It's relatively simple.....
It's relatively simple.....
1) shoot 645
2) shoot with a good 645
3) the best 645 in my "esteemed" opinion, and I have shot almost all of them, is the Fuji GA645Zi, which is a single cam (not a system) offering:
Good AF (fast and accurate)
Great metering on the money
Zoom 55-90
Reliable
Shoots 120/220
Easy carry
Quiet transport and shutter
Exposure Compensation....
It's just good... I had one with 234,000 shutter clicks
Before that I would have said Bronica ETRSi SLR, but that's a system (GREAT!! lenses)
When I want to really be wasteful on film, I shoot either 120/220 in my "Gigantic" Fujica G690 Bl "Texas Leica". 8 shots on 120, 16 shots on 220. I have lots of 220 in the cooler and don't anticipate not being able to source more with a diligant search and the help of eBay sellers.
Shoot 120 for 16 per roll for 645, and 32 per roll on 220.
Find, buy and refrigerate 220 from sellers on eBay. Make sure it has been refrigerated and the sell has much positive feedback. If someone has been selling expired film unrefrigerated, I expect that to show up in poor feedback if he/she is a volume seller.
Forget home processing, way too expensive. If you have a Walmart, go to walmart and put your film in a SEND OUT ONLY envelope. In my case it takes ten days for professional processing AT a Fujifilm lab. Have received 120 roll, 8 transparency film back for 84 Cents per roll often. That's right Eighty Four Cents per roll... UNDER A DOLLAR. I can't set up my house, or daylight film system and deal with price and other aspect of chemicals, trays, drums... GaaaaH!!! without spending much more than that.
Prints have never run me over $8 a roll, even on 220, and Walmart covers the transportation in their trucks... NO SHIPPING....
So an expired or current date (kept cold stored) roll of 220, processed to transparencies (Walmart/Fuji accepts E6 AND C41) has never cost me $10 for the film, processing and delivery/return. Most often, I get off for under a dollar. RULE ONE... Never try to EXPLAIN what you are attemping to do with a WALMART EMPLOYEE, and never, NEVER askthem a question. They have no answers.
Break the "don't ask, don't tell" rule with a Walmart Employee will only foster disappointment on your part, and a very bad experience. They do not know how this "SEND OUT ONLY" system works. They only know (and this is a lot to know for them) that they put your closed envelope in the bag that goes on the truck, and they get it back sealed in ten days, at which time they call you. If you get no call, just go in after ten weekdays... it will be there.
Warning... Take Note:
You can cause a Walmart employee to start smoking and possibly explode if you try to discuss this system with them.
If you have any questions, grab one of the envelopes from the Fujifilm kiosk with the slot for SEND OUT. There is a toll free number on the envelope for the lab your film is being sent to.
Never a complaint or a lost roll in over a decade of doing this. While the one hour places are going with NO return of the negs for 35mm (135), only CD scans, I still get my negs on my MF 120/220 film.
Shoot my Zi, or a Perkeo 120 Color Skopar, when I want "cheap"...
There have been numerous thread on the MF film/Walmart/Send Out Only on this site. Do a search. It's been discussed ad nauseum, and I have even posted pictures of both the E6 and C41 instructions to fill out on the SO envelopes. I have spoken Fuji often. This is a tested system by me and others here.
I think I recall that RAID also uses Walmart, and can recall some others.
Unfortunately not all Walmarts do this. To make it even more frustrating, ALL of them will vehemently deny such a system. Even the three I have used frequently for the last decade. In one case I had to go back in the store room and rummage round for the Fujifilm Kiosk. It is now placed properly in the same area where they have the 8 kiosk computers for digital. I dropped off a roll, never spoke to anyone, and picked up the prints/negs ten days later, without a word to anyone in photo other than, "I'm here to pick up my prints and negs" The lady really recoiled and proudly swore "We don't give customers the negatives any more. We throw them out". I quietly opened up the "sealed" envelope and pulled out the prints and then the negatives.
Her hair started to smoke, and then, right there in front of me, SHE Exploded. I foresaw this encounter and I was wearing my Kevlar body armor and covered my face.
Do NOT discuss this with a WALMART Employee. They are not stupid... they just don't know, and there is no training, even at the management level on this system.