Chuck A
Chuck A
Hello All,
I am looking for some input and advice. You folks have always been gracious and helpful in the past and surely there are others out there in my place that have similar questions.
My Yashicamat TLR recently bit the dust so now I am with out a medium format camera. ( BTW, if anyone is looking for one to repair or for parts, I will gladly accept an offer for it. I can't repair it myself and it will cost more than she is worth to send it out. The shutter is stuck and the focus is off.) I will miss it but I must say that I haven't been using it much over the last few years.
I made a foray into digital a few years ago and am now finding myself moving back toward film. I can make do with digital files for small prints, and I do like its' convenience. I like not having to wait for and pay for my film and I also like being able to see my shots on the LCD. I shoot mostly B&W and like the look of B&W film better than digital though. (Although I am getting better at simulating film using photoshop.)
My biggest problem is that the current selection of digital cameras leaves me very cold. They are just not FUN to use and that is very important to me. (Some of my best phots were taken with a Leica M2 that I sold many moons ago.) The viewfinders are horrible and the controls are generally not very intuitive. The best one that I owned was the Panasonic LC-1 and the EVF was the main reason I sold it. The viewfinder on my Oly RC blows most of the digitals, except the R-D1, out of the water and it is poor compared to the high end rangefinders. The second problem is the cost of the better digital cameras. I just can't spend over $1200 on a camera and lens. That leaves out the R-D1 and the new MD by a long shot.
I am seriously considering a few options and would like your input.
1) Selling the majority of my digital stuff and a few other odds and ends ( that will net me about $1200) and buying a good MF rangefinder like the Mamiya 6 or Bronica RF645. This will give me excellent quality negs that I can scan on my current Epson 3170 scanner. It is poor with 35mm negs but does a great job on MF. This will leave me with my Oly RC for 35mm, a small 7mp digital and the MF rangefinder.
This would give me an excellent quality MF rangefinder that I would be happy with. The big questions here are the reliability and repairability of these cameras. They are discontinued and who wants to sink all they have into a great camera that may or may not be repaired if a problem arises? Also, this will be a camera that I will carry alot. Is their size going to hamper this? I carried SLRs around for years and these are not much larger. The FUN factor may outweigh the size. I know that only I can answer this, but that is one reason that I didn't use the TLR much. It was just too bulky and large. It would be great to have a MF negative in a carry-around size.
2) This option requires that I sell most of the digital stuff and buy a better 35mm rangefinder like Leica M6 and lens. I will need to buy a better 35mm scanner as well but if I buy a Leica I will be short and have to put the scanner on hold. Another option here is to buy a Bessa R2A/R3A and lens and a good scanner. I have never used or seen the Bessa so I am not sure that I will like it.
This will leave me with out a MF but I will have a camera that I will love to use and that is worth alot to me.
3) I can keep my better digital stuff and put enough money out to buy a camera like the Fuji GS645 or GS645S. They generally run about $300-$400. This leaves me with my Oly RC as my 35mm camera. It is nice to use but the viewfinder is certainly not as sweet as the Leica or Bessa.
I have not seen or used the Fujis and am not sure if they will satisfy me. This option covers digital, 35mm and MF but with marginal cameras in the FUN factor.
I am sure there are options that I haven't thought of. I want to take the cash I get from selling the digital stuff and find a camera that I can love and use for years. While I like the workflow of digital I am tired of trying to find a digital to fill the FUN factor.
Certainly, I can keep what I have an go on taking photos. But in my middle age the FUN factor is becoming more important to me. I think that most of you know what I mean.
I am looking for your input. If it were you what would you do? If you have experience with any of the cameras that I am thinking of go ahead and let me know. Feel free to take my current equipment and give me a critique. The only 2 cameras on my list that I want to keep are the Oly RC and the Oly C7000 digital.
I am looking for some input and advice. You folks have always been gracious and helpful in the past and surely there are others out there in my place that have similar questions.
My Yashicamat TLR recently bit the dust so now I am with out a medium format camera. ( BTW, if anyone is looking for one to repair or for parts, I will gladly accept an offer for it. I can't repair it myself and it will cost more than she is worth to send it out. The shutter is stuck and the focus is off.) I will miss it but I must say that I haven't been using it much over the last few years.
I made a foray into digital a few years ago and am now finding myself moving back toward film. I can make do with digital files for small prints, and I do like its' convenience. I like not having to wait for and pay for my film and I also like being able to see my shots on the LCD. I shoot mostly B&W and like the look of B&W film better than digital though. (Although I am getting better at simulating film using photoshop.)
My biggest problem is that the current selection of digital cameras leaves me very cold. They are just not FUN to use and that is very important to me. (Some of my best phots were taken with a Leica M2 that I sold many moons ago.) The viewfinders are horrible and the controls are generally not very intuitive. The best one that I owned was the Panasonic LC-1 and the EVF was the main reason I sold it. The viewfinder on my Oly RC blows most of the digitals, except the R-D1, out of the water and it is poor compared to the high end rangefinders. The second problem is the cost of the better digital cameras. I just can't spend over $1200 on a camera and lens. That leaves out the R-D1 and the new MD by a long shot.
I am seriously considering a few options and would like your input.
1) Selling the majority of my digital stuff and a few other odds and ends ( that will net me about $1200) and buying a good MF rangefinder like the Mamiya 6 or Bronica RF645. This will give me excellent quality negs that I can scan on my current Epson 3170 scanner. It is poor with 35mm negs but does a great job on MF. This will leave me with my Oly RC for 35mm, a small 7mp digital and the MF rangefinder.
This would give me an excellent quality MF rangefinder that I would be happy with. The big questions here are the reliability and repairability of these cameras. They are discontinued and who wants to sink all they have into a great camera that may or may not be repaired if a problem arises? Also, this will be a camera that I will carry alot. Is their size going to hamper this? I carried SLRs around for years and these are not much larger. The FUN factor may outweigh the size. I know that only I can answer this, but that is one reason that I didn't use the TLR much. It was just too bulky and large. It would be great to have a MF negative in a carry-around size.
2) This option requires that I sell most of the digital stuff and buy a better 35mm rangefinder like Leica M6 and lens. I will need to buy a better 35mm scanner as well but if I buy a Leica I will be short and have to put the scanner on hold. Another option here is to buy a Bessa R2A/R3A and lens and a good scanner. I have never used or seen the Bessa so I am not sure that I will like it.
This will leave me with out a MF but I will have a camera that I will love to use and that is worth alot to me.
3) I can keep my better digital stuff and put enough money out to buy a camera like the Fuji GS645 or GS645S. They generally run about $300-$400. This leaves me with my Oly RC as my 35mm camera. It is nice to use but the viewfinder is certainly not as sweet as the Leica or Bessa.
I have not seen or used the Fujis and am not sure if they will satisfy me. This option covers digital, 35mm and MF but with marginal cameras in the FUN factor.
I am sure there are options that I haven't thought of. I want to take the cash I get from selling the digital stuff and find a camera that I can love and use for years. While I like the workflow of digital I am tired of trying to find a digital to fill the FUN factor.
Certainly, I can keep what I have an go on taking photos. But in my middle age the FUN factor is becoming more important to me. I think that most of you know what I mean.
I am looking for your input. If it were you what would you do? If you have experience with any of the cameras that I am thinking of go ahead and let me know. Feel free to take my current equipment and give me a critique. The only 2 cameras on my list that I want to keep are the Oly RC and the Oly C7000 digital.
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oftheherd
Veteran
Have you considered getting a good MF folder camera? Size seems important to you. They don't have interchangable lenses but there are some with very good lenses nontheless. They won't cost as much usually either. A search of the forum for folders might give you some insight from which to ask more questions unless you are just totally against the idea without looking further.
Chuck A
Chuck A
Which folders were you thinking about? I was considering the Fuji GS series. Are there others that are good?oftheherd said:
sbug
Acceptably Sharp
Bet the farm that the Digital M from Leica will be everything you want? 
oftheherd
Veteran
Chuck A said:
Actually I was thinking of some of the older ones like the Agfa Isolettes, Weltas, Nettars and such. If you are interested I am sure others can suggest some of the good ones they have had experience with. I am personally a fan of the Weltas as I have a couple. I also have a Nettar but it came inoperable and I just haven't gotten around to trying to fix it.
Chuck A
Chuck A
sbug said:Bet the farm that the Digital M from Leica will be everything you want?
Scott,
I imagine that it will be everything that I want. No chance in h$ll of affording it though. Maybe if I save for 5 years or so or win the lottery.
Chuck A
Chuck A
oftheherd said:
I have never heard of most of these. I will have to do some reseasrch on them. Thanks for the info.
Chuck A
Chuck A
oftheherd said:
Size is important and a good viewfinder is right up there as well.
ClaremontPhoto
Jon Claremont
Seagull TLR?
clarence
ダメ
Or the Mamiya C220 in the Classifieds right now.
Clarence
Clarence
Chuck A
Chuck A
clarence said:
I saw that. While they are the right price, I wanted to get something smaller if I can. I guess that I am hooked on rangefinders.
kmack
do your job, then let go
Chuck A said:
Well, since I have been playing around with a rented Graflex I was going to suggest a Crown Graphic or Busch Pressman D 4x5. You can still find 120 and 220 backs for these and have LF/MF hand held RF. But if you want smaller....
No one has mentioned the Iskra yet, there are lots of good posts in the gallery.
Kim Coxon
Moderator
Might be difficult to find in the US but the Ensign cameras are very good. I use a Selfix 820 which is very good and fits in a lrge pocket when folded. I have the basic version with the normal finder but they did versions with an RF .
Kim
Kim
Chuck A
Chuck A
Kim Coxon said:
Graflex I have heard of and used btw. I have been a photographer for 30 years and many of these other models are new to me. I gotta get out more.