68degrees
Well-known
Its on my GAS list and I was just wondering how you like it?
Does anyone here shoot a Kodak Medallist?
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TVR
Established
if you get one you wont be disapointed i was amazed at the shots i got back, especially on slide film if you search on this website you will see some of my first shots under medalist
furcafe
Veteran
I use a Medalist II, modified by Ken Ruth for 120, & it's awesome; not just as a great camera, but also as a piece of vanished American engineering & industrial art.
That said, I should shoot it more often.
Some of my pix: http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/eastmankodakmedalistiic1946/
That said, I should shoot it more often.
Some of my pix: http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/eastmankodakmedalistiic1946/
Moto-Uno
Moto-Uno
I've been using as Medalist 1 for a couple of years. Certainly was a learning curve, what with rerolling the film onto the thin metal spools, until eventually finding out about Blue Moon Machine with their excellently trimmed rolls of film. A true brute of a camera,but the build quality and lens pretty much guarantee a technically perfect picture. My first Fuji Provia trannies had me leaning over the light box until my back ached!
Regards,Peter
Regards,Peter
z.bruce.li
Established
I use a Medalist I from time to time. If you can get over the 120-620 film re-spooling, heavy and difficult to grip body, separate rangefinder and viewfinder, and difficult to remember loading procedure, you will be treated with excellent images.
The Ektar 100/3.5, a Heliar design, is the star of the machine. The film at 6x9 expanse is kept very flat. These two combined can generate impressively sharp images with moderate contrast, pleasing color and out of focus renditions. The true split-image rangefinder, although separate slightly from viewfinder, is very easy to focus and accurate, probably one of the best I have used from 35mm to medium format.
I do love the E100G slides I recently shot (the originals are better than the scans):
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=56588525@N00&q=medalist
The Ektar 100/3.5, a Heliar design, is the star of the machine. The film at 6x9 expanse is kept very flat. These two combined can generate impressively sharp images with moderate contrast, pleasing color and out of focus renditions. The true split-image rangefinder, although separate slightly from viewfinder, is very easy to focus and accurate, probably one of the best I have used from 35mm to medium format.
I do love the E100G slides I recently shot (the originals are better than the scans):
http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=56588525@N00&q=medalist
68degrees
Well-known
you guys are giving quite a testimony! Very good. Im leaning Medalist 1. How do you like the fine focus wheel?
z.bruce.li
Established
At least on my Medalist I, the fine focus wheel is a little bit too tight for me. I just use the double helicoid focusing, which has long enough throw to achieve accurate focus.
isoterica
Established
Have a Medalist I outfit that I've recently ordered film for to test it, part of my sifting through gear for the new year project. Thing is a tank is all I have to say so far. B&H has respools.
Moto-Uno
Moto-Uno
My experience ( and tack sharp images) suggest the main heli-coil focuser is just
fine. The rangefinder magnification certainly helps get a sharp focus.
Regards,Peter
fine. The rangefinder magnification certainly helps get a sharp focus.
Regards,Peter
68degrees
Well-known
does the medalist 1 have the rangefinder magnification? And how would you compare the sharpness of the ektar with say the lens on an Olympus 35 RC? Just as sharp?
Moto-Uno
Moto-Uno
This may sound like "gilding the lily", but there is no way on Gods green earth you'll ever make that comparison after you've seen a transparency from the Medalist Ektar . Did that sound a LITTLE OVER THE TOP? Try one and you'll understand.
Regards,Peter
ps: yes it's got the magnified rangefinder.
Regards,Peter
ps: yes it's got the magnified rangefinder.
Mr_Flibble
In Tabulas Argenteas Refero
Don't use my Medalist 1 enough despite the great lens. Really need to respool some film for it soon.
I don't use the fine-focus wheel. I don't think many people did that's probably why it was replaced with the flash synch on the Medalist II.
When using the Medalist I just make sure the release button has bounced back up fully before advancing to the next frame. The little lever/collar for Time exposures around the release button sometimes gets turned out of position and causing the button to stay down partially. It is the one major causes of jams on this design (This was fixed in the Medalist II).
Medalist I, Ilford XP2, Vught Engineer Museum 2011
"You want some lung butter with that?"
I don't use the fine-focus wheel. I don't think many people did that's probably why it was replaced with the flash synch on the Medalist II.
When using the Medalist I just make sure the release button has bounced back up fully before advancing to the next frame. The little lever/collar for Time exposures around the release button sometimes gets turned out of position and causing the button to stay down partially. It is the one major causes of jams on this design (This was fixed in the Medalist II).
Medalist I, Ilford XP2, Vught Engineer Museum 2011
"You want some lung butter with that?"
Brian Legge
Veteran
Very nice.
I wish someone local had one. I love the results of I've seen and for a 6x9 camera, the ergonomics don't bother me. I'd rather use it than some of the others which seem more bulky. And Barnacks taught me that I love rangefinder magnification.
So I picked up a II on the cheap but it needs shutter work before it can be used at all. I figure I'll probably go all in and send it to Ken Ruth for conversion as well once with the money from my next round of gear selling. I don't like paying this much without having a shot at using the camera but the results speak for themselves.
I wish someone local had one. I love the results of I've seen and for a 6x9 camera, the ergonomics don't bother me. I'd rather use it than some of the others which seem more bulky. And Barnacks taught me that I love rangefinder magnification.
So I picked up a II on the cheap but it needs shutter work before it can be used at all. I figure I'll probably go all in and send it to Ken Ruth for conversion as well once with the money from my next round of gear selling. I don't like paying this much without having a shot at using the camera but the results speak for themselves.
citizen99
Well-known
I love my Medalist I, although I don't use it very often. A magnificent specimen of engineering and styling, it looks like, and is built like, a Sherman tank 🙂 but it also 'weighs' like one, and being advanced in years, if walking around with a camera I'm more likely to carry a folder 😉.
So, the occasional respooling of film in the dark bag is no hardship.
As others posting above have found, I find the main helicoid perfectly good for direct focussing, and I really like the combined viewfinder and rangefinder 🙂.
So, the occasional respooling of film in the dark bag is no hardship.
As others posting above have found, I find the main helicoid perfectly good for direct focussing, and I really like the combined viewfinder and rangefinder 🙂.
68degrees
Well-known
Nice to know! Thanks!
68degrees
Well-known
How would you compare the sharpness Medalist I vs Medalist II?
TVR
Established
furcafe
Veteran
citizen99
Well-known
The Medalist I lens is also coated (I can see it in my own specimen), but with an earlier process than "Lumenisation". The information quoted by Kuzano in a previous thread seems to imply that the Lumenisation is perhaps more durable (as well as optically superior). Anyway,I've no complaints about the performance of my Medalist I version 🙂.
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