pizzahut88
Well-known
First off, I know nothing about medium format RF.
There are four names in my head.
(i) Mamiya;
(ii) Bronica;
(iii) Rolleiflex; &
(iv) hasselblad.
I want to get a 120 format. This thread can be long.
I could be asking alot of newbie questions.
I need directions to help me work out what I should.
There are so many different kinds of Rolleiflex I am lost.
I don't know the exact prices.
What's the best starting point?
I figured (no I don't) I need a medium format camera to go hiking, to take huge photos of mountain vistas, sunrise, sunset. I want huge huge detailed prints with beautiful film grains. How big? Perhaps as big as 2 floors. My wife is going to kill me. She doesn't know yet.
Masters, please teach me the ropes.
Manfred.
There are four names in my head.
(i) Mamiya;
(ii) Bronica;
(iii) Rolleiflex; &
(iv) hasselblad.
I want to get a 120 format. This thread can be long.
I could be asking alot of newbie questions.
I need directions to help me work out what I should.
There are so many different kinds of Rolleiflex I am lost.
I don't know the exact prices.
What's the best starting point?
I figured (no I don't) I need a medium format camera to go hiking, to take huge photos of mountain vistas, sunrise, sunset. I want huge huge detailed prints with beautiful film grains. How big? Perhaps as big as 2 floors. My wife is going to kill me. She doesn't know yet.
Masters, please teach me the ropes.
Manfred.
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xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
get a Yashicamat 124 G.
good camera for the price you pay for it.
good camera for the price you pay for it.
doitashimash1te
Well-known
I second xayraa33.
Also look out for a Rolleiflex 3.5 Automat with Tessar lens, they are really great value for the price you usually pay for them (between $100 and $200 for a user.) I have 2 of them (plus a mint Planar that is in too good a condition to use outdoors) and they take really good and sharp pictures.
If you want interchangeable lenses, the Mamiya (C330), Bronica (ETRS) or Hasselblad would be the way to go. But that'd cost (a lot) more (with lenses and all.)
Also look out for a Rolleiflex 3.5 Automat with Tessar lens, they are really great value for the price you usually pay for them (between $100 and $200 for a user.) I have 2 of them (plus a mint Planar that is in too good a condition to use outdoors) and they take really good and sharp pictures.
If you want interchangeable lenses, the Mamiya (C330), Bronica (ETRS) or Hasselblad would be the way to go. But that'd cost (a lot) more (with lenses and all.)
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spyder2000
Dim Bulb
I'd say the first thing you need is a budget. You can do a lot with a TLR except change lenses, but the optical qualities are there. A Rolleiflex (or Yashic-MAT) weighs almost nothing. You can back it and a tripod a long way.
A Hasse is the other end of the spectrum. Full interchangeability at both ends. And plenty of weight to go with it. If your funds are unlimited, this might be the way to go but it be like buying and carrying a full set of clubs, when all you need is one wood, one iron, and a putter.
You know what you want to do with "it." Think about how much you want to spend for "it."
A Hasse is the other end of the spectrum. Full interchangeability at both ends. And plenty of weight to go with it. If your funds are unlimited, this might be the way to go but it be like buying and carrying a full set of clubs, when all you need is one wood, one iron, and a putter.
You know what you want to do with "it." Think about how much you want to spend for "it."
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
Manfred, if your goal is to take this camera hiking and shoot landscapes (usually panoramic either horizontally or vertically), you probably want to investigate 6x7 or 6x9 format. I am *not* saying that you can't take nice 6x6 landscape photos, it's just my preference.
In case you're wondering, the same 120 film (very versatile) used in different cameras will yield different negative sizes.
Bad news is, if you are set on a TLR, I don't think there's one (at least commonly available one) with those formats, most are 6x6.
So without any intention to hijack this thread or steer you the other way, I'd suggest for you to at least research cameras producing wider formats. My personal favorite would be a 6x9 MF folder. It's generally cheaper than a TLR, and it folds, very useful for backpacking.
Or, the Fuji GW670 or GW690.
Btw, I love Yashica Mat 124.
In case you're wondering, the same 120 film (very versatile) used in different cameras will yield different negative sizes.
Bad news is, if you are set on a TLR, I don't think there's one (at least commonly available one) with those formats, most are 6x6.
So without any intention to hijack this thread or steer you the other way, I'd suggest for you to at least research cameras producing wider formats. My personal favorite would be a 6x9 MF folder. It's generally cheaper than a TLR, and it folds, very useful for backpacking.
Or, the Fuji GW670 or GW690.
Btw, I love Yashica Mat 124.
KoNickon
Nick Merritt
It wasn't clear to me that Manfred was necessarily thinking of getting a TLR in the first place. Rather, I think he was asking about a medium format rangefinder -- which would leave out a Rolleiflex or a Hasselblad.
I was going to mention the Fujica rangefinders, but except for the 645 series (6X4.5cm) they are rather large. But Manfred said he wants to do very big enlargements, so maybe a Fujica 670 or 690 is what he wants. For much, much less money he could try out a Moskva-5 (6X9) folder, which has a good lens, but the rigidity of the lens mount and its perpendicularity to the film plane sometimes can be a problem.
I was going to mention the Fujica rangefinders, but except for the 645 series (6X4.5cm) they are rather large. But Manfred said he wants to do very big enlargements, so maybe a Fujica 670 or 690 is what he wants. For much, much less money he could try out a Moskva-5 (6X9) folder, which has a good lens, but the rigidity of the lens mount and its perpendicularity to the film plane sometimes can be a problem.
Finder
Veteran
With medium format you are going to have to first think of a few options:
Format: 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x8, 6x9, 6x11, 6x12, 6x17, 6x24. What do you want? Format also affects the number of shots you get out of a roll. Some formats are also rarer than others. The GILDE 66-17 MST Super 3D will give you formats from 6x6 to 6x23 in one camera.
Camera type: SLR (waist level or eyelevel), TLR (same as SLR), rangefinder, viewfinder, folder, or view camera (flatbed or monorail)
Interchangeable lenses: what angle of views do you need?
Interchangeable backs: this can give you different formats and film types as well as allowing you to shoot two types of film in two different backs on the same camera.
Film type: 120 or 220. 220 is twice as long as 120 and therefore twice the number of shots. Some camera only take 120, other take both. Some require different backs to do that.
A short list of medium-format camera manufacturers:
Mamiya
Hasselblad
Pentax
Rollei
Fuji
Linholf
Horseman
Fotoman
Alpa
Seagull
Yashica
Minolta
Cambo
Silvestri
Brooks Veriwide
Makina Plaubel
Holga / Diana
Noblex
Widelux
Widepan
Seitz Roundshot
As you can see, there is a bit of a choice.
Format: 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x8, 6x9, 6x11, 6x12, 6x17, 6x24. What do you want? Format also affects the number of shots you get out of a roll. Some formats are also rarer than others. The GILDE 66-17 MST Super 3D will give you formats from 6x6 to 6x23 in one camera.
Camera type: SLR (waist level or eyelevel), TLR (same as SLR), rangefinder, viewfinder, folder, or view camera (flatbed or monorail)
Interchangeable lenses: what angle of views do you need?
Interchangeable backs: this can give you different formats and film types as well as allowing you to shoot two types of film in two different backs on the same camera.
Film type: 120 or 220. 220 is twice as long as 120 and therefore twice the number of shots. Some camera only take 120, other take both. Some require different backs to do that.
A short list of medium-format camera manufacturers:
Mamiya
Hasselblad
Pentax
Rollei
Fuji
Linholf
Horseman
Fotoman
Alpa
Seagull
Yashica
Minolta
Cambo
Silvestri
Brooks Veriwide
Makina Plaubel
Holga / Diana
Noblex
Widelux
Widepan
Seitz Roundshot
As you can see, there is a bit of a choice.
Steve Bellayr
Veteran
First think how good are you without a meter. Most available medium formats for reasonable prices will not have meters. The Yashicamat 124 G does have a meter and in excellent condition command a premium price. (You can sometimes pick up a GE PR-1 meter for under $20. They are old but with TLR's you will need to work without one hand held.) The Rolleiflexs are the standard no matter which lens. For outdoor work an f3.5 would be cheaper and there is a lot of available light. A Rollicord is lesser model but still excellent. Older Hasselblads are plentiful and prices have been dropping on them. Extremely rugged and well built. There are a number of books available in public libraries that are current and cover this topic.
colinh
Well-known
Finder, with that incredibly long list - how did you manage to leave out the Contax 645??? 
Anyway, Manfred, as has been pointed out, you need to say how much you want to spend. The price range goes from "almost free" to "veeery expensive". Pick a number.
It's not clear that you want a TLR. It's not even clear (even though you wrote RF) that you want a rangefinder. It would be a waste of time to explain the pros and cons of all of these until we know how much you want to spend and ....
.... if you shouldn't be considering Large Format instead.
If you want *really* large, grain-free enlargements, you need LF. A solid tripod and possibly a mule to carry it all for you Actually, these days you can get a fairly light LF outfit. Have a look at the Large Format Photography pages.
colin
Anyway, Manfred, as has been pointed out, you need to say how much you want to spend. The price range goes from "almost free" to "veeery expensive". Pick a number.
It's not clear that you want a TLR. It's not even clear (even though you wrote RF) that you want a rangefinder. It would be a waste of time to explain the pros and cons of all of these until we know how much you want to spend and ....
.... if you shouldn't be considering Large Format instead.
If you want *really* large, grain-free enlargements, you need LF. A solid tripod and possibly a mule to carry it all for you
Actually, these days you can get a fairly light LF outfit. Have a look at the Large Format Photography pages.colin
Rhoyle
Well-known
Look into a Pentax 67. You get a meter and interchangible lenses. Prices are dropping.
BH
BH