Seeking a very lightweight MF point and shoot camera!

Joseph Bell · Mar 6, 2020

Hello fine people!
I feel a powerful need to acquire a compact medium format point and shoot camera with a wide angle lens! Most important to me is size and portability. Sadly the Mamiya 6 and 7 are well over my budget, and in truth I'd like something even more lightweight. I am looking closely at the Lomo LC-A 120 and the Fuji GA645. Of course these are very different cameras, and I can see pros and cons with each of them. Anyhow, I was wondering if any of you have experience with either of these cameras? I would be most grateful for your thoughts and opinions. Of course, if you have any other suggestions, I'd be delighted to hear them as well. Thank you truly!

Dan Daniel · Mar 6, 2020

The Lomo and the Fuji are at pretty much opposite ends of the scale. The Lomo is manual, zone focus, proud of its vignetting and such. The Fujis are highest quality optics, autofocus and exposure, etc.

I've used assorted Diana-type medium format cameras. Fun, relaxing, but very limited and not an approach to shooting that I ever do for more than a month or so at a time- good to break out of a rut.

I've used a Fuji- forget the model, but autofocus, auto wind, etc. Sharp precise results, which is what I want in general. Enjoyed it.

It's really dependent on what you are looking for. In general, low cost medium format is low image quality, at which point I tend to just go to 35mm and make grain part of the game. But lots of people have a great time with low-quality medium format. Search 'Nancy Rexroth Iowa' for what can be done with this approach. Or just dig into the Lomo site.

https://www.nancyrexroth.com/

Besk · Mar 6, 2020

You might try to put together something from Mercury Camera Company. www.mercurycamera.com
Very lightweight and many options.

Alan9940 · Mar 6, 2020

There are several old folders that certainly fit the lightweight and compact criteria. Visit certo6.com and research models to see if any interest for you. I love my Zeiss Super Ikonta III for longer hikes when I don't want to carry a bunch of equipment.

MattKing · Mar 6, 2020

The requirement for a wide angle lens certainly restricts the options available.

drkhalsa · Mar 6, 2020

Fujifilm GF670W might fit your description, if you can find one.

Joseph Bell · Mar 6, 2020

MattKing said:
The requirement for a wide angle lens certainly restricts the options available.

I agree! Perhaps I should lose that requirement...

gijsbert · Mar 6, 2020

I use the Fuji GA645Wi (28mm one) a lot, great camera, 800 or 900 grams, great negatives, very sharp, good light meter and auto focus, fairly compact. Obviously not quite 6x7 but a lot bigger than 35mm.
Only used my Lomo lc-a 120 a bit, auto exposure, not auto focus, very wide. Decent quality but especially close focus can be easily off, so I've got a few misses, apart from that the quality it pretty decent, and the weight and size is great.
Holga, also light weight, but quality is pretty low, so depends a lot on your taste and state of mind. lc-a quality with a bit longer lens would be interesting, although that would make it harder to focus, but that would be very interesting if they ever do.
To get more out of the big negatives a good but cheapish folder with good alignment is probably best.

Joseph Bell · Mar 6, 2020

Alan9940 said:
There are several old folders that certainly fit the lightweight and compact criteria. Visit certo6.com and research models to see if any interest for you. I love my Zeiss Super Ikonta III for longer hikes when I don't want to carry a bunch of equipment.

Many thanks, I'll investigate this.

M-88 · Mar 7, 2020

Alan9940 said:
There are several old folders that certainly fit the lightweight and compact criteria. Visit certo6.com and research models to see if any interest for you. I love my Zeiss Super Ikonta III for longer hikes when I don't want to carry a bunch of equipment.

^^^
This. And if "Super Ikontas" are beyond your budget, there is always a cheaper option, "Nettar", also by Zeiss. I have one of those, "518/16" aka "Signal-Nettar", sadly with Velio shutter with few speeds (B, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 and 1/200) but it cost me only 15 punds and came with its own leather case. Needless to say that it is Zeiss and even if cheap, still yells "high quality" every single time I touch it. The lens is nothing fancy, three element Novar-Anastigmat, but it is definitely better than Diana and since it lacks a proper rangefinder, it's basically a guestimate camera. Very compact and lightweight. Here it sits next to Olympus OM-2, which is also well known for its small size:

Weight is 550 grams, same as OM-2

I think I should stop preaching now

drkhalsa · Mar 7, 2020

drkhalsa said:
Fujifilm GF670W might fit your description, if you can find one.

Looks like used ones are expensive, too.

Joseph Bell · Mar 7, 2020

M-88 said:
^^^
This. And if "Super Ikontas" are beyond your budget, there is always a cheaper option, "Nettar", also by Zeiss. I have one of those, "518/16" aka "Signal-Nettar", sadly with Velio shutter with few speeds (B, 1/10, 1/25, 1/50, 1/100 and 1/200) but it cost me only 15 punds and came with its own leather case. Needless to say that it is Zeiss and even if cheap, still yells "high quality" every single time I touch it. The lens is nothing fancy, three element Novar-Anastigmat, but it is definitely better than Diana and since it lacks a proper rangefinder, it's basically a guestimate camera. Very compact and lightweight. Here it sits next to Olympus OM-2, which is also well known for its small size:

Weight is 550 grams, same as OM-2

I think I should stop preaching now

O no, preach on, please do! Thank you for this!

Joseph Bell · Mar 7, 2020

Dan Daniel said:
The Lomo and the Fuji are at pretty much opposite ends of the scale. The Lomo is manual, zone focus, proud of its vignetting and such. The Fujis are highest quality optics, autofocus and exposure, etc.

I've used assorted Diana-type medium format cameras. Fun, relaxing, but very limited and not an approach to shooting that I ever do for more than a month or so at a time- good to break out of a rut.

I've used a Fuji- forget the model, but autofocus, auto wind, etc. Sharp precise results, which is what I want in general. Enjoyed it.

It's really dependent on what you are looking for. In general, low cost medium format is low image quality, at which point I tend to just go to 35mm and make grain part of the game. But lots of people have a great time with low-quality medium format. Search 'Nancy Rexroth Iowa' for what can be done with this approach. Or just dig into the Lomo site.

https://www.nancyrexroth.com/

Thank you truly. I do love my Holga and find that if I get the exposure right, it can produce a lovely image indeed. My attraction to lo-fi medium format might send me to the Lomo LC-A; I hear its meter is excellent, and the glass lens is decent. This said, I do have a Mamiya 645 1000s and am delighted by the finer qualities of the 150mm f3.5 lens. I've also rented a Hasselblad 500 C/M so as to revel in the beauty of the Zeiss lenses.
What I'm after now is something that weighs 1 kg at most. A point and shoot is ideal - hence my curiosity RE the aforementioned Lomo and Fuji 645. I do think I'll eliminate the 645 from my list, as I do prefer the 6x6 format. Perhaps I need to decide between the Lomo and an old folding camera!

Ariston · Mar 7, 2020

MattKing said:
The requirement for a wide angle lens certainly restricts the options available.

That is what I was thinking. The only cameras I can think of are the Fuji GW type cameras, which I think have already been mentioned.

I recently picked up the folder style of the Mamiya 6, which is very affordable and very compact, but the lens is not a wide lens. The Type K shoots 4.5x6 or 6x6, which is a bonus feature. It's a rangefinder.

StepheKoontz · Mar 7, 2020

I seriously love the Fuji GS645S and the GS645W. Very reliable, light weight and amazing optics.

Joseph Bell · Mar 7, 2020

Ariston said:
That is what I was thinking. The only cameras I can think of are the Fuji GW type cameras, which I think have already been mentioned.

I recently picked up the folder style of the Mamiya 6, which is very affordable and very compact, but the lens is not a wide lens. The Type K shoots 4.5x6 or 6x6, which is a bonus feature. It's a rangefinder.

Yes thank you! I am looking at those, as well as some of the Zeiss offerings. Far cheaper than any of the Fujis, and considerably lighter. I think I'd better forget about wide angle for now...

Joseph Bell · Mar 7, 2020

StepheKoontz said:
I seriously love the Fuji GS645S and the GS645W. Very reliable, light weight and amazing optics.

Oh this is very interesting. I didn't know about these cameras at all - I was too busy looking at the GA645! Thank you!

MattKing · Mar 7, 2020

A Voigtlander Baby Bessa is really nice and small (similar to the Novar posted above) although it isn't particularly light, being constructed robustly.
It is also the best camera I have ever found for left handed and left eye dominant photographers.
Mine looks like this:

It works great with all sorts of photo opportunities:

If you get one, reach out to me - the double exposure prevention and frame counter system requires a very precise approach - the engineering mind-set clearly dominated when this camera was designed!

Paul Howell · Mar 7, 2020

Mamiya 6, the 50s version with fixed 75mm lens, I have one, lens is very sharp, rangefinder is accurate, folds up and fit into a very large coat pocket. My other light weight is a Kodak Tourist, 6X9 scale focus, well made, as I use it for landscapes I'm usually at infinity so scale focus is big deal. It takes 620 film, I respool either Tmax 100 or ultrafine 400. It was made with both a 3 element and 4 element lens with a simple shutter with 3 speeds, I have a model with the 4 element lens and better shutter with top speed of 1/400 of a second. Kodak also made a model with a shutter with top speed of 1/800 of a second.

Luis-F-S · Mar 7, 2020

My medium formal point and shoot is the SWC/M!

xya · Mar 7, 2020

Joseph Bell said:
... I am looking closely at the Lomo LC-A 120 and the Fuji GA645. Of course these are very different cameras, and I can see pros and cons with each of them. Anyhow, I was wondering if any of you have experience with either of these cameras? I would be most grateful for your thoughts and opinions...

I have both and I love both. have a look at my website, there is some more information on these www.120folder.com or even more cameras. recently there is another lightweight option: http://www.oddcameras.com/cameradactyl_universal_travel.htm a 3D printed body for mamiya universal/press lenses and graflok backs.

Steve Goldstein · Mar 7, 2020

My Voigtlander Perkeo II weighs 554gm including a roll of 120. It’s 6x6, scale focus, manual shutter cocking, 80mm Color-skopar. I’ve gotten several very nice 11x14 enlargements from FP4+. It’s quite compact for what it is and I carry it in a small chest pack while skiing or hiking - very convenient.

Joseph Bell · Mar 7, 2020

MattKing said:
A Voigtlander Baby Bessa is really nice and small (similar to the Novar posted above) although it isn't particularly light, being constructed robustly.
It is also the best camera I have ever found for left handed and left eye dominant photographers.
Mine looks like this:

It works great with all sorts of photo opportunities:

View attachment 241653

If you get one, reach out to me - the double exposure prevention and frame counter system requires a very precise approach - the engineering mind-set clearly dominated when this camera was designed!

Delightful! Thank you!

wjlapier · Mar 8, 2020

If lightweight and wide angle is what you want then it's the Fujifilm GS645W.

Smallest ( lightest ) MF camera I have. Zeiss Ikonta 521A. Tiny ( 6x4.5 ) and lightweight. Super sharp lens too. To me it's an easy camera to shoot.

bernard_L · Mar 8, 2020

Joseph Bell said:
I do prefer the 6x6 format.

In 6x6, the most compact camera is (I believe) the Voigtander Perkeo. I have a Perkeo I, late model with Skopar lens. Lack of coupled rangefinde is, IMO, no big deal,; a separate rangefinder will take care of the occasional close-up picture.
The forum-size image cannot do justice to the amount of detail in the image below. HP5, expired, metered 250ISO, D-76 1+1 13min.

Seeking a very lightweight MF point and shoot camera!

Joseph Bell

Dan Daniel

Besk

Alan9940

MattKing

Moderator

drkhalsa

Joseph Bell

gijsbert

Joseph Bell

M-88

drkhalsa

Joseph Bell

Joseph Bell

Ariston

StepheKoontz

Joseph Bell

Joseph Bell

MattKing

Moderator

Paul Howell

Luis-F-S

xya

Steve Goldstein

Joseph Bell

wjlapier

bernard_L

Seeking a very lightweight MF point and shoot camera!

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