Pentacon Six - First Hand Impressions

[mcgrattan]

Eugen,

My Salyut came in a case with two backs, and 2 filters. I have a rubber hood, too, but I think I bought that later. Great camera -- I've never had any mechanical problems with mine. Shame the viewfinder isn't quite as bright as the more modern Mamiya and Bronicas that I've used.

 

[ruben]

The K60 and K6c were both sold as systems. They came in a big case (the one from the 6c is better worked, finer leather brown case while the one for the 60 is also strong worked but not such a fine leather and black) containing the camera body, standard lens, prism, WLF, rubber hood and 2 filters.
They were never sold as separate cameras.
I think the same is true for the K88 but don't know about the predecessors of it (Salyut, etc.)

Eugen

With all due respect I don't find the rational, or direct implication between the need for an overall bag or case for all the system components (and here we have so many slr precedents) and the absolute different need to have a specific case for the camera only.

In this respect the Soviets haven't been worse than anyone else. But taking into account that Pentacon, on the other hand, the Kiev precedent, has been innovative in offering a functional camera case for a medium format camera, Kiev 6c, and Kievs 60 deserve the criticism for this step backwards.

One day I will publicly settle the accounts about how improved Pentacon is the Kiev 60 version.

Cheers,
Ruben

 

[Muggins]

Just to backtrack slightly to imajypsee's query, I believe that the shop in question is called Fotoskoda and they are in Prague, off Wenceslas Square. I've never beern, but a friend bought me a camera there and I still have the carrier bag, so if you want details let me know!

Adrian

 

[Krosya]

To be fair here, I've noticed that overall Medium format SLR's, at least the four or so I've had some experience with (Kowa 6, Hasselblad, P6, and Kiev) are not as well made or as reliable as the best 35mm SLR's (that's right, I said Hasselblad). I'm not sure why, perhaps the market forces did not drive the high reliability engineering of mainstream 35mm SLR's, since medium format SLR's were targeted for more specialized and less competitive markets. Another reason may be that a medium format SLR is harder to make - more mirror inertia, film formats less adaptable to rapid and precise transport, shutter complexities and inertia, metering issues, and other complexities. The flexibily of the medium format SLR is its strong point, but if I'm going far from home I'd rather have a trusty TLR such as a Rolleiflex or one of several similar cameras (Autocord, Yashica Mat, etc.)

Oh, yes, I agree though that aesthetically the P6 is pretty. I expect to pick up some photos tomorrow taken with my recently acquired Flektogon in P6, so maybe that will change my mind.

Not sure I agree. I used several MF SLRs and still use some - some of the ones you name - Blad, Kiev 88, Kowa Six, as well as Mamiya 645, RB67, etc. I have NEVER had ANY problem with either one of them, other than some backs on Kiev were a bit light-leaky. Most of others were used for heavy wedding photography for a while, as well as some personal projects. NONE were purchased new. I think , while all cameras can have problems, if you know how to use one correctly, they will work just fine. Actually, the ones that I did have problems were Brand New Canons EOS - developed some lock-up issues within a week of purchase. So - I suppose you never know. But from my experience - MF SLRs - most of them at least have proven themselves over and over to be fine cameras as most serious photographers used them regularly and for many years with very few problems.

 

[TVphotog]

I just skipped the Kiev 60 and Pentagon 6 problems and went straight for a Pentax 645. Bought it at a garage sale for 75$ came with a standard lens and a portrait lens. Best investment to date🙂 It does chew through batteries if I don't remember to turn it off though.

 

[Doug]

I have no experience with Pentacon and its former-Soviet cousins, but I'd expect the overall workmanship, design and mechanical quality to be similar to 35mm gear from related facilities. That's true I think with Pentax for instance, where the 645 and 6x7 models are top professional quality equivalent to that of the Spotmatic, K2, MX, LX etc.

On the camera case issue, I've seen leather body cases for TLRs but cannot recall seeing any for MF SLRs, though I'd be a little surprised if there weren't one offered for Hasselblad. I've struggled to imagine a two-part carry case such as often fitted to 35mm SLRs scaled up for use with the Pentax 645 or 67. To my knowledge, Pentax has never offered such a case for medium format. The closest is the leather-covered hard box for the 6x7, approximately cubical in shape, sized small so as to hold only a body with prism and normal lens mounted, plus maybe a meter and a few rolls of film.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Just to backtrack slightly to imajypsee's query, I believe that the shop in question is called Fotoskoda and they are in Prague...Adrian

Dear Adrian,

Spot on.

http://www.fotoskoda.cz/m537-contacts

I've been there several times and have bought several cameras there. An Aladdin's Cave!

Cheers,

R.

 

[imajypsee]

Hi Adrian, and thanks for the help...

Hi Adrian, and thanks for the help...

I googled around looking for info on the P6 and found the shop website. Looks like photo heaven to me. Too bad I wasn't buying photo equipment last I was in Prague.

Just to backtrack slightly to imajypsee's query, I believe that the shop in question is called Fotoskoda and they are in Prague, off Wenceslas Square. I've never beern, but a friend bought me a camera there and I still have the carrier bag, so if you want details let me know!

Adrian

And, I got the P6 that I bought from David Murphy; it's GORGEOUS. I ran a roll through and will do another roll today. The size and weight is just about right. I don't want anything heavier than this camera. When I rarely take the RB67 out it always stays on the tripod; I can handhold the P6 with ease.

Mary in SW Florida, USA