What camera will I bring with me today? Weight/film surface (g/cm2) ratio

bunip · Apr 29, 2019

Having some choice in the medium format I often wonder what camera is more convenient to bring with me on a trip or vacation or a walk.
This weekend I was playing with my favorite toys and a scale. The result was this weight/film surface (g/cm2) ratio table.

All cameras have been weighed ready to shoot in similar conditions without filters, hoods or cases.

Film surface was considered as follows: 6x6 = 55x55mm; 6x9 = 55x82mm; 24x36 = 24x36mm; 13x18cm = 120x170mm

Mamiya Super 23, 100mm lens, 6x9 film loaded (120) 2350g, Ratio 52 g/cm2

Hasselblad 503 cx, 80mm lens, 6x6 film loaded (120) 1510g, Ratio 49 g/cm2

Pentacon Six, 80mm lens, 6x6 film loaded (120) 1400g, Ratio 46 g/cm2

Mamiya 6, 75mm lens, 6x6 film loaded (120) 1215g, Ratio 40 g/cm2

Rolleiflex 3,5 F, 75mm Xenotar lens (6 elements), 6x6 film loaded (120) 1187g, Ratio 39 g/cm2

Rolleiflex 3,5 F, 75mm Planar lens (6 elements), 6x6 film loaded (120) 1165g, Ratio 38 g/cm2

For further comparison:

Olympus 35RC, 42mm lens, 24x36 film loaded (135) 435g, Ratio 50 g/cm2

Toyo Original Field Camera (metal), 135mm lens, 13x18cm film loaded (kodak wooden double film holder) 2505g, Ratio 12 g/cm2

My favourites.
For landscape if I can get near by car I always bring my beloved and heavy Mamiya super 23 with 50mm lens on 6x9 format (the 50mm is 170g more than the 100mm) and the toyo 13x18.
For kids, general photography like holidays or slides I like the rolleys and the mamiya 6.
Hasselblad is a recent purchase and will see when I'll have a set of lenses to try what fit my needs better.
Pentacon 6 was purchased only for the astounding Sonnar 180mm that I love for portraits, and is used accordingly.

I did not consider my load of folding cameras because I think image quality is more sample related, so to each his choice.

antmar · Apr 29, 2019

Very interesting comparison.
Please let me add that in image quality / weight comparison Hasselblad, Rolleiflex and of course Mamiya 6 are unbeatable.
I traveled your beautiful region many times (Parma, Verona, Venice, Ferrara, Padova etc...) with these 3 cameras and I was always satisfied with the results.
Never thought of bringing a large format camera with me due to weight and time saving from my vacation time.

bunip · Apr 29, 2019

Hi antmar, I encourage you to try, if you had the chance, the mamiya press with his spectacular 50 mm. I have been fascinated by it since the first prints. Of all its optics it is the most renowned and compared side by side with the mamiya 6 50mm you can see the difference only enlarging over 40x40cm.
It is HEAVY!!

JensH · Apr 29, 2019

Hi,

just three from me:

Rolleiflex SLX(1980), 6x6, Planar 2.8/80mm, 1911g (incl. film); 63.2 cm2/g
Rolleiflex Original (1929), 6x6, Tessar 4.5/7.5cm, 730g (incl. film); 24.1 cm2/g

Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 530/2, 6x9, Tessar 4.5/10.5cm, 855g (incl. film); 19,0 cm2/g

Best
Jens

bunip · Apr 29, 2019

I'm sorry; I edited some mistakes in the text: g/cm2. Values were correct.

antmar · Apr 29, 2019

bunip said:
Hi antmar, I encourage you to try, if you had the chance, the mamiya press with his spectacular 50 mm. I have been fascinated by it since the first prints. Of all its optics it is the most renowned and compared side by side with the mamiya 6 50mm you can see the difference only enlarging over 40x40cm.
It is HEAVY!!

I hope I will... at least I want to.
But this has nothing to do with the camera, only with the beauty of your place.

Paul Howell · Apr 29, 2019

I almost always carry lens, and I think about format, 6X6 vs 6X9 square vs rectangle prints. Although the Mamiya is a heavy beast, with a 65mm, 100mm, and 150mm is lighter than my Kowa with 55mm 80mm and 150mm. If I do carry just a body and lens it is a Kodak Tourister with fixed 100mm lens.

Sirius Glass · Apr 29, 2019

I am only interested in the best optical quality and the assortment of lenses useful on each trip, so the assortment varies.

Hasselblad 503 CX with PME 45 degree prism.

bunip · Apr 29, 2019

Sirius Glass said:
I am only interested in the best optical quality and the assortment of lenses useful on each trip, so the assortment varies.

did you have\own\try any other mf camera? (other than “those” we all know)

TheFlyingCamera · Apr 29, 2019

Of the options you listed, I'd honestly prefer the Rolleiflex 3.5F . It's the best combination of image quality, light weight, and ease of use for both landscape and people.

Sirius Glass · Apr 29, 2019

bunip said:
did you have\own\try any other mf camera? (other than “those” we all know)

I have owned others including Certo and Mamiya C330 both of which I replaced with the Hasselblads and I have not looked back.

MattKing · Apr 29, 2019

I'm wondering where my Noon Pinhole 6x12 camera fits into this analysis.
It is very light!

Roger Thoms · Apr 29, 2019

Interesting, thanks for sharing. I bet my Harman Titan pinhole cameras would come very favorably and my Fuji GX680 not so much.

Roger

macfred · Apr 29, 2019

TheFlyingCamera said:
Of the options you listed, I'd honestly prefer the Rolleiflex 3.5F ...

Same here!
Since I got my Rollie 3.5F, the ETRSi and my FUJI's (GW670 / 690, GA645 / 645w) have to stay at home more often.
These days I'm bidding for a second Rolleiflex (a 'T' model).

gijsbert · Apr 29, 2019

Interesting list! Whenever I pack for plane travel weight comes into play.

Fujifilm GF670 is quite good! 1045gr/67 27g/cm2
Fujifilm GA645Wi 905gr/645 39g/cm2
Plaubel Makina 67 1330gr/67 35g/cm2
Fujifilm GW690III 1486gr/69 33g/cm2

Theo Sulphate · Apr 29, 2019

What this simple ratio cannot measure is the degree of satisfaction. For example, does a reduction of 200gr in camera weight offset an extra 100mm2 in image area? Does the smaller form factor of a 35mm SLR or rangefinder make a more pleasant travelling experience than a medium format camera? This is all subjective.

abruzzi · Apr 29, 2019

While its an interesting calculation, to me weight is less important than volume (and usability and other things). Especially the lighter you get the weight becomes less meaningful. An Olympus XA that weighs twice what they normally do would feel dense and solid but be equally portable, while an XA that weighed the same but occupied twice the volume would be meaningfully different. Though the heavier you get the more weight matters. Take a Pentax 67 and remove the metered prism and replace it with a WLF and it is much more manageable.

4season · Apr 29, 2019

Lomo LCA-120 382g including film and batteries, 12.6 g/cm2
Holga 120N 216g including film, 7.1g/cm2

TheFlyingCamera · Apr 30, 2019

4season said:
Lomo LCA-120 382g including film and batteries, 12.6 g/cm2
Holga 120N 216g including film, 7.1g/cm2

Those two cameras are not exactly comparable even if they are coming out of the same factory more or less. I'd still prefer the LCA over the Holga because of the field of view it offers. And the fact that it has an all-glass lens, and offers more precise exposures than a Holga.

M. Axel Wikstrom · May 4, 2019

My heavyish 5x7-inch (13x18cm) camera comes out to about 17grams/cm2.

My DIY multiformat camera (6x7, 6x12, 4x5) tips the scales at 21g/cm2 for 6x7, 12.6g/cm2 for 6x12, and 8.4g/cm2 for 4x5 (9x12).

Of course I still schlep a Hasselblad kit when I need it, like today.

narsuitus · May 6, 2019

I think my 250 gram Holga 120 panoramic camera (6x12cm) has the best weight to film surface ratio.

Holga 120 Panoramic by Narsuitus, on Flickr

etn · May 11, 2019

Interesting thoughts, thanks for sharing!
For kicks I calculated the ratio of the nikon F5 with a 50mm 1.4 - even with that tiny lens it is at 172 g/cm2

(by the way, do you also measure the film density in g/cm3? ... sorry for the pun )

etienne

Vaughn · May 11, 2019

Of my present equipment, the 65 year old Rolleicord provides the best weight-to-satisfaction ratio. Much lighter than my Rolleiflex.

A film area to weight ratio has no value in my decisions. I returned recently from a month of travel/camping in southern Chile and left the Rollei behind in favor of the 5x7. The 5x7 was best suited my artistic intentions for the trip.

But if possible I toss in the Rolleicord with the various LF cameras I might be taking. My most recent trip to Yosemite and Zion (a couple days in each), I took the Rolleicord, the 5x7 and 11x14 -- left behind the 4x5 and the 8x10.

Last image of the trip in Chile: Santiago from the terrace of the hostel. 10-minute exposure, platinum/palladium print

Ariston · May 11, 2019

narsuitus said:
I think my 250 gram Holga 120 panoramic camera (6x12cm) has the best weight to film surface ratio.

Holga 120 Panoramic by Narsuitus, on Flickr

I did not know this existed. Have you ever tried running 35mm film through it with one of those 3D printed adapters?

Theo Sulphate · May 11, 2019

Vaughn said:
...
Last image of the trip in Chile: Santiago from the terrace of the hostel. 10-minute exposure, platinum/palladium print

Similar to Daguerre's 1838 image, Boulevard du Temple, your photo shows someone patiently waiting under the shelter of the bus-stop

What camera will I bring with me today? Weight/film surface (g/cm2) ratio

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