Which Strap for a Pentacon Six TL?

[Steve M.]

I just got a Pentacon Six TL, which seems to be not a bad cameera at all. Haven't got the first roll developed, but I have hopes. If it's a keeper I'll need a strap for it. The Hassy Op Tech strap that I used to have was a really tight fit on the lugs, and I didn't force the issue as I was shipping that camera out to a new buyer. I contacted Op Tech and they don't have a specific strap for the P6, but some web searching turned up two possibilities. Either the A ends (Hassy) and file them out a little, or the B ends (Mamiya) and maybe no filing. Is there anyone out there who has hung one of these cameras w/ an Op Tech strap?

 

[JohnTF]

No, but I recall that the Mamiya straps fit? Are you putting it over the saddle horn?
;-)

I loved the cameras, but lost patience with them.

The Kiev screen was easily fitted, once I found someone to cut it down a bit.

Assume you read all the caveats about handling them, winding, etc. and don't touch the fingers inside the back.

Glass available is quite interesting.

Regards, John

 

[MartinP]

Rick Oleson is selling nice bright screens cut to suit the P6. It looks about a stop and a half brighter or a little more.

I borrowed a Hassy strap to try and it was a bit too tight, so I thought of the same idea of filing it with a tiny file - but never bought the file to try. Which Mamiya had strap posts ? I haven't seen a strap like that.

The alternative to a new strap is looking around e***y, or German junk-shops, for an old strap, then re-using the ends I suppose. And yes, the Zeiss Jena glass works quite nicely.

 

[Steve M.]

Not sure what a saddle horn is. I'm gonna put a strap on the two lugs the camera has in that odd location on either side of the shutter/lens housing. Guess I'll buy the Hassy and file it out. Better for it be too big than too loose. The Mamiya RB/RZ, and Pentax 67/645 cameras have lugs and take a slightly different strap called a type B. The Hassey is a type A.

Actually my camera feels pretty robust, maybe because it's a later TL model. This is in contrast to an Iskra I bought. After loading it w/ film and advancing it to #1, I took it right back out and sent the camera back. It's been described as feeling like grinding walnuts, and that's pretty close. It felt like the camera was going to break any moment just winding the film.

Haven't seen the neg spacing in my P6 yet, so who knows what's up, but I followed the internet advice on loading the film correctly and doubt I'll have problems. Checked the shutter speeds and they were right on the money, so unless it's capping I should have a good shooter. Overall I like the camera a lot, and the peculiarities are not that big. If I need a better focus screen I'll just cut one myself from a Mamiya RB screen. I was going to send one out to Rick Oleson and have him cut it down for a Rolleiflex T, but I did it myself and it was darn easy. The edges were irregular, but when you slide it into the screen frame it looks perfect.

Since I only paid $150 for my P6 w/ a Zeiss Jena 80 Biometar, WLF, and a Kiev TTL metered prism w/ an adapter, I am thinking that this is a camera to keep.

 

[JohnTF]

I was referring to the weight of the camera, especially with a prism, to need the horse with the saddle to sling it over the horn by the strap. ;-) Because of the weight and center of gravity, I felt the prism was not useful at all.

I do not mind the weight, without the prism, I am quite happy with the view from the hood, and in many ways prefer the perspective, probably a throw back to my old Rollei days.

If you have an old roll of film the common procedure is to load up the camera, take off the lens, set the shutter to B, and mark the edges of the frames with a ball point pen as you advance the scrap roll, then look at the film to see where it was indexing.

I used to bring these home and peddle them to help pay for the trip, had a friend at FotoSkoda who would have them gone over to weed out the ones with obvious problems, lots of the adjustments, etc., were simple.

I have seen the odd problem, like all the speeds were OK, except 1/125 was B once-- and as the Kiev 80 screen fit Hassy, and without the frame the Kiev 60, was probably two stops brighter than the Pentacon, plus had a nice split image, --cost $30 new, I fitted three Pentacons with those. My friend Jorge had an optician cut them for us.

My Czech friend still uses one, I still have a Kiev 60 and all the glass, love the fisheye, but I ended up using the glass mostly with the adapter to Mamiya 645, which has the same strap mounting lugs as I recall.

I have accumulated adapters to K mount, Nikon, Mamiya, and perhaps Pentax 645, and found a LTM to Pentacon as well-- close focus of course. ;-)

I would probably recommend you find the right strap ends, and perhaps think about fitting them to a good strap or some sort of adapter to common straps?

I had three serviced in Prague, always got a little bag of broken parts back with it, but it was one of the few places I could get the camera serviced -- I do have access since to a number of repair guys in the US now, so do not know if other options are practical now.

People here used to want a lot of money to service them and they did not seem all that familiar with the camera judging by the price/quality of the service.

Kiev USA never fixed anything properly for me and charged me a fortune in shipping each time I send a camera back to them, even though I knew someone who was friends with the owner who called the guy up--

I think any repair in the Czech Republic, by law, has a warranty of one year, Czech's have long had a reputation for having good "Czech Hands" to fix almost anything.

As you can tell by the rambling post, it all got to be complicated, but I liked the design, the glass, and the photos, but not the aggro. I was fairly stubborn on using them, just seemed a system that should work.

I have a mix of glass sitting around, PM me if you have a desire and I will check through the stuff lying about to see if I can help you. I only have one 30mm fisheye left, but they are common from what I see.


Regards, John

 

[Steve M.]

Thanks John, I like your comment on the saddle horn now that I understand it!

I ended up ordering an OpTech Hasselblad strap off fleabay and will just file the ends out a little to fit the P6. Had one when I still had the Hassey and loved it, and $23 shipped is a steal.

If I keep the camera I'll try to learn how to service it myself for all the reasons you listed. And I agree, putting a big, heavy (not to mention dark) prism on it changes the whole camera. Did some checking w/ the camera on a tripod using the WLF's sports finder option, and if I remember to put my eye in the same place each time it looks plenty accurate enough to use that way. W/ just the WLF on it it's a much nicer camera to use, even though I prefer the view through the prism. I sold my Hasselblad to downsize (not literally) to the P6 and if the shots come out as I hope it's a no brainer. Both cameras are quite big and heavy. The Hasselblad may even be bigger and heavier w/ a prism on it. But the price difference is what attracted me to the thing, and now that I have it I'm quite happy w/ how it handles. Anxioulsly await the negs. How bad could a Zeiss Jena 80 2.8 be?

 

[JohnTF]

Steve, I recall a SBug article comparing the Jena lenses to the "new" Schneider lenses for the Exacta 66? (made in the same factory and the same design as the Pentacon) -- the conclusion was they matched up rather well, especially at a stop or two down.

Occasionally the Hasselblads now fall in to the price range of the old price on the Pentacons, if you can find one for what the dealers are paying. ;-)

I assume you already know the black lenses are marked and have newer coatings, but I know an old guy who said -- "All those old great photos were taken with old lenses"

Have you also got the classic huge never-ready case? Keeps the dust off. ;-)

If you wait around long enough, straps appear--

I was messing around with them pre ebay, but probably had 20 go through my hands.

Last trip to Prague a friend picked up a very early one and turned it around at a decent profit-- some people are collecting the old ones.

At what you paid, I do not think you are in danger of losing money-- you might sell the prism for almost what you paid for the whole ball of wax.


Regards, John

ps-- try shooting a couple of rolls looking down with the magnifier in position-- you may start to like the perspective and composition advantages. I have a couple shots in my gallery here shot with a Pentacon.

 

[MartinP]

Actually, I found the easiest focusing is with the 'chimney' magnifier. It doesn't get the image the 'right way round' but there is no unwanted light getting on top of the screen and there's a wide range of dioptre correction - plus it is much lighter than the prism of course. I think it's time for me to actually buy a few straps !

 

[JohnTF]

I have a binocular leather hood for my Rollei, and there are times it is just what I want, complete concentration of the field of view on the ground glass.

The mirror reversal never gave me a pause, and I have had a Rollei for a very long time.


John

 

[Nokton48]

Rolf Dieter Baier manufactures a new strap specifically for the Pentacon Six.

www.baierfoto.de

 

[Steve M.]

I had an adapter from baierfoto on my Rolleiflex T so I could mount a Kiev metered prism, and it was very well made, as we'll as very expensive. I think the OpTech strap is going to be really nice, although I've already seen that the camera tends to hang over backwards in a reverse Bessa manner w/ the 80 lens on it.

From what I've read the most trouble free variant is the older Praktisix because it has a simple film winding mechanism. Never had a case for mine and if I had it would have solved the strap issue. Some of the photos from these cameras on flickr look encouraging.

 

[Nokton48]

The eveready case also keeps the back from accidentally popping open, which has happened to me. Cupog once sent me a free eveready case bottom, to use for this purpose. It just arrived at my place, with no announcement. Actually, the Pentacon strap lugs can be deadly, they act like a wrench, and unscrew the strap studs. I had a freshly Pentacon-Dresdon P6 almost hit the concrete, due to that issue. Beware.

Found the strap lug, and Eddie Smolov took it apart for me, and reinstalled the strap lug.
Otherwise it would have been back to Pentacon Germany.

 

[Gerry M]

Hey Steve,
Just to let you know, the out of balance can be nicely cured with a Flektogon 50/4 🙂. At least that works well for me. I use both the 80 & 50 with the wlf and magnifier. Added an Arca type QR plate. Works quite well.
Gerry

 

[Steve M.]

Here's a follow up to my Pentacon Six strap query.

The OpTech Hasselblad strap came in the mail today. Since the Hasselblad strap ends are made for a smaller camera lug they had to be widened a bit. It was difficult finding a file small enough to get in the tight confines of the clip, so I resorted to using a Dremel tool to widen the strap holes on the clips, then sanded them smooth. Now it clips onto the P6 strap lugs quite nicely, and hopefully the strap will still work on a Hasselblad camera as well. The OpTech strap is a bit short for my tastes, but I was able to find an old strap I had saved, and clipped the fast-clip ends onto it. Works great.

If I had it to do all over again I'd order just the strap connectors for the Mamiya RB 'B' connectors instead of the Hasselblad's 'A' ends). Probably would have resulted in an easier adaptation. Now the P6 is ready to go.