I’m looking for my first folder, and I’m tossing up between a Mamiya 6 V that’s available locally (in New Zealand), or trying to find an elusive working Iskra on eBay.
On paper I love the Mamiya 6 — innovative and reliable focusing, dual format, film counter, even the brand (love my C220) — but I’ve heard so many conflicting things about the lenses. Some say they are wonderful, others say they are one of the worst Tessar clones and super flarey. Is there just more sample variation than usual with the zuikos? Has anyone here shot one with success? Because I want to love it, but ultimately image quality is the whole reason I want a folder (as opposed to just using 35mm)
The Iskra sounds like the exact opposite. A fantastic lens with Soviet reliability (or lackthereof). Has anyone shot with both? Is the lens on the Iskra really that much better? Also how do the viewfinders and size/weight compare?
I also considered the Perkeo ii (rare and expensive, at least when I looked), certo 6 (even rarer and more expensive), and Konica Pearl (seems overpriced for its features?). I’m looking for a shooter when my C220 is just too bulky to lug around for a day. And I’m stuck!
Of the three possibilities you mentioned: if you can live without a coupled rangefinder, you could do a darned sight worse than a Voigtländer Perkeo with the Color-Skopar lens. It's a fine tessar type coated lens. Nobody, repeat—nobody—made folders with better quality bellows leather than Voigtländer. You would have to be quite unlucky to find some leaks, they are usually light proof and in good repair. Best of all, the Perkeo struts are some of the better made and durable ones found on a folding camera.
Forget your quest for this or that lens: no matter how good a particular one is, if it's not erected in correct parallelism with the film plane, results will vary from so-so to mediocre. A humble four element coated tessar-type, properly aligned to the film, will out perform the most exotic alternatives that are mounted to a lens standard that's out of plumb. Rangefinders are either not fitted to the Perkeos, or are not coupled. But a decent accessory rangefinder in good order and a fine Perkeo, combined, will still be substantially less expensive than various other alternatives mentioned. Yes, you could find a Perkeo with built-in rangefinder. But it's not coupled to the lens, anyway. Unless the form factor is a compelling consideration, you will get exactly the same functionality with a simpler, more common and more affordable Perkeo with a shoe mounted rangefinder.
Whatever camera you end up with, it's critical the struts are in good condition without wear in their pivots and have stops and detents in good repair. Alignment of lens to film plane may be checked either optically or using surface plate and height or dial gauges. Re-aligning the lens standard of a folder that's askew can be a major PITA at best—consider for a moment the motion involved in opening the bed and erecting the standard of a typical folder—and then think about how many planes are involved in getting lens centred, parallel, and at the correct distance from film, repeatedly. So, if you are set on a folder, you better make sure it's clean and straight, because repairs can be a problem if one is not.
Lastly, you've mentioned you want a folder for image quality over 35mm. If image quality is what it's all about: you've got a pretty good start with your C220. I used to own one. There was nothing wrong with the camera or the sharpness of its 80mm lens. Actually, as a self-confessed Rollei devotee, it surprised me as to just how good its image quality was. I bring up your TLR because a good one (and your Mamiya is certainly that) is all the things a folder is not: well aligned, long-wearing, precision-focusing, durable, and robust. These are all things which, ultimately, contribute to predictably high image quality. Rollei, for example, generally used the best readily available lenses of the day in their TLRs. That's no secret. What is, perhaps, less well appreciated is that the extreme accuracy of Franke & Heidecke's manufacturing, and the Rollei focus system design was at least as important as those lenses. Even the best quality folding camera, when new, was handicapped in terms of lens alignment, and this is critical to maximum sharpness.
I'm not trying to discourage you from getting a folder here, in any way, I have a few myself (and yes, I believe they are all Voigtländers, too—I practice what I preach). My little Vitessa folder is one of my favourite cameras, period. It's a delight to use and my Perkeo and one of my pmre-war 6x9 Bessas have been trouble-free. A good folder can be a delight. You are the one who'll have to get along with your choice, whatever that may be. I hope I may have helped you sidestep some not uncommon problems you'll probably encounter, and perhaps to be more certain as to why you may want a vintage folder and what to expect from one? If 6x9 was what you were after I might even have been able to help, I have a couple of Bessas here I've been asked to find homes for: but as lovely as the big Bessa folders are they're nowhere near as petite as a 6x6 folder, and in standard form are 8-on 6x9 ratio...
Please do follow up with whatever it is you get. This forum is a good resource and mostly friendly, but more active female members would be most welcome IMHO.
Cheers,
Brett
