new rf645 from RW

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blackmelas

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Just received my RF645 with 65mm and 45mm lenses from Robert White two days ago and I'll develop the first film tonight. I wanted to thank everyone who contributes to this forum for excellent and thoughtful opinions.

All the positive reports of build quality and ergonomics that I've read here and elsewhere seem true for me. It fits into my hands well and feels sturdy without being too heavy. There were some reports of shutter lag accompanied by a whining sound but I discounted that by setting the speed to bulb and looking into the lens. The shutter responds immediately and quietly, and then is followed by the noise which seems to be the shutter 'recocking' itself. I didn't find the vertical viewfinder a problem but I'm not yet comfortable with the digital display to the left of the frame. Anyway I'm used to shooting sunny 16 with an Leica M2 so it remains to be seen how much I'll refer to the display.

The main negative point with the camera is that I've have decided to sell my Contax IIIa to fund its purchase. I'll list it here in a few days.
Again thanks and best regards,
James
 
nice purchase. I just bought one yesterday and will get it around the middle or end of next week. Looking forward to it as well.

Let us know how the short baselength seems to you, with your M2 experience being with a longer baselength.

Oh, and did your camera arrive with a vertically aligned RF? I am paranoid about that after issues with CV cameras that I bought from other retailers being consistently out of alignment.
 
I have a Fuji GS645, the folding version, with the "portrait viewfinder". At first it just seemed different, but after 2 rolls it is as natural as the "wide view" on 35 mm cameras. I shoot a lot of 6x6 so I kind of see things square and this view is a cropped square. Flipping the camera to the horizontal is not difficult at all. I think the RF will work as easily as this old folder.
 
My RF645 did have a verticle rangefinder alignment problem. But the Bronica service techs fixed it and switched the framelines to 100mm. It's absolutely perfect now.

This is a seriously wonderful camera. And I'm going to sell my Contax IIIa, too, to fund the purchase (completely restored by Henry Schere and with a new meter cell, too). I listed my 35mm post-war Biogon here, but no one wanted it for what I felt was a resonable price. So I may just put my IIIa gear up on eBay unless someone here is seriously interested.

Robert
 
AS couple of weeks ago I offered my RF 645 for sale over here, and reported I had sold it a few days later. Well I havent(sale dropped last minute), and Im so glad I didnt!!! A couple of days later I found a new 100 lense for it that I had been searching for a couple of months. I t is a fantastic camera. I recently bought an Epson 4990 and have started scanning the negs. myself. Incredibly better than the scanns I got from my lab (which were crap, really). I am so amazed with the quality of the images done with this beauty..the lenses are incredible. You wont regret its purchase for a second, specially considering the offer...I bought from Robert White myself(recently bought some more things from him, great service, great prices and lovely personal treat), but that was before this incredible rebate... :bang:

Hope you enjoy your new toy.

All the best, Erik.
 
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The rf came aligned perfectly. And while I find the framelines and center patch as bright or more so than the M2, the second image within the patch does not have the same contrast as the Leica, to my eye anyway. I have to work it a little more in low light. No issue with the short base but now I need to print some of the negs I developed. I'm scanning some at the moment but I want to see them in the enlarger first.

The portrait format feels natural to me. I mostly shoot environmental portraits and street scenes with my rf's so perhaps thats one reason for my comfort with it.
James
 
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