Ironclad Medium Format Cameras

mfogiel said:
As my Contax 645 has started having hiccups yesterday, I've realised that I have various camera systems that are inevitably exposed to the risk of becoming no longer serviceable in a not so distant future.
Click to expand...

FYI, I had my Contax 645 serviced in January through our forum sponsor Bellamy Hunt of Japan Camera Hunter. Nothing wrong with it, but wanted to get it checked before Contax stopped servicing these. When I got the camera back, Bellamy said that Contax gave all of the spare parts to a 3rd party camera technician, so it's still possible to have some things fixed (whilst supplies last).

Drop Bellamy a line, I'm sure he can help you out.
 
I have a miniature Crown Graphic. Mamiya 645 back, Graflex RH12 6X6 backs, Mamiya 6X7 back, Horseman 6X9 backs (requires simple adaption) plus Grafmatics and sheet film holders.
I believe medium format is covered for me.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. My main type of photography is between a portrait and street, so very slow, heavy or difficult to focus solutions are not optimal. I think I will try to keep the current gear functional for as long as possible, and perhaps add a Mamiya 645 body eventually, as these seem to be still in production, and now with Phase One taking over Mamiya, perhaps this camera has more to go. In 6x7 land, every now and then I see great offers on Mamiya RB67 kits, but the bulk and limited shutter speeds put me off somewhat. Can someone share the experiences about the use of this camera outside a studio?
Thanks again.
 
mfogiel said:
In 6x7 land, every now and then I see great offers on Mamiya RB67 kits, but the bulk and limited shutter speeds put me off somewhat. Can someone share the experiences about the use of this camera outside a studio?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...

I've carried it across mountains. A RB67 with one lens and magazine is less heavy and bulky than the average cluttered DSLR bag or even a solitary pro DSLR with 10x zoom. The RZ67 is a bit less heavy, by the way - but it is harder to find them in a good shape, as most of the bargains there have been through hard studio work.

The limited shutter speeds aren't really an issue - ALL RB67 lenses have their sweet spot around f/11, and none are faster than f/3.8. And Delta 3200 is the only film left that is faster than 400 (and using ultra-fast film on a medium format camera with relatively slow lenses is not really a wise decision in any case).

"In production" is not really anything you can hope for, unless you go for boutique items much less complex than a SLR. As far as I can make out, ALL manual focus film cameras by Mamiya have been discontinued before 2010. Mamiya Germany were the last to distribute the remaining inventory, and still SELL bits and parts from the RZ67 system, but the M645 series has been out of stock for many years even there. Even the AFD (whose last versions were tailored towards digital backs) is long discontinued and the successor (Phaseone XF) appears to be incompatible and to have no provisions for film backs any more.
 
mfogiel said:
Thanks for the suggestions. My main type of photography is between a portrait and street, so very slow, heavy or difficult to focus solutions are not optimal. I think I will try to keep the current gear functional for as long as possible, and perhaps add a Mamiya 645 body eventually, as these seem to be still in production, and now with Phase One taking over Mamiya, perhaps this camera has more to go. In 6x7 land, every now and then I see great offers on Mamiya RB67 kits, but the bulk and limited shutter speeds put me off somewhat. Can someone share the experiences about the use of this camera outside a studio?
Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Marek,

Perhaps consider getting another Contax as a backup. Nothing wrong with being stubborn. LOL.

Also would be helpful to know for your use how wide you like to go, or if you tend to shoot "normal" lenses.

Cal
 
Hasselblad 500 series. Very reliable. They are modular in construction, film back, viewfinder with or w/o light meter, great Zeiss lens selection and prices that are reasonable. Lots of them around to choose from! Dave Odess I believe is still in business and a great tech.

Just my thoughts from experience using them. I haven't sold any as I will exercise them every so often!

Can't believe it as the weather forecast says 50 degrees next week! Here in December in Mnnesota!
 
mfogiel said:
So, while my 35mm stuff is well covered by mechanical Leicas and Nikon F2 bodies, and in 6x6 I have several TLR's and Hasselblads, the formats where I'm exposed are 645 ( Bronica RF, Pentax 645N, Contax 645) and 6x7 ( Pentax 6x7 and 67II).
What would be in your opinion a really ironclad all mechanical camera, with good reliability record and hopes for serviceability long in the future in these two formats to think of?
Ah, if this is not yet clear: I'm not intending to shoot digital.
Thanks
Click to expand...

For 645, just find a 645 back and mask for your Hasselblads, or continue to shoot 6x6 and crop them accordingly.
 
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