6x4.5 format

Thanks Noel and Andrew.
It's certainly an 'older folder',I think from the 1952--55 timeframe.I've never used a British- made camera before,but it makes me feel a little patriotic..I've put in a roll of HP5+ to maintain the mood.:)

Hope the results match the anticipation!

Brian.
 
The release logic (arm) can get confused, it should reset if you partly fold the camera, you dont need to use force.

You will need a hood PM me your address I may have a spare.

Noel
 
The frame count does depend on the specific camera model, since some 645's do 15 per roll and some 16 (and 30 or 32 on 220), just as some 6x7 rigs do only 20 on 220 film while others 21.

Fuji GS645 = 15
Fuji GA645 = 16
Bronica RF645 = 16
 
My favorite and most used camera is a Fuji GS645s. It's got a great lens. Of all its imperfections (there are quite a few), if I could change only one of them I'd make it shoot 6x6. I like to shoot first and crop later. I like square images.
If shooting medium format has shown me anything, by the way, it is that bigger is better- IF you can actually use it. Yes, the image quality can be absolutely stunning, but it comes with a price (not just money). To get any real depth of field you'll have to stop well down, meaning either fast film, a tripod or more light. This can be very limiting! On the other end of things, to get enough blur to look like you meant to can also be challenging.
I hope I'm not discouraging anyone. We're talking about my favorite camera after all. If it dies it will be replaced by another one like it or something similar. I think I'd start by looking at a Mamiya 6...
 
Bought a Fuji GS645S

Bought a Fuji GS645S

Thanks again for all the comments. Now its time to find out for myself how I like the 645 format. I bought a Fuji GS645S today!

I've got a roll of 160 color film in it now. It will take a little getting used to, but I feel more comfortable with it than I did with the Hassleblad I tried. Also, it was cheaper than most lenses for a 35mm rangefinder. At the price, I can afford to try it out and if I find I want more negative, I will sell it and save up for a Mamiya 6 or 7.

Any helpful pointers on getting the most from this camera?
 
A Mamiya 6 is superlative in both operation and lens quality. I can't think of using any other sort of medium format camera the way I'd use a 35mm rangefinder. I shoot with my Mamiya 6 as fast as I do with my 35mm rangefinders, and sometimes even faster because of the aperture priority AE. The finder's huge and it's also as bright as my bessa R's.

Clarence
 
pdx138 said:
Thanks again for all the comments. Now its time to find out for myself how I like the 645 format. I bought a Fuji GS645S today!
...
Any helpful pointers on getting the most from this camera?
Click to expand...
Kyle, congratulations on the purchase of a sweet little camera! That model was my first medium-format RF and I'm still fond of it. It's particularly light and compact, an easy rig to have with you always. And the lens is excellent. I also like the vertical carry...

But these tend to be a bit delicate, the "cattle guard" around the lens serves as a hint of impact vulnerability. Be gentle with it. Mine had three unseen faults when I got it. First, the RF mirror was sticky; it would move fine with the focusing one direction but sometimes would stick when moving back the other way. Just needed cleaning and lube, as it turned out.

Secondly, the light meter was non-linear in response to light. It was accurate in daylight but got progressively off in lower light. Calibration fixed it.

Thirdly, physical damage to the lens mount. All plastic in there, and evidently the camera had taken a whack on its nose and broke some internal plastic. A visible hint of this was on the squarish bezel trim piece around the lens... the one rounded corner nearest the viewfinder was separated slightly from the body surface. It needed a new plastic internal part.

I took it to a professional repair shop in Seattle, where it was pronounced "infeasible to repair", sadly. Later on, I heard of Camera Wiz, a Fuji repair specialist, and after brief communication sent the camera to him. In short order it was fully repaired, adjusted, lubed, cleaned, etc for modest cost. I was delighted to have it working like new.

Even before it was repaired, the problems didn't stop me from taking it as my only camera overseas on vacation. I had a hand-held meter for dimmer light, while the camera's own meter reading balanced against "sunny 16" common sense did the trick in daylight. The broken lens mount didn't really cause any trouble, and when the focus patch got sticky, patting the camera might snap it free, or for that matter zone/guess/scale focusing worked fine much of the time too. One copes! And even then I liked the camera well enough to do so.

Hope you like yours as much! Just be gentle. One film-loading trick common for 120/220 film cameras: After you get the paper leader attached to the takeup reel, rest your thump on the roll in the feed side as you wind on to the starting arrow. The idea here is to make sure the leader is wrapped tightly on the takeup reel at the start. This helps ensure the film all fits tightly at the end, without any distressing light leakage at the sides. Most cameras have some built-in resistance on the feed-reel side, but a bit more drag right at the beginning doesn't hurt.
 

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Thanks Doug. Great advice - just what I was looking for. Nice sample shot too - I bet it looks great printed.

I have heard that these are on the fragile side and I have to admit it feels the least robust of any of the cameras I regularly use, so I will be gentle with it.

No stickiness on the rangefinder patch that I've noticed yet. From what I can tell, the lens seems mounted solidly - no separation at the bezel. I use an old Gossen Lunapro, so a built in light meter was a nice-to-have rather than a necessity. I'll be sure and check it in various conditions before relying on it.

A few more questions if you don't mind:

Hopefully I won't need it, but do you have more contact info for Camera Wiz?

What do you do use for a strap on yours? I can't really imagine using a neckstrap with it (kind of big to wear around the neck, and the vertical lugs seem odd to me), so I'm thinking just a wrist strap for security while holding it.

Do you use the T function? It seems awkward, so it might not be the best camera for long exposures.

Thanks again.
 
pdx138 said:
Do you use the T function? It seems awkward, so it might not be the best camera for long exposures.
Click to expand...

It is (awkward, that is). I, for one, don't know of an easy fix. However, in practice it has never been a problem as I mostly use the camera hand-held. Welcome to the world of MF rangefinders.

Ben Marks
 
Hi Kyle -- I prefer a relatively short neck strap worn over the shoulder so that the swing of the camera is trapped by my elbow. This is also very discreet... Since the Fuji's strap lugs are on the right, I carry over the right shoulder. Then when I reach for the camera with my right hand, I immediately have a secure grip on the camera's right side where there's a built-in gripping aid. Swing the camera up and "snap"!

Or rather, "KA-LACK"!! The camera has what must be a deliberate noise-maker in the shutter release so that nobody in earshot is unaware a pic has been snapped. It's not the shutter itself making the noise; you can test this by using the self-timer function, where the CLACK sounds at the moment the timer is activated, not when the shutter clicks softly some seconds later! I was disappointed when Camera Wiz told me this sound cannot be disabled.

Ok... Frank Marshman is the man at:
Camera Wiz Camera Repair
169B Pleasant Hill Road
Harrisonburg VA 22801
800/471-8133; 540/434-8133
 
I have a trick for the "T" function. Since it's almost impossible to start an exposure without vibrating the camera, use the self timer. You do this by winding up the self timer, then pressing the "T" button. You'll hear the noisemaker clack when you push the button, but the shutter will remain closed until the self timer runs out.
End the exposure normally, i.e. by pressing the release button.
I do this all the time for my underground pictures.
Next is the DOF scale. It is wildly optimistic, at least near wide open! Visit Ken Rockwell's site and try his method for achieving maximum sharpness. He doesn't mention the Fuji, but the recomendations for similar cameras work.
I hope the camera proves as close a friend to you as mine has for me.
 
Bryce said:
I have a trick for the "T" function. Since it's almost impossible to start an exposure without vibrating the camera, use the self timer. You do this by winding up the self timer, then pressing the "T" button. You'll hear the noisemaker clack when you push the button, but the shutter will remain closed until the self timer runs out.
End the exposure normally, i.e. by pressing the release button.
I do this all the time for my underground pictures.
Next is the DOF scale. It is wildly optimistic, at least near wide open! Visit Ken Rockwell's site and try his method for achieving maximum sharpness. He doesn't mention the Fuji, but the recomendations for similar cameras work.
I hope the camera proves as close a friend to you as mine has for me.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip on the T function. That actually sound usable now. I was wondering how to use it without vibration.I will check out the site you mentioned.

I'm looking forward to using this camera a lot. I'm taking a trip to Vancouver BC and will be taking it along. Plenty of great shots up there.

Doug - Thanks for the Camera WIz info. I hope I won't need it anytime soon.

Thanks again.
 
I'm thinking of selling a bronica RF645 kit, if you're interested drop me a private message. Although I dig the format I'm in photography school and have the chance ot make 60cm wide color prints and I really want even more negative :D
 
I briefly thought of selling my Bronica RF645 and getting a Mamiya 7 - the siren call of larger negatives. And that RF645 100mm lens of mine has really appreciated! But then I look at the 11x14 prints that I made from my 645 negs recently. And the cost of a second body for the Mamiya 7 vs the RF645.

I've decided to keep the RF645.
 
I owned a Mamiya 7 oufit before I sold it to get a Bronica RF645. I've never looked back. The Bronica body and lenses are considerably lighter -- not to mention smaller -- so I find that carrying around the camera with all three lenses is less of a pain (in all senses). And while it's true the Mamiya produced superb images, the Bronica is virtually as good, especially as I don't print larger than 12 X 16. At that size I think you'd need a large format camera to start seeing an appreciable quality difference -- and who wants to deal with that? The siren call of the larger negative doesn't always make sense.
 
sircarl said:
I owned a Mamiya 7 oufit before I sold it to get a Bronica RF645. I've never looked back. The Bronica body and lenses are considerably lighter -- not to mention smaller -- so I find that carrying around the camera with all three lenses is less of a pain (in all senses). And while it's true the Mamiya produced superb images, the Bronica is virtually as good, especially as I don't print larger than 12 X 16. At that size I think you'd need a large format camera to start seeing an appreciable quality difference -- and who wants to deal with that? The siren call of the larger negative doesn't always make sense.
Click to expand...

I think the only reason it would make sense is that the 6x7 format is ideal for classic print sizes.
 
The other thing to remember is how your equivalent lenses lose DOF as you move up the format sizes eg 50 standard in 35mm 75 standard in 645 105 standard in 67. It's the depth of field and bokeh that really sets MF aesthetically from 35mm and the thing you'll notice even at small enlargements - these cameras "see" the world differently.
 
I just cut some negs, and noticed that I have 124 pages of 12 each single cut 645 frames (c41, E6, and B&W). That's 1448 individually chosen frames from countless rolls.

And I have probably another 75-100 yet to get into pages, since I ran out.

645 is nice because you can really FEEL that many single frames, and you can cut them into singles reasonably, unlike 35mm where singles are just hiliariously unwieldy.
 
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