Best 2x3 RF folder for B&W portraits

[mfogiel]

I have had this Idea in mind for a long time, but never had an occasion to come across one of these working folders myself in the last years.
I have just seen this simple shot :
http://theonlinephotographer.typepa...added-to-the-collection-patricia-dalzell.html

This portrait, is an old style, low contrast, great tonality photo with a normal perspective, that you should be able to get with a decent old lens on a biggish negative.

This one, admittedly, has been made with a 4x5 camera, but for me the result would be equally interesting, if shot on a 2x3 camera with a nice lens. Any ideas as to what models of cameras/lenses might get close to producing this kind of output?

 

[Ezzie]

If you're looking for that classic look then Zeiss Super Ikonta's or Voigtlander Bessa II's would do you well I guess. 6x9 120's and RF coupled both of them.

 

[FPjohn]

Hello:

A capable performer for very little, on this side of the Atlantic, would be a Century Graphic with a 105 or 80mm Tessar, Planar or Xenotar for much more as options.

yours
FPJ

http://graflex.org/speed-graphic/century-graphic.html

 

[Steve M.]

This is an easy one, as nearly all the 120 film cameras will give you excellent portraits. You're not looking for hyper sharpness, so $40 will do it. Not quite 2x3, but plenty out there that are. I like this one, but there's literally hundreds that will do a fine job.

 

[Steve M.]

This came from the Welta above. Mine had the least expensive Trioplan lens.

 

[FPjohn]

V.G. Steve M.

yours
FPJ

 

[pagpow]

If you don't have an objection to no rangefinder, the Nettars 51x/2 (515, 517, 518), w. the inexpensive triplets, do just fine. Pretty easy to deal w. distance for full length portraits like that, and the Novar - Anastigmat, the triplet gets high praise for a triplet design. Cheap, works well, lets you decide whether you need to upgrade.

 

[oftheherd]

As Steve M. stated, most any of the 6x6 or 6x9 folders will give you what you are looking for. Just shop for the best bargain in a working one.

 

[hanskerensky]

Such a 4x5 camera has of course a big advantage in the fact that you have very good image control on its ground glass. Especially when shooting nearby (portraits) and when you want the DOF exactly to be as you wish. A 2x3 inch folder doesn't give you that total control unless you have very much practised with it and know exactly how to translate the viewfinder image and the diaphragma setting in the resulting film image. When shooting portraits at very close distance also take the parallax error into consideration.

IMO the closest thing for portraits next to a 4x5 camera would be a Medium Format TLR or SLR camera.