Mamiya 6 vs Iskra lens quality

[madeleineostoja]

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!

 

[oldwino]

I loved my Mamiya Six until the shutter blew apart. I thought the image quality was top notch, at least at the apertures I normally used (f8-f11), and the focus mechanism keeps the film very flat, and that helps, too.
I have been searching for another, but finding one in excellent condition seems impossible these days.

 

[oldwino]

I'll also add that I've owned a Certo 6, and it is very well built - maybe too well built! - and heavy.
The Pearl III that I had, conversely, seemed very delicate and I had all sorts of annoying issues with the shutter linkage. Good lens, though...

 

[das]

If you can get a Konica Pearl IV for a decent price, I would go for it. It is such a lovely camera. With any of these old folders, the lens performance will be decent but dated to the era of Tessars and not very good lens coatings (hence, flare, coma, etc.) -- and of course the fiddling with the aperture and shutter speeds on the lens itself is kind of cumbersome. Unless you are in love with the folding concept, modern (1980s/90s) 645 and 6x6 cameras are just so much better.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I think with both cameras you might ending up with just a lens.
By now just working folder it is more than anything. Bellows, shutters are number one trouble and then crappy mechanical "improvements" like on Perkeo II.

 

[Moto-Uno]

Loved my Iskra 1 originally , really very good lens , HOWEVER , the other
areas for failure (and frustration) led me to doing the future users a favour .
If you go through my pics you will find the one I speak of !
Good luck and Ko.Fe is probably spot on with this one . Peter

 

[KoNickon]

One thing about the Pearls is that they are portrait orientation, 6x4.5, so not the same as the Mamiya, Iskra, Certo, Perkeo. (Perkeo II is lovely; no RF though, of course.)

 

[Larry Cloetta]

I guess I am lucky, getting an Iskra that works perfectly with no issues on my first try. Lens is really nice. Unfortunately no one has been able to help the OP with his original question, myself included. The only other folder I’d want outside of the Iskra is the Super Isolette, which has become too spendy for me. (But if someone finds a perfect one for not much money, let me know🙂 )

 

[mothertrucker]

Mamiya 6 vs Iskra lens quality

How about a Welta Weltur? Solid camera, great lenses. Comes in many formats. I have a 6x4.5 with a zeiss 75mm f2.8 lens. They made 6x6 and 6x9 sizes too. They have a coincident rangefinder as well, which is handy.

 

[KoNickon]

Oh right, he actually was asking for advice. At the risk of muddying the waters, if a simple camera will do, look at a Zeiss Ikon Signal-Nettar (6x6). It "only" has a Novar 3-element lens, but it produces excellent results. Worth considering -- inexpensive, and really well made, like all the ZI cameras.

 

[Moto-Uno]

I'm with "mothertrucker" on this one . I too have a Welta Weltur and without
sun in the line of sight it has constantly amazed me with the results . Really nice
build quality also , but maybe somewhat more scarce . Peter

 

[Moto-Uno]

Seem to be having a problem posting a pic from "my gallery" . Haven't done it in a while , any suggestions ? Peter

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

It wouldn't matter how good the lens was, it's attached to a Mamiya Six. Yes, it's innovative focus. Yes, it's dual format. But build quality is...awful. A great idea that was seriously underengineered, with *zero* scope for adjusting wear out of the focus, bellows made of tissue paper, struts made of cheese. I've worked on one. Never again. Never.

Worked on a Konica Pearl IV, too. That was better. But honestly. Get a good Voigtländer with a Compur shutter and a Color-Skopar. At least the bellows won't leak. But. For the love of god. If somebody offers you a Mamiya Six. Run.

A Mamiya 6, on the other hand is quite another matter altogether.

 

[mothertrucker]

Seem to be having a problem posting a pic from "my gallery" . Haven't done it in a while , any suggestions ? Peter

I've got a Weltur shot here Moto-uno. Never used the gallery so not sure how to help there.

 

[DwF]

By your question Madeleine (Original posting), it sounds like you are open to the adventure and as you mention easy portability of a folder, in spite of quirks of older technology. I haven't used the Pearl, Mamiya or Certo 6 but imagine they are nice cameras and hope to stumble on one in the future.

I would recommend if you can find a Super Ikonta A and make 6x4.5 work for you. The Ikontas are very solid and nice cameras to use, yielding great results.

Since you are open to non-rangefinder cameras, the Zeiss Ikonta 521A (also without rangefinder) or the 521/16 which is 6x6 (even though it is 12 exposures to a roll), and either one of these with a coated Tessar is well worth considering. In some ways I prefer without RF because of the simplicity and feel using them. They can be had for reasonable prices. A caveat is that shutter release is placed for left hand.

David

521 is in middle here tucked between two other 531A cameras, one on left is from about 1937 and has uncoated lens. They're very tiny and so portable! In Ikonta land, the "A" designates 645

This was made with the 521A

 

[madeleineostoja]

Thank you for all the input!

It wouldn't matter how good the lens was, it's attached to a Mamiya Six. Yes, it's innovative focus. Yes, it's dual format. But build quality is...awful. A great idea that was seriously underengineered, with *zero* scope for adjusting wear out of the focus, bellows made of tissue paper, struts made of cheese. I've worked on one. Never again. Never.

That’s really disappointing, I’d heard the opposite, but I can’t remember where. It does make sense that being such a unique system there’s more to go wrong

I would recommend if you can find a Super Ikonta A and make 6x4.5 work for you. The Ikontas are very solid and nice cameras to use, yielding great results.

Definitely open to 645! In fact I’d prefer it tbh, for a walk around medium format camera it makes sense to me. I’ve always heard the Ikonta’s aren’t the best considering their premium, with front-cell focusing etc

How about a Welta Weltur? Solid camera, great lenses. Comes in many formats. I have a 6x4.5 with a zeiss 75mm f2.8 lens. They made 6x6 and 6x9 sizes too

I’ll look into these! Did any come with coated optics? I don’t know much about them but I thought they were mostly older, like pre-war etc

Unless you are in love with the folding concept, modern (1980s/90s) 645 and 6x6 cameras are just so much better.

I’m more in love with the price of folders than the concept of them �� I’d love a GS645 or something but they’re out of budget for a secondary shooter for me atm

 

[madeleineostoja]

Oof the welta’s are SPENDY. I just checked the auction site and people are selling “Parts Only” copies for $250 USD

 

[Wouter2]

Zeiss Super Ikonta 532/16 late model with T coating. Must be serviced. But what a camera.

 

[mothertrucker]

Mamiya 6 vs Iskra lens quality

Oof the welta’s are SPENDY. I just checked the auction site and people are selling “Parts Only” copies for $250 USD

I think if you wait around you will find one. I got one from National Camera in Minneapolis for 150 in pretty nice shape. Yeah 250 and up is probably more than I would be interested in spending on one.

Also, the Weltas are unit focusing, not front cell focusing. I am not sure if any were coated.

 

[KenR]

I have only good things to say about my Mamiya 6 after ten years or so of use. It’s not my everyday camera, but rather my go to travel camera. The lenses are super sharp and the only reliability issues that I previously heard about was with the film advance (which I try to baby as much as possible). Great camera IMHO.