Which medium format for me ?

fredus

fredus

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Hi there,

I've used a Yashica Mat 124 for the past 2 months and I'm really delighted with it. It's not so much about the nice negatives I'm getting (don't get me wrong, I love them !) but it's also about the slower process than 35mm and the view I get in the viewfinder ! I can walk during hours just looking in the finder ! 🙂

I'd like to upgrade to something a bit better and get maybe a feel at these great brands known as Mamiya and Hasselbad ... I've 2 choices in my mind right now: Mamiya M645 super or Hasselbad 500cm ... I will get a standard lens at first since this is my favorite field of view ... Are these camera reasonable choice for someone fairly new in medium format ? Are there any other choices I should consider ? What I'm looking for is a well build camera and definitely a 3D like finder (which is what I get from my Yashica ...)

Thanks for your help !

Fred
 
the hasselblad will be similar to the Yashica in that you can still use the WLF, or get a prism finder. Both the Hassy and Mamiya will suit you well, the Hassy may be a bit less expensive though.

Todd
 
try a folder there are some great ones and yeah they fixed lenes but the quality is really great some also have coupled rangefinders look up jurgen kreckel and peruse his site it could change your mind
R,
 
Most modern MF SLRs are of very good quality. Do you like the 6x6 format of your YashicaMat? If so then a 500cm is a great choice as already stated.

The Bronica SQAi/SQB and older cameras are also very good, the lenses are quite good. If you want to go a bit older a Kowa kit would do.

For a lesser price, one of the remanufactured FSU kits may be an option.
 
If you're planning to stick to one or two lenses get a Hasselblad. A 500cm right now with a 12-exposure back and an outstanding normal lens is very affordable, as is most MF equipment right now. With Hassy equipment though, it's the third or fourth lens that is going to be where it starts to get pricy.

Mamiya RB67 equipment is another excellent and very affordable system right now, but the camera is more of a handful than a Hassy, which is quite handholdable.

If you like having a very extensive system with a wide choice of lenses and backs but can't afford to do that with Hasselblad, consider the Bronica SQ-series or even the old S2a. I've got a pretty extensive S2a system with two bodies, a wide range of lenses from 40mm to 500mm, 5 backs, Polaroid, tilt-shift bellows, grips, prisms, etc, that all told probably cost around $3K including CLAs and some custom lens adaptations. Right now you could probably do it for even less.

I'm not a big fan of 645 SLRs unless one wants to have only one camera system and can't commit to either 35mm or MF. It's definitely an improvement over 35mm, but for the additional bulk of the system, I'd rather have a 6x6 or larger. I do like to print square, though, and even if you crop to 645, with 6x6 you get to choose where you crop from, so it's a bit like having the rise and shift movements on a view camera.
 
I agree with rover, Bronica is a very good buy now. I've had a SQ-A for over 15 years and never had a problem. My only regret is what I paid and what it's worth now--as with all medium format, prices have dropped dramatically.
 
mmm good point David ... For the Bulk, I might as well go the largest possible and I really like the look of 6x6 .. Didn't think too much of an folder. I'm browsing the recommended website and find it fascinating .. I might pick up a cheap one for the heck of it ...

I'll look into the bronica system ... I really don't want an extensivwe system ... A standard lens and a portrait lens will be enough for me.

Thanks for all these idea folks !

Fred
 
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I own both the Mamiya 645 and a C-3 and a Rolleicord as well. Hands down my favorite is the 645. I put together a three lens system with an M body for about $400.00. For me the camera is more intuitive and ergonomic in its use than the C-3. The Rolleicord is,like the Yashicas (which I have also owned) a joy to use but is limited to the single focal length.

I like the 645 so much I am seriously contemplating selling off my Mamiya TLR gear. I have two lenses (105mm and a 180mm) and both waist level and eye level finders. If someone simply must have a Mamiya TLR then give me a ping.
 
I love you guys ... You're expanding my choices ten folds ... Looking into the bronica system .. They look really nice and cheap !!!

So Hasselbad 500cm (or 501 ... Need to find out about the difference)
Bronica SQxx .. Need to find out about the variant ...
Mamiya 6 is a different animal but it looks nice as well and since I'm a Leica M fan, it might suits me well !

Fred
 
Can you use these SLR without a tripod .. Looks like the mirror really flaps ... I guess it would be easier with a rangefinder such as the mamiya 6 ... mmm ... How about noise ?? I guess pretty noisy for me who is used to the Leica M ...
 
No problems handheld with a 6x6. I try to keep my Hassy at 1/125 or more with the 80 and have had no issues.

Doug made comments a few weeks ago about using the Mamiya, RZ67 I believe. He also shoots hand held.
 
I have trouble really seeing the size of the Bronica SQ-A ... Does someone have a picture of a standard system (body, back, grip and maybe prism finder) taken next to a SLR or a Leica or a film canister ... So I can realize the bulk of the system ?? It seems huge on this picture for example ...

B-SQAs.jpg
 
Hasselbald 500cm is a great choice too. Make sure you get a "CF" lens, not a "C". They don't make the parts for the "C" series lenses anymore, so any servicing may become difficult/expensive in the future.

The shutter self distructed in my 150 sonnar C T* back in November. I was in Atlanta and dropped it at KEH repairs for an estimate. I dropped it on Friday and had an estimate on Monday to replace all the blades (parts from Hasselblad) and the cost was $185 for a total cla and new parts. The lens was back in the studio the next week. I also had my 500CM cla at Koh Camera and the cost was very reasonable. If I remember correctly it was around $145. I think there are plenty of parts available for the older C and C T* lenses. They're a great deal and I plan to buy a clean 120 and 60. I traded a total sustem with C lenses from 40 up back when the CF lenses came out and bought a 2000FCM. Bad mistake. Every piece went back to the shop within a year. I've had almost no repairs out of my 20+ year old 500CM and C lenses. From time to time light seals in the backs have to be replkaced but you can buy the seals on ebay for around five bucks and replace them in about five minutes each.

I've owned three MF systems over the fourty plus years of commercial photography. My all time favorite was my Rollei SL66's. I used three for twenty five years and had almost no problems until the last few years. I had run over a nundred thousand rolls through them without any real problems. In the end they were just worn out. Repairs became difficult and I deceided to sell them. I purchased a friends SWC and 500CM system and like it but not like the Rollei. It's small and well built but strange feeling since I used Rollei so many years. I preciously had Hasselblads prior to the Rollei and during a period that I worked for an Ad agency. I also had Pentax 6x7. These are fantastic and extremely high quality bodies and lenses. They're very cheap now and a super value. Take a look at them.

Don't overlook the non T* lenses. I've had both and the only difference is if there is a light source in the shot that might flare and then it's not much of a problem.

I would suggest if you're on a budget a 500C with a non T* 80mm and old style A12 back. Even the old 12 back is good but a little slower to load. You should be able to pick up a nice one for around $500-600.
 
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I tried a friend's SQ-A with exactly that setup shown--the prism and rapid wind grip--and found it to be more like handling a 35mm SLR than any other medium format camera I've tried, including the Pentax P67. It's very light and intuitive.
 
Don't write off Pentax. KEH has some great deals on Pentax 645 manual focus gear right now. I got one for peanuts with a 75mm lens and it looks like it rolled off the assembly line yesterday.
 
As an owner of a Bronica SQB, I can do nothing but put in another vote for them. I've had mine since 1999 and although the handle bar on the advance leaver fell off once, it never failed in operation. On top of that, I'm extremely pleased with the performance of the 80mm/2.8.

Nice thing about the Bronica ETRS/SQ/GS lines is that all lenses are leaf-shutter lenses, which means that you can sync flash at all shutter speeds, upto 1/500.

I've attached a couple of pics, all taken with the 80/2.8..
 
If you have the right accessories, the 6x6 and 645 SLRs are very handholdable. I didn't bother picking them up for my S2A. Mirror slap will mean you probably won't be able to handhold nearly as low as you're used to, but the 645s are pretty good about it all told and tend to have well damped mirrors.

That said, once you get them on tripods they tend to be a total dream to work with. This is especially true with the 6x6s (no flopping the thing on its side) or the RB/RZ67 (rotating back; big and heavy tho). I have a lot of medium format cameras, and for my money if I'm going to bring the tripod, I'm only bringing my Bronica. My preposterously large Fujis are really nice for handheld shots, but MF SLRs are almost always designed for tripod use and are really really convenient there.
 
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