The most flexible / buildable medium format system?

[dogbunny]

I've been playing around with 120 film for a while now with toy cameras. I love the giant negatives. I'm looking to buy a medium format camera sometime this year. Which system provides flexibility in terms of camera features, size, easy of use etc? Which system would offer the widest variety of lens choice? I really like 6x6, but I'm not opposed to trying something else. I have been eying the Mamiya 6. I do prefer rangefinder type cameras, but I would be willing to try an SLR-type if it ticked enough boxes. If these themes/questions have been covered in a previous thread, please don't hesitate to point me in that direction.

Cheers,

DB

 

[Vince Lupo]

For the price they are going for now, and for the quality they deliver, Hasselblad would be the best choice. Interchangeable backs, fantastic lenses, a wide variety of viewing accessories (prisms, chimneys etc), and not too heavy to carry around. Some of the lenses can get a bit pricey (like the 30mm), but if you are prudent in your lens choices, you can have a nice system for not a whole lot of money.

 

[Krosya]

Depends on a format you want - 645, 6x6, etc. Hassy is great but expensive. And they are not perfect either - I used to have it and sold after a while. If you go with Hassy - get the latest you can - less potential problems. But it'll cost you.
As an alternative, I'd look into Bronica - never had one, but heard many good things about.
Me - I went with KowaSix. In some ways similar to Hasselblad, yet much cheaper. Less availible accesories, but if you look - you'll find what you need.
Mamiya is not bad either if you dont have to have 6x6.

 

[J. Borger]

Agree with Vince here: Hasselblad!
Not cheap but the value for mony at the moment is second to none.
I love rangefinder cameras in 35mm but in medium format i tried a Mamiya 7 and a Makina 67 but did not like them: too many limitations.

 

[thegman]

For sheer flexibility, probably Hasselblad, or maybe something like Alpa, but that makes Hasselblad look bargain basement.

I like my Hasselblad, it's very good about stopping you making mistakes, like the back will not come off if the dark slide is not in, same for the shutter. The mirror slap is overstated I think, and anyway, get one with mirror lockup.

The downside is of course they are heavy and difficult to use handheld.

The Mamiya 7 is great, but less flexible, i.e. no true macro solution, the usual range finder issues. The wide lenses are pricey, but you end up with probably an unparalleled image quality/portability ratio.

If you see yourself shooting with a tripod, it's the 'blad, if you see yourself shooting handheld, I'd be thinking Mamiya.

 

[Spleenrippa]

Bronica ETRS(i). All the benefits of a modular system like the Hassy, but only a fraction of the price.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

dogbunny, what's your budget?

TLRs are a pretty painless way of getting real quality in 6x6.

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Hasselblad has the most flexibility and lens choices in med. format, the sky is the limit.

Todd

 

[Roger Hicks]

Linhof Technika 70.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Mablo]

Hassy if your budget is large enough. If not, take a hard look at Bronica ETRS- or SQ- systems. You can buy a complete system for the price of one Hassy body.

 

[DominikDUK]

Hasselblad expensive but probably the best choice in 6x6 land, cheaper and nearly as good the Bronica SQ series. My personal favourite is the Rolleiflex 6008 lots of extras but not as common as the Hassy. Best overall choice would be the Pentax 67 lots of acessories a lot cheaper than Hassies and larger Negative.

Dominik

 

[DominikDUK]

Nearly forgot the Pacemaker speed graphic with 6x6 or 6x7 rollfilm back and rangefinder, built in bellow for close up work, gigantic lens choice, a little heavy though.

Dominik

 

[Steve M.]

The only way I was able to definitively figure this out was by buying cameras I was interested in and trying them out. If you buy at a good price, you shouldn't take much of a hit when you resell the one(s) that don't work for you. Any money that was lost I put down to R&D. It was a fair price to pay, and what become very clear is that I don't like big, heavy cameras, and 6x6 format is best for me (but it's easy enough to crop 6x9 to that size). This, of course, eliminated all of the SLR's (big, heavy, usually loud), and I preferred the IQ of German glass to Japanese. So I shoot folders when I shoot medium format. The testing was a great idea, because unless someone comes out w/ a modern medium format camera that's made in Germany, I'm finished w/ that.

 

[dogbunny]

well...

well...

dogbunny, what's your budget?

I don't mind dropping 1k or even a bit more to get in the door, and then just add lenses and such as I go.

I have been looking at the various Hasselblads that are available, but the trouble is that I am not much of a gear head. You seem to be able to drop anything from 30 grand to 700 bucks on one. About what price range would I be expecting for "a solid user" with no real issues?

Am I correct that the Mamiya 6 is 6x6?

I've considered a TLR but there seems to be limitations as far as the different lenses go.

Thanks you everyone that chimed in so far.

DB

 

[Giant Ginkgo]

The Mamiya 6 is 6x6 format, and the three lenses available are all excellent. I have the 6 MF model, which does allow xpan style panoramas with a 35mm adapter, but I've never actually tried using it. The Mamiya 6 and 7 are great as long as you aren't shooting close up items or macro, the closest the 6 will focus is a meter.

I absolutely love the collapsing lens system on the Mamiya 6, it makes for such an amazingly portable camera... The entire system fits into a reasonably sized camera bag.

 

[Mrbessar4a]

The Hasselblad V system is nearly unrivaled as a system camera...however there are many good alternatives. bronica's sure...though tougher to find lenses... I'd either go Mamiya or Hassy. The 6 and 7 are system cameras but less versatile, so you have to define your needs. The 645 and RB/RZ systems are more commercially oriented choices. You can pretty much do anything you want with those. The two have limitations of course, size, or negative size, but they have a full range of lenses and accessories.

I sold my Hassy and I'm eyeing the Fuji GF670 haha. I want the opposite of a system camera to keep things simple.

Honestly just get a 500c/m though, it's the best all-rounder. And worth the premium.

 

[Calzone]

Check out my signature because I shoot 6x6, 6x7 and 6x9 and have a lot of flexability.

When I carry two MF cameras I often pair the Plaubel with my Rollie 3.5F; or pair the Rollei 3.5F with the Tele Rolleiflex; or a Mamiya 6 with the 50/4.0 with a Rollei 3.5F.

With the old Fuji's and only three lenses I have 6 different FOV's depending how I configure 6x9 or 6x7 formats/bodies.

BTW don't discount the Rollei's: their small size and portability makes them easy to carry. I have no need for a Hassy.

Cal

P.S. The Mamiya 6 is also highly portable and should be considered as an all day carry as well as a Rollei 3.5. The Rollei 2.8's and a Tele Rolleiflex are bulkier and fring on being heavy. The old Fuji's that have interchageable lenses are mucho heavy but have superb glass.

 

[shadowfox]

Hasselblad is an awesome system.
It is robust, high quality, and yes, classy.

The only think I don't like about it is 6x6 limitation.
If I'm going to lug that much metal, I want bigger pictures 🙂

Mamiya RB or RZ gets my vote as the most "growable" system for big negatives.

 

[kuzano]

Most camera, most accessories, most formats

Most camera, most accessories, most formats

In all my experience with MF, the largest range of lenses, backs, formats, and high quality glass go to the Mamiya Press Universal. A plus here is that it is a rangefinder, and a very accurate one at that. It's quiet because is is NOT an SLR (no big slappy mirror like MF SLRs) You can, however avoid the big slappy mirrors by going with an SLR with Leaf Shutter lenses (Bronica)

Accessories for the Mamiya Universal seem to abound in the market and on eBay, where I buy most of my gear. Available back formats are 6 square (which I dislike), 645, 6x7 and 6X9. Components are also available for Ground Glass/sheet film, and Polaroid. Sports finder accessory, Side grip, hoods.

Most camera techs can support them, and Tony Sansone in Florida still rebuilds them and has new parts available. I've purchased masks (new) for the early multiple format backs as recently as two years ago from Tony. I know some on this forum who have talked and bought from Tony within the last year or two, when I have referred to him.
He actually rebuilds the Press Universal and Super 23's and usually has one or two in inventory. I picked Tony out of ads in the old "rag paper" shutterbug about 30 years ago, where he was specializing in Mamiya Press and Polaroid 600SE cameras then.

It's a simple system and dates back a bit, so shooting it is like large format... having to remember to:

1) remove lens cap
2) cock shutter
3) set aperture
4) focus w/rangefinder
5) double check everything
6) shoot
5) advance film

Such shooting, like large format, slows you down to really think the shot through.

Downside, if size is an issue, big camera, lots of gear for a full range system. But, no other system offers the range of options.

Very quiet shutter... all leaf... synchro at any speed.

My second choice would be Bronica. Either an ETRSi because of the range of accessories available, more frames per roll, leaf shutter lenses (quiet), and very attractive pricing.

Also in Bronica, the GS-1 (6X7). Also leaf shutters. I avoid the SQ-a or b because I will NOT shoot square. Same reason to avoid Hasselblad, plus Hasselblad is considerably more expensive than equivalent MF alternatives.

 

[bwcolor]

I've been playing around with 120 film for a while now with toy cameras. I love the giant negatives. I'm looking to buy a medium format camera sometime this year. Which system provides flexibility in terms of camera features, size, easy of use etc? Which system would offer the widest variety of lens choice? I really like 6x6, but I'm not opposed to trying something else. I have been eying the Mamiya 6. I do prefer rangefinder type cameras, but I would be willing to try an SLR-type if it ticked enough boxes. If these themes/questions have been covered in a previous thread, please don't hesitate to point me in that direction.

Cheers,

DB

Perhaps, you are going about this all wrong and asking the wrong question. I would suggest that you ask yourself what you will be doing with the camera. Once you know this, you can ask for suggestions as to which camera helps achieve your objectives, else you end up with mush. I shoot mostly rangefinders in medium format because I hate dragging around big cameras, but when I need a close in portrait, an Etrsi and tele lens are dirt cheap, but I don't need it much...so the price is just right.