World Travels

[samdj1210]

Hey People

I posted a thread about this in the Xpan camp and was wondering if anyone could help me on this.

I'm going traveling for a year or two and am not taking my DSLR due to weight etc.

I was just about to buy a Xpan today when................. I saw a RF645 in the shop. I played around with both camera and I just don't know which one to get now.

I enjoy taking landscapes and was wondering if anyone could tell/show me if the RF645 is cut out for landscapes. The guy in the shop seems to think the xpan is the way to go. But i think he may just want more of my money LOL. Do you think i'd get more use out of a MF camera over a 35mm on a world trip.

What do you lot think? I really want to take a good film camera away with me.

Help!
Cheers
S

 

[Dougg]

Both excellent cameras and both are orphaned systems with three lens choices and with no cross-compatibility with anything else. The Bronica is the main-stream choice, more "normal"... and you can crop to the same pano proportions as the XPan with a bit less film area in the pano... At the same proportions as the 24x65mm XPan, a Bronica RF pano crop would be about 21x56mm. The XPan of course has 24x36mm as an option for more conventional proportions, while the Bronica gives you 41x56. So each can do the other's function but with a resolution sacrifice.

For a one-camera choice for wandering the world, I'd take the Bronica. Landscapes? Sure, I don't do a lot of that genre, but I'll find a few shot with the Bronica to show below...

First a view of the Columbia River from the Cave B Winery just a couple miles off of I-90 near George, Washington.
Second, I think this is called the Devil's Slide, but in any case it's a few miles south of San Francisco CA.
Third is the scene from the dental chair in Yakima WA last January.

 

[ray_g]

I'm going traveling for a year or two and am not taking my DSLR due to weight etc.

Both excellent choices, as Doug said. How does the Bronica compare to your DSLR in terms of weight?

 

[Harry Lime]

Where are you going?

You can get 35mm film everywhere, but 120 is sometimes more difficult to find.


Also consider this:

- The Xpan is a lot more compact. The RF645 with the lens mounted is a little bulkier, due to its shape.

- The fastest lens for either camera is f4 making indoor shots a challenge.

Dare I suggest a nice Leica M6 with a 35mm lens? ;-)
The Leica is much smaller and has a faster lens.

 

[Dougg]

I guess I need to post a couple more pics... 😀

The Bronica with its 65mm lens and hood is not too far different in size from a Leica M2 with 35 Summicron and its hood, at least in width and depth. As to height, the Bronica is about an inch taller. The Bronica is surprisingly compact for offering some 2.7 times the film area of the Leica (2324 vs 864 sq mm), and by comparison the full XPan frame is 1560 sq mm.

 

[Harry Lime]

I agree that the RF645 is quite compact for a 645 system, but still in comparison to an M it is pretty bulky... if you take the hood and grip off of that M the difference is quite substantial and it will fit in your jacket pocket.

(I almost bought a Bronica RF but ended up with a Rolleiflex because of the faster lens (2.8 vs 4.0) and the Rollei was even more compact. I really like the fact that the native orientation of the RF645 finder is vertical (Portrait), because I shoot a lot like that.

 

[samdj1210]

Hi, thanks for your help

I forgot to mention i'm also taking a Bessa R with 35mm and 50mm plus a Small digi compact.

As for the trip, I’m starting in Russia then catching the train in to China. Then I’ll stop in Thailand, oz, NZ, Chile, Peru, Central and North America. I was wondering if it would be hard to find 120 film in some of the countries i'm going too.

 

[Erl]

Hard decisions! I am considering similar for my forthcoming trip to Morocco.

In your case, also consider the side effects of additional lenses and their relative bulk. Likewise for film stock. 645 lenses (how many will you take) are bulkier and heavier than 35mm lenses, on top of the appropriate camera bulk. Likewise, the filmstock for MF is much more bulkier for a give number of pics than 35mm. If you are using a lot of transport, that may not matter, but if you are hoofing it, a serious consideration.

In my case, I would dearly love to take my extensive Hasselblad outfit with me, but I will be on foot for a consideravble part of my journey, so it will be restricted(?) to 3 Leica M bodies + 6 lenses! Still too much, But I am prepared to do the work to carry them. I will be leaving my XPan at home (reluctantly) because its usefulness over the Leicas is only minimal.

Always the decision to cut the load V's the desire to maximise picture oportunities. I always err in favour of ther latter at the expense of my energy store! :bang:

 

[ChrisN]

G'day Erl - how's it going? Morocco? Wow - have fun!

 

[der.chris.tian]

1-2 years?? hardcore...
how will you afford that? working by travelling, or..?

anyway.. good luck and have fun.

 

[Harry Lime]

In my case, I would dearly love to take my extensive Hasselblad outfit with me, but I will be on foot for a consideravble part of my journey, so it will be restricted(?) to 3 Leica M bodies + 6 lenses! Still too much, But I am prepared to do the work to carry them. I will be leaving my XPan at home (reluctantly) because its usefulness over the Leicas is only minimal.

Three M bodies? That seem like quite a load. What six lenses?



My standard travel kit:

- Two M bodies M4/M7 (one as backup)
- 1.4/35, 1.4/50, collapsible 2/50 Summicron and sometimes a 90.
- VIOOH finder
- Sekonic 308s Meter
- VC meter II for the M4
- Spare batteries

I tend to leave the lens off of one M body to save space and mainly carry it as a back up. I mostly shoot Tri-X, so I don't need multiple bodies for different film stocks.

I can fit everything in a very small waist pack. When I'm wearing a jacket you can barely tell I'm carrying a camera.

Keeping things simple has it's advantages. Taking too much gear on a trip tends to distract me from the actual shooting. Almost any bag may attract attention, which you don't want to do in a place like Russia etc.

 

[Stephan]

Seeing as you're well equipped with the bessa as far as 35mm is concerned, in you place I would go with the bronica (or dare I suggest a mamiya 6 ?). I say this because I know there would be times ehwn I would be longing for a little extra quality, you'll be going to places and seing things you won't get to see very often. Have fun choosing 🙂

 

[jonasv]

I'd take the XPan. The Bronica may be better quality than the Bessa, it's not all that different, and the Xpan would be nice for a change. Plus, the Xpan is smaller, but more importantly, you don't need to worry about finding 120 film and you don't have to bother carrying two kinds of film, saving a lot of weight. At any rate, enjoy the trip...

 

[Dougg]

Given the Bessa R, I too would question carrying two systems. I like Harry Lime's kind of pack, very practical... The Bronica would be a good traveler, but then I'd leave the Bessa at home. Or vice versa. One size of film to carry and shop for.

 

[samdj1210]

1-2 years?? hardcore...
how will you afford that? working by travelling, or..?

anyway.. good luck and have fun.

I'm gonna try and not work for the 2 years away. I've been saving like mad for the last two years so I can chillout and see the world and then come back to the UK a travelling Hippie......... peace man! :-D LOL

 

[samdj1210]

Given the Bessa R, I too would question carrying two systems. I like Harry Lime's kind of pack, very practical... The Bronica would be a good traveler, but then I'd leave the Bessa at home. Or vice versa. One size of film to carry and shop for.

Maybe your right, maybe three systems is to much. I'm thinking the Bronica and a small digi cam. I'll let you know what i get when i go down to the camera store later today.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Hi, thanks for your help

I forgot to mention i'm also taking a Bessa R with 35mm and 50mm plus a Small digi compact.

As for the trip, I’m starting in Russia then catching the train in to China. Then I’ll stop in Thailand, oz, NZ, Chile, Peru, Central and North America. I was wondering if it would be hard to find 120 film in some of the countries i'm going too.

That sounds like a great trip 🙂

120 film is already difficult to get in many countries, so I'd pack it before you leave. Maybe just the MF and the Bessa R with one lens? It might be a lot to pack for such a long trip (unless you have a sherpa) 😛

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

You can buy 35mm film anywhere and have it developed anywhere, although printing from the XPAN panoramic format may be difficult.

Take any good quality 35mm rangefinder.