What's your favourite MF camera or alternative?

[mikewhi]

My favorite MF is the SL66. I also liked the Pentax 67 because it was so much like a 35mm in my hands thus an easy transitional camera from 35mm to MF.

My favorite alternative to an MF is an 8x10 view camera.

-Mike

 

[sailcheckers]

If you are interested in folding MF, this site has useful info:
http://www.cleanimages.com/Article-MediumFormatInYourPocket.asp#interview

Jurgen is a helpful (and patient) source of info about these cameras. I am in the process of buying one and he answered my many questions -- coming from 35mm I knew nothing about MF. I wanted something lightweight and inexpensive in 6x9 format, which has the same 2:3 image ratio as 35mm images.

 

[mark]

I have a Hartblei Master 88 but as an alternative to it I use 4x5 and 5x7. If I need to shoot roll film I have my little Galvin 6x9 (my very fist view camera). That I keep saying I am going to sell but just can't seem to go through with it.

 

[rjs003]

I'm partial to my Yashica TLRs, I also have a Mamiya Six folder that is great except for the smallish view finder. The Yashicas are limited because of the fixed lens but I have come to be able to work around this limitation.

 

[JohnArs]

My Bronica GS 1 6x7 is a workhorse since 18 years never seen a repairman and still working like in the first day.
But cameras are only tools, but like children I show you mine if you show me yours!

 

[gchpaco]

Favorite? Uh, crap. I like my Yashicamat a whole lot, and I like my Bronica S2 a whole lot, but they're amazingly different. I'm not all that fond of my Fuji GA645, although I can't put my finger on why; it's a delightful camera, not all that small but quite flat when off, reasonably quick to focus, meter's pretty good, lightweight.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend that you start on S2s now that the ETR and SQ prices have dropped so much--they can sometimes be finicky beasts and are not always easy to get repaired, but mine's been a real tank after I got it cleaned and adjusted. It's made out of steel and feels like it, though.

 

[miou]

Hi everyone, I'd love to know what your favourite MF cameras are and why?

And is there a MF out that's not quite so big and bulky?

Thank you for sharing.
Kind regards,
Nicole

My favourite MF camera is Mamiya 7-II. It's easy to use, versatile and a RF camera, whatever this might mean. I got my Mamiya two weeks ago, replacing my huge Mamiya 645E and I'm really pleased

 

[CZeni]

Oh boy. I'm mighty fond of Koni-Omegas and especially of the Omegaflex I like to use. Great lenses, easy to load, both the rangefinder and the Omegaflex work well with my eyeglasses but they're bulky as heck and the film advance is not exactly low key.

About three months ago I bought a Pentax 67-II and have been extremely pleased with the 90/2.8 lens. The internal meter is good, the finder works well with my eyeglasses, but the sound of the shutter releasing and that big mirror going up are about as a loud fart in a crowded elevator. It handles like a 35mm on steroids but the film loading is a bit fiddly.

And of course there's my old Rolleiflex - tough to beat

 

[Sam2nd]

Hi all.
I'm new here too.
My favourite camera are two:
-Hasselblad 503 Cxi, is very good machine, square format 6x6, not much big and cumbersome, I love it, the waist level is very good and usable, other point of view. The Carl Zeiss lens are the top quality
-Pentax NII, truly I love this one, auto focus very quick and exact, not too much heavy, the lens are very very sharps and cheaper, view finder very sharp and usefull and good size. With manual lens, the NII has one point of confirmation of focus. The live of batteries is long, very long. 6x4.5 format.
I think that this one might be perfect if not lack of interchangeable back, sincro with flash only 1/60, and possibility of digital back.
Regards.

 

[Troy Ammons]

For small and modern, its either a Mamiya 6 (late model not the folder) or a Mamiya 7. I have never owned either but they both get good reviews.

So far I have owned a Mamiya press, Mamiya RZ, Mamiya RB pro-s, Fuji 617, Fuji B690GL, Kowa super 66, a couple of old folders, and I now own a Pentax 67.

The links are to 2000 dpi drum scans. I think the 617 is 1500 dpi.

The press is too heavy, but very manual and very versatile. The 50mm lens is sharp too. You can shoot anything from 645 to 6x9 with interchangeable backs.

Here is a 6x9 Press picture with 50mm lens handheld.

http://www.pbase.com/tammons/image/26475621/large

The Mamiya RZ is very nice, good sharpness, very smooth mirror, I mean very smooth, great rotating back, interchangeable backs etc. Very nice.

The RB67 pro-s is the manual version of the RZ and I actually preferred it, no batteries, everything as above and they did make a 6x8 back for it.

Also both the RZ and RZ have a tilt shift adapter you could hook up to the front, but they really belong on a tripod 100% of the time. Difficult to hand hold, but I have gotten some good 1/60th handheld shots with it. Both have a great viewfinder.

Here is an RZ shot with a 110mm lens.....
Please excuse the scan lines. My scanner was acting up that day.
Check out the lizard in the upper left.

http://www.pbase.com/tammons/image/40591721/large

The Fuji 617 is a beast, no focus assist, terrible framing and basically just a LF lens hooked to a film back. Heavy and huge, tripod only, but the photos are spectacular. I really expected it to be a bit sharper. I have a sironar 150mm 4x5 lens that I think is sharper than the 105 Fuji lens. A camera that is perfect for wide open spaces.

Here is a 617 photo.......

http://www.pbase.com/tammons/image/40591847/large

The Fuji B690BL is another heavy camera, range finder with interchangeable lenses. Its like a giant Leica. Actually they nicknamed them Texas Leicas. I had a 65mm lens and a 100mm lens. The 65 was sharp. It was very hand holdable, but heavy. The viewfinder was terrible, but the pictures were nice. My 100mm lens was average.

Here is a B690GL photo.......

http://www.pbase.com/tammons/image/40594191/large

The Kowa super 66 was the bargain camera of the year for me when I bought it. Cheap and sharp. Good if it has not been abused. Abuse them and they tend to lock up. Lenses other than the 85mm are hard to find.

Here is a Kowa super 66 photo......

http://upload.pbase.com/tammons/image/37003452/large

As far as the old folders forget most of them and go for modern lenses. Fuji and Plaubel made a couple of modern folders.

The Pentax 67 is probably the most versatile with a huge selection of decent lenses, but its a tank too. Its like a giant 35mm SLR camera. The thing I really don't like about it is the violent mirror slap. If it had the soft slap of the RB and a rotating removable back it would be perfect, but still I am sticking with it. For hiking or low light handheld a Mamiya 6 or 7 would be a better choice, but the lens cost for the 7 are nuts.

Here is a Pentax 67 photo.....

http://www.pbase.com/tammons/image/40467679/large

Its really a tough call and the one camera I really want to shoot for a while is a Hassy, but i am afraid that if I pick one up, I will like it so much I will have to buy some very expensive lenses to go with it.

 

[Scott Ridgeway]

Another vote for the Mamiya 7/7II. I used to shoot with a Pentax 67 and a slew of lenses. Then I discovered rangefinders almost ten years ago and finally settled on the Mamiya. It has changed everything for me. Before, I would have my cameras with me when I knew I would be shooting. Now, my camera goes everywhere. I'm also using just a single lens (65mm) so the load is as light as its ever going to get.

Scott

 

[Troy Ammons]

Gees, looks like I need to get a 7.

 

[Vord.exe]

Pentax 67II

I myself own a Pentax 67II
don't have much experience with other MF camera's though
Just a Mamiya C330 and some classics

I've been very pleased with the camera

Alternatives for me would be Bronica SQ
seems to be a very nice camera

 

[Dave Wooten]

Bronica RF 645 If you can find one to put your hands on you might be surprised.....45 mm lens and 100 mm lens and 65 mm lens all are excellent, 16 x 20 sharp sharp sharp.....camera is very light weight, very well built, 120 or 220 just switch...manual or auto....the little flash is all so worth it....

I would like to also have mamiya 7 but then I get the wants...for me for mf the bronica has been great...it has almost replaced my nikons and pentax for my street stuff.....I use them when I need the wider apertures

the bronica lenses are f/4

 

[craigclu]

I've liked every MF camera I've owned. They all seem to have their unique advantages and attributes. 30+ years back I got a Yashica D for about $25 used and it served the important purpose of opening my eyes to the advantages of the negative size vs 35mm. I'm still surprised at the decent results that camera was capable of when I look back at old stuff I did with it. I graduated to the Rollei TLR's (Tele, Wide and others), then to Mamiya TLR's and the convenience of interchangeable lenses. I then fell in love with the optics of the Koni Omega RF and Omegaflex systems and put up with some of their film back quirks for a period of years. A folding Fuji has been a pocket sidekick since 1988. I currently use the Bronica 645RF system and have a rather complete P67 system. I find I'm using the Bronicas more and the P67's less as I can travel lighter, use a smaller pod and still squeak decent 11X14's from the sharp Bronica glass and careful technique. I've enjoyed and respect each of these and could likely fall back on any of them if needed. If pushed into a corner to decide, I'd go with my favorite as the RF645 for its quick handling and solid, quiet operation.

A Mamiya 7 keeps dancing in my head but I would need to make some hard decisions on liquidating something to buy into the system. When I've used them or handled them, I'm always a bit put off by the hollow plastic sensation of the bodies. I know they're just tools and the 7 is as capable a rig as there is but I like owning things that give gratification of those sorts of intangibles. I always find it easy to talk myself out of making the plunge on the Mamiya and to not give up what I'm currently happily using.

 

[fhovie]

All time favorite Rollefilex SL66.

Right now saving to buy a Pentax 645, lighter, well built and has enough features.

After using the Zeiss lens on the Rollei - you will not be terribly impressed with the Pentax lenses. I have owned both - I still have my Rollei SL66

 

[P C Headland]

I've enjoyed MF over the past year, having gotten started the cheap way - via old folders. The larger negative is addictive, to the extent that I hardly ever use my 35mm cameras now.

My favourite is also my first - an Iskra. Lovely to use, great lens, great RF/VF window & not too big.

The collection has grown over the past year to include another 6x6 folder, a couple of 6x9 folders (with a very sharp Moskva 5), a Century Graphic with roll film holder, a 1930's 9x12 (probably the lightest) folder, and just recently a Yashica TLR.

 

[Donald Qualls]

I'm afraid I have a new favorite -- a 1928 Voigtlander Rollfilmkamera, 6x9 on 120 with 10.5 cm f/4.5 Skopar, unit focusing on a scale. I'm slowly solving a few issues like a minor film chamber light leak (unbent a bit of the back, which was a likely source of that problem), film flatness, etc., but the bellows are light tight and shutter accurate, and the images it produces are often better than the most careful rangfinder focusing with my Moskva -- I think not least because the Rollfilmkamera has a waist level viewfinder that lets me cradle it during exposure, instead of having to hold it up by my face, as well as a nice, smooth dial-set Compur instead of the jumpy Moment shutter on my Moskva.

Didn't cost me a dime in cash, either -- I traded a lens and shutter I picked up a year and a half ago for $10 plus shipping; I cleaned and unjammed the shutter, converted the odd mount it was in to a retaining ring, and fabricated a lens board to match one for a 2x3 Century Graphic.

I am constantly reminded that a well focused, exposed, and composed 6x9 negative is breathtaking -- but every time I think that, I hear a soft little voice calling me from my large format bag, where my Zeiss-Ikon 250/7 Ideal has been sitting, unused, for the past six months.

 

[micek]

Nicole, I agree with Dave above: the Bronica RF645 is an excellent choice. It is light and well built; ergonomically it is so well designed that despite its size it feels more comfortable in your hand than most SLRs. The three lenses available are very good, and so is the lightmeter. It is very easy to load and it is a good deal quieter than a Hasselblad. I have used mine for street photography and as a travel camera -so far it has come with me when trekking in the Canadian Rockies and skiing in northern Sweden. It has actually become my favourite MF camera.

 

[Troy Ammons]

Revisit 6x7, the big 3

Okay, Revisit after picking up a Mamiya 7. The best ergonomics of any 6x7 camera I have ever used. Very easy to handhold and its not too heavy. It is a tad on the big side. The Mamiya 6 is a good bit smaller, but I have never owned one. Its sharper than the Pentax 67 or the Mamiya RZ/Rb. I hate range finder viewfinders, but in this case it is worth it. Its almost like a P+S 6x7 camera. Close up is terrible. Also its hard to use with a grad filter, polarizer, etc.
Very very quite.


So.....

Mamiya 7II for hiking/landscape, handheld slow speeds etc.

The Mamiya RB/RZ belongs on a tripod period. Perfect for a tripod, bellows focus. rotating interchangeable backs. Perfect for portraits. Why they did not setup the RZ to take Mamiya 7 lenses I will never know.
The smoothest mirror action I have ever used. You can shoot it at 1/30 handheld, it just a beast.

Pentax 67 for everything else. I would say the Pentax is perfect for any work with good light or when you need to actually need to use critical filters, etc.
Its very loud.

Actually none of them are perfect, but i do like the M7, just for convenience and not having to worry about mirror slap.

 

[Steve Weston]

Hi Nicole
I Too have enjoyed all my MF cameras that I have owned. I started with a Bronica ETRS then went for a Mamiya C330S followed by Bronica SQ-A. Then a few years back I ''played'' with a friends Rollieflex 2.8F twin lens and I became hooked. It took several months and alot of searching to find one in the right condition but I eventually found one. The Lens is superb and I love the square format. I recently took it to Prague for a few days and it got quiet a few looks (because its 'old fashioned' not a digital piece of jewelry). Anyway after that my love for Rollie extended to the later models, 6008i and 6001. They are not cheap but they are worth every penny and the results are superb.
My partner wants me to go digital and says I should sell them. I manage to keep her quiet by telling her that I will go digital if she buys me a Canon EOS 1D MkII. That just ain't going to happen.
Now I am making things worse by looking at LF. I have just purchased a Devere 504 and I'm on the lookout for an MPP.

 

[Lou Iaquinto]

Hi Nicole,

My first MF purchased last December is the Bronica 645RF. As others have mentioned already. Sharp lenses, light weight, quiet and I love the vertical format. Check out Robert White's prices at the moment. I order mine there on a Monday and it was in my hand on Friday.

Love your website,

Lou

 

[Nicole]

This is such great input from everyone! I've decided for now that I'd still love either the rangefinder Leica M6 or M7 and a Rollei twinlens or a Mamiya C330.
But I'd never get rid of my Hasselblad 501c/m - love it! But I need a better/faster lens than my 80mm 2.8 planar. There are times when I need to shoot at 1.4 or at shutterspeeds well above 500.

 

[Pete H]

Hi Nicole

My Contax 645. Lightweight body, good ergonomics, removable back, AF if you want it, Zeiss lenses (it's not nearly so lightweight when you start carrying a few of them around, but your wallet is lightened by about the same weight!) The 80 mm Planar is f/2.0 max aperture, and shutter speeds go up to 1/4000 s, so that would answer some of your concerns.

 

[ursbernhard]

my favorite

my favorite MF camera is a Rolleiflex TLR, the most intelligently built camera,IMHO. It's all you need.

cheers,Urs