Got medium format?

han1953 said:
My MF cameras:

Mamiya TLRs from the 1958 C to the 1995 C330s (and everything in between). Last count there were 17 of them - i will sell some doubles shortly.
-lenses 55 65 80 105 135 180 250mm (doubles there as well)
-120/220 and single exposure backs

Mamiya Press Standard, Universal and 23 Super
-lenses 90 100 150 [still looking for a 65]
-645 66 67 69 backs, mainly used as 67 or 69.
-matt glass back and extension rings to 1:1

Those are the 'serious' ones. Like most of you, i also have some dust-collecting stuff, like a Lubitel, some 'guess focus' folders and box cameras. My heart lies mostly with the Mamiya stuff though.

Used to have a lot of Minolta XM stuff. Now down to an X700 with 100mm macro. And of course a digital for the family pictures...
Click to expand...

I also have the Super Press 23 with several back, including sheet film. I have the 50mm, 65mm (not working), 100mm, and 150mm. I am looking for a 250mm to round out the stable. How do you like your Universal/Press 23 compared to the TLRs? I had a 330 on layaway many years ago before I got the Super Press 23. I think I am happier with it than I would have been with the 330. Looks like you prefer the TLRs though.
 
I've recently sold my Zeiss Ikon Nettar,

But I still have:
120 roll film holder for my Speed Graphic and Crown Graphic.
Ciroflex D
Kodak No.2 Box Brownie
2x Kodak Medalist I (trying to sell one)
 
Of Course

Of Course

I've dumped money into old Bronica and Nikor glass over the years. I love it, but as much as I use it it will last forever.
 
How did I miss this thread before? I have:

* Seagull 4A-109 TLR
* Lubitel 166U TLR
* Polaroid 101 rangefinder (I think this counts as medium format)
* Pentax 645 SLR with a 75mm lens

EDIT: I need to use them more. Considering the fact that the only film I have in the refrigerator right now is 120 transparency, I'd say the chances of them getting used are pretty high.
 
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Kiev 60 - the best camera I own in terms of the pictures it can produce. Lenses are an unbelievable value for medium format. I don't use it as often as I used to - it's just sooo damned big.

Iskra - I covet this camera, absolutely love it. If I could only keep one camera, this would probably be the one. Thanks to Oleg and Certo6 my sample works perfectly, even the film counter works. Nice bright rangefinder focusing, flash synch at all speeds (1-500 + B) very very good coated Tessar style lens - on par with the Solinar, maybe even better. Hard to beat medium format "in your pocket". I feel very fortunate to have such an excellent sample of this camera.
 
MF for Puerto Rico

MF for Puerto Rico

I'm trying to decide on a kit for a forthcoming vacation to Puerto Rico. Never having been there, I'm not sure just what to expect. One big concern is what sort of available light I might encounter; dim interiors... I will have Fuji 800Z; I'm wrestling with how fast a lens I'll need.

If f/4 will do it (and it does for office-level illumination, but often not restaurants), then I could take the Bronica RF645 and either a second body or a Fuji GA645Wi in addition. (The Fuji focuses closer, and the VF is better with the 45mm)

If f/2.8 is needed, then I could take a Pentax 645NII with a couple of prime lenses to handle the interiors and maybe a widish f/4.5 zoom for general use.

I just don't have a good feel for the frequency and level of low-light I'll meet. Museums, evenings on the streets... I dunno. Any thoughts?
 
Doug:

Take the one with the fastest lens.

Ted

PS: I've got a Pentax istDS DSLR that you can kick the ISO up to 1600 without much noise at all. At 800 You can't see any noise. But then we're not talking RF cameras anymore.

Ted
 
It's been so long I had forgotten how much the Plaubel resembles the Mamiya Universal/Super Press 23. That is a sweet looking camera. How do you like the 6x9 versus 6x7? I have really gotten to like the 6x7 format.
 
The Mamiya backs are good for sure. Is that a Mamiya back? I thought it looked like one. In fact, is that not the very rare back with the shutter release on the back? I have never seen one of those in real life. I did see one on ebay two or three years ago or so. I bid but it just went for more than I wanted to pay at the time, especially since I have five regular 6x7 backs now. If the Plaubels take the Mamiya backs, that is one more thing I had forgotten about them. I hadn't paid much attention to them is some years. Maybe I should start looking at them again. That looks like a specialty camera there btw. Is it?
 
Bronica Madness!

Bronica Madness!

My journey into medium format has been mostly a love affair with Bronicas.

I started with a Bronica ETRSi. Good starter MF SLR, very happy with that as a beginner camera. The AE2 metering prism is handy in strong light, but falls down (as does handholding this beast) in dim light. Motor winder, 50-75-150 primes, 45-90 and 100-220 zoom lenses. The zooms are really good! Bronica was thoughtful enough to standardize on a 62mm filter thread for all of these primes, and a 95mm filter thread for the big zooms. (spent more for the kaesemann 95mm polarizer than for some of the lenses!) The TTL flash metering has been handy for product shots, using a big Metz 60 into umbrellas. You can't exactly sneak up on anyone with this camera... forget about candids 🙂

Then I found two older Voigtlander folders, a scale-focus Bessa (6x9cm) and a Bessa RF, both with the rapid shutter. The Bessa has the skopar lens, the Bessa RF has the slightly sharper heliar lens. Nice big negative, shallow depth of field (105mm at f/3.5), not super sharp though, and no fancy coatings obviously. Wouldn't shoot into the sun with 'em unless I wanted flare. They're fun and simple, and Sunny Sixteen metering works every time.

Then thanks to this site* I discovered the Bronica RF645, and fell in love. I have two complete systems, one with the 135mm frames and one with 100mm frames. Seven lenses all told, 'cause I did finally snag a 135 on the Bay. Gear Acquisition Syndrome, what can I say?

When I really want to go overboard with image quality, I pull out the fabulous Plaubel Makina 670. What an amazing camera! Superlative. Literally view camera quality that fits in your jacket pocket.

I say that because I also have a 6x9 roll film back for my 4x5 view camera. Velvia shot through the Plaubel 670 looks as good as Velvia from the view camera, just without explicit control of focal plane and perspective.

Yes, I shoot them all. Oh, wait, there are two I haven't shot yet: the Agfa Clack 6x9 snapshot camera that I found in my parents' attic, and the Kodak Duex which I think takes 620 film?

Mark

* many thanks to Shutterflower and all the other addicts! You know who you are! :dance:
 

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toyotadesigner said:
The Mamiya back is not interchangeable. Yes, this is a very special camera, because it features a shift up and left (in combination with the top mount a shift down and right) of 17mm. The patented mechanism lets the viewfinder follow the movement of the front standard. No need to write about the legendary Schneider Super Angulon 5.6/47mm...

Actually the Plaubel 69W consists of 3 parts: the Schneider lens, the Plaubel body and the custom fitted Mamiya back. The shutter release is in the grip which Plaubel attached to the Mamiya back, triggering a custom made cable release to fire the shutter of the lens.

You may check more images here to see how it works.
Click to expand...


Thanks for those photos. Nice camera to say the least! And no, I don't think anybody would argue about the lens either. I guess it's a good thing I didn't get that back I saw before.

Surprisingly the camera doesn't look all that big or cumberson. Is it farily easily hand holdable?
 
Hey, Mark. That mountain in the middle shot is definitely not in Maryland. Looks more like the view from my back window.

Ted

Here's a Rollei shot:
 

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You're right, Ted. Thanks, I never thought to change my profile.

I moved to Arizona in the spring, it's beautiful out here! I'm in the west side of Tucson, Bisbee is nice!

Mark

The attached image comes from 6x7 Velvia. I may have altered the saturation just a bit.😀
 

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"The attached image comes from 6x7 Velvia. I may have altered the saturation just a bit."

You could've fooled me. ;--)

Actually quite an eye-catcher. I'll have to learn how to do that.

Ted
 
I recently picked up a polaroid 110A packfilm conversion from the classifieds, it's pretty cool and it's a retro looking rangefinder too 😉

1439580189_94771bcfff_o.jpg


1440440292_c6ed723a56_o.jpg


Todd
 
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