MF newbie

[LM6er]

HI ALL

newbie to the MF, looking for a good used MF camera basic set up. interested in

Mamiya 645AFD, 7II
Pentax 645, 67
Pentacon 6
Hassy

any pointers would be appreciated

[0bli0]

you might also look at the bronica ETR series (645). pentacons can be a bit figity and are amusingly complex at first. you can also look at the kiev...

[Rangefinder_fan]

What do you want to shoot? Travel, street, macro, live action(haha)..
Different strokes for different folks..
How long do you want this set to last? As in, low entry price, then 'upgrade' to something if it turns out you like it?
What are the main factors for you:
- Weight / size of rig
- availability / cost of lenses
- ease of use

Originally Posted by LM6er HI ALL newbie to the MF, looking for a good used MF camera basic set up. interested in Mamiya 645AFD, 7II Pentax 645, 67 Pentacon 6 Hassy any pointers would be appreciated

[ismangun]

Hi, also a newbie here. Sorry to "hijack" your thread.

Quote: you might also look at the bronica ETR series (645). pentacons can be a bit figity and are amusingly complex at first. you can also look at the kiev...

Anybody here have comments about Kiev-60 or its post-production tune-ups Arax? I heard about this camera's reliability issues, but never heard anything about its modified Arax siblings.

Thinking of getting a 6x6 or 645 compact SLR. Please help with suggestions.

Again, my apology to thread starter.

Cheers,

[Rangefinder_fan]

Both the Kiev and the Arax are heavy. Everyone says that they are scaled up 35mm SLR cameras, but for me(I've the Kiev), the key issue is weight. Built like a tank and weighs only slightly less, so its a bit of a bitch to hand-hold for long. My Kiev had frame spacing issues, which in theory is easy to solve, but in practice is a chore to sort out as you would probably need a couple of tries to sort it.
Box-style SLRs like the ETRSi or Hassy are easier to hand hold, as most of the weight is cradled in your palm. But add on a prism and I’m not so sure about the weight difference though.

Again, it depends on what you want to use the camera for. I handhold everything, but your subjects may not require that.

[sf_kang]

Before you spend your hard earned $$$ on MF stuff, ask yourself a few questions first.
1) Is this just a 'curiosity', and you just want to 'experiment' to find out what MF is about? What is your main reason for wanting to try MF?
2) Picture quality is generally better with MF due to the much larger film size. However, MF lenses and equipment tend to be more bulky, more costly, and generally don't have many of the 'convenience' of 35mm systems. MF shooting is more comtemplative, i.e. you won't be firing away like 35mm but plan your shots more carefully.

I have been shooting w Hasselblads since many years. I own a 503CXi with a 80mm and 180mm lens (80mm is the standard lens for 6X6 format). I use the 180 for portraits.
I also own a 903SWC with a fixed 38mm Biogon lens for the wide angle shots. I chose the 'square' 6X6 format as I don't have bother with camera orientation. Shoot 'square' offers another very special way of composing your shots.

Nowadays, there are lots of used and good condition Hassy bodies (like the 500CM or 500CW), and lenses. You might wish to check them out.

Fred

[LM6er]

Originally Posted by Rangefinder_fan What do you want to shoot? Travel, street, macro, live action(haha).. Different strokes for different folks.. How long do you want this set to last? As in, low entry price, then 'upgrade' to something if it turns out you like it? What are the main factors for you: - Weight / size of rig - availability / cost of lenses - ease of use

thanks... i have more or less settled to trying out the pentacons. i love the way the shots turn out from these cameras. i guess i'm drawn to the picture quality of MF. also, moneywise its a cheap entry strategy, just in case i cant handle the weight/size issue.
i will update this thread once i get my hands on one of these beauties
happy shooting

[PrimePhotog]

Good choice... I love my P6 double chrome

[LM6er]

Originally Posted by PrimePhotog Good choice... I love my P6 double chrome

would love to see the pics from THAT !

cheers

[LM6er]

Originally Posted by sf_kang Before you spend your hard earned $$$ on MF stuff, ask yourself a few questions first. 1) Is this just a 'curiosity', and you just want to 'experiment' to find out what MF is about? What is your main reason for wanting to try MF? 2) Picture quality is generally better with MF due to the much larger film size. However, MF lenses and equipment tend to be more bulky, more costly, and generally don't have many of the 'convenience' of 35mm systems. MF shooting is more comtemplative, i.e. you won't be firing away like 35mm but plan your shots more carefully. I have been shooting w Hasselblads since many years. I own a 503CXi with a 80mm and 180mm lens (80mm is the standard lens for 6X6 format). I use the 180 for portraits. I also own a 903SWC with a fixed 38mm Biogon lens for the wide angle shots. I chose the 'square' 6X6 format as I don't have bother with camera orientation. Shoot 'square' offers another very special way of composing your shots. Nowadays, there are lots of used and good condition Hassy bodies (like the 500CM or 500CW), and lenses. You might wish to check them out. Fred

i've always admired the hassys... the only thing i couldnt handle was the high prices even now. not to even think about the digital backs !
another down side for me was having to focus, measure exp and set aperture/shutter when shooting with the 500C/M. for the kind of photography i'm doing, its way too slow.
perfect for landscapes and studio i guess.

[neoro]

Originally Posted by LM6er i've always admired the hassys... the only thing i couldnt handle was the high prices even now. not to even think about the digital backs ! another down side for me was having to focus, measure exp and set aperture/shutter when shooting with the 500C/M. for the kind of photography i'm doing, its way too slow. perfect for landscapes and studio i guess.

A basic set with 80mm lens for a hassy will set you back about 1.5 K (Mag + body + lens), slightly less or the same price as the D300

Having to focus isn't much of an issue, if you practise scale focusing and confirm the micro details with the magnifier. If you're shooting street, you will normally only need 1 or 2 light readings. Take the brightest and Mids and Lowest, and adjust 1 or 2 stops accoridnly when you shoot, I'm sure you'll be able to tell if the light changed. Negs has a pretty wide Dynamic Range, so you'll be able to recover it still.

[pipo999]

Pointers? Yes, there are many more MF camera's then you suggest unless you are looking for a certain format. From the ones you mention I don't see any 'square TLR's.

Likely the most well known brands:

Mamiya (multiple formats/camera's TLR/SLR/Rangefinder)
Hasselblad
Rolleiflex (multiple formats/camera's TLR/SLR)
Minolta (typical TLR 6X6)
Yashica (typical TLR 6X6)
Koni-Omegaflex
Fuji (Rangefinder)

A bit 'less' in terms of quality:

Seagull (TLR)
Holga (Rangefinder)

Perhaps a few more brands.
Hassy owners might fill in the blanks, I'm not too familar with that one.

[nightwolf75]

Originally Posted by LM6er i've always admired the hassys... the only thing i couldnt handle was the high prices even now. not to even think about the digital backs ! another down side for me was having to focus, measure exp and set aperture/shutter when shooting with the 500C/M. for the kind of photography i'm doing, its way too slow. perfect for landscapes and studio i guess.

wat are you shooting? if all the manual stuff is too slow, mebbe MF cameras are not really for u. AFAIK, even those auto-everything MF cameras (which cost a kidney or 2...) ain't fast enuf like how we are used to in DSLRs/SLRs.

the whole point of MF photography is to slow down. if you are looking for entry level stuff, seagulls (and other china-made TLRs) or lubitels & kievs (russian made) would be fine without blowing a hole in ur wallet.

[gohaj]

Originally Posted by sf_kang I also own a 903SWC with a fixed 38mm Biogon lens for the wide angle shots.

can u tell me more abot 903SWC?
the good and the bad.
Thanks.

[chiif]

Originally Posted by gohaj can u tell me more abot 903SWC? the good and the bad. Thanks.

There are several versions of the 38mm biogon.

The first being the SWA, followed by SWC, SWC/M, 903 SWC & 905SWC.

If you are looking for wide angle with super low distortion, then all the above would fit the bill.

They are all fixed lens to the body camera. There is no focusing aid window. You just estimate the distance and shoot. Most of the time, you will shoot at infinity as it's pretty wide afterall. Just the the CV 12mm & 15mm LTM version. If you want spot on focusing, you can take out the magazine & attach a ground glass and focus through a loupe.

The last SWC, 905 SWC, production was discontinued sometime back.

Good things about 903 SWC... too much to write about. Just a look at the photographs is all you need to convince yourself.

Bad thing... is it's price.

You can check ebay... there won't be any 903 SWC that trade less than USD2000. A mint condition 905 SWC trade for about USD4000 to USD4500.

Sometimes you can spot a SWC or SWC/M or SWA that traded for about USD1700 to USD2500

A few copies were traded at P&G sometime ago at pretty attractive price... from time to time, some collectors would let go their copies....

[conherent]

You may want to consider a Fuji Gx680, I personally own one a really great camera consider that it have built in tilt swing rise fall not to forget to mention a massive 6x8cm frame. Feel free to pm me.

[fuwen]

If u dun mind the size u can also consider SL66

http://www.fuwen.net/index.php?optio...=85&Itemid=170

[clubgrit]

Still a big difference in weight, the Kiev prism is a real heavy piece of metal, Hassy's is plastic. And the Arax Kiev prism metering is not accurate, at least on mine, even if they said they calibrated it, or even after I calibrated it.

I like the GA645 or GA645wi, lightweight, with auto-focus too, AE, etc. It is only 6x4.5, but it's a start, meant for portability, a Leica on steroids according to some. But even with AF and AE, it would be good to slow down. I went shooting with a digital camera, got 1000+ shots, and it was not as productive as when I shoot with an MF manually with 12 shots only, shot slowly.

http://www.dantestella.com/technical/ga645.html

Originally Posted by Rangefinder_fan Both the Kiev and the Arax are heavy. Everyone says that they are scaled up 35mm SLR cameras, but for me(I've the Kiev), the key issue is weight. Built like a tank and weighs only slightly less, so its a bit of a bitch to hand-hold for long. My Kiev had frame spacing issues, which in theory is easy to solve, but in practice is a chore to sort out as you would probably need a couple of tries to sort it. Box-style SLRs like the ETRSi or Hassy are easier to hand hold, as most of the weight is cradled in your palm. But add on a prism and I’m not so sure about the weight difference though. Again, it depends on what you want to use the camera for. I handhold everything, but your subjects may not require that.