What is you favorite type of medium format camera?

[MattKing]

That's like asking which of my children is my favourite!

And I don't even have any children .

 

[agfarapid]

I keep switching back and forth from my 3 Mamiyas (C33, M645 Pro & RB) and they are all great cameras with great lenses. However, I always go back to my Fuji GS 645 folding rangefinder. I love the built in light meter, small size and weight and outstanding optics. I just put a new bellows in and am waiting to get it back from the shop.

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

Hmmm....my Duaflex and my Brownie Box...although my Ansco camera is becoming the popular choice right now.

 

[Maris]

TLR for infrared. It's useful to be able to focus with an opaque filter on the taking lens;
Mamiya RB 67 ProS for everything else.

 

[MaximusM3]

I would have to say my Contax 645. Great lenses, not too heavy, can change backs, good meter and even decent auto-focus. Then a Rolleiflex..

 

[dpurdy]

The Rolleiflex TLR is my favorite camera but 6x7 is may favorite format. When I just can take squares anymore I use the Pentax 67 but I can't love using it like the Rolleiflex.
Dennis

 

[mooseontheloose]

TLR's are my favorite type of medium format camera, and even though I have around 7, I tend to use my SLR (BronicaSQA) more now. The cameras are small, lightweight, have good lenses, and are in my preferred film format, 6x6.

 

[ozphoto]

I too have an affinity with my Kodak Junior 6x9 folder, but my baby is my GS1.

They both have their place:
- the GS1 for when I am out on my own or with a friend who also shoots 120 and we are happy to take our time;
- the Junior for when I am with friends (who aren't photography buffs) and I don't have the time to take my time, just shoot off the cuff.

Love them both - just need more 620 spools to help me out.

 

[perkeleellinen]

For me size and weight are the most important factors. A favourite ought to be the lightest and smallest but unfortunately that means Holga. It's always a zero-sum game with cameras: gain in one aspect, loose in another. Once you start adding functionality you loose in size or weight; often both.

 

[pityacka]

Bought myself a brand new Bronica SQAi, about 5 yrs back. Last of stock, and got it for £699. I knew med. format gave impressive results over 35mm, which I also use. As a result of the Bronica, I then bought a Mamiya RB Pro S (used) with the standard lens; followed by a Mamiya RZ with the 50mm lens. All 3 are beautiful cameras to work with. As a result of spending so much the wife demanded financial compensation.

 

[eddym]

Rollei TLR for walking around and shooting candids, Hasselblad or Rollei SLX for tripod work.

 

[hpulley]

I too have an affinity with my Kodak Junior 6x9 folder, but my baby is my GS1.

They both have their place:
- the GS1 for when I am out on my own or with a friend who also shoots 120 and we are happy to take our time;
- the Junior for when I am with friends (who aren't photography buffs) and I don't have the time to take my time, just shoot off the cuff.

Love them both - just need more 620 spools to help me out.

Lots of 620 spools on eBay and old 620 film too. I find the old Verchrome Pan still works too so you get film and a spool! I got one spool in my Kodak Tourist and I bought 4 rolls of VP620 so now I have enough to respool 4 rolls at a time which seems like enough. That's only 32 shots total but I rarely seem to shoot more than a couple of rolls in a session so four is enough for the rare time when I go all out.

 

[6x7]

In the studio, I like 'em big and heavy (RB67), but in the field, I like small and portable (Mamiya 7).

 

[graywolf]

Something I saw above about how he uses he Mamiya Press cameras when he wants to work slow????

I found the two Universal Press cameras I used to have about the fastest operating real camera I have ever owned. Press cameras were designed for grab shots, and thus for action photography. But, I keep seeing people saying they are slow. Why is that? I understand with something like a Speed or Crown Graphic where people are trying to use them as view cameras instead of press cameras, but a Mamiya Universal Press??? Is it just that people today grew up with automatic everything cameras and do not know, in general, how to use a manual camera?

Me, I find waiting on my digital cameras frustrating. My TLR, and folders are kind of fiddly, but press cameras, used as they were intended are a matter of point and shoot with no waiting on idiot electronics. Sure, you have to have it all ready to go, but that is how they were designed to be used. I guess today's photographers expect to hold the camera to their eye while they are looking for a shot, rather looking for the shot then raising the camera to their eye and taking it; is that it?

 

[2F/2F]

My Mamiya Press Super 23 was my first medium format camera after starting on 35 (Canon FTb) and then 4x5 (Graphic View II and Speed Graphic) shortly thereafter. It was my only medium format camera for a good five or six years before I purchased a C33. I find the Press to be slower than a reflex camera, as I find any rangefinder to be slower than any reflex camera. And this means I should be questioned as to whether I am spoiled by automatic cameras or whether I don't know how to find shots without a camera attached to my eye? I've used a camera on automatic mode about five times in my life (not counting point and shoots), and those times it was only because that was a specific requirement of an assignment. Maybe you are Superman with a Mamiya Press, so congratulations. I am not. I love my camera, but I am faster with reflex cameras, as I would imagine most people are.

 

[heespharm]

In this order hassy 500 series, rb67, yashica 12, holga

 

[ozphoto]

Lots of 620 spools on eBay and old 620 film too. I find the old Verchrome Pan still works too so you get film and a spool! I got one spool in my Kodak Tourist and I bought 4 rolls of VP620 so now I have enough to respool 4 rolls at a time which seems like enough. That's only 32 shots total but I rarely seem to shoot more than a couple of rolls in a session so four is enough for the rare time when I go all out.

Thanks for the tip about Verichrome Pan still working! I'll have to check that out.
I have quite a few spools, but they are starting to wear down, around the inside slot where it is held in place, so some of them start to slip and at times refuse to advance.

I've been keeping my eyes peeled in thrift stores etc too for old cameras - I'm happy to pick them up remove the spool and then sell on the camera.

 

[P C Headland]

I like my 6x6 folders the best - either the Iskra or Certo Six. Portable, with a decent sized negative and decent lenses. The ideal travel cameras.

The Fujica G690BL is also a lot of fun to use, and in spite of its physical size, it seems to shrink when I start using it.

 

[snay1345]

I would have to go with my folder and tlr. My tlr has been gaining ground on my folder as I now have the proper bag and filters for it, but my perkeo ii took my favorite photo that I ever printed so it has a special place in my heart.

 

[narsuitus]

My favorite medium format camera types ranked in descending order of priority:

1. TLR (especially the ones with interchangeable lenses)
2. Rangefinder (what I am using now)
3. SLR (very versatile but too loud for my ears)
4. Folder (nice small size but size was never important to me)
5. Others (owned and used box, toy, pinhole, and press)

 

[brian steinberger]

Rangefinders!!! That's all I use

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

It's a toss-up between TLR (Rollei 2.8 E) and SLR (former Hassy, current RB67). Each have their own advantages. The Rollei makes for an awesome snapshot/travel camera because of the inobtrusiveness and the overall image quality/image control you have with the 2.8 Planar lens. The RB67 makes up for its bulk with its versatility from changing lenses and from the bellows focusing.

 

[elekm]

Specific cameras in order of enjoyment:

1) Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta 530/2 -- Takes 6x9 photos, and I can slide the folded camera into a jacket pocket. The prewar uncoated Carl Zeiss Jena Tessar lens is really a sweet optic.

2) Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta III -- Excellent postwar coated Zeiss-Opton Tessar with a coupled rangefinder.

3) Rolleiflex SL 66 -- Massive beast with first-rate optical quality from Carl Zeiss lenses (Distagon, Planar and Sonnar). With the bellows, you can get as close as you can reasonably expect.

4) Rolleiflex Automat or 3.5F -- Never disappoints with image quality. And the TLR does make you slow down and think about your framing.

5) Zeiss Ikon Box Tengor or Tengoflex -- When I want to have some fun, I pull out the box camera and load it with some 400 speed film.

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

2x3 Technika

 

[Uncle Bill]

I'm partial to TLR's partially because they don't look threatening compared to SLR's (medium format, 35mm and digital) and they make a killer negative.