Starting out...which to get?

[Jorgen Udvang]

This smells TLR all the way, particularly after seeing the examples that you link to. A couple of hundred dollars will buy you a fully working Rolleiflex or one of the others. Be aware though that some of them don't have a meter, or the meter may be broken or inaccurate. But hey... I used a Rolleiflex Baby all the time when I was younger. Never had a meter, hardly ever missed the exposure. Good luck with this. Film on MF is a different way of life. Just stay away from the digital MF germs crawling around here. They are evil, small creatures and highly contagious :ROTFL:

 

[Kjarahz]

With the mentions of "TLR" can someone point me to one on eBay so I know I'm looking at the correct one.

With that aside I've been trying to source a Pentax 6x7 and the Kiev 60 provoked my interest a lot as well. Seems to be about the same thing but with Russian pricing haha.

And definitely digging eye level not waist. Like it's a big ol' DSLR.

Still welcoming any help/feedback!

 

[Shashin]

Do an ebay search for "Rolleiflex." I am not sure you can Rolleiflex on the cheap. A Rolleicord will be less expensive. I would also search for a Mamiya C3 or C330, or Yashicaflex.

 

[Kjarahz]

I don't want to be a stickler but the TLR setups don't seem super portable. Do like the pricing though which is a shame :/

 

[pipzz]

Fuji GF670 (aka Voigtlander Bessa III) Fujifilm GF670 Professional Film Camera

 

[GrahamWelland]

I don't want to be a stickler but the TLR setups don't seem super portable. Do like the pricing though which is a shame :/

You might want to check the sizes of the TLR's and other medium format cameras in person. In my experience TLR or rangefinders are a lot lighter than the DSLR bodies and particularly the lenses. With a TLR you've basically got a mirror box and a big empty box. The DSLR bodies tend to be a lot more massive and dense feeling.

 

[Shashin]

Compared to a Pentax 67, TLRs are small and light. The Rollei/Yashica models are really compact. The Mamiya cameras are bulkier, but still less than a Pentax.

I second Graham's suggestion and see if you can get your hands on one. Do you have secondhand camera dealers in your area?

 

[robertwright]

yashica mat 124g- the gateway drug...

 

[Jorgen Udvang]

You might want to check the sizes of the TLR's and other medium format cameras in person. In my experience TLR or rangefinders are a lot lighter than the DSLR bodies and particularly the lenses. With a TLR you've basically got a mirror box and a big empty box. The DSLR bodies tend to be a lot more massive and dense feeling.

+1 The TLRs are very convenient shapes. Just a box with nothing sticking out.

 

[weinlamm]

Is it possible to invest a little bit more than your 500? In the last time I saw some Mamiya 645 AFD sold for under this - in good condition with lense + back a little bit more.

And if you like it, this could perhaps be your entry in digital... :angel:

 

[GrahamWelland]

And if you like it, this could perhaps be your entry in digital... :angel:

:facesmack: Doh! :talk028: (I think we need an emoticon of a flaming wallet!)

 

[weinlamm]

I understand what 'back to the roots' mean - but perhaps one step back and then sometimes you suddenly want to make two forward... :angel:

I took a AFD III because it's the last one, which can use film back. And I hope, it will be working for a long, long time...
And I think the AFD is not a bad choice to shoot film. You can use much of the older manual lenses.

 

[Kjarahz]

Compared to a Pentax 67, TLRs are small and light. The Rollei/Yashica models are really compact. The Mamiya cameras are bulkier, but still less than a Pentax.

I second Graham's suggestion and see if you can get your hands on one. Do you have secondhand camera dealers in your area?

I live in South Carolina, really the only thing happening here is destination weddings, which I do but with video.

It's really a shame there is nothing except a run down Ritz 45 minutes away, which doesn't help.

Is it possible to invest a little bit more than your 500? In the last time I saw some Mamiya 645 AFD sold for under this - in good condition with lense + back a little bit more.

And if you like it, this could perhaps be your entry in digital... :angel:

I can do more than $500, but it has to be justifiable because of the Wife and it's just a hobby right now. I love quality though, but I can't guarantee how much work it will get back home after vacation.

Tons if I had people wanting pictures or willing..

 

[Kjarahz]

OK,

Been looking at the following:

Fujifilm GW690 - Love the form factor, does it have metering or light meter needed?
Mamiya C330 - Digging it, no metering makes me really sad.
Mamiya 645 1000s - Like it but metering isn't effective I hear.
KIEV 88 - Digging the Hasselblad style, I don't know about metering.

With this all said, my biggiest concern is metering, I want to take pictures without proper setup. Street photography which will be hard, but it's the basic style I'm looking at shooting on vacation with my Wife. I can pose certain things but it's still a vacation and little fuss would be nice.

What should I do with this current line up and concerns, primarily metering.

Thanks in advance

 

[Kjarahz]

OK,

Been looking at the following:

Fujifilm GW690 - Love the form factor, does it have metering or light meter needed?
Mamiya C330 - Digging it, no metering makes me really sad.
Mamiya 645 1000s - Like it but metering isn't effective I hear.
KIEV 88 - Digging the Hasselblad style, I don't know about metering.

With this all said, my biggiest concern is metering, I want to take pictures without proper setup. Street photography which will be hard, but it's the basic style I'm looking at shooting on vacation with my Wife. I can pose certain things but it's still a vacation and little fuss would be nice.

What should I do with this current line up and concerns, primarily metering.

Thanks in advance

 

[Shashin]

Get a light meter. They are very easy to use. If you shoot negative film, you will have quite a bit of exposure latitude. I shot with a light meter for decades, even when my film cameras had built-in metering.

Incident metering is the easiest--those meters have little white domes. You point it toward the camera and take one reading. If the light or situation does not change, then you just use that exposure for all your pictures. Street photography is easy with a meter. Gossen, Sekonic, and Minolta makes/made great meters.

I also used the sunny sixteen rule--in bright sunlight, it is f/16 with the reciprocal of the ISO for the shutter speed (1/100th for ISO 100 film or 1/400 for ISO 400 film).

 

[Kjarahz]

Alright sounds good, shame I sold my Sekonic L-358...

After this is it just preference now, what is a good pick from the list/line up and one that perhaps isn't there.

Also that rule sounds perfect, will definitely remember it!

 

[Shashin]

I would take any of the Japanese cameras on your list--Russian cameras are not reliable. Amoung the Japanese cameras, it is had to choose because they are so different. Not only in format, but also style. The Fuji is just this great big rangefinder and since I like big dogs, it would be hard to resist. I had a Mamiya C220 and so the C330 is a fine camera. The left/right inversion in the viewfinder is trippy and has given me picture I would not have imagined. I also dig the bellows draw. The 645 might be the least interesting for me personally of the three, but it is a nice camera.

 

[Kjarahz]

Darn unreliable Russian gear, the Kiev 88 was cool and within budget as the 500cm isn't. Which I'm starting to kind of dig.

The GW690 is my next choice however. I was really liking the 88 for the style though at this point, it's a much larger change from what I'm use to.

Ideas?

*I'm really looking for an affordable Hasselblad, thoughts?

 

[dougpeterson]

*I'm really looking for an affordable Hasselblad, thoughts?

Estate sales. Craigslist. Other places where someone may not know the open market value of their "old looking camera".

Or bargain-condition (read: beat up) Hassy gear on KEH or similar:
Hasselblad 500C CHROME WITHOUT WAISTLEVEL MEDIUM FORMAT SLR MANUAL FOCUS CAMERA BODY - KEH.com

In my opinion there is a premium on older Hassy medium format bodies which goes beyond their mechanical/photographic/optical value. It's a darn good system, but if you're on an extreme budget it's not the system to pursue in my opinion.