Hence my recommendation to move to Hasselblad to have the selection of lenses and end the frustration.
RBs and RZs have interchangeable backs. So, for that matter, does my M645 Pro though the earlier 645 versions didn't. Much as I enjoy shooting with my TLRs if I could keep only one camera across all formats that would be it, because it does it all for me. It's almost as good as 35mm at "35mm style stuff" just bigger and heavier, and that not even much or at all compared to the largest 35mm SLRs but there isn't the huge choice of lenses. Most of the time I end up cropping my 6x6 negatives to 6x4.5ish anyway (not always, but probably 60-70% are cropped, some I do print square.) My RZ and 4x5 I'd vastly prefer when working off a tripod for stationary subjects but again that's not everything. The 645 can do it all at least passably well for me. But more often I end up picking one of the other cameras for more specific reasons.
All of them.
I haven't said anything about failures.Listed where?
Are these Operator Assisted Failures, also known a OAFS?
I haven't said anything about failures.
Compromises are present with any camera choice. Surely this is not news? Hasselblad are great, and also a pain in the ass, depending on how you're using them.
Assume a photographer really likes "the folder way" of living with an every day camera and they value lightness, quiet operation, slimness for ease of carry, the ergonomics of a viewfinder held at the eye, etc. Assume they like the bigger-than-35mm negatives and are perfectly happy with the results they would get from a technical standpoint, and that one lens is enough for them. This photographer is not a unicorn: they exist. But instead of getting a folder they get a Hasselblad. Now they will have to compromise in a few key areas:
- Hasselblad are loud. Many folders are so quiet that you almost can't hear them.
- Hasselblad have a bulky SLR box design that reverses the image. Not so with folders. You can "fix" the reversed image on a Hasselblad by adding money, bulk, and weight to the camera with an accessory viewfinder. I did that.
- Hasselblad are heavier than folders
- Lenses can jam on the camera, and no it's not a RTFM issue. I've been using mine for years and it still happens, albeit infrequently.
- Film magazine adds weight and bulk that folders don't have and are unnecessary if you don't value switching backs. I got an extra magazine for my Hasselblad thinking it would be great and I use it exactly never.
- Mirror lockup jams. No mirror on a folder, so no jams.
- Dark slides are fiddly and just suck.
- No aperture priority auto exposure which you can get it on say a Fuji folder, neat-o.
Folders have compromises too, just like the Hasselblad way of doing things. But if you're a folder type looking for an almost-pocketable camera there is no reason to waste time and money on a Hassy. They're not for everyone and every purpose.
Hence my recommendation to move to Hasselblad to have the selection of lenses and end the frustration.
The Color Skopar is a killer lens!View attachment 334804
What a great image. Do all Color Skopar lenses have that colour tint?
I tried folders. Nice but no lens changing.
[--snip--]
You don't seem to get that my post wasn't about you. The paragraph that starts with "Assume a photographer really likes 'the folder way' of living with an every day camera..." should have made that clear I think.I tried folders. Nice but no lens changing.
For fixed lens, my vote is a Mamiya 6 folder, somewhat fiddley to use, the lens is very sharp, the manner in which focuses with the moving film plane keeps in in alinement. Once folded it will fit into a large cargo style pocket or very large jacket pocket.
What a great image. Do all Color Skopar lenses have that colour tint?
Voigtlander perkeo 1 2 E
Its early 50s but great quality and pocketable
Been there, done that..... they are light but huge....no longer my first choice....
Are there allowances for masks for 6 x 6 or 4 x4 CM images for these camera?
I still have focus issues with my Mamiya 6 automat. Any suggestions? It's been out twice for repair but the focus is unreliable.
The Perkeo is a sweet little folder but there are tons of great 6x6 folders that work well for walkaround cameras. I used to carry an obscure camera called a Hapo 66, made by Balda for a Nuremburg camera retailer, Hans Porst (hence the name). It lived in my briefcase and got used for impromptu portraits. The Certo6 website is a great resource for folders and has a write-up about the Hapo 66:
I'm attaching an example I shot with the Hapo 66 in an alleyway in Lower Manhattan at midday -- crappy light but it worked well enough for the moment.
The Perkeo is a sweet little folder but there are tons of great 6x6 folders that work well for walkaround cameras. I used to carry an obscure camera called a Hapo 66, made by Balda for a Nuremburg camera retailer, Hans Porst (hence the name). It lived in my briefcase and got used for impromptu portraits. The Certo6 website is a great resource for folders and has a write-up about the Hapo 66:
I'm attaching an example I shot with the Hapo 66 in an alleyway in Lower Manhattan at midday -- crappy light but it worked well enough for the moment.
Great image, but she looks pissed Hapo was used not a Hasselblad
Looks like we lost the OP about three pages back.
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