Camera with a 7.5cm f4.5 Carl Zeiss Tessar. It arrived this morning and I must say it is a beautiful little camera which seems in very good condition. I have already loaded it with a roll of FP4 and can’t wait to try it out. Can anyone who is use to using one of these give me any tips? Is it also possible to get a rubber lens hood to fit one of these, so I could fold it back to sit inside the folded camera when not in use?

 

[pbromaghin]

I have the virtually identical 521/16. It has a Novar instead of the Tessar and I believe you have a flash sync that is missing on the 521. I carry it around almost daily, folded up in my pocket.

The hood to fit your specs might not exist. You would either have to find one to fit the Series ring (probably a #6), or a Series adapter for a screw-on filter. Anything made out of rubber to fit a series ring probably rotted away long ago, and who knows if such an adapter has ever been made. Either way it would be pretty tight to fit inside when folded up - these things are marvelously engineered for compactness. I have seen metal lens shades for Series, so they do exist. If you want to use any filters,you'll just have to get used to carrying them separately.

What is you fastest shutter speed? Mine is 1/250 and I have found a happy spot with Tmax-400 and an orange or red filter. You may get more contrast with the Tessar and not find any filtering necessary.

Have fun with it, man. It's the most fun camera I own.

 

[ntenny]

Can anyone who is use to using one of these give me any tips?

Yeah: Go forth and shoot!

I don't really think there's much to say beyond that. Get used to sunny 16 metering and guessing distance (the DOF scale, which I believe your camera has, is your friend), and enjoy having medium format in your pocket.

Also, 6x6 contact prints can be really lovely. Alas, you don't find a lot of frames in that size any more, except for crummy little dollar-store jobs.

-NT

 

[SMBooth]

While you got yours and should be very happy about it, I'll add another one to the list just for any body else looking.
Zeiss Ercona, 6x6/6x9 with 105f3.5 tessar. Going to put my first roll through it this weekend.

 

[DWThomas]

While you got yours and should be very happy about it, I'll add another one to the list just for any body else looking.
Zeiss Ercona, 6x6/6x9 with 105f3.5 tessar. Going to put my first roll through it this weekend.

Indeed! I didn't mention the Ercona earlier because it's not as compact as a 6x6, but I have an Ercona II with the CZJ Tessar and it's quite impressive -- although at only eight shots to the roll, film disappears fast!

I don't have the 6x6 mask for it, but then, for 6x6 I do have the Perkeo II (and the Yashica TLR, and the Bronica ...).

 

[cliveh]

Thanks guys and pbromaghin my fastest shutter speed is 1/500. When I loaded the FP4 yesterday I set the aperture to f8 and the shutter to 1/100. I figure with the light conditions here at the moment that should be fine. However, the first shot I took yesterday, I forgot to focus. I will have to get use to guessing the distance. I do have a small rangefinder, but it is in metres. However, I don't really want to carry lots of extra stuff round with me, hood, filters, rangefinder, as part of the joy about using this is the minimal compactness. The Zen photography bit again.