roscoetuff
Well-known
After trying Rolleiflex SLX and 6008 and loving the output and flexibility of an SLR in medium format but not really liking the weight, bulk, etc. for everyday MF carry, I've tried 2 folders and a TLR. The folder works for portability that I can slip into my briefcase and carry to work, but it lacks a bit in sharpness - actually by design... and leaving it at "a bit" understates the softness. While it can be a feature for portraits, it's not a first choice to leave a photographer at the mercy of his landscape. So I went back and re-read some of the advice received before swinging for a folder and decided to take a plunge on a Bay II TLR. Don't ask me why... it just happened.
Received on Monday and since then I've shot a bunch of TMY-2 and despite what some would have you believe about 3.5E Xenotars, the negs now running through the scanner are some of the sharpest I can recall. The camera is absolutely no slouch... even if it's something my grandpa might have run before I was born I like what it's producing. So yeah... I get it now.
I love the way you can get low angle shots without having to lie down as you would for an SLR without a WLF by just bending low, and I've been totally impressed with Rollei's integrated accessories - especially the bayonet filters and quick release tripod mount. These things ain't cheap, but for the most part, they seem really well thought out and integrated into the design concept of the TLR.
There was a time I really wondered about the slow speed of some MF lenses, but without a rotating mirror, slow exposures come out very sharp anyway. And the shutter is absolutely one of the quietest I've ever shot. (Bronica SQ series has one of the loudest btw). And the whole package is lighter by half and smaller by good measure than a Bronica SQ, or the Rolleiflex SLX and 6008 series cameras... which are all amazing and problematically challenged at the same time in their own right.
But wow. I am absolutely won over with this crazy two-eyed monster. Now as they say, "I get it". Together with the upgrade to a new, tiny Sekonic 308 meter, what an improvement! Some of the best B&W I've managed so far in this "return to film" adventure over the last 14 months. Developed on a Jobo in Ilford ID-11 1:1, it's a real sweet combo. Highly recommended to anyone on the fence about these crazy cameras. The gear packs up small and you can have everything you need and the "system" is capable of producing in a fairly small bag. What it lacks in traditional SLR cool design and flexibility it makes up for in simplicity... and it's Art Decco lines have a "look" of their own that already has attracted more attention than I'd expected.
So at least for now, the Mamiya 6 RF envy is over, and I'm having a lot of fun just letting the camera lead me where it will. While there's really no cheap way into the Rollei empire, the denizens seem a happy group... even here amongst the (patrician) collectors who make the lives of us more plebian shooters relatively expensive. And yes, I will be sending this puppy out for a tune-up now that I'm convinced it'll be worth the fare.
Received on Monday and since then I've shot a bunch of TMY-2 and despite what some would have you believe about 3.5E Xenotars, the negs now running through the scanner are some of the sharpest I can recall. The camera is absolutely no slouch... even if it's something my grandpa might have run before I was born I like what it's producing. So yeah... I get it now.
I love the way you can get low angle shots without having to lie down as you would for an SLR without a WLF by just bending low, and I've been totally impressed with Rollei's integrated accessories - especially the bayonet filters and quick release tripod mount. These things ain't cheap, but for the most part, they seem really well thought out and integrated into the design concept of the TLR.
There was a time I really wondered about the slow speed of some MF lenses, but without a rotating mirror, slow exposures come out very sharp anyway. And the shutter is absolutely one of the quietest I've ever shot. (Bronica SQ series has one of the loudest btw). And the whole package is lighter by half and smaller by good measure than a Bronica SQ, or the Rolleiflex SLX and 6008 series cameras... which are all amazing and problematically challenged at the same time in their own right.
But wow. I am absolutely won over with this crazy two-eyed monster. Now as they say, "I get it". Together with the upgrade to a new, tiny Sekonic 308 meter, what an improvement! Some of the best B&W I've managed so far in this "return to film" adventure over the last 14 months. Developed on a Jobo in Ilford ID-11 1:1, it's a real sweet combo. Highly recommended to anyone on the fence about these crazy cameras. The gear packs up small and you can have everything you need and the "system" is capable of producing in a fairly small bag. What it lacks in traditional SLR cool design and flexibility it makes up for in simplicity... and it's Art Decco lines have a "look" of their own that already has attracted more attention than I'd expected.
So at least for now, the Mamiya 6 RF envy is over, and I'm having a lot of fun just letting the camera lead me where it will. While there's really no cheap way into the Rollei empire, the denizens seem a happy group... even here amongst the (patrician) collectors who make the lives of us more plebian shooters relatively expensive. And yes, I will be sending this puppy out for a tune-up now that I'm convinced it'll be worth the fare.
