Which MF camera?

[Alan Gales]

I certainly see none of the dreaded mirror slap on that Hasselblad. Does anyone who has a Pentax 67 want to weigh in? I've always wanted one but was afraid of the "slap" - perhaps I was misinformed (to quote Casablanca).

From what I have read it is often recommended to avoid the early version without mirror lock up. A friend of mine used his Pentax 6x7 for landscape but he always used a tripod with cable release and mirror lock up. He has made beautiful images with his.

 

[Poisson Du Jour]

I certainly see none of the dreaded mirror slap on that Hasselblad. Does anyone who has a Pentax 67 want to weigh in? I've always wanted one but was afraid of the "slap" - perhaps I was misinformed (to quote Casablanca).

Mirror slap and shutter inertia is always present on all of the Pentax 6x7 / 67 cameras (dampened better in the later 67 bodies), and is very easily and effectively dealt with by using mirror lock-up, then (cable) release. The use of mirror lock-up and hand-held shutter release does not afford the same protection: use of high speed film and a high shutter speed without MLU is much more effective: the best results are obtained with the camera mounted on a tripod, especially for shutter speeds below 1/15. With the right technique consciously employed, these cameras will deliver outstanding images allowing you to easily print very, very large.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I have never had a mirror slap problem with my Hasselblads and almost always shoot hand held. I also make sure that they are properly maintained and adjusted. Any camera can have problems if not properly maintained.

 

[GLS]

I certainly see none of the dreaded mirror slap on that Hasselblad. Does anyone who has a Pentax 67 want to weigh in? I've always wanted one but was afraid of the "slap" - perhaps I was misinformed (to quote Casablanca).

In my experience all the brouhaha you see online about the mirror/curtain shake in the Pentax 6x7 is way overblown. With good technique you can get sharp hand-held shots between 1/30th - 1/60th of a second (excluding medium to long teles), even without MLU. On a good tripod using MLU and a cable release there is no issue whatsoever. To illustrate this, I attach a high res version of one of my shots with the camera using a 1/2 second shutter speed (for which any camera-induced vibration would be very obvious):

 

[Dan Daniel]

I have never had a mirror slap problem with my Hasselblads

Camera motion is one effect of mirror slap. Noise is another. Loud enough to scare a chicken, I tell you- see my comment above!

Maybe I'd be more accepting of the noise if it wasn't accompanied by the real annoyance, screen blackout. The original digital camera 'image review' after a shot but without even an image! Just nothing, like the whole damn world ends when you press that button. I turn off image review on digital cameras, and I want a film camera that lets me stay connected to what I am shooting.

 

[Arthurwg]

Hasselblad's are a little like cocaine: God's way of telling you that you have too much money. I have several, starting with my first, an SWC. Still my favorite camera of all time.

 

[Arthurwg]

Maybe I'd be more accepting of the noise if it wasn't accompanied by the real annoyance, screen blackout. The original digital camera 'image review' after a shot but without even an image! Just nothing, like the whole damn world ends when you press that button. I turn off image review on digital cameras, and I want a film camera that lets me stay connected to what I am shooting.

Suggest you try a Hasselblad 553ELX. Screen reappears and it takes standard batteries.

 

[Dan Daniel]

Suggest you try a Hasselblad 553ELX. Screen reappears and it takes standard batteries.

I have tried an ELX, not certain which model. The ergonomics didn't work for me when hand-holding and I need that option.

Lots of cameras work well for me, so no need to bang my head against a wall I already know is there (for me). They are great cameras but they just don't do much for me. The more people who buy Hassys, the less demand for other MF cameras, I figure. Win-win!

Now the SWC is a Hasselblad I would love to have. But you'll notice- no mirror.

 

[jgoody]

beautiful!!!

In my experience all the brouhaha you see online about the mirror/curtain shake in the Pentax 6x7 is way overblown. With good technique you can get sharp hand-held shots between 1/30th - 1/60th of a second (excluding medium to long teles), even without MLU. On a good tripod using MLU and a cable release there is no issue whatsoever. To illustrate this, I attach a high res version of one of my shots with the camera using a 1/2 second shutter speed (for which any camera-induced vibration would be very obvious):

 

[GLS]

beautiful!!!

Thank you.

So much for the tripod shot. How about hand held? 1/60th of a second:

 

[choiliefan]

It's a very simple matter to frame a shot, hit the MLU button with the third finger and press the shutter button.
Have followed this routine many times with the Pentax 67.
It works.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

At today's prices the best bang for the buck is a Hasselblad. It will just take a little longer to by the next lens, but it is worth it.

agreed. Once you go Hasselblad.You'll never switch again. It's not just being fond of them. It's love.

 

[GLS]

I love my Hasselblad too, and use it more than the Pentax. There's no two ways about it though: the box-shaped body definitely makes them more awkward to use hand-held at eye level than a regular SLR shaped camera. That's not to say it can't be done, you just have to perform unusual contortions to effectively brace it. The ergonomics of the camera were very obviously designed for waist/chest level use.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I love my Hasselblad too, and use it more than the Pentax. There's no two ways about it though: the box-shaped body definitely makes them more awkward to use hand-held at eye level than a regular SLR shaped camera. That's not to say it can't be done, you just have to perform unusual contortions to effectively brace it. The ergonomics of the camera were very obviously designed for waist/chest level use.

I rest the camera in my left palm so the index finger can fire the lens. The right hand adjusts the EV [f/stop and shutter speed] and focuses.

 

[GLS]

I rest the camera in my left palm so the index finger can fire the lens. The right hand adjusts the EV [f/stop and shutter speed] and focuses.

I do the same, but with the hands reversed. Once exposure settings and focus is set, I also tend to make a kind of tripod with the fingers of my left hand, with the first one or two fingers extending out to support the end of the lens under the hood, and the rest braced behind the lens mount. This latter technique really helps at slower shutter speeds.

 

[johnha]

In my experience all the brouhaha you see online about the mirror/curtain shake in the Pentax 6x7 is way overblown. With good technique you can get sharp hand-held shots between 1/30th - 1/60th of a second (excluding medium to long teles), even without MLU. On a good tripod using MLU and a cable release there is no issue whatsoever. To illustrate this, I attach a high res version of one of my shots with the camera using a 1/2 second shutter speed (for which any camera-induced vibration would be very obvious):

The Pentax 6x7 is not for everybody or every situation, but it is an extremely good camera system, it's my preference (I also shoot Mamiya 645, Bronica SQ & Mamiya C330F). I've shot mine at 1/30th with no obvious signs of camera shake (using an 8x loupe on the transparency) - admittedly I'm a handholding kind of guy. The mass of the camera (heavy but light for a 6x7 rig) seems to work in your favour - there are examples online of mirror/shutter shake with very long lenses (600mm & 800mm lenses) but those are extreme conditions.

In the UK the biggest problem is finding one - if dealers have them they sell out almost immediately, there are very few on Ebay apart from those from Japan.

 

[GLS]

In the UK the biggest problem is finding one - if dealers have them they sell out almost immediately, there are very few on Ebay apart from those from Japan.

True. I bought nearly all of my Pentax 6x7 kit from Japan, the one exception being my 165mm f2.8 lens which I bought here. There's actually a story there: that lens was Sam Haskins' personal copy, which I purchased from his son not too long ago; according to him it was one of his father's favourites. It's pretty humbling to be able to use such a piece of photographic history.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

...
Maybe I'd be more accepting of the noise if it wasn't accompanied by the real annoyance, screen blackout.

... like the whole damn world ends when you press that button. I turn off image review on digital cameras, and I want a film camera that lets me stay connected to what I am shooting.

Maybe medium format Fuji GW670/690 or Mamiya 7?

Anyway, regarding the OP, the choice is really a personal one: there is no pinnacle medium format camera such that there's no need to consider anything else.

For example, I have a Hasselblad 500C/M, 501C, 553ELX, a SWC, and a variety of nice lenses. Despite making some spectacular images with them, I've never really "bonded" with any of them, except perhaps the SWC. For me, using the RB67 Pro S is a far more enjoyable experience - I like everything about them. Additionally, the RB67's are inexpensive, rugged, reliable, the lenses have excellent optical quality, and the system is just as modular, if not more, than Hasselblad. Even then, there are times I choose to use a simple Zeiss Nettar (6x6) or Fuji rangefinder (6x9).

It's all about what works for you.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I rest the camera in my left palm so the index finger can fire the lens. The right hand adjusts the EV [f/stop and shutter speed] and focuses.

Since I use the 45 degree PME prism, the eye piece is against my head forming a triangle with the two hands. I shoot most of my photographs hand held.

 

[johnha]

True. I bought nearly all of my Pentax 6x7 kit from Japan, the one exception being my 165mm f2.8 lens which I bought here. There's actually a story there: that lens was Sam Haskins' personal copy, which I purchased from his son not too long ago; according to him it was one of his father's favourites. It's pretty humbling to be able to use such a piece of photographic history.

Blimey that's a rare honour....

 

[kb3lms]

Over the past 3 years, I have put together 4 Mamiya 1000 based bodies and 8 to 10 (have to check) lenses and probably spent $500 for the whole bunch by careful shopping at eBay and KEH (and here) and by doing maintenance like replacing seals and cleaning. However, prices HAVE gone UP. Not sure I could do that today but might be worth looking into. The cameras themselves are built like tanks. I'm not totally nuts about the 645 format, but I have enjoyed using them. Other than a Yashica TLR, I do not have any experience with modern MF gear, so I cannot make comparisons to other systems. 6x6 is a nicer format if you can find something you can afford.

 

[guangong]

Different folks, different preferences. I looked at the Pentax when it first came out, but it felt awkward in my hands. On that day also looked at a Linhof 120 camera with fixed lens. Interesting to hold but felt that grip made camera too big for my tastes. Decided on neither. From what I heard later, Linhofs later developed unrepairable mechanical problems. Stayed with my overly delicate Hasselblad 1000F and Rollei. Later added Super Ikonta B to my 120 Arsenal. Of course, a few years later 1000F died and replaced with 2000FCM.

 

[abruzzi]

Over the past 3 years, I have put together 4 Mamiya 1000 based bodies and 8 to 10 (have to check) lenses and probably spent $500 for the whole bunch by careful shopping at eBay and KEH (and here) and by doing maintenance like replacing seals and cleaning. However, prices HAVE gone UP. Not sure I could do that today but might be worth looking into. The cameras themselves are built like tanks. I'm not totally nuts about the 645 format, but I have enjoyed using them.

The Mamiya 645 cameras and the Bronica 645 cameras are the price champions for medium format system cameras. I've never used the Mamiya, but I'd love to give one a try. My Bronica ETRSi system cost a little more that yours (I'm less than $500, but I don't have 8 lenses, only 6) 645 is kind of perfect for me because it is still a rectangle, and I get 15 shots on a roll, which is a great number that can easily be finished in an afternoon (I hate 36 exposure rolls on 35mm, way too many exposures, 10 on 6x7 is a little too few.)

 

[Arthurwg]

I love my Hasselblad too, and use it more than the Pentax. There's no two ways about it though: the box-shaped body definitely makes them more awkward to use hand-held at eye level than a regular SLR shaped camera. That's not to say it can't be done, you just have to perform unusual contortions to effectively brace it. The ergonomics of the camera were very obviously designed for waist/chest level use.

I always use a 45 degree prism finder. Pressing the finder against my forehead adds a great deal of stability to a hand help shot. Wilde makes this suggestion as well.

I see that SG makes this suggestion as well.



i

 

[GLS]

I always use a 45 degree prism finder. Pressing the finder against my forehead adds a great deal of stability to a hand help shot. Wilde makes this suggestion as well.

I see that SG makes this suggestion as well.



i

Yes, I use a 45 degree prism too. It does help, but there is still a degree of awkwardness. Certainly not a deal breaker, but it is what it is.