Medium Format - Which Camera?

[thetooth]

i would think the mamiya 6x6 tlr cameras would be practical . pretty light and there are interchangeable lenses available .

good luck

 

[35mmdelux]

The Mamiya 6 is the camera I now shoot with in combo with my Leica. The My6 is very light and fits into one side of my beater Billingham Classic and the Leica on the other side. Eventually Id like to get a 50mm for my My6 as I hear its a great lens.

 

[Steve Karr]

Hassy ... Nothing like it ...

 

[ErnestoJL]

If you like a cheap but good camera, look for a Seagull 203 (with a fixed lens of course).
If you need interchangeable lenses plus the Hasselblad size and look, then go for the Kiev-USA 88.
Otherwise, the old Fuji 690 would be a nice choice as well as the Mamiya 7.
Cheers
Ernesto

 

[larmarv916]

Ok..if you want interchangeable lenses then you are really talking 3 brands, Zeiss (Hassy & SL66) Pentax67 and Nikkor Lenses...Bronica S2a. I have worked with all 3 and passed on the Mamiya brand. The Nikon Bronica lenses on a Bronica S2A is a great combo and the lenses are really sharp..and have totally differrent "thumbprint" to the Zeiss. Not as one is superior over the other but rather a different "Brush". Very sharp and the cost is about 1/3 to the HAssy or Rollei SL66 lenses. The bronica is a all mechinical camera, focal shutter like the RolleiSL66 so no lazy leaf shutters. The look and feel is just like the Nikon RF lenses only on a 6x6 film. the back are 120/220 convert. Just flip a switch on the side. Mag hoods, prisms, and a very wide selection of lenses . Also the Komura lenses alos Bronica brand are extremly under rated. The 45 Komura is much better than the 50mm Nikon lens!! The Nikon 75mm normal is to my taste a much better artistic normal than Zeiss 80. i have shot with both and each has a special niche. But for you starting out this is the most bang for the "quality" buck. Just treat it with reasonable care and you will be happy for many years. All the Best...Laurance

 

[Ed S.]

There’s a lot to be said for the Kiev 60 (I have a 6x6 and a 6x4.5 Kiev-6C; almost identical, but also takes 220 film). These cameras are inexpensive but reasonably robust, and they take P6-mount lenses. I’m almost ready to get a K-88CM.

There's a lot of good CZ Jena glass out there, and the Arsat 30mm, 80mm, 120mm. 250/5.6 and 55mm Shift lenses (all 5, new/essentially new, for roughly $1100+S&H on eB) are quite good. A good CLA’ed K-60 with prism should cost perhaps $200, delivered. But for an additional $200 ($1500 total), I can, instead, get a heavily-used H-500 with 80mm lens (plus hood, etc.). Disclosure: I don't make money at photography; it is one of my hobbies.

There are also adapter rings that adapt K-88/Salyut-style lenses (old Hass-style) to P6 mount. Get the pack of 5, AND IMMEDIATELY SWAP the included locking rings on to all of your P6-mount camera bodies (the original one is slightly too small). This gives access to earlier glass and not P6 mount versions.

If you decide later that the Kievs are not the solution you like, the P6 lenses are still useable on many digital SLRs and 35mm film cameras. Just buy a P6-to-X Tilt Adapter or P6-to-X Shift Adapter (I have both, for my Pentax, roughly $200 total). Pictures of my Pentax with 55mm Shift + Tilt adapter may be seen on The Kiev Report.

There’s a lot to be said for view camera functionality in a 35mm form-factor, with multiple lenses, and not having hat to spend $1500 per lens to get it.

 

[samoksner]

The Bronica system seems to fit your needs well. It's very similar to the Hasselblad, without the price tag. The Pentax 6*7 and Mamiya 645 don't have interchangeable backs. Neither do the Mamiya 6 or 7 (7II). Interchangeable backs are important to me, as I do street work and like to have my pick of ISO 100 - 1600 film, it might matter less to you.

If it is important, you'll need to be looking at the Rollei system (although excellent quality, far from user freindly and VERY battery dependent), the hasselblad system: very nice in all ways, used bodies are cheap, lens' and accessories get expensive quickly. The Bronica system is a copy of the hasselblad but it doesn't try to be a hasselblad, in the same way that a zeiss ikon ZMis a copy of a Leica but doesn't try to be one. The lens' are very good, most of the people saying that they noticed that their 'blad lens are far superior are just stroking themselves, the glass is a bit better in some cases, but indistinguishable in 99% of real situations.

I picked one up recently dirt cheap and love it for street work, no one knows what I'm holding and I often get very nice images with the camera, I've never been able to blame the camera for any of my crappy shots, very capable camera that is often overlooked.

 

[wakarimasen]

Hello folks,
Today I went to a camera fair and ignored all of the specifications that I laid out previously. I ended up coming away with a Fuji GS 645S Professional - the one with the 60mm lens and 'roll bar' plus an Olympus 35RC. They both seem to be in good condition and I got them for what seems to be a good price.
In the end I thought I'd try the Fuji out and if I don't like it, then I'll try something else.....

Thanks for all of the advice - maybe I'll end up with a Hasselblad one day....
Best regards,
RoyM

 

[noah b]

I prefer the mamiya 7 personally for the negatives and aspect ratio. I've worked in 6x6 before and enjoy that quite well, I used to own a mamiya c330 but it was too heavy to enjoy. Looking for a rollei now.

 

[Doug]

I expect you'll have fun with your "new" Fuji GS645S... I've had one for some years, and it has some strong attributes and some weaknesses too. Be careful to avoid impacts, as the lens mount and other innards are plastic. The shutter release mechanism makes a loud clack noise in actuating the quiet leaf shutter. The lens is excellent, the camera is surprisingly light and compact, very easy to carry. Within its sphere of strengths, it's a very fine camera. Enjoy!

 

[Spoks]

Why has this very relavant discussion been moved to 'Off Topic'`? Is Medium Format 'Anti American'?