Buying Seagull camera

[kiwitan]

Thinking of venturing into MF...where can i get new seagull camera. What model is value for money ...can i get one for less than $200?

Pls advise. Thanks.

[Dagger]

Kiwitan,
have you tried the camera workshop?

[kiwitan]

Not yet ... but am hoping to get a brand new one instead ... does MS color sell seagull camera ?

[Elizabeth Tan]

Brother Kiwi
Since no one is helpful you here ... i'm pointing you to offstone which is a more helpful place

http://www.offstone.com/photo/showth...hlight=seagull

[dreamseeker]

If you are interested in finding out more on TLRs check out the following site.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/asiaTLRphotography/

Quote: Originally posted by Elizabeth Tan Brother Kiwi Since no one is helpful you here ....... http://www.offstone.com/photo/showth...hlight=seagull

Hi Liza,

As time passes, more and more of society will know less about the Seagull TLR. So it seems that no one is helpful around. Can't blame the community because new toys are out in the market in overwhelming numbers and information seemed geared towards newer/popular technology.

Medium format, often portrayed as extinct, has become a very "old and scary" technology to many people --- meant only for those who make a living out of photography. Isn't the ancient design pistion engine found in cars an old and wasteful technology when electric motors and turbines are far more advance and efficient?

So far the asian forums discussing Seagull TLRs have been more helpful and accurate in their dispensing of information. Solution to problems are often shared and discussed openly. There is a more positive feel to it. Western ones tend to be very negative and moody. So full of complains, nothing constructive and informative.

You will find their discussion highly prejudiced and most of the reported damages are due mainly to mishandling and ignorance which they would conveniently and quietly sweep under their carpets. Poor performance is often highlighted and condemned. Solutions seldom and hardly offered.

Take for exmaple, Western forums will constantly complain that the Seagull TLR waist level finder shows a laterally inverted image. But somehow they will quietly omit that same complain when recommending their Hasselblad, Bronica, Mamiya RB/RZ MFSLRs to MF newbies.

Another common complain is parallax error. Somehow to them, Seagull TLRs are the only type of cameras that will have parallax problem but not their Leica, Mamiya, Bronica, Hasselblad rangefinders although all along the Seagull TLR has a built-in parallax compensating viewfinder.

A typical test done on the Seagull TLR is to deliberately take a picture against the sun. This will never find its way on their Hasselblad, Mamiyas and etc. If ever so, a lenshood will always be used cautiously with tender loving care but completely ignored on a Seagull TLR. Their usual response "there is plenty of flare in those Chinese made lenses".

Misuse and misinformation is often circulated not only among ill- informed users but erroneous "facts" are also loosely published by seemingly authoritative English language photographic magazines.

Liza, I appreciate your effort for showing that a constructive discussion existed. At least there's a group of people really more helpful than from the western part of the world.

Thanks once again.