Mamiya 6 vs Iskra lens quality

[Moto-Uno]

 

[Moto-Uno]

^ And after a year of the occasional great photo , the frustration with an endless
litany of f**ups , I satisfied the inner beast with a few well placed hammer blows . The world was a better place 🙂 , honest ! Peter

 

[KoNickon]

I'm glad you feel better, but this should have come with a trigger warning! 🙂

 

[Larry Cloetta]

^ And after a year of the occasional great photo , the frustration with an endless
litany of f**ups , I satisfied the inner beast with a few well placed hammer blows . The world was a better place 🙂 , honest ! Peter

That’s funny, but I know now to keep you away from mine.

I had a Minolta Dimage scanner I did that to. It’s fabulous therapy, getting even with devices that obviously hate us. A burst of adrenaline fueled muscular activity, followed by a peaceful, easy feeling.

 

[Valdormar]

Mamiya-6 Automat vs ISKRA

Mamiya-6 Automat vs ISKRA

I have and use both. Mamiya-6 Automat and ISKRA.

Full transparency, I restored both cameras. Old folders will almost always need some work.
As for the lens quality, I will say an ISKRA with the Industar-58 "P" 75mm f3.5 is amazing.
The resolution of that lens is stunning. The Mamiya-6 (SIX) came with a few different lenses
depending on the model and year produced. I would give the IKRA top choice but you would
find a working Mamiya-6 (SIX) quicker than an ISKRA.


Mamiya-6 Automat - 1955
LENS: Olympus D.Zuiko F.C. 75mm f3.5
@f/4 - 50/sec

click to view 100%


ISKRA - ( 2nd version PM7640 1960-1963 )
LENS: Industar-58 "P" 3.5/75
@f/4 - 250/sec

click to view 100%

 

[Larry Cloetta]

^^^^^Those are beyond nice; hope the OP is still around.

 

[RObert Budding]

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.

I looked into Pearl cameras last year. Unfortunately, replacement bellows are a problem (there were none that I was able to find). I checked with Sandeha Lynch and received this reply:

I don't do 6x45 bellows, I'm afraid. My fabric is just a little too thick for the door to close properly and so the smallest I do is 6x6. You might be lucky though, as the Japanese bellows were usually well made. If you have seen photos of the camera and the bellows look to be free of dents and crease marks then they may be fine. The test is to fire a flash gun into the open back in a darkened room and you'll either see stars along the corner edges or if all is well then nothing at all.

Sorry I can't otherwise help.

Cheers

Sandeha

http://www.sandehalynch.com

 

[shorelineae]

I also bought my Iskra 1 from https://www.okvintagecamera.com/ and I am very happy with it!
No experience with the Mamiya 6, though...

 

[Radost]

I have perkeoII with voightlander randgefinder adapter, Perkeo E and a Certo Six. Also Franka solidaII.
Apart from the collector part of me wanting to own a PerkeoE it is not a better camera than PerkeoII. The perkeoE is bigger than the perkeo II and the lack of frame counter is annoying if you shoot 1 roll over multiple days.

The Certo six... Wow... What can i say??? It is a superb machine. The lens is astonishing. The build quality is unmatched. Coupled range finder with a clear patch. It moves the lens for parallax correction. film counter. lever film advance winder "even if it is a left hand one". Its a special special special camera. It feels so special shooting with it which is half the battle if you ask me.
But a lot bigger than the perkeoII.
For going out with a purpose certoSIX is my choice.
Casual carry around to the beach PerkeoII is always with me. Or a Franka Solida II with a decent ennagon 75mm F3.5 lens.

But if i could only have one camera??? PERKEOII with a rangefinder adapter. no question.

 

[Radost]

PerkeoII vs CertoSix

 

[Radost]

Franka solida II perkeoE perkeoII

 

[Radost]

PerkeoE vs Pekeo II

 

[DiafineDude]

I'm a little late to the party.
I've owned a Mamiya Six for at least 15 years and an Iskra for a decade or more. They have functioned flawlessly and both lenses are as good as on my Zeiss Ikotnas with Tessars (please don't burn me at the stake for heresy). I have more accessories for the Mamiya Six so it has been my travel camera of choice.
I have a Certo6 bought perhaps a dozen years ago, it just doesn't work for me and the lens is not as sharp as the Iskra and Mamiya Six.
I purchased a Konica Pearl III a couple of years ago, bellows basically disintegrated, it looked and felt like paper; have been unable to find a replacement bellows so it will be a drawer ornanment for the forseable future. The entire camera feels cheap to me when compared to the Mamiya 6 and Iskra.