Which Medium Format Camera Meets My Needs?

MattKing · Dec 6, 2024

runswithsizzers said:
If changing to 1/500 sec after cocking the shutter is physically possible, then at some point in time I will probably do it.

Experience teaches me that the first lesson one needs to learn with cameras like this is that the last thing you will want to do is to cock the shutter before releasing the shutter release.
Normal procedure:
1) release the shutter release (for the previous frame);
2) immediately wind the film to the next frame;
3) find your next photo opportunity;
4) fiddle around with framing and meter reading and exposure settings until you are sqatisfied;
5) then cock the shutter; and
6) then release the shutter release, and repeat.

In a very few circumstances, with a few cameras, it can be prudent to delay winding to the next frame until you reach your next photo opportunity - but you do that at your peril with cameras that lack double exposure prevention. I prefer to risk the odd issue with film flatness.

baachitraka · Dec 7, 2024

The 1/500 will not always be accurate and me shooting at 1/500 is very seldom that doesn't means nobody is shooting at that speed.

So, cock the shutter after metering, just before shooting...

Don't ask yourself too many questions...just get a camera, CLA it and shoot.

For metering I prefer digisix and your mileage may vary.

runswithsizzers · Dec 7, 2024

Found a Rolleicord Model V on eBay for an affordable price (I guess). Looks like a typical eBay seller who dabbles in a few cameras in addition to the regular eBay junk -- so not a camera specialist. He does not say if it works or not, and probably does not know.

There is one possible pecularity with the camera, so I wanted an expert opinion. Here is a screen shot from one of the sellers photos. Look at the top of the pressure plate (below the "VPS 120" sticker), where it says "24 x 36mm" and "1 x 1 1/2" Is that writing normally visible on all Rolleicord V cameras -- perhaps a setting to be used with a 35mm accessory?

Another photo shows the dirty viewfinder, and what appears to be a focusing screen that is different from the original, right?

Dan Daniel · Dec 7, 2024

The pressure plate can be moved up and down for 120 film, 6x6, or 35mm film using a Rolleikin adapter. The pressure plate is in position for 35mm film. Press it down and slide it up and you'll see the 6x6 label at the bottom.

Looks like it might have a Rolleigrid Fresnel screen dropped in. This went on top of the ground glass screen. The Rolleicord ground glass has two lines that meet in the center, so I bet this is the original screen, with a screen on top. This will brighten the screen and even out the light. Not as good as a screen like an Oleson, but certainly an improvement over plain ground glass.

baachitraka · Dec 7, 2024

runswithsizzers said:
Found a Rolleicord Model V on eBay for an affordable price (I guess). Looks like a typical eBay seller who dabbles in a few cameras in addition to the regular eBay junk -- so not a camera specialist. He does not say if it works or not, and probably does not know.

There is one possible pecularity with the camera, so I wanted an expert opinion. Here is a screen shot from one of the sellers photos. Look at the top of the pressure plate (below the "VPS 120" sticker), where it says "24 x 36mm" and "1 x 1 1/2" Is that writing normally visible on all Rolleicord V cameras -- perhaps a setting to be used with a 35mm accessory?

View attachment 384975

Another photo shows the dirty viewfinder, and what appears to be a focusing screen that is different from the original, right?

View attachment 384976

Please show the lens.

Also the mirror has lost a bit of silvering, though it does not cost much to replace it but I will still send it CLA.

The focus and the advance knob on right-hand side and it is a convenient to use hammer head flash like Metz CT-45 shown below.

runswithsizzers · Dec 7, 2024

@Dan Daniel - thanks for your information about the Rolleicord V screen.

@baachitraka - good to know. I doubt I will ever use a flash, but you never know.

There is another seller on eBay with Rolleicord V that is a little cleaner than the one above, and he has film tested his camera and he shows photos of the test roll negatives. It was only $30 more than the first one, so I bought it.

GregY · Dec 7, 2024

runswithsizzers said:
@Dan Daniel - thanks for your information about the Rolleicord V screen.

@baachitraka - good to know. I doubt I will ever use a flash, but you never know.

There is another seller on eBay with Rolleicord V that is a little cleaner than the one above, and he has film tested his camera and he shows photos of the test roll negatives. It was only $30 more than the first one, so I bought it.

Good move IMO....that $30 is quickly forgotten w a cleaner camera that works as advertised.

baachitraka · Dec 8, 2024

runswithsizzers said:
@Dan Daniel - thanks for your information about the Rolleicord V screen.

@baachitraka - good to know. I doubt I will ever use a flash, but you never know.

There is another seller on eBay with Rolleicord V that is a little cleaner than the one above, and he has film tested his camera and he shows photos of the test roll negatives. It was only $30 more than the first one, so I bought it.

Get the clean specimen when possible, please.

If your camera is running on the first day then $30 is a miniscule and in the long run you will spend more.

Prest_400 · Dec 8, 2024

Congratulations on the Rollei V!
Second the advice, I got a unit that works ok but needs a CLA as the focus mechanism (or my eyes?) is out of whack; sometimes it is sharp and sometimes quite not. It just sits on the shelf.

Have some local auctions for interesting medium formats, I might attempt to bid for one 645.

Wanted to chime in about 1/500, I was thinking that I rarely use that setting. In the double digit amount of rolls I recently shot, it perhaps has been only twice. Even as a lover of the shallow DoF of Medium Format, I tended to stay more stopped down if possible.

Literally thought that for daylight I'd do with a single 1/125 speed camera. I know about ISO400 (there was a very interesting discussion about it here or in RFF) but interestingly encounter some shade or let the day run early/late and higher ISO is not a problem.

JPD · Dec 8, 2024

Congratulations! I hope you will be happy with it. Does it come with accessories? The Bayonet 1 filters and Rolleinars are less expensive than the Bay 2 and 3 ones.

baachitraka said:
The focus and the advance knob on right-hand side and it is a convenient to use hammer head flash like Metz CT-45 shown below.

I have the CT-45 It's versatile and I like the little built-in fill flash. I use it with rechargeable batteries instead of the old technology battery packs.

baachitraka · Dec 8, 2024

JPD said:
Congratulations! I hope you will be happy with it. Does it come with accessories? The Bayonet 1 filters and Rolleinars are less expensive than the Bay 2 and 3 ones.

I have the CT-45 It's versatile and I like the little built-in fill flash. I use it with rechargeable batteries instead of the old technology battery packs.

I have rewired to take NimH with normal battery basket. Now the recharge times are good with NimH.

These are very good hammer heads indeed.

runswithsizzers · Dec 8, 2024

JPD said:
Congratulations! I hope you will be happy with it. Does it come with accessories? The Bayonet 1 filters and Rolleinars are less expensive than the Bay 2 and 3 ones.
[...]

I believe the only accessory it comes with is a leather case. Haven't seen it yet, but normally I would not use a camera case. On walkabout, I prefer the bare camera on a strap around my neck, and otherwise, the bare camera goes in a shoulder bag.

So I am researching options for a neck strap, filters, etc. These Bay 1 accessory prices are scaring me! But fortunately, I don't need much, and I think I will be satisfied to use the camera as is, until after the budget has some time to recover. I used the Mamiya C220 for a full semester without any accessories, although I did eventually get a stepup ring so I could use the yellow/orange filters from my 35mm kits.

I will say this, while swapping filters and hoods between lenses in my 35mm kit, I have often cursed threaded filters and wondered why they were not bayonet mount!

There is one accessory I got for the Mamiya which I really liked. It is a little plastic spirit level that helped me get the camera level. But the level attached to the Mamiya's flash shoe, which the Rolleicord does not have :-(

GregY · Dec 8, 2024

Dan Daniels who posts here about TLR occasionally sells some neck straps.
Keep your eye on the hoods & filters...bayonet 1 are considerably cheaper than ll & lll, at the same time advertised prices vary considerably. Right now there are some rolleinars advertised priced $45-85.

baachitraka · Dec 8, 2024

Please do not modify the Kamera to accommodate this spirit level or cold shoes.

Rather use tripod for levelling.

One accessory that is handy to mount the Kamera on tripid is Rolleifix.

But then you can slowly collect these accessories one after the another.

Alan Edward Klein · Dec 8, 2024

MattKing said:
Experience teaches me that the first lesson one needs to learn with cameras like this is that the last thing you will want to do is to cock the shutter before releasing the shutter release.
Normal procedure:
1) release the shutter release (for the previous frame);
2) immediately wind the film to the next frame;
3) find your next photo opportunity;
4) fiddle around with framing and meter reading and exposure settings until you are sqatisfied;
5) then cock the shutter; and
6) then release the shutter release, and repeat.

In a very few circumstances, with a few cameras, it can be prudent to delay winding to the next frame until you reach your next photo opportunity - but you do that at your peril with cameras that lack double exposure prevention. I prefer to risk the odd issue with film flatness.

I forget whether I advanced it or not the last time I used the camera. So I advance it again and often waste a shot because I had already advanced it previously. Of course there is a red dot not there if I advanced it but I don't trust my memory of what that means.

Sirius Glass · Dec 8, 2024

runswithsizzers said:
Found a Rolleicord Model V on eBay for an affordable price (I guess). Looks like a typical eBay seller who dabbles in a few cameras in addition to the regular eBay junk -- so not a camera specialist. He does not say if it works or not, and probably does not know.

There is one possible pecularity with the camera, so I wanted an expert opinion. Here is a screen shot from one of the sellers photos. Look at the top of the pressure plate (below the "VPS 120" sticker), where it says "24 x 36mm" and "1 x 1 1/2" Is that writing normally visible on all Rolleicord V cameras -- perhaps a setting to be used with a 35mm accessory?

View attachment 384975

Another photo shows the dirty viewfinder, and what appears to be a focusing screen that is different from the original, right?

View attachment 384976

Congratulations! Enjoy!

runswithsizzers · Dec 8, 2024

baachitraka said:
Please do not modify the Kamera to accommodate this spirit level or cold shoes.

Rather use tripod for levelling.

One accessory that is handy to mount the Kamera on tripid is Rolleifix.

But then you can slowly collect these accessories one after the another.

View attachment 385019

I don't get it. What is it? Apparently to attach the camera to a tripod (?). But why would I need this as opposed to simply using the camera's built-in tripod mount?

albireo · Dec 8, 2024

runswithsizzers said:
I don't get it. What is it? Apparently to attach the camera to a tripod (?). But why would I need this as opposed to simply using the camera's built-in tripod mount?

I have one of those gadgets too. I think the idea is that too much torque into the camera's built-in tripod mount might, in the long run, end up warping the bottom portion of the back door. At least this is what I remember, happy to be corrected of course.

I never use mine though, as I very rarely use a tripod and the Rolleifix' thread hole is not compatible with my tripod's head screw (the hole is much larger).

runswithsizzers · Dec 8, 2024

albireo said:
I have one of those gadgets too. I think the idea is that too much torque into the camera's built-in tripod mount might, in the long run, end up warping the bottom portion of the back door. At least this is what I remember, happy to be corrected of course.

I never use mine though, as I very rarely use a tripod and the Rolleifix' thread hole is not compatible with my tripod's head screw (the hole is much larger).

Thanks. With the Mamiya C220, I did use the tripod -- a lot. Sometimes it was very annoying to set up the tripod, but once setup, I was able to control my framing and focus more precisely; especially so when using the level. Then again, sometimes it was a relief to leave the tripod in the car and shoot unanchored.

I believe I did read somewhere that Rollei uses a 3/8-inch threaded hole for their tripod mount, which is less common than the 1/4-inch size. There are threaded bushings available that reduce the 3/8 bore to 1/4-inch, which I already have.

Steven Lee · Dec 8, 2024

@runswithsizzers I see you're leaning back into the TLR territory and this makes sense, due to Mamiya's weight. However, if you ever think again about a perfect folder I suggest looking at Agfa Super Isolette. I have a Soviet clone of it (Iskra) and the viewfinder is gorgeous. Solid build. No red window. Easy framing and focus. The only problem with Super Isolettes is that they are rare and serviced copies are closer to $1k. :-(

Weslito2 · Dec 8, 2024

benveniste said:
It may take a bit of hunting, but you should be able to find a Pentax 645 with insert and lens for about $500.

I have one and love it

MattKing · Dec 8, 2024

runswithsizzers said:
I believe I did read somewhere that Rollei uses a 3/8-inch threaded hole for their tripod mount, which is less common than the 1/4-inch size. There are threaded bushings available that reduce the 3/8 bore to 1/4-inch, which I already have.

The Mamiyas come with the same 3/8-inch tripod mount - except they tended to be sold in many markets with the removable adapter already installed.
I actually prefer using the quick release mounting plates with 3/8-inch connection screws - I just take out the adapter - but you always have a choice.

baachitraka · Dec 8, 2024

runswithsizzers said:
I don't get it. What is it? Apparently to attach the camera to a tripod (?). But why would I need this as opposed to simply using the camera's built-in tripod mount?

I feel always safe with Rolleifix when mounted on a tripod.

There is an adapter 3/8 -> 1/4

MattKing · Dec 9, 2024

runswithsizzers said:
I don't get it. What is it? Apparently to attach the camera to a tripod (?). But why would I need this as opposed to simply using the camera's built-in tripod mount?

Any of the quick mount accessories - whether specific to a particular camera or generic and usable with many cameras - make tripod mounting a camera quicker. They can also improve the mounting process in certain ways - for example they might help prevent the camera from twisting on the mount, or make it easy to use multiple cameras with the same tripod setup, or swap a camera quickly from tripod to various grips. They are very useful when you work in a fast changing environment, like a wedding.
The Rollei aficionados will probably chime in, but I seem to recall as well that the Rolleifix also helps protect some of the cameras from being damaged in heavy use - the camera backs (IIRC) can be vulnerable to damage if abused, and the Rolleifix helps prevent that.
I use Manfrotto quick release plates with all my cameras and all my tripods and my monopod have heads that accept them. They make switching from camera in hand use, to camera on grip use, to camera on tripod use much quicker and easier.
The Rolleifix does something similar.

baachitraka · Dec 9, 2024

Rolleifix is a bit better and together with QR plate things are much easier.

How secure is the camera with Rolleifix (a well known story) with photos...

Which Medium Format Camera Meets My Needs?

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