hi what is this format called? 6x6?
what kind of cams are available uh? any budget cams that aren't antique and not LOMOey?
hee
thanks!
what kind of cams are available uh? any budget cams that aren't antique and not LOMOey?
hee
thanks!
need advice on square format cams
- Thread starter denizenx
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denizenx said:
It is called a square format, 6cm x 6cm.
Bronica Sq, Sqa, Sqai
Hasselbald
Kiev 88
Mamiya 6
Most, if not, all TLR
Not sure what you call antique but here is a good one: The Mamiya TLR C series was manufactured all the way till 1995-ish, so you are looking at something that is at least around 10 years old.. A fair number of these cameras in Mint or Like New condition do appear for sale. Similarly a fair number of well beaten ones.. Yet it looks as if it is from the 1940s. Does that qualify it as antique?denizenx said:
{Then again the Nikon F4 is from 1988 and it is still a fine camera}In my opinon (!) the best place to buy it, is from THE auction side (e-bay).. where you can get a body and a lens for around $200 US (the black 80mm f/2.8).. Local prices tend to be on the high side probably reflecting the high price that people paid for them, rather than the current state of film-based camera sales.
p.s. if you do end up with it avoid the 250mm
denizenx said:
With regards to cheap and useful 6x6 cameras:
LOMO also manufactured the Lubitel 166 6x6 models that are NOT 'LOMO-ey' nor "HOLGA-rish" in picture quality, though their built quality is really so so - but you get what you pay for, and then some. The various marks all use the same triplet lens.
Also, the Meopta Flexaret TLRs (various) are very decent and their built quality excellent. Most come with 4 element Tessar-type lenses which are pretty darn sharp when you shoot them at mid-apertures.
FWIW, from my experience actually using these things, most older triplets would need much more stopping down (usually around f11/16) for edges to be maximally sharp and for light fall off to pretty much be a non-issue, compared with the 4 element Tessar-types which are already very good to excellent at f8. (Erm, but then, if you're shooting a portrait, edge sharpness might be a non-issue and the softer edges and a little light fall off could work to your advantage)
The 5 or 6 element Xenotar or Planar 'types' perform a lot better at the wider apertures generally, but their prices are commensurate with performance.
With regards to the characteristics of all the lens formula types I have mentioned, I am speaking of the general behaviour of the specific optical formulae of course, but I doubt your mileage would vary too far, unless there's something totally amiss with a particular sample.
BTW, if you're shopping for a Flexaret or a Lubitel 166, I have one each to sell (happy prices guranteed). And no, my post isn't to pitch my for sale items. I just happen to have too many toys and too little time. I also have no children to want to hand these damn cameras down to!
(Actually I may not sell the Flexaret - I like it very much, but you might want to have a look at my Moscow Olympics edition Lubitel 166)- Status
