Smallest Medium Format Rig

[retina_restoration]

My Perkeo II is remarkably small for a 6x6 camera. The Color Skopar is an excellent lens, also.

 

[Steven Lee]

Perhaps the point I am about to make will land as an off-topic. But my search of a perfect portable medium format camera ended with a conclusion, that the best portable medium format camera for most practical situations is actually a 35mm camera loaded with a fine-grained film like Delta 100.

It requires about as much light to shoot handheld as a MF camera loaded with an ISO 400 film, and the grain is pretty close to an ISO 400 film in 120 at comparable print sizes.

Of course the case can be made that an ISO 100 film in a medium format camera gives you even finer grain, but at least for my use cases it's rare that I can shoot ISO 100 in medium format without a tripod, so the portability flies out the window anyway.

 

[xya]

Perhaps the point I am about to make will land as an off-topic. But my search of a perfect portable medium format camera ended with a conclusion, that the best portable medium format camera for most practical situations is actually a 35mm camera loaded with a fine-grained film like Delta 100.

It requires about as much light to shoot handheld as a MF camera loaded with an ISO 400 film, and the grain is pretty close to an ISO 400 film in 120 at comparable print sizes.

Of course the case can be made that an ISO 100 film in a medium format camera gives you even finer grain, but at least for my use cases it's rare that I can shoot ISO 100 in medium format without a tripod, so the portability flies out the window anyway.

You make a good point. I still shoot 120 film a lot, with small folders and hand held. For several years already it's B&W film, mainly HP5+ exposed at 320 ISO and developped with Rodinal at 1:100 1 hour semi stand. That gives an acceptable fine grain and it's ideal for lazy people like me.

I'm at the same time into smallest 35mm compacts that fit into a small jeans pocket. With these I use Kodak Gold, if available, and I let a good lab do the job. You are right, the grain is quite comparable to my 120 film...

 

[loccdor]

Perhaps the point I am about to make will land as an off-topic. But my search of a perfect portable medium format camera ended with a conclusion, that the best portable medium format camera for most practical situations is actually a 35mm camera loaded with a fine-grained film like Delta 100.

It requires about as much light to shoot handheld as a MF camera loaded with an ISO 400 film, and the grain is pretty close to an ISO 400 film in 120 at comparable print sizes.

Of course the case can be made that an ISO 100 film in a medium format camera gives you even finer grain, but at least for my use cases it's rare that I can shoot ISO 100 in medium format without a tripod, so the portability flies out the window anyway.

I mostly agree, but with the caveat that if you have a bottleneck in output resolution per film area, you may indeed find tons more detail from the medium format. 35mm's strength relies on your equipment being able to extract a finer level of detail from the frame.

And also to mention, you don't need a tripod to do "tripodesque" photography - I took a lot of long exposures with a 6x9 just by finding stone walls or other sturdy objects to sit it on. Some environments have an abundance of those. So it's conceivable you could load up the MF folder with 100 speed, leave the tripod at home, and have the best of both worlds. But I get your meaning. It's true I rarely carry below 400 speed in the Bessa.

 

[Besk]

Perhaps the point I am about to make will land as an off-topic. But my search of a perfect portable medium format camera ended with a conclusion, that the best portable medium format camera for most practical situations is actually a 35mm camera loaded with a fine-grained film like Delta 100.

It requires about as much light to shoot handheld as a MF camera loaded with an ISO 400 film, and the grain is pretty close to an ISO 400 film in 120 at comparable print sizes.

Of course the case can be made that an ISO 100 film in a medium format camera gives you even finer grain, but at least for my use cases it's rare that I can shoot ISO 100 in medium format without a tripod, so the portability flies out the window anyway.

I came to a similar conclusion several years ago. For traveling photos I decided that a small 35mm camera (a P&S or a Leica IIIf) was enough for my needs. I sometimes bring along an Agfa Record III 6x9 folder (with Tmax 400) for the times when I anticipate enlargements to 11x14. But usually it stays in the room where I am staying.

 

[Radost]

ANother vote for perkeo II. Perkeo E “III“ is better “rangefinder in camera” but a little bigger

 

[xya]

ANother vote for perkeo II. Perkeo E “III“ is better “rangefinder in camera” but a little bigger

The E "III" is very expensive, the rangefinder is uncoupled, it is bigger and it has no automatic film advance. So I do not really see an advantage. As said, the II is fine.

 

[Radost]

The E "III" is very expensive, the rangefinder is uncoupled, it is bigger and it has no automatic film advance. So I do not really see an advantage. As said, the II is fine.

The advantage is no need to have and mount a rangefinder every time I don’t shoot at infinity.
My perkeoII takes sometime to put the rangefinder on.
Also I don’t have the leather case for the E and just put it in the pocket.
And the camera has autoadvance. What it does not have ua a film counter.

 

[Radost]

The E "III" is very expensive, the rangefinder is uncoupled, it is bigger and it has no automatic film advance. So I do not really see an advantage. As said, the II is fine.

Also i got an E very cheap from Germany… Thankfully those cameras are very cheap. Trust fund babies go after 135 cameras.

 

[xya]

The advantage is no need to have and mount a rangefinder every time I don’t shoot at infinity.
My perkeoII takes sometime to put the rangefinder on.
Also I don’t have the leather case for the E and just put it in the pocket.

If you add a small rangefinder to the II, it's not much bigger than a III and you can leave it on it.

And the camera has autoadvance. What it does not have ua a film counter.

If you say so, I have to believe you as you have this camera. But are you really sure? Most websites say that there is no auto-advance. I even have the manual of the III and it states:
"Please note: The arrow will reverse after half a turn of the film winding knob. This does
not mean however that the film is in the right position for the next picture. Always
continue winding till the next number appears in the film window at the back."
This does not appear to be an auto-advance...

 

[Radost]

If you add a small rangefinder to the II, it's not much bigger than a III and you can leave it on it.


If you say so, I have to believe you as you have this camera. But are you really sure? Most websites say that there is no auto-advance. I even have the manual of the III and it states:
"Please note: The arrow will reverse after half a turn of the film winding knob. This does
not mean however that the film is in the right position for the next picture. Always
continue winding till the next number appears in the film window at the back."
This does not appear to be an auto-advance...

Leaving the rangefinder on makes the camera bigger.
I will check. It is possible I just did not know and get lucky winding.

 

[GregY]

The advantage is no need to have and mount a rangefinder every time I don’t shoot at infinity.
My perkeoII takes sometime to put the rangefinder on.
Also I don’t have the leather case for the E and just put it in the pocket.
And the camera has autoadvance. What it does not have ua a film counter.

I pondered that question last year when i bought mine. I'm glad i bought the ll...because i often don't take the rangefinder out of the case, as i tend to use it for landscapes.

 

[Radost]

Leaving the rangefinder on makes the camera bigger.
I will check. It is possible I just did not know and get lucky winding.

You are right. It does not have auto advance. I must have forgot about it. Last time I shot this camera was 2022 in ukraine.

 

[xya]

You are right. It does not have auto advance. I must have forgot about it. Last time I shot this camera was 2022 in ukraine.

Thank you for checking. So I don't have to change my website...

 

[Radost]

Thank you for checking. So I don't have to change my website...

I have too many camera and am getting old.

 

[hoomuzzz]

Hello Everyone,

I have recently invested in a Konica Pearl iii 645 folder, and fitted it with a small shoe meter and a push-on hood. I now have the smallest medium format setup I have ever used. A Perfect street shooter.

Any one else with a similar portable setup?

View attachment 360013

That's really nice for portable equipments. In China the Pearl iii is well known as "the premier's camera". The 1st premier Zhou had one and used it often. Back then there were many copies.