lens designs and focal lengths in MF folders

[Ko.Fe.]

If you are into folders and want it budgetary buy some scale focus Zeiss.
From http://www.certo6.com/
Just wait for good priced camera from Jurgen, he has them periodilcally and buy it.
With non-expesive MF folders it very ipmortant to get one wich is working, if you into photography.

How are you going to print 6x9 in the darkroom. Do you have such big enlarger or contact prints?
I let go most of my 6x9 because I can't enlarge them, only 6x6.

 

[02Pilot]

Dual format but three red windows, what is the function of the other one?

It's a pre-war camera, and apparently at that time 120 backing paper was not consistently marked for 6x4.5 as well as the more common 6x6 and 6x9 formats. In order to ensure that you would be able to use 6x4.5 regardless of whether the particular film was marked for 6x4.5, the camera has two red windows aligned with the 6x9 markings. You advance the marking to the first window, then after taking your shot, you advance the same number to the next window. It's a bit cumbersome, but it works.

 

[oftheherd]

...

Face it, you are talking about 6x9 centimeters of film surface. A properly exposed Velvia 50 photo from this camera will absolutely blow your mind.

...

That was the mind blowing experience I had with my Zeiss Ikon 6x9.

 

[graywolf]

Sorry spent most of the intervening time in the hospital.

Tom - Both APO Lanthar the Bessa II and Industar on the Iskra are unit focusing - which wasn't the norm on 120 format folders.


It's a shame that medium format folders didn't survive long enough to receive the Xenon and Ultron double Gaussian lenses - which graced higher end 35mm folders like the Retinas and Vitessas. The genre faded fast during the mid-1950'ies.

The problem with the fast lens like the double gauss is they are bulky. Would not fit on a pocketable 120 camera like most folders. The same problem occurs with most wide angle and, of course, telephoto lenses.

 

[graywolf]

I have just realized that it might help if I said which MF cameras from that era I am familiar with, so that forum members might more easily be able to make comparisons.

I won’t mention 35mm cameras because they are such a different kettle of fish and comparisons would be pretty meaningless.

The MF cameras I have used, processed and printed as monochromes in a darkroom are :

Mamiya Press with Mamiya 90/3.5 ( Tessar design )
Linhof 23 with Schneider 105/3.5 Tessar,
Linhof Technika 70 with Schneider 100/5.6 Symmar
Rollieflex T with Zeiss Tessar 75/3.5

Any comments relating image quality of MF folder models and makers to any of the above would be very useful to me.

No pocket folder will be quite as good as any of those. The difference is all of those cameras have extremely rigid lens mounts, that no pocket folder I know of can match. But none of those will fit in your hip pocket either.

 

[Godfrey]

The best 645 or 6x6 folder I've used yet, having had Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta A and B, Balda Baldix 6x6, Fuji GS645 and GA645, and Voigtländer Perkeo II and Bessa III is the Voigtländer Perkeo II.

The Perkeo II has a Color-Skopar 80mm f/3.5 lens which is just terrific, and the whole camera is extremely compact and solidly built. It is smaller and lighter than the equally well-built Super Ikontas and seems less fragile. The Perkeo II is scale focus only; for more precise focusing needs (open aperture and low light) I have a clean Voigtländer clip-on rangefinder.

I put the Perkeo II through a complete CLA recently: it performs and feels as if it were a new camera despite it being perhaps sixty years old. The only negative about it, for me, is that the body has no eyelets for a neck or hand strap. It's as handy to carry as my Leica M4-2 with a compact lens (Color-Skopar 50 or 35) otherwise.

G

 

[shortstop]

The best 645 or 6x6 folder I've used yet, having had Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta A and B, Balda Baldix 6x6, Fuji GS645 and GA645, and Voigtländer Perkeo II and Bessa III is the Voigtländer Perkeo II. The Perkeo II has a Color-Skopar 80mm f/3.5 lens which is just terrific, and the whole camera is extremely compact and solidly built. It is smaller and lighter than the equally well-built Super Ikontas and seems less fragile. The Perkeo II is scale focus only; for more precise focusing needs (open aperture and low light) I have a clean Voigtländer clip-on rangefinder. I put the Perkeo II through a complete CLA recently: it performs and feels as if it were a new camera despite it being perhaps sixty years old. The only negative about it, for me, is that the body has no eyelets for a neck or hand strap. It's as handy to carry as my Leica M4-2 with a compact lens (Color-Skopar 50 or 35) otherwise. G

Agree, it's incredible how small is. You have a 6x6 in a pocket. The lens is sharp and last but not the least, is very cool. I've seen it in a TV advertising here in Italy in the hands of a boy.

 

[Solinar]

The Perkeo II is not only small - but light. One method I use to set the focus - if I don't have the accessory RF with me - is to back away from the subject heel to toe - which gives me an approximate focusing distance in feet.

The 80mm/3.5 Color Skopar does really well - if you nail the focus.

The above mentioned Ikonta 524/2 is a very well built camera - but its uncoupled RF and lens markings are a bit too few and far between.

For close ups, your best bet is too set both the lens focus and RF to 6 feet. Then move backward and forward with the camera while viewing through the RF. Then compose with the viewfinder and shoot. The same method works for the 9 foot and 12 foot settings.

The 105mm/3.5 Opton Tessar is a stunningly fine lens - provided that you hold the camera still.

See an example taken of a Chile Roaster with that lens here:

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144239&page=2

Best Regards,