Simplistic thinking about camera design
-
A
- Thread starter cliveh
- Start date
Recent Classifieds
-
For Sale Zone VI Development Timer and Newsletters
- Started by 2Dogs
-
Sold Nikon s2 with 50mm 1.4
- Started by Gram Nylén
-
Sold Fujifilm 4x5 Fujichrome Veliva 100 and Fujifilm 4x5 Fujichrome 64T. EXPIRED
- Started by Renato Tonelli
-
Sold Fujifilm Neopan 100 Acros 120 and 4x5
- Started by Renato Tonelli
Forum statistics
Okay guys, now's the time, once again, to post the name of your favorite 35mm and medium format camera. Sirius Glass can go first. I'll take a wild guess and say he thinks the best medium format camera is Hasselblad.
Last edited:
The top of the line MF camera with lenses, parts and service is Hasselblad. The Rollei slr cameras are great but it is harder to find lenses since much fewer were sold and service can be hard to get. Both have removable film backs so that one can change film midroll or quickly swap when changing rolls.
Rollei tlrs are good but they have fixed lenses. Mamiya C series tlr can change lenses. Both cannot have film changed mid roll.
Rollei tlrs are good but they have fixed lenses. Mamiya C series tlr can change lenses. Both cannot have film changed mid roll.
I agree in some ways with Sirius Glass about Hasselblad with many if...
It was a workhorse in studio or in controlled environment but focusing was not the best of all. meaning slow.
Rolleiflex TLR shares the same philosophy of a Leica M. It's small and silent. When under a jacket nobody sees it and you can snap it in a blink.
And you could shoot at 1 sec easily handheld.
When I had young eyes it was a pleasure to shoot with them. Never with the Blad.
But it all depends on your shooting style, again, in studio, a Blad was best.
On the streets... Rollei !
It was a workhorse in studio or in controlled environment but focusing was not the best of all. meaning slow.
Rolleiflex TLR shares the same philosophy of a Leica M. It's small and silent. When under a jacket nobody sees it and you can snap it in a blink.
And you could shoot at 1 sec easily handheld.
When I had young eyes it was a pleasure to shoot with them. Never with the Blad.
But it all depends on your shooting style, again, in studio, a Blad was best.
On the streets... Rollei !
I agree with simple, Rollie TLR, cheaper Japanese knock off, Yaschia, Minolta, Kowa, Ricoh, are also good to very good. Konica Omegaflex, twin lens but not a true reflex, viewing lens is direct view. In terms of parts, reparability, availability of lens and accessories VSG has a point about Hassy. Other option for simplicity is a Mamiya or Konica press rangefinder. Or bear bones, 2X3 Graphic or Bush press, simple is less rangefinder, zone or ground glass focus.
I have never used the Hasselblad in a studio, mostly hand held and only on a tripod when I use the 500mm lens, the 500mm lens plus the 2XE extender, or low level light exposures less than 1/30 second. So yes the Hasselblad can be carried around and used. I do not find it slow, but a 35mm AF slr will be a little faster.
If one want to shoot the Rollei tlr with a normal lens, wide angle lens and a telephoto lens then the photographer will have to walk down the street with all three cameras around his or her neck, instead of one Hasselblad with one lens on and two lenses in the camera bag. Granted walking down the street with three Rolleis around ones neck does have a light more bling!
Time to consider the original Fuji 6x9 rangefinders. Simple and straighforward, with no electronics, and no meter. Interchangeable lenses for wide, normal, and tele. Lighter and more compact than a Pentax 6x7, and very handholdable, with an even bigger negative. Leaf shutters for flash sync at any speed, and no mirror slap. The only major downside is crappy min focus distance, but that's true for all rangefinders and TLRs.
Guillaume, I guess someone should have told Richard Avedon......
& there was a time when a roll of 120 cost less than a Hasselblad back .....
He had a very good taste ! You convince a convinced
For long I had a Rollei T on the left, a Rolleiwide on the right, under my jacket. I was perfectly fine
Good old times !
For long I had a Rollei T on the left, a Rolleiwide on the right, under my jacket. I was perfectly fine
Good old times !
So that keeps you from listing toward port or starboard, right?
There was a close-up attachment with eyes, but I don't know if they were made for every model Fuji 120 rangefinder. I never owned one, but did own several Fuji cameras. I think the GW690 II was my favorite. With that big negative and sharp 90mm one could crop to get the close-up shot you wanted.
I'm not familiar with Leica nomenclature, but from my search this may be a "Leica II" and below the Rolleicord Vb.
They are both beautiful, sophisticated, mechanical devices with hundreds of parts. I'm not sure I'd call either one "simple."
Not "simple" to operate either, unless one is schooled in photography.
I'd say they are both laudable for being "Straightforward" in that the function of all the controls is straightforward and there are no unnecessary distractions to image making. But they are both complicated devices.
They are both beautiful, sophisticated, mechanical devices with hundreds of parts. I'm not sure I'd call either one "simple."
Not "simple" to operate either, unless one is schooled in photography.
I'd say they are both laudable for being "Straightforward" in that the function of all the controls is straightforward and there are no unnecessary distractions to image making. But they are both complicated devices.
Taking Sirius's lead, here are two of my favorites which it can be argued really are "Simplistic" in operation; they are both autofocus, matrix meter auto exposure, auto wind, point-and-shoot cameras. The Hy6, may actually have less moving parts than the Rolleicord too.
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2015
- Messages
- 1,984
- Format
- Plastic Cameras
What draws you to the Rolleicord Vb in particular?
I don't have a Leica II, but I have an early FED-1 which is a Leica II copy. I like it a lot, because it's small, lightweight, and has the essential features that I want. In some ways, I like it better than my genuine Leica 3F, which is slightly larger, and which has a number of features that I never use.
Have never shot with any Rolleicord, save for the III, which was one of the first cameras that my folks let me use. I still have it, though I admit that it's been years since I've done anything with it.
I have not commented on the Leica rangefinders, although I like the M Leicas better than the Leica III, because I prefer Nikon slr AF cameras for 35mm photography.
Wow! Sirius preferring Hasselblads?! Who would have guessed?
Any RF camera without a combined RF/VF has a serious ergonomic hindrance.
A rolleicord Vb, simplistic as it might appear, is not such a simple camera, because it has a leaf shutter inside.
If the question is "best medium format camera ever designed", my vote goes to the Mamiya RB67 (later versions). It starts what was pioneered by Hasselblad and improves it. It has a very simple, reliable mechanism on the camera body, it's simple to operate, quick to re-configure (i.e. changing focusing screens, exchanging film magazine), etc.
Not my favorite MF camera nor the best built (the best built is probably a Rolleiflex TLR), neither the most beautiful, but probably the best designed.
The Leica II is a fun camera. Put a Summar or Elmar on it and it's so small and light that it feels like jewelry on a strap. Put a telephoto Summicron or Elmar on it and it morphs into an unweildly little beastie.
The Retina IA cameras are sorta simple until they break, and you don't have to worry about having separate VF and RF windows because they don't have a rangefinder. Just that single, little bitty, squinty viewfinder. Great lenses, the bottom line Xenar is a keeper.
Neither of these are "simple" cameras though. Simple is a shoe box pinhole camera. On a knob wind 35mm folder or a box camera, anyone some good tools and the materials could make everything except the shutters and lenses. Shoot, a box camera has such a simple, spring loaded shutter, a 9th grader could make one of those. A lens could be from a magnifying glass.
The Retina IA cameras are sorta simple until they break, and you don't have to worry about having separate VF and RF windows because they don't have a rangefinder. Just that single, little bitty, squinty viewfinder. Great lenses, the bottom line Xenar is a keeper.
Neither of these are "simple" cameras though. Simple is a shoe box pinhole camera. On a knob wind 35mm folder or a box camera, anyone some good tools and the materials could make everything except the shutters and lenses. Shoot, a box camera has such a simple, spring loaded shutter, a 9th grader could make one of those. A lens could be from a magnifying glass.
Last edited:
A Voigtlander Vito II is small and pocketable when closed however it does not have a rangefinder and one should learn to use the depth of field markings on the lens for focusing.
Yashica A, TLR with the Yashikor lens. Soft wide open for portraits and sharp stopped down. Four speed shutter that most often works fine after all these decades. X-sync for flash. Red window, so no counter mechanism that can break. Bright fresnel viewing screen.
I have many Rolleicords, but they are more likely to have problems than the Yashica A.
I have many Rolleicords, but they are more likely to have problems than the Yashica A.
-
- jtk
- Deleted
From the ergonomics perspective I generally find newer cameras more user friendly. It took camera designers some time to realize that a bult-in viewfinder diopter correction is great, a hand grip is important, that half-press of a shutter button is great for exposure locking, a tripod mount should be under the lens, and exposure compensation should not be a stiff ring which requires two hands to operate, and on and on. I am sure you have your favorites.
On the other hand, newer cameras are plagued with complexity. My Canon EOS 1v is a perfect example.
Therefore, a perfect camera design for me is a hybrid of modern ergonomics and the simplicity of Leica/Hasselblad/Rolleiflex. I do not know if the world is ready for a brand new film camera, but I am.
On the other hand, newer cameras are plagued with complexity. My Canon EOS 1v is a perfect example.
Therefore, a perfect camera design for me is a hybrid of modern ergonomics and the simplicity of Leica/Hasselblad/Rolleiflex. I do not know if the world is ready for a brand new film camera, but I am.
| Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here. |
PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:  |