What medium format camera deals best with rain?

Grim Tuesday

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While I was cleaning some rust and fungus out of a Mamiya TLR lens it struck me that it would be fun to take some pictures in the rain without causing rust and fungus to show up in the lens a few months later. And I got to thinking about medium format cameras that I could do that with. Are there any? Or is water resistance purely the domain of 35mm.
 
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Grim Tuesday

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cb1 said:
I would guess a model without the bellows.
Click to expand...

I was thinking bellows actually might be the easiest focusing method to water proof to a resistant level, just put a plastic bag around them as secondary, expanding and contracting waterproof bellows and don't worry if a drop gets in. With a helicoid it's hard to fit a bag over them because you have to be inside the bag to turn the focusing ring.
 

MattKing

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IIRC, there were underwater housings made for Hasselblads.
 

Luckless

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A model protected from the rain?

I've used my C330 TLR outside in rainy conditions fairly often. I just made it a little 'poncho and hat' to keep most of the rain off it. The tricky part was getting it to fit well without fouling the shutter, blocking access, or blowing too much in the wind. [It is sadly on the far side of the country right now. Which is silly given that I moved next to a rain forest, but I only had so much space in my gear bag at the time.]
 

MattKing

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Thinking further, I think the answer is a camera that you can use with one hand, so that the other hand can hold the umbrella.
An auto-focus camera with a power wind would make the most sense.
 

DREW WILEY

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Just wear a raincoat and have the camera underneath until the time of the shot. Big deal. I do this all the time in rain and sleet and falling snow, often at high altitude. My favorite stealth camera for wet conditions is my Fuji 6X9 rangefinder. The simpler the better. The less electronics the better. But I've used all kinds of cameras in severe weather, including a lot of 4x5 and 8x10 work. I frequently use my Pentax 6x7 in bad weather too, if I need a selection of lenses. As far as med format goes, you don't want a chimney finder or something you look down into, like a TLR. I've used a spare rain hat as both an umbrella and lens shade.
 

RalphLambrecht

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I always carry a plastic bag in my Hasselblad bag to protect the camera during shooting in drizzle or rain.I also use the white bag as a sun protection to avoid overheating and providing some shade and dust protection.
 

Sirius Glass

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There are plastic sleeves that allow MF SLRs to function in the rain. There may be similar products may exist for MF TLRs.
 

rubbernglue

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I have ran around with a Mamiya 645Pro TL in the rain. far too wet for my then buddy who shot digital to do anything else than sit in the car. I had no extra covers what so ever other than my body which could only protect it so much... Anyways - it worked great! The thing was that I had spotted an old stranded fishing boat as we were passing by car and we both went out. He got back in within a minute and I shot half a roll

I have a Bronica EC-TL which also have had its fair share of rain.

Of course it all comes down to just how much rain it really is...
 

neilt3

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Cleaning rust and fungus if your gear indicates it was packed away without drying it out thoroughly afterwards .
I've used many cameras out in the rain without issue , using a plastic bag where needed for extra protection , but alloweing my gear to dry properly when I got back home .
Lens off the camera to allow the inside of each to dry out , not so much off water but humidity etc .
 

Theo Sulphate

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For rain I decided a Nikonos V was the best choice. Not medium format, but that 35mm lens I think is Nikon's best 35mm lens ever and you'll get amazing photos.

The Nikonos V is fun - the solidity of it, fully manual or aperture priority, nice viewfinder readout, and that soft sound the shutter makes inside the insulated body.
 

guangong

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For rain, especially a steady, more than drizzle rain, I usually wear an oil skin ridding coat and hat with a very wide brim. Hold camera close to the body. Rolleiflex 2.8F in leather case works best for me. Next rain, will try my Medalist...May work even better with eye level viewfinder. Always wipe camera dry as soon as possible. Top of the line cameras are pretty rugged.
35mm rf cameras are easier to shoot in rain than MF. Easier still are Rollei 35 and subminiatures like Minolta 16 and Minox. But sometimes using MF seems worth the effort.
 

Paul Howell

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Koni Omegaflex, not a true TLR, rather direct view so your not looking down on the focusing screen, there was 90 degree attachment that allowed for reflex viewing. So while shooting in the rain the rain isn't falling on the and pooling on the focusing screen, easy to make a bag, cut out openings, one for each lens. Other option a 645 with eye level finder.

 

nosmok

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I think a Baby Century Graphic(2-1/4 x 3-1/4) would fit the bill-- that "Mahoganite" is just plastic AFAICT, and the bellows ain't leather either. Plus it closes up on itself when it really starts to pour. Or try an Agfa Clack, loaded with 400 speed film.
 

dpurdy

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I have had my Rollei out in the rain and snow and ocean mist and it survives. The last time I took it out into a very rainy day it got very wet. I put it in paper bag partly filled with uncooked white rice for a couple of days to dry it out. The problem with using a WLF in the rain is that it gets wet and hard to focus with. A prism is better.
 
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