Just got my GW670 II

N

Nick R.

Guest
Wow! I just got my GW670 II. This thing is huge. If a canonet is a poor man's Leica, this is a crazy man's Leica. It makes my Yashica GSH look like a compact.

What I need are some general tips for film usage.
For example, when you guys shoot color negative film, do you get back prints, a contact sheet?
With slides, are they mounted? In the seventies, I use to get 6x6 slides back mounted and 4x5's loose. That's the last time I shot medium format.
B&W I can develop myself. Of course, my scanner only does 35mm.
Lastly, if anyone's shooting medium format in the NYC area. Can you tell me where you're getting your processing done and what kind of services they offer?


As you can probably tell, this was a well thought-out purchase.
 
I used to work with one of those. Great lens and easy to handle. I always ordered developing plus a contact sheet; the negs are plenty big enough to study with a magnifier. Or you could skip the contacts and glass them on a light box. Now I'd probably ask for a high-res scan on a disc as well.
 
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Thanks, Joe.
Can you tell me if the pressure plate has to be flipped when changing from 120 to 220?
 
I'm certain there is something that has to be changed, but it's been a while. :rolleyes: Might have been a lever inside the back; I think there was an indicator to tell you which way it was set.
At one time there was a manual online, and there have been some GW670 discussions in photo.net's medium format forum.
You are really going to enjoy the pictures. It's surprisingly effective close up. I take a good long look every time I see one in a shop.
 
Congratulations, Nick! I've wondered if one of those is for me too. There's some good info at http://www.dantestella.com/technical.html that might help. As to the pressure plate, all of my 120/220 cameras require a manual shift of the pressure plate location. If you open the back and look, it should become fairly clear. It's possible it also would require an adjustment at the film counter (my Pentax does) or this may be handled automatically, as on my smaller Fujis. Again, examine closely...

With color I generally shoot color negative and ask the lab for developing, don't cut the negs, no prints, and a CD of scans. Browsing the scans on the computer substitutes for the contact sheet. I like to cut my own negs to best fit my file pages.

When I've shot color transparency film in my Pentax 67, the film is returned in strips unmounted (same with 645 format too). I didn't know there even were 6x7 slides until recently. But where (and at what cost) would you find a projector anyway? Back in the 70's and 80's the only color I shot was transparency, and now I don't remember why!

Have fun! Looking forward to seeing your output!
 
Great camera, fantastic lenses. You'll love the bigger format. Just be aware that if you want scans from these they are normally specially priced, means: expensive. I don't know any lab that would do this automatically.
Depending on your requirements you should give a good look at the top line Epson or Canon flatbed scanners, if you will print letter format max or use the images for internet these things work fine.
Goetschmann in Germany makes slide projectors for 6x7, quite expensive again. Maybe look out on Ebay, if I remember right Rollei once had also a 6x7 projector on the market.
 
Thanks for the tips, everyone.

I wasn't planning on projecting the slides. I just wanted to know that shooting certain slide films because of their color quality was still viable.
I'll try doing what Doug and Joe suggested of negs + scan. If a contact sheet isn't too costly, I might get one also. Although I rarely look at the contact sheets I get with my 35 negs anymore; I just look at the scans.

I only just got a Minolta Dimage scan Elite II in November. At the time, I thought I'll never need to do anything bigger than 35mm, its largest size. I can't go for another scanner now so I'll have to make do. Maybe I'll scan prints using the scanner at work (ugh).

The camera has a switch on the top cover to change from 120 to 220 film. The previous owner didn't think you had to change the backing plate because of the switch, but he purchased the camera without a manual, also. I think I'll give in and order a reprint of the manual before I break something mucking around.

Pherdinand, you're 28 I'm 48. I'm incredibly-er jealous :)
 
Nick,

As for film developing, try Color Edge on 21st. between 5th and 6th Avenue, south side of street. Great lab.
 
kbg32 said:
Nick,

As for film developing, try Color Edge on 21st. between 5th and 6th Avenue, south side of street. Great lab.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's a subway ride away.
 
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