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An Open Canvas

woodyspedden

New member
I live in southern California, and I have no idea where I can go to get my hands on MF cameras . . . .


I touched and handled 645D when I was in Japan last June. In fact, it was only a few days after it came out.


I am totally open to used gears. The concept does not bother me at all. I just wasn't sure if that was an accepted practice when it comes to high end gears as such.


THanks again.
Hey Nubi

Samy's in LA is a dealer of great reputation. You may want to look into this.

Woody Spedden
 

stephengilbert

Active member
"Samy's in LA is a dealer of great reputation." They sell Phase and Hasselblad, and they carry a large stock. You should be able to handle lots of stuff there. Samy's is on Fairfax a few blocks north of Wilshire.
 
T

tetsrfun

Guest
I have a Hasselblad CFV-16 that I bought ~4 years ago. At the time I had a fair amount of "V" system gear that I wasn't using and the decision was buy a digital back or sell off the "V" stuff. I went for the digital back and haven't looked back. (It is interesting that there seems to be very few CFV-16 on the used marked)

Today for a sub-$15k budget and if I had no legacy "V" gear, the H4D-31 is very tempting at $13,995. (With all of the caveats associated with the 31MP back.) The CFV-39 back, alone, is ~$13,995.

Steve
 

atanabe

Member
+1 for Samy's in LA. Bought my first Sinar 33 years ago when Samy and George had a small store across from CBS Studios. Their integrity has grown their business over the years.
 

BradleyGibson

New member
hi, Atanabe,
Yes I shoot with APS-C, but I think the way I approach photography is more suited for something like MF, or so I am told. It really is a process for me. I hardly ever use AF, exposure I use auto mode, only as a starting point, and this manual advance part I am very intrigued! So, when I move to the world of MF, I anticipate that the process will not change a whole lot for me, except that it probably will be more fun!!

But, you are right. Until I get my hands on them, there will be issues I have never even dreamed about. So I am going to look into where I can do exactly that.

Thanks again!!
Sounds like you may be a good candidate for MF!

One other thing I'm not sure I realized when I first started out with MF years ago. With medium format you will find that ergonomics play a much bigger role than they do in small format. Because you hold the camera for just about every shot you take and there are so many more options in MF, I found that ergonomics played a much bigger role in my enjoyment of photography than they did at any time previously.

Perhaps it is the weight of the camera and lenses, or perhaps it is because bodies come in so many shapes and sizes (even left-handed triggering and right handed focusing with the V series) that it may be a worthwhile exercise to look at ergonomics as a starting place on your journey. Some have interchangeable finders--from 90 degree to waist-level--with so many handling options, if you can (and this is the hard part) spend some time with the various handling options, you may find the scales tipping in favor of a particular brand or format.

I personally love the 6x6 cameras--Hasselblad V and Rollei Hy6--(this is not me endorsing these particular cameras to you, by the way), but I absolutely hated the ergonomics of them (especially the V) for the first two months I used it. But I did get used to it and found the waist level finder's low shooting angle very useful for my nature work. Now, as I mentioned, the handling of the 6x6's is my favorite way to shoot.

So all this is just to say that it's a very, very different world in medium format, so be prepared to give yourself time to try and get used to various options.

Regardless of the approach you use, if you can narrow your choice to a short list of three or even two camera systems that you are confident will work for you, moving from there will be a more straightforward proposition.

Best of luck, and I do hope you let us know how things are progressing.
 

Nubi

New member
Hi, everyone,

After a long and hard consideration, I settled on 645D. I believe I bought the last one available in US from Ace photo a few days ago. I should be getting my hands on it soon. I also ordered a 55/2.8 SDM, so called a kit lens.


I just wanted to thank everyone who offered me awesome advice. There were almost too much to consider, and at the end of the process I actually began to feel paralyzed. Initially I thought about 645D, then I got really interested in 503 WC and Mamiya RZ. But then I came full circle at the end. I am convinced that the choice was the right one for me.

As suggested, I actually took time to get my hands several of the finalists. I was rather quite intimidated by Hasselblad. Handling it can become second nature, I suppose, but would I want to take the time for that? I wasn't convinced. Being a K-7 shooter, getting started with 645D would be as easy as slamming a battery in it and turn it on. This idea of detachable back seemed great at first, but when I actually put it in my hand, the unit as a whole felt a bit wobbly for me, and I wondered about the thing accidentally falling off (although not likely I know) just as I crossed to the other side of the stream, or something like that. Besides, the price of the unit, if I were to combine with P45+, even with a refurbished it still seemed costly to me. I also played a bit with Hassey back. I think that the Phocus software is very very funky.

I got also interested in mamiya RZ 33, but for similar reasons above, I couldn't justify purchasing that over 645D.

I do have some beef with 645D though. THe recording time on the card is pathetic. Worse than a bad joke. They need to do something about that. It is a good enough reason to upgrade if that aspect of it is improved. I realize that compared to developing a role of film, it is a far far quicker turn around time, but I am just not sure what they were thinking on that.

I want live view. I know that with CCD sensor it is not possible(?), but again, to me it would be very important.

645D probably does not feel like a true MF shooter's camera. There are too many bells and whistles on it. I wish it had less buttons. I bet you there will be many many functions that I will never use. But, at the end of the day, the cost performance ratio is hard to go against.

I worry about lenses. I did buy a 67 to 645 converter, and zeiss to 645D converter as well. I would like to explore non Pentax lenses until they beef up their line up with current model.


Please don't think that my negative comments regarding Hassey and Mamiya are cheap shots of any kind. I think they are fantastic camera in every way. It was just that they just were not it for me.


Once again, I want to thank everyone!!
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Congratulations to your 645D!

Only time will tell what happens with that system, maybe too long, we will see .... ;)

I hope Pentax really can make this going!
 

dick

New member
Zooms are adequate for landscape work ( or as adequate as the digiback you can get on your budget)... and a low res Hassy with a 50-110 zoom might have been an option worth considering as initial kit.
 

woodyspedden

New member
Zooms are adequate for landscape work ( or as adequate as the digiback you can get on your budget)... and a low res Hassy with a 50-110 zoom might have been an option worth considering as initial kit.
I don't disagree with your comment based on IQ and versatility but the H cameras and that zoom is, in my opinion, too heavy to be carried into the field unless you are young and / or very strong. I tried the 55-110 when I owned an H3d-39 body and it took me all of two minutes to make my decision.
 

dick

New member
I don't disagree with your comment based on IQ and versatility but the H cameras and that zoom is, in my opinion, too heavy to be carried into the field unless you are young and / or very strong. I tried the 55-110 when I owned an H3d-39 body and it took me all of two minutes to make my decision.
Yes, 4Kg can be tooo much to carry all day, but I am 18St (110 Kg) and only 62... and my shoulders are quite strong as I am a child catcher - helping my wife with her gymnastics class.

My 300 is not much lighter, and I might consider a lighter lens if I had to hand-hold all day.
 
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