amateriat
We're all light!
This is why I very quickly gave up on using the adjustable LCD on my Olympus C-8080 for a few "stealth" shots: if anything, I felt more conspicuous trying to sneak a shot of someone (allegedly) unawares. Now, I just go with the Winogrand School, whose principle is that it's easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Some people do get bent out of shape at your taking their picture (which, of course, is their right), but I usually point out to those (very) few who call me out, that (1) the moment they step out their front door, in the 21st Century, they are in play (for better or worse), and (2) if they don't believe this, they should take count of all the security cameras they encounter whenever entering an office building, transit station, taxi, or even the corner bodega. Taking their picture, entirely without their permission.I think it's perfectly possible - I just think using a digital camera would make people think you're "filming" them (i.e. shooting a movie) versus taking a photo
The only reason I say this is the prevalence of "movie mode" on digital cams and most people being aware of this mode (nowadays) - back in the film days you may have been looked upon as "weird" if you held a camera like that perhaps?
Enough soap-box stuff.
One feeling of "freedom" a TLR offers is not to have the feeling of squinting "through a lil' 'ole", to quote a well-known photographer (well, better-known than me, anyway). Unfortunately, this "freedom" comes at the expense of an uncorrected left-right image on the groundglass, requiring a bit of magical thinking on the part of the photographer (not a huge problem for those who shot with nothing but TLRs back in the day), but more of a problem for someone like me who cut his teeth on highfalutin SLRs and natty pocket 35s with all known techy creature-comforts.
For me, "freedom", such as it is, came from a relative simplification of my Main Axe setup: Going from a pair of heavy, obviously tech-laden AF SLRs, with a sextet of great but heavy and huge glass, to a pair of RFs and a trio of good but much smaller glass, all of which I could carry in one modest-sized bag, whenever and wherever I pleased, and with great ease. Things got even better recently when I got a used Contax Tvs, which I take almost every time I head out the door these days, and is a hell of a lot of fun, as well as being a cracking-great piece of compact gear.Between my Hexar system and this little camera, 95% of my picture-taking gets done, and it's never a drag. For me, that's where the interesting stuff gets started.
Flushing Avenue Elevated, Brooklyn, NY, October 2009. (Woodhull Hospital in background)
(Technical: Contax Tvs, Ilford XP-2 Super)
In the end you go with what inspires you, and ultimately doesn't get too much in the way. We sometimes worry that our equipment makes things "too easy", when what really hangs us up, IMO, is the plethora of options, leading to a kind of creative gridlock. For myself, I place the origins of this "problem" to the development of multi-mode AE options in 35mm cameras a few decades back. But that's just me.
- Barrett
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Al Kaplan
Veteran
My current Rollei T attracts a lot of attention but that doesn't stop me from taking pictures. I'm as likely to use the sports finder in the hood as to compose on the ground glass. I first used a TLR back in '62 or thereabouts, and always carried one as a back-up to my Hasselblad when shooting weddings.
Now it's just kind of a fun change of pace. I knew decades ago that you could do 95% of news, wedding, public relations, etc. photography with a a TLR, even some product shots and portraits. It's good to simplify life!
Now it's just kind of a fun change of pace. I knew decades ago that you could do 95% of news, wedding, public relations, etc. photography with a a TLR, even some product shots and portraits. It's good to simplify life!
Keith
The best camera is one that still works!
The one slight deterent for TLR's and the Hasselblad for that matter is my aging eyesight ... I find my self relying a lot on the magnifier when using the Hassy which sort of defeats the purpose of having a camera you don't have to bring up to your eye. 
Al Kaplan
Veteran
Try scale focusing! If you have one of those clamp-on focusing handles on your 'blad lens you can pretty much tell the distance setting by the position of the handle. Same thing with the focusing lever on a Minolta Autocord.
lshofstra
Established
Keith,
I don't get -understand- this aging eyesight bit. Due to age I use 2.0 (+) glasses to read. That means I can see both the waistlevel finder and the controls (also meaning values indicated) with my glasses on. With an 35 mm rangefinder I use the viewer without glasses but won't be able to make out the counter or whatever value indicated on the outside of the camera or lens. So in fact I find the TLR more comfortable to use, no need to put glasses on and off, I simply keep them on to look at the camera and look over the top of them at whatever scene I'm interested in.
By the way, separate issue adressed to the rest of you, reverse image has never been a problem for me. I think it's because I tend to look at the viewer as if it were a photograph, more or less unrelated from the reality in front of me. With a normal viewer that's harder to do. I guess people with digital screens should get the the same slightly disconnected feeling, but not having tried it that's just a guess. Anyone recognize this?
I don't get -understand- this aging eyesight bit. Due to age I use 2.0 (+) glasses to read. That means I can see both the waistlevel finder and the controls (also meaning values indicated) with my glasses on. With an 35 mm rangefinder I use the viewer without glasses but won't be able to make out the counter or whatever value indicated on the outside of the camera or lens. So in fact I find the TLR more comfortable to use, no need to put glasses on and off, I simply keep them on to look at the camera and look over the top of them at whatever scene I'm interested in.
By the way, separate issue adressed to the rest of you, reverse image has never been a problem for me. I think it's because I tend to look at the viewer as if it were a photograph, more or less unrelated from the reality in front of me. With a normal viewer that's harder to do. I guess people with digital screens should get the the same slightly disconnected feeling, but not having tried it that's just a guess. Anyone recognize this?
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ChrisN
Striving
After you've learned to cope with a large-format ground glass (with the image reversed and upside-down), the simply reversed image in the Hassy or TLR viewfinder is no problem!
Uncle Bill
Well-known
I started using my brother's Rolleiflex Automat back in August and found I have no interest in any other medium format camera. Aside from the reward of some really killer negatives (especially for printing), I like the fact I only have one lens and I have to make do with what I got loaded in back. I have been using the camera mostly for landscapes and some portraiture, I want to try the Rolleiflex for some street photography.
usagisakana
Established
As a result of this thread, and the thead about Vivian Maier (posted by pesphoto I believe), I am looking at acquiring a rolleiflex... damn GAS!
Uncle Bill
Well-known
andredossantos
Well-known
Never had a problem with the reversed image either. In fact, I didn't even realize my first WLF was reversed until a friend looked down and said "hey, everything is backwards!"
Previously the hasselblad was my go to camera but lately I'm reaching for the TLR more and more often. Great camera for street shooting IMO.
Previously the hasselblad was my go to camera but lately I'm reaching for the TLR more and more often. Great camera for street shooting IMO.
The good side of TLRs is that they're pretty compact for the negative size. The left-right reversal bothers me a lot. I must not have sufficient motivation to either put up with that or learn to like it. When I used a borrowed Rollei I suffered. With a Mamiyaflex C1 I liked the PorroPrism but the rig was clearly not made for comfortable use at eye level. Also I'm not fond of square formats. So from the 70's I've loved the big ergonomic Pentax 6x7. It's sure not stealthy, but folks seem to just ignore it.
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Al Kaplan
Veteran
You can stick a prism on many Rolleis and Mamiya even made a Porroflex for the Rollei.
Sjixxxy
Well-known
I still muck up the left/right reversal quite a bit. Attempting any sort of dutch angle really throws me off as well.
Nifty if you need to get a shot over a wall or row of heads.
Nifty if you need to get a shot over a wall or row of heads.