If you had to keep only one TLR...

p.giannakis

p.giannakis

Pan Giannakis
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...which one will it be?
I used to own a Lubitel, a Yashica 635, a Yashica 124G and a Zeiss Ikoflex Ib.
I gave the Lubitel, it was more a toy camera to me and the 635 was definitely a step up. I wanted to upgrade and i sold it to buy a 124G which ended up having film spacing problems.
Now i have an Ikoflex and is definitely a keeper. Small, well made, with an excellent lens.
What about you guys?
 
Sounds like you know which one is the best for you, so keep Ikoflex.
I have gone through several TLRs - 2 Rolleiflexes - 3.5 and 2.8, 2 Yashicas 124, Rikoh Diacord L (very nice TLR, btw) but ended up selling them all and later got Kowa Kalloflex which I like the most. So all comes down to your personal preference.
 
I have a Rolleicord V, a YashicaMat 124G and a Ricoh Diacord L. I'll keep only two TLR's in the house so one of them has to go. Haven't really decided which one.
 
If it was my only camera, I'd keep my Mamiya C220 with at least the 65 and 105 lenses, so long as I could have it upgraded to a brighter screen. (I'd take the 330 with its Beattie screen, but long-term I'd be more worried about reliability.)

If it was in addition to other cameras, the Rolleiflex, no doubt.
 
I own a Rolleiflex MX-EVS and a Mamiya 330F. The Rollei is a recent acquisition, but I have had the Mamiya since 1973 and if forced to choose one, would go with the Mamiya because of the lens options it provides. I like the Rollie, but know and understand the Mamiya much better.
 
Mamiya C330 Pro

Mamiya C330 Pro

I'd put my vote in for a Mamiya C330 Pro. It's the top of their line, allows for changing lenses and focusses on a bellows. It has lever wind, which also cocks the shutter. Waist level finder can be exchanged for a Porroflex finder, and even a metered Kiev 66 finder with an adapter from baierfoto.de. And, it's built like a tank.


It beats any Rolleiflex f2.8 as far as I'm concerned. I've always regretted selling mine to fund something else that I cannot recall.
 
I have used many. Now I have 3 Rolleiflexes (a Planar 3.5. a Xenotar 3.5 and a Tessar 3.5), a 124G and an SEM Berthiot 4.5. The SEM gets used most frequently as it is the lightest (because it has no auto film advance and film winding is manual with a back window like many folders). The triplet lens is also very good. But if I only keep one, it would probably be the Xenotar which I think gives the best performance. But it is that little bit heavier than the Tessar and the SEM.

If the choice is between the Ikoflex and the 124G, I would probably go for the latter. I have used a few Ikoflexes and I never found their performance (even the ones with a Tessar lens) that good compared to Rolleiflexes. The Lubitel just does not count. The only camera it can beat is a Holga!
 
In theory you shouldn't be able to see any difference if the lens is the same (Tessar with Rolleiflex Vs Tessar with Ikoflex).
Although i cannot say that there was any difference in lens quality between my ikoflex (with Tessar) and the 124G, i do prefer the negatives i get from the Ikoflex that the ones from 124G. That's personal taste though.
The only think that is annoying in Ikoflex is that it is over-engineered that slows me down when i want to shoot fast.
 
I only have one...a Yashica Mat 124g...but I do like the photos, I've seen lately, taken with an Autocord...that is one nice lens...
For now I'll keep on shooting the 124g...I do love the negs from that one...
 
I only have a Yashica Mat 124G as well. So far I love it. No film spacing problems, no trouble with any of the mechanics of the camera. I'm not looking to get another TLR now either, but who knows what will happen in the next few months? 😉
 
I have a Rolleiflex 2.8f, Mamiya C330, and a Minolta Autocord that needs a CLA. The Rollei is a so well made and along with the Rolleinar close up lenses it makes a very versatile kit. The C330, even though it's large and its controls are a bit fiddly, takes great images, and its extending bellows is great for close up work. The Autocord's screen is dimmer compared to the other two TLRs and it needs some work, so the jury isn't out on it yet.

For some reason I've been able to take more consistently exposed images with the C330. So for me it's a toss up between the Rollei and C330.
 
If I had to have only one, I guess it would be a Rolleicord, either a IV with a new screen or a Vb. As of now, I only have a slightly broken Mamiya 220 f sitting on a shelf... So maybe, there is another Rolleicord urge coming up. 🙂
 
I posted earlier about the Mamiya C330 I was missing, and after posting I had such an emotional breakdown about missing it😛 I ran towards *Bay and got myself a C330f from the UK with a latest edition 80mm f2.8 lens from another seller.🙂

Now, I'm lying on the doormat beside the dog, to wait for the mail😛
 
CLE-RF said:
I posted earlier about the Mamiya C330 I was missing, and after posting I had such an emotional breakdown about missing it😛 I ran towards *Bay and got myself a C330f from the UK with a latest edition 80mm f2.8 lens from another seller.🙂

Now, I'm lying on the doormat beside the dog, to wait for the mail😛
Click to expand...

I understand completely. I've owned and sold many cameras over the years, but the one constant has been my Mamiya 330F bought new in the 70s. I will never sell it. I love the 135mm and the 55mm lenses. Enjoy your new/old camera when it arrives, and don't sell it this time! 😉
 
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