Want to Buy WTB MF camera

Marcelo Paniagua · Apr 12, 2018

Will throw my suggestions. Mamiya 645 1000s. They go pretty cheap, lens are ok and no that expensive either. Got a 80mm F/1.9 and a 45mm f/2.8 and mostly suit my taste.

Best regards

Marcelo

MattKing · Apr 12, 2018

Jacob Weiss said:
I have a Bronica ETRSi Kit with 70mm lens and Prism and SpeedGrip

Sirius Glass said:
I have a pistol grip that came with a Mamiya C330 with a prism. I did not like it

The ETRSi Speed Grip is a side grip that allows one to wind the camera with one's thumb. The grip lets you handle the camera like a largish 35mm SLR.
John would need a rotating tripod head if he needs the camera for on tripod portrait use.

removed account4 · Apr 12, 2018

4season said:
I have a minty Kiev 88CM outfit with 6x6 120 back, 80/2.8 Arsat lens and WLF, all very late production and marked "Made in Ukraine". No prism finder or strap but these are readily available. This is the version which takes Kiev 60 / Pentacon-6 lenses.

Also have a Hasselblad 500c w/A12 back, early WLF and 120mm S-Planar. Decent glass but cosmetics are pretty rough overall and it's more of a restoration project or parts unit and will need a fair amount of work before you can start taking photos with it.

hello

does your 88cm say KIEV on the name plate or is it in cyrlllic?
i see them from time to time, and it is hard to tell, which are worthy of a purchase
and which are just a hot mess. i know the "new" ones that have MLU are re-builds
by hariblei and if they say ARAX on them that is a very good sign... new from them costs
a small fortune ...

glbeas · Apr 12, 2018

A Bronica Sqai with a motor drive and metering prism is great for that kind of work but is a heavy camera. Nice thing I like about it is the motor drive uses AA batteries and powers the camera and prism and you dont need to buy the expensive and not always available button baterries the camera body uses.
Only downside I find with Bronica lenses is the close focus is about six feet unless you get the 110 macro or use extension tubes, which I eventually got.

bunip · Apr 13, 2018

Would you consider the Mamiya Super 23?

removed account4 · Apr 13, 2018

bunip said:
Would you consider the Mamiya Super 23?

for IDK 10 years i have toyed with the idea of a koni omega. df cardwell used to tell me stories a bout his
and it seems the 23 is kinda sorta like that ? IDK im less of a gambling person these days and it seems it
would be a PITA to rotate and take "portrait mode" since most press images are landscape mode.

4season · Apr 13, 2018

jnanian said:
hello

does your 88cm say KIEV on the name plate or is it in cyrlllic?

“Kiev”. So far as I can see, all late-production units have the embossed non Cyrillic nomenclature, rapid-wind cranks and flocked interior. No MLU - don’t know whether that was a 3rd party thing.

4season · Apr 13, 2018

removed account4 · Apr 13, 2018

4season said:
“Kiev”. So far as I can see, all late-production units have the embossed non Cyrillic nomenclature, rapid-wind cranks and flocked interior. No MLU - don’t know whether that was a 3rd party thing.

what a pretty camera ! thanks for posting pix of it

bunip · Apr 13, 2018

" it seems it would be a PITA to rotate and take "portrait mode" since most press images are landscape mode"
I usually take family portraits to my children and never thought it was anything wrong with vertical handling 6x9.

removed account4 · Apr 13, 2018

bunip said:
" it seems it would be a PITA to rotate and take "portrait mode" since most press images are landscape mode"
I usually take family portraits to my children and never thought it was anything wrong with vertical handling 6x9.

thanks for saying that, its my ignorance that is blinking like a big neon sign !
are those cameras still easily serviced or are they complicated to get cla'd &c ?
from what i remebmer DFC telling me about KOs there is really one main guy
who does masterful work .. at least by look the camera it seems similar design
similar scarcity of repair people ?

bunip · Apr 13, 2018

I don't know anything about servicing these old beasts. I have two, one bought here in italy from an italian ebayer and that did not need any service; the only thing I could desire is to have the viewfinder cleaned as it's a bit foggy, but usable. The other body was purchased almost for free from a respectable seller in japan who is also an active member here; it was included in a bigger purchase as a spare parts but ended up being perfect and functioning. All lenses and backs bought on the bay all over europe. I do not think it should be difficoult to get some service, but IF you buy from competent people you'd never need at all any service. I had the body, back, 100mm lens, handgrip, hardcase, filters and some film for 200 euros, and for another 200 got the 50mm from GB, one "broken" back from ebay that was just fine for 30 euro, and the 65mm for less than 100 euro with his finder.

removed account4 · Apr 13, 2018

hi bunip, thanks for the info !

bdial · Apr 13, 2018

In my earlier days, I spent a lot of time working with Koni-Omegas and Graflex XL's, both are more or less similar to Mamiya 23's, holding the camera on it's side for portrait orientation isn't a big deal. Though, all of those "press" style 6x7's benefit from the side grips that are common on them. I'd say the biggest issue for vertical orientation is that the rangefinder spot moves up and down with the camera vertical, but there are always times a split-image focus aid isn't ideally aligned for the subject, and you have to rotate the camera until it is, then move back to whatever orientation you want for the pic.
FWIW, From that time, when I was shooting every day, all day, I also worked a lot with a Rolleiflex TLR, of the three, I liked the Rollei best. Because of size, weight, the camera's orientation never needed to change, and overall handling versatility. I didn't have a prism on the ones I used, but they are an improvement though.

Sirius Glass · Apr 13, 2018

bunip said:
" it seems it would be a PITA to rotate and take "portrait mode" since most press images are landscape mode"
I usually take family portraits to my children and never thought it was anything wrong with vertical handling 6x9.

When shooting 6x6 I am often stopping and thinking should I be shooting portrait instead of landscape? This is all so confusing!

Want to Buy WTB MF camera

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency