Your FIRST Medium Format Camera

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

But there's nothing like licking your roll once it's exposed!

This I misunderstand in a very funny way!

HA!! I never even thought of that: a self-cleaning medium format flasher.

 

[jamesdak]

My 1st, and only so far, was a beat up old Mamiya 645 1000s with a 80/2.8 lens I bought in Tuba, AZ back around 1995. I still use this camera anytime I want to take "serious" landscapes and love running a roll of Velvia through it. Jim

 

[PCGraflex]

Mine was a Mini Speed Graphic with 101 Ektar lens and various accessories. Bought more lenses for that camera, a graflok back, roll film backs, various filters, adapters and flash units. Have two more that are set up with the other lenses. I use them regularly and people come up to ask what it is. Lot's of great questions; is it a hasselblad? A movie camera? Are you a professional and who do you shoot for?, etc.
Too funny!

 

[Steve Bell]

My first MF camera was a Kodak Twin 20 using 620 film, then my father passed down his Ross Ensign 12/20 (I still have it, last used around 3 yrs back), then bought a new Yashicamat 124G. This committed suicide by hurling itself into the ground on my tripod during a windy day. Then moved on to a Technika 70 (still have it, but most lenses for it have sticking shutters), then a Mamiya C220 that still gets used. The Mamiya now plays second fiddle to my Toyo 45A 4x5.

 

[c6h6o3]

Rolleiflex T f3.5, purchased new in 1967.

 

[GeneW]

First was an old Zeiss Ikoflex IIa, later a Rolleiflex 3.5F Planar. Loved 'em both. Still have the Rollei.

Gene

 

[stet]

Rapid Omega 200 + Hexanon 90/3.5, two months ago from Adorama.

I'm new, so what?

 

[akar]

A Holga, because at that price, why not? Didn't even have any light leaks until I modified it to get the square negatives. A great camera for certain uses, though I have to admit I haven't used it in some time.

 

[dom_70]

I started with a Yashica 124G TLR and then moved to a Fuji GS645 folder when I needed something smaller for a backpacking trip through Italy. Recently sold the previous two and went with a Fuji GA645zi. I guess I'm lazy, I really wanted a good autofocus MF.

 

[Kevin Roach]

I started with a 20 dollar lubetel. It still took better pictures than many 35mm cameras I've used.

I still have that old lubetel. I removed the finder and the viewing lens and added a shutter timer. It now is a medium format kite camera.

 

[sunnyroller]

Bought a Mamiya RB 67 body 3 years ago. Bought a 220 back for it in May and still need a lens. Bought a Kiev setup from KievCamera in March and love it. As much as people love to hate Kiev, it fits my needs at this point perfectly. Eventually, I will have a lens for the RB and I will be set to go!

Sunny

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

A Pentax 645 with 80mm lens.. Purchased about four years ago. Still works great, haven't had a single problem with it. Also recently picked up a Hasselblad 503cx. I'm happy, now if only I could find something to take a picture of

 

[Bjørn Joachimsen]

Meopta Flexareret IV from Czechoslovakia. (http://www.meopta.com/index.php?id=142&lang=en)
A quite rigid box with a little bit fragile Prontor SVS shutter. The shutter assembly has had to be serviced two times since I picked up the camera for the first time in 1983. Quite advanced features for a TLR camera in the early sixties (coupled film advance/shutter cocking, 35mm film option via adapter kit, to mention some.)

My Flexaret is still going strong, however rarely in use these days – despite outperforming my digital SLR as regards image quality. (A Mamiya RZ 67 ProII, equipped with film backs, serves me most of the time anyway...

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I too started with a Yashica TLR. Great little camera, but not everything I wanted in picture quality. I moved on to Rolleiflex, and first got one with an uncoated lens that was exceptional in low light situations, but had problems with flare in more illuminated scenes. A coated lens cured most of that. I am now looking to try an MF SLR, a Mamiya or perhaps a Hasselblad (I really like the square format).

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

I lied.. A 120 Tower Reflex. Little red window for advancing the film. Took surprisingly GOOD photos with the lens stopped down to f11. Nice build!. It was my fathers from when he was in high school.

 

[elekm]

My first was a Spartus 500 that took 127 film. Two apertures: Big and small. Two speeds: slow and open (B). I used to develop the film in a GAF tank with the swizzle-stick thermometer.

The first MF camera I bought was a Rolleiflex Automat with Xenar. Bought in 1982 and still have it. Wonderful camera.

 

[htmlguru4242]

An Ansco Viking 4-5 (9x6cm). Although it had no built in metering and no rangefinder (you had to guess the distance from the subject), it worked great. I still use it here and there.

 

[vet173]

Yashica TLR, pre 124. Bought in a pawn shop in 1969 for $40.00. Since then I have gone thru A hassy EL500, couple of 2.8 planar rollies, Yashica 44, Rollie 44, both grey and black, multiple Kodak tourist with super 800 shutter, Balda 6X9 with Schneider Radionar (sp) glass, don't under estimate that glass, Fuji GSW690II and a whole bunch I can't remember. Did I mention I am also a member of a camera collectors club.

 

[Jose A Martinez]

Yashica Mat 124, brand new, $ 40.00 usd, 1970, NY City.