Anyone else does KOWA SIX?

Whilst my 85/f2.8 is away for a CLA I´ll have to make do with the 150/f3.5. What a pain :rolleyes:

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Another one. Both this and the former are TMAX100 in TMAX. From now on I hope to process in Caffenol-C-H, first test is promising.
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I've heard of the Kowa brand for many many years...used to see them all the time in the old Shutterbug magazines...I didn't recognize the name brand so never really thought much of them...I looks like they can do a very nice job...
Now, I have to forget I ever saw this thread...
 
Some really nice photograps here!

PS: Does anyone apart from me have this itch when seeing as beautiful images as these: "What a nice shot, I think I have to jump over to ebay and look for the camera" :)
 
Its a fun camera. There are always a handful for sale, there aren't that many of them, but hardly rare. Varying in price, but for the most part rather reasonable. Send them to Ross Yerkes for a CLA, if not documented done recently.
 
andreios said:
Some really nice photograps here!

PS: Does anyone apart from me have this itch when seeing as beautiful images as these: "What a nice shot, I think I have to jump over to ebay and look for the camera" :)
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Not really. There are countless excellent pictures on RFF, taken with a vast range of different cameras, which is a pretty good indication that above a certain (quite low) level of quality and reliability, pretty much any camera will do.

I have two MF SLRs, a Kowa and a Pentacon 6tl, as well as several other MF cameras, and quite honestly, a lot more depends on the film, developer and paper I use than depends on the camera (for a given level of composition and technical skill, of course).

The first picture in http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/medium formats.html was taken with the Kowa/SIX, and there's a picture of the camera, too, but the only reason I'm more attached to it than to the Pentacon is that we inherited it from my wife's father.

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Not really. There are countless excellent pictures on RFF, taken with a vast range of different cameras, which is a pretty good indication that above a certain (quite low) level of quality and reliability, pretty much any camera will do.

[...]

Cheers,

R.
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I totally agree with this. I actually do have a KOWA Six and love the thing. It does have a nice lens and it works well with me - especially since I had it cla'd at Newton Ellis nut, I also have a Hassie which is also nice and a Kiev6c which is wonderful - apart from the weight. The only thing holding me back is my talent!
 
Roger Hicks said:
Not really. There are countless excellent pictures on RFF, taken with a vast range of different cameras, which is a pretty good indication that above a certain (quite low) level of quality and reliability, pretty much any camera will do.

I have two MF SLRs, a Kowa and a Pentacon 6tl, as well as several other MF cameras, and quite honestly, a lot more depends on the film, developer and paper I use than depends on the camera (for a given level of composition and technical skill, of course).
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You are right Roger. I gave it a thought after I've posted my previous sentence and I realized that it happens to me only when seeing a really nice MF shot - like Schlapp's morning light - and it is caused, I think, by my recent discovery while looking at the negatives and enlargements, that the lens of my battered Rolleiflex which I picked up fairly cheap isn't in that useable state as I thought.
But perhaps I shall skip the MF gas for now and look into something larger.. But this is getting rather off topic..

Anyway, Schlapp, looking through your flickr stream, YOU really shouln't be talking about a lack of talent! I'll have to fetch my hat so that I can take it off before you.. ;)
 
I also agree with Roger, hard not too. Whichever tool gets the job done, to your or your customers' satisfaction that is. How much of a pleasure the tool is to use is often the differentiator, and that doesn´t show up in the pictures themselves, at least most of the time. And I like how the Kowa feels. Much like I like how the R-D1 feels, and my other cameras too. Others could get the job done to my satisfaction, but they don´t feel the same. The lack of mastery revealed in my pictures are my fault alone, not the tools'.
 
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Ezzie said:
I also agree with Roger, hard not too. Whichever tool gets the job done, to your or your customers' satisfaction that is. How much of a pleasure the tool is to use is often the differentiator, and that doesn´t show up in the pictures themselves, at least most of the time. And I like how the Kowa feels. Much like I like how the R-D1 feels, and my other cameras too. Others could get the job done to my satisfaction, but they don´t feel the same. The lack of mastery revealed in my pictures are my fault alone, not the tools'.
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Dear Ezzie,

This seems to be one of those things that some people immediately understand, and others never get. My own belief is that it shows up in the pictures more often than not, because you get a higher percentage of good pics with a camera you're happy using. But there's a terrble streak of puritanism in some people -- or perhaps in some cases a streak of sour grapes, as in "Cameras I can't afford aren't worth having." Fortunately Kowa/SIX cameras are far more affordable than you would expect from looking at the quality of the results.

Cheers,

R.
 
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Its cold here. Very cold. The temperature´s been hovering between 15 and 25 below (C), that´s just above or below 0F. And yet I´ve been using my Kowa in these conditions. I´m having more problems than the camera. OK, I´ll concede that I´m only using the recently CLA'd 85mm, as the 150mm does seem to have its issues when cold. I went out a took 8 frames today, hopefully I´ll finish it off tomorrow. These however where taken a week or two ago, when it was a positively sweltering 10C below.

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I've been offered a Kowa Six with both waist level and prism finders, 85/2.8, 40/4 and 200/4.5 lenses, all CLA'd recently in exchange for my 35/1.4 Nokton... I've looked for the items on evilbay to have an estimate on the kit value with not much success. Am I in for a sweet deal?

Those images look fantastic, I currently use a Mamiya c330 with 80/2.8 for MF. I love 6x6... Never used a MF SLR. How does it goes with lower shutter speeds in lower light situations?

Thanks!
 
The images on the thread are all very good but, I especially like the broken tulip. It conveys what I term the emotion of the image, in this case the delicacy of the petals. I can almost feel the softness and fragility.
 
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