As far as 620 goes it looks like the Medalist should be able to used clipped 120 rolls on the supply side with very minor changes. I think removing some of the metal tab on the bottom of the feed chamber would do it. From there you would just use nail clippers on the 120 rolls to trim them down. You would still need 620 reels for the take up side though.
I shoot my Kodak Monitor with clipped 120 rolls and 620 take up reels. Works fine and lets me use the film in whatever camera I want without having to worry about it ahead of time.
Shawn
I am leery about taking a dremel or files to my Medalist, but this may be worthwhile. Carrying nail clippers is way more convenient than carrying film loads for different cameras.
While this is often the case, it doesn't have to be. By it's nature, a folder is more likely to suffer misalignment issues than other types of cameras, and in many instances light leaks as well. Some designs are more robust than others.
I have two 6x9 folders - a very heavily used pre-war Super Ikonta C and an almost new post-war Bessa II - and both required some adjustment in addition to the usual CLA when I got them. Of the two, it was actually the Bessa needed more tweaking to get it right. Both are now reliable cameras capable of producing high-quality photos.
There's nothing wrong with giving it a shot. Just manage your expectations and accept the particular importance of the condition of the camera to the results.
I can see where they would be, there is an awful lot going on in a folder. I do want to try the Folder thing, but I am becoming increasingly convinced that it won't replace the Medalist.
^ +1 .
And, you don't have to plan for battery availability/charge 🙂 .
I spend
so much time and energy worrying about charging batteries.
If you don't mind some tinkering and adjusting a moskva 5 is not bad (I have to go through 3 sample to get 1 that the lens and rangefinder assembly is not screwing around by a previous owner, yes they all are advertised as "minty/like new/perfect"), after shimming the shutter assembly + light seal around the red window (yes, around the red window, this sucker leak real bad), the final result in the image it capture is pretty nice.
In the department of ergonomic it actually pretty pain to hold a moskva 5, I give it 0 point for ergonomic.
my 6x9 journey at the end I kept two camera:
1) Agfa Billy Record II (super light, aluminium construct I think)
2) Moskva 5 (I want that rangefinder coupling, pretty heavy all in all)
Image quality wise, I can't tell which one produce better (shaper/contrast/etc), both are equally fine by my eyes, maybe the 6x9 negative size does gives a lot of room compare with tiny 35mm size.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
A Medalist belongs on a tripod, it simply was not designed to be a hand held camera.
620: tho only real solution is to have the camera modified to take 120. You can buy respooled or modified 120 spools of film for a price. Somewhere around 100 rolls pay for modifying the camera. Respooling yourself as you have found out is only something for someone who only wants to run a few rolls through their old camera.
Imagewise the Metalist is pretty close to being unique. Any folder that comes even close is going to be pretty bulky itself. Coat pocket sized rather than pants pocket. The press/technical cameras with the "right" lens can come very close, but they are bulky although more ergonomic. The most sensible to me would be a Pacemaker Crown Graphic 23.
My all time favorite 120 camera was the Mamiya Universal Press with the 100mm f2.8 lens, but I kind of doubt the image was quite as nice as the Medalist's. It would make you think a Medalist is kind of compact however.
I feel so
weird putting a rangefinder on a tripod. But I agree, except for outings where I specifically want to shoot the ol' thing, the 620 loading really slows one down. For actual use as part of a system or "toolkit" it kinda sucks.
A coat pocket rather than pants pocket camera would be fine with me. I just like the idea of Pocket Medium Format. I've held and used a Super Graphic 4x5 and a Century Graphic 2x3, and while it's enjoyable I actually prefer the Medalist both for size and weight, and for the user experience. The viewfinders on Graphics aren't terrific, and having such a distance between the RF and VF is troublesome.
I think if you've got a budget, a newer Plaubel Makina 67 or 670 would fit your requirements, except the 6x9 part. But everybody who has one (I don't) seems to rave about the picture qualities.
If you have less budget and enjoy hunting and tweaking, an older Plaubel Makina III is sort of pocketable, has interchangeable lenses, and does 6x9. Many have complained about the Anticomar lens, but having shot 2 different versions of both the 100mm f/2.9 and the WA 73mm Orthar (and one 190mm Tele-Makinar) I have to say my experience has been much better than the nattering. Ergonomics of the MakIII are... interesting, but then so are the Medalist's. Tip: hold the MakIII in your right hand, with your index finger poised on the shutter button and your thumb and knuckle on the aluminum grip. If yours doesn't have that grip, run away. You should be able to get a complete MakIII outfit with backs and lenses for about the cost of a 67/670.
For a dirt cheap but fiddly option, someone else in the thread talked about his Kodak Monitor 620. No rangefinder, but that Anastigmat Special lens is almost as good as the Medalist Ektar. The bellows are a problem but can be fixed with thin mylar tape or other means, and accessory rangefinders are cheap.
The later Makina is a lovely looking camera, but it fails on every single criteria I set out in the original post. It is too expensive, too big, and not a 6x9. Other than that, it's very appealing, but I would sooner buy one of the 6x9 Fujis.
The older Makina outfit sounds interesting, and I have pondered it. I have to admit I've been put off by the nattering of others about its IQ, but it remains a possibility.
As far as your suggestion to get a 620 folder, I do have one. I have a pristine Kodak Tourist, that I never shoot because it takes 620 and isn't even as good as the Medalist is. I might end up scratching the folder itch with a scale focus camera, but I really want an RF. I would rather go down-format than give up either the RF or the 120 spools.
Separate and new question for all: What should I buy, regardless of format, to get the Medium-format-RF-in-a-pocket experience?
