compact 120 rangefinder?

P

perudo

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Hello,

I'm looking for a very small medium format camera in addition to my M6 and Hasselblad. I really like the hassy, but it is a little bit too big to take on the street and as a everyday camera. Does a very compact medium format camera exist?

thank you
 
if you want a new camera then try Mamiya 7II or Fuji GF670. They are bigger than a 35mm RF but smaller than any Hassy.
 
No wrong answers above. You might also want to try a non-folding 6x9 folding Zeiss. Very compact for a 6x9, and very light. Of course, you have to estimate the distance or get a hand held RF. But those negatives are very big compared to the 6x6 you are used to.
 
I have owned and extensively used Plaubel Makina 6x7, Mamiya 7, and Fuji 6x9; all with superb lenses. I have also used Pentax 6x7, Mamiya 6x9, Koni Omega 6x7, and two Fuji 6x4.5 rangefinder cameras [one a folding camera with built in light meter and with possibly a 70mm lens?]. Relative to the usual size for their format, the Mamiya 7 might offer you a good solution, but if you can work without interchanging lenses, 'folders' such as the the Plaubel Makina can offer great optics allied to amazing compactness [and flash synch at all shutter speeds].

30 years ago I worked with the folded Plaubel Makina on one shoulder and a tiny Olympus OM1 35mm on the other, and the Plaubel was the least intrusive of the cameras to carry [and I loved the metering in it]. The folding Fuji was a relatively tiny camera and the easiest camera to transport that I have used, though the advantage of 6x4.5 over 35mm is not as great as other 120 formats. Another consideration might be the recently released Voightlander 6x7 folding camera which is reminiscent of the Plaubel Makina.

I have [darkroom] printed thousands of Hasselblad images, but not once did I focus a Hasselblad image under a grain magnifyer and suspect that particular Hasselblad lens was the resolution equal my Plaubel Makina's custom Nikkor lens.

............... Chris
 
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I have a mamiya 6 and it is a great camera. But even with the lens mount collapsed I would not call it compact. Indeed smaller and lighter than a hasselblad, but not small.

I would guess that something like Perkeo or similar should be smaller and lighter. The new Bessa III is in spite of the collapsing feature not much thinner than Mamiya 6 with collapsed 75mm lens.

If you would look at 645 than the GA645 or GA645w are somewhat thinner and lighter. One of them would probably be my "compact MF" camera of choice. Also not that expensive given the results they can deliver.

Also keep in mind that most RF cameras have minimal focus of 1 meter and most do not accept any close-up rangefinder coupled lenses.
 
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