Fotoman 617 MkII-L or Gaoersi GF 6x17S

[meven]

I am thinking of purchasing a medium format 6x17 camera and I can't decide between the Fotoman 617 MkII-L and the Gaoersi GF 6x17S.

Does anybody here have experience with one or the other?

I guess I would be using a 90mm lens, do you have any recommendations?

I have never done this kind of photography so I need all the help/advices you can give me!


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[venchka]

In the past week you missed a Gaoersi with a 90mm lens at the Large Format Photography Forum.

Fotoman may be out of business. The USA management is out of the picture. The future of the company is murky. I did have an occasion to handle several Fotoman cameras and they seemed well made.

I too have a fondness for the 6x17 format. I can't decide what to sell to buy one.

 

[meven]

In the past week you missed a Gaoersi with a 90mm lens at the Large Format Photography Forum.

Fotoman may be out of business. The USA management is out of the picture. The future of the company is murky. I did have an occasion to handle several Fotoman cameras and they seemed well made.

I too have a fondness for the 6x17 format. I can't decide what to sell to buy one.

There is one Gaoersi 6x17 with Super-Angulon 90/5.6 on eBay at the moment with a BIN price. Shipping is to the US only. Is it a good price?

I have absolutely no connection to the seller.

 

[venchka]

The camera I mentioned above. It had the ground glass screen. That would be important to me. The ebay listing is more money but not a lot more.

Selling my Gaoersi 6x17 medium format camera system.

This is a mechanical film camera system that records 6cm x 17cm images on 120 medium format film. The camera will record four images on one roll of 120 film. You can set the camera to record 6cm x 15cm or 6cm x 12cm if you prefer.

The camera comes complete with a 90mm lens cone and a professional Rodenstock Grandagon 90/6.8 lens. The lens is focused with the built in focusing helical ring. Included is a 6x17 ground glass that snaps onto the back of the camera with magnets. There is also an optical viewfinder with gives a pretty decent approximation of the camera view. The 90mm lens delivers the same view is a 28mm lens would in the 35mm format.

The full size images simply dwarfs any 35mm panoramic system. Any decent flatbed scanner will yield terrific huge files in Photoshop.

The camera, cone, ground glass, lens package is priced to sell at $1125.

Thanks for looking.

The two lenses are a toss up. Both good.

 

[meven]

Thanks for the info Wayne. I am in the same situation as you, I have to sell something before buying a 6x17 set but I can't decide what to sell!!

 

[meven]

I might also be interested in the ShenHao TFC617-A 6x17. Could someone point me toward images taken with this camera?

Here is a photo of the camera

 

[venchka]

That is awesome. Does it come with a 6x17 rollfilm back?
Thanks for fanning my GAS.

 

[meven]

That is awesome. Does it come with a 6x17 rollfilm back?
Thanks for fanning my GAS.

No it doesn't but you can check out there website for more info😉: http://www.shen-hao.com/indexen.html

They have 2 versions of this camera, a folding one and a non-folding.

 

[venchka]

The folding version would be the one to have I think. Thanks!

 

[peter_n]

I have a Fotoman 617 with a Schneider 110/5.6. The camera body is extremely well made and the company didn't use serial nrs. because their products were warrantied for life. Of course they're now more-or-less gone, but to be honest I think the body will outlive me and my descendants. Built like a brick and I recommend them. There was an identical Gaoersi (right down to the lens and the number of rolls through) on sale on eBay a year ago and the price was $1050 out of the UK so this may be a little high.

 

[meven]

I have a Fotoman 617 with a Schneider 110/5.6. The camera body is extremely well made and the company didn't use serial nrs. because their products were warrantied for life. Of course they're now more-or-less gone, but to be honest I think the body will outlive me and my descendants. Built like a brick and I recommend them. There was an identical Gaoersi (right down to the lens and the number of rolls through) on sale on eBay a year ago and the price was $1050 out of the UK so this may be a little high.

Thanks for the info Peter.

 

[oris642]

I used to have a Gaoersi 6x17. Rough casting and finish but it is light tight and in the end I guess that's what is important. Works fine. The finders are horrible; the Fotoman finders are much better quality (I managed to find a Fotoman finder before Fotoman went out of business - they are back in business now under new owners?) The magnets that holds the ground glass in place are weak so the GG likes to fall to the ground.

The format is a lot of fun if you like a panoramic view - which I do. For the $ you can't beat it.

 

[peter_n]

I managed to find a Fotoman finder before Fotoman went out of business - they are back in business now under new owners?

In the last Q&A on the Fotoman site Paul Droluk wrote "To the best of our knowledge, Fotoman Camera China is still in production." and left an email address in China. Take that as you will.

 

[roboflick]

What did you end up getting? I am thinking about that Shen hao And it does come with the roll film back
Nik

 

[V-12]

Before you start selling things to buy an expensive 6x12 you might want to hang on and try this

http://microsites.lomography.com/belair/#about

even if you do have to put a decent 90mm lens on it.