One key point which isn't really emphasized in this video is size and weight. For 35mm format, portability difference between rangefinder and SLR is not a huge deal, we are talking about +/- 100 grams worth of weight difference there... For medium format, SLRs like RB67 weigh 2.7kg with a standard lens and really needs its own seperate camera bag if you want to take it anywhere. Interchangable lenses sound good, but lenses are also heavy too. On the other hand, A Super Ikonta with f/2.8 tessar weighs around 850 grams and compact enough to carry around in a back pocket. Personally I too am pro-SLR for 35mm, but for medium format, rangefinders are the only viable option if you like to hang your camera around your neck and forget about it until you need it. For people coming from 35mm and buying their first medium format camera, I think this is a VERY important point to consider.
After buying 4 medium-format cameras, I wish I had seen your video earlier. You provide a lot of insight. Thanks for the high quality videos as always.
What all did you purchase? Found a pretty decent deal on a Pentax 6X7. It would be my first medium format camera coming from shooting 35 mm for the last year and a half. Trying to research and learn from other peoples mistakes before I take the plunge.
I bought a Mamiya RB67 Pro S back in 2012 for $500.00 dollars, That came with 2 film backs and 1 polaroid back with the handle and shutter release with 127mm lens and various filters I absolutely love the mechanical functionality of this camera! I can't recommend enough! Cheers
the Flexaret's are so slept on, such fantastic optics. My Flexaret VII is one of my favorite cameras by far. Had a Kiev 88/Salut-C as well which had a really cool look when it worked, it was just very unreliable but for the price if you get one that works they're amazing
Exactly my thoughts three months ago. Bought pretty beaten and dirty Kiev-60 with Volna-3 for $50 total. Cleaned the lens myself, got the body fully refurbished and upgraded at Arax - I live in Kiev (the city, not the camera, though the camera is so huge that you can probably live in it too). Bought some film (hadn't been shooting film for like 25 years)... and COVID lockdown immediately happened. Still waiting...
For anyone (across the world), search "medium format camera" on eBay with Buy it Now enabled and sort by Price - lowest to high; there's a lot of TLR soviet (good? not sure) cameras for around $35-40 (USD)
SUCH a helpful video, even if - like me - you already own several Medium Format cameras! I've personally never adjusted to the waist-level finder on my Yashica & am considering a 645 instead, so this video is super helpful - along with others in your archive, thanks
For TLRs a good budget option that is very versatile is the Yashica 635. Basically it is a Yashica D TLR designed to be dual format so you can use 120 or 35mm film. You can also get a set of addon lenses in wide angle and a short telephoto for portraits. I got one TLR with all the bells and whistles for about 200 CDN and a second camera body for about 100.
A lot of people doing reviews often mention that fact that the Mamiya 1000s and its 'J' version don't have a facility for changing film but so what neither does any 35mm camera either. Really interesting and enjoyable review.
For 6x6...if you want the ability to change lenses, Mamiya is a great system. Either the C220 or C330. For a carry around 6x6...the Yashica Mat rocks. It’s small, cheap and light. Also...look for the Yashica 12. It’s the same as the 124, but only takes 120 film. Most people look for the 124 and 124G so those cost more. The Yashica 12 flies under the radar. Nobody has 220 film anymore anyway. I started by getting a Hasselblad and a Mamiya 645 1000s but sold the Hasselblad because I preferred using the 645. It was just more fun to use, and economical, and really less of a hassle...pardon the pun. I had a Mamiya RB67 and the negatives are unbelievably sharp, but there’s a lot of susceptibility to light leaks between the body and film backs so prepare to spend a lot for a tested kit with no light leaks. The most reliable systems I’ve used have been the Mamiya TLRs and 645. They just don’t let me down and they’re affordable. You can get the 80mm f1.9 for the 645 system which is the fastest medium format lens on any system. It produces amazing 3D quality bokeh and it’s super sharp if you’re focusing with the micro prism screen, open up to f1.9, focus, then stop down.
Outstanding review, I have a Yashica 124 that I bought in 1984 used at Alameda Naval Base sitting in my closet. Gonna take it to a camera repair shop to start using it. You gained a new subscriber. Best regards from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
been using my Mamiya 645 as my number 1 medium format camera for the past two years, as it hits that sweet spot between image quality and cost-effectiveness as I can get 16 shots from a roll and have them still look really good. For slide film I like shooting my RB67 though because the huge "negatives"(positives? idk) look amazing
how much does it cost per picture ? For film and development . I would like to do it , but i find buying a digital medium format in a long run is cheaper , what do you think ?
Bronica ETRSi is by far the best 645 option in my opinion. I started shooting old 135 film that was still in the fridge and i found a cool way to trick the 120 back and get more that 15 images. When the camera starts to roll free after the 15th frame, just advance a bit, pop the double exposure lever in to cock the shutter and take a photo. Repeat till you feel the roll is on its very end. Works perfectly, got more than 30 images on it, i guess 36 isn't possible as you waste a lot when starting the roll. Also you can chop a takeup spool and use it to hold the 135 in place.
My first medium-format camera (Mamiya C330), after 40+ years of shooting 35mm and several years using mirrorless Fujifilm gear, arrived from Japan four days ago. I have one shot left on my first-ever 120 roll (Portra 400). So far I love everything about this camera and the shooting process. Looking forward to seeing the results after I really get the hang of it, which I imagine will take a while. It’s a big change. And a big camera.
I always changed my focusing screens to the split prism type and it made focusing for me so much better. Instead of relying on a "look" you relied on the lines being in parallel. Much better. Try a prism too (they are heavy but may do wonders for certain picture shoots such as head shots-don't get the mirrored version though-too low of contrast and dark).
Afraid I’ve gone off the medium-format deep end. Bought a Mamiya 645 system yesterday. And I’m still loving the C330. Now I just need someone to follow me around with those cameras so I don’t have to be the one lugging them. (BTW, I don’t see myself getting a 6x7 anytime soon. Gotta draw the line somewhere.)
My first (and only so far) medium format camera was a Mamiya RB67. It's a heavy tank, but it's great! Medium format is a game changer! The quality of the photos has no comparison.
What a great video. I can't add much to your very good suggestions, which I totally agree with. Just remember that the camera and lens cost is just the beginning, and accessories and service will add up fast. If the camera you happen to settle on is an SLR, the cost for that service may be eye-watering.
I would add the Mamiya Press system to the rangefinder line! It’s still fairly cheap, has good lenses and interchangeable film backs that goes from 645 to 6x9! It’s kind of bulky but it’s simple and I like shooting with it. William Eggleston has done some interesting work with it. Definitely worth checking out! Keep up the good work, love your channel!
I've just started taking pics 2 years ago with a Kiev 88 Camera. Later I've also bought the Kaleinar 150mm 2.8 for € 150 and honestly I was really impressed about the sharpness and the bouquet of this lens! To get the same pics with my DSLR I have to buy a 600 € lens!! Love the colors of Kodak Portra! I think the negative film is more versatile than digital that looks like shooting with slide film!
My 1st MF camera actually belonged to the college where I was taking classes in photography in the late '80's, and that was a Yashicamat 124G. Great images, easy to use, and also rather quiet. Highly recommend finding a good working example for roughly $200-$300 USD.
If it's a budget people are on simple, get an old folding camera. I've got a Vogitlander Bessa 1 and an Agfa Isolette II from the 1950s and they are both still working a treat and producing wonderful negatives :)
Howie Mudge I also have the Bessa I and had it serviced, works great. I was considering the Fuji 6x9 cameras but they are very expensive for the little 6x9 that I shoot. I think the Bessa I is a better value.
Yea I agree, the old folding cameras like the Bessa 1 with a cheap rangefinder on top and you can't beat it for value and still produce wonderful negatives.
I have the Fuji GW690II as my first medium format camera and I love it ! I would have preferred the 6x7 version but it's 1000€ more than what I already paid for !
I have a 1957 Yashica Mat with a very sharp 75mm 3.5 Lumaxar lens and a Kiev 6c with a 90mm 2.8 lens plus a wlf and a Ttl prism. I use the Yashica Mat the most due to its portability.
I have a pre-war Super Ikonta C in amazing condition that shoots 6x9 negs. One of the coolest things I own, and looks great with old conical metal lens shade. I've been collecting the close up lenses and color filters for B&W photography. My other MF camera is a Yashica 635, another great camera.
I have a Yashica 635 that I bought in mint condition for 88$ Australian a few years ago, and it came with the adaptor to shoot 35mm film as well...brilliant little camera that I love.
Great overview! Still the analog cameras craze is getting out of hand and prices for used medium format bodies are skyrocketing like there's no tomorrow. I had a nice Yashica Mat 124 (non G) but it got destroyed in a bad accident 2 years ago and now getting a "new" one is kinda bumming me cause prices are up 200% almost (paid mine 90 euros 10 years ago and are now at least 250 euros for a decent condition one). A pity really.
@@richardt1792 Thanks for the tip, but I tried them and they go for around 250 euros!! For a camera from the 1930s. O_O My first Yashica 124 (not the G one) I paid 100 euros in mint condition 7 years ago and now they are around 300!! Pity that one had a bad accident. :(
Great video! Medium (and large) format is addictive. It's not just the size of the negative and quality of the images, but also something akin to belonging to an ancient brotherhood. I have (among others) a Konishiroku (Konica) Pearl III 6x4.5, which is roughly the size of a Leica, weighs 620g and has a coupled rangefinder. It cost me less than $100, but it seems the prices are climbing on these as well.
I started photography in medium format. I was a child in the 1970's. On summer vacation 1978, I bought a Argus box 620 camera from a second hand shop. I thought I was so cool since my friends all had 110. I was hooked. My dad gave me his folding Kodak Vigilant 620, which he learned to photograph with as a child. It was a real father/son hobby. My dad worked as an aerial photographer. So as I got older, he let me use those cameras, not in the airplane. He used a Hasselblad 500ELM and a Speed Graphic. By the time I got to college I had still not used 35mm as a regular camera. My first was a Nikon F3. Today, I still mostly use 120 Zeiss Ikon rangefinders. They are compact; and I like that for street photography. NTM the conversation starter, too. Invest in quality. Buy the best quality your money can afford, independent of which format you want. Quality always pays you back in spades. You learn to be good with what you got. An idiot with the newest fanciest most expensive equipment, is still an idiot. They wont take better pictures than you with a disposable camera.
My first medium format camera was the Mamiya 645 1000S that I purchased new way back in the early 80's. Believe it or not, I still have the camera and it still works just as it did on the day I bought it. Over the years, I added its bigger sibling RZ-67, and not too long ago a Shen-Hao 6x17.
@@KyleMcDougall Its amazing how much fine detail the Shen Hao captures, and the large prints are outstanding...no need for stitching to get a panorama, you get it in one shot. The only downside is that you only get four shots per roll of film, which can get expensive if you make a mistake or two. What I like about the RZ is the rotating back...very easy to switch from portrait mode to landscape.
I like the Koni-Omega as a medium format.. They are relatively inexpensive and they have excellent lenses from 58mm to 180mm. Backs are interchangeable too. It uses a couple rangefinder that is quite accurate. They also made a TLR version of the camera. It is quite rare, only 2500 were made so it is more of a collector's item.
Other inexpensive options are the Mamiya Universal, Mamiya Super 23 and Mamiya Press. Lenses range from 50 to 250 mm and backs are 6x7 and 6x9. One more thing, these medium format cameras haven't been manufactured for quite some time so they are disappearing. I have watched the prices of medium format cameras rising a few years after the advent of digital photography. Probably only 1% of all film cameras are medium format.Lately, they have been doubling in price every few years. They were almost exclusively used by professionals. They had to sell them off to replace them with digital because the industry demanded images that were digital. Imagine having to sell your hasselbald to pay for a 1.3 megapixel digital camera. When they first came out, digital cameras were $20,000 dollars. You can guy Dora Goodman bodies but you still need vintage lenses and film backs.
Just a little tip if you have the genuine Mamiya left hand grip for the Mamiya 645. it will also fit the Mamiya RB67 and the C330 as well, making it a very versatile accessory to own. and if your'e looking at buying a TLR camera, a good one to get is the Yashica 635. it can use either 35mm film with the adaptor, or 120 film in its normal format.
Kyle, I love watching your videos ... no matter what the topic is. Feeling always so inspired to create after watching your films! Thank you. (Btw, I found your channel through your class at Skillshare. Would you consider doing a class on how to create beautiful films like the ones you're making on your channel? I'd sign up in a flash!)
Thanks so much Sarah. I always appreciate the support. And yes, I have something planned for Skillshare when it comes to filmmaking. It may be a few months, but it’s coming. 🙂
If you’re looking for a big step for good a price, you can’t go wrong with the Mamiya rb67 pro s. Is modular, shoots a 6x7 negative, and great lens selection. You can pick up a kit on eBay for below $500
One additional thing I might mention are camera systems that offer leaf shutter lenses. For people who like to shoot with flash, especially outdoors, having a flash sync speed across all shutter speeds adds a ton of flexibility. It’s one of the reasons I went with a Bronica ETRS, whose entire lens lineup all have leaf shutters, over the Mamiya M645.
i literally got my first medium format camera from the post today. A Pentacon Six TL with 80mm f2.8 with CLA. Definitely the best way to get started with medium format at a reasonable price. Got the tip from ted forbes of the art of photography.
I think compared to the etrsi its way to big, my whole system is as big as the mirrorbox of the sqa alone. The ETRSi with the 75mm is as big or slightly smaller then my D700 with 50mm lens :) On the other hand if you dont like 645 the sqa is still the better option.
Fascinating world. That passed too quick! Not gone through the comments yet and I'm sure someone else must have recommended it too but for anyone interested in TLR, Lubitel 166 can be obtained at a dirt-cheap price and gives a lot of fun shooting and learning. Certainly, one of the best and least wallets hurting choices. On the same token but at a much higher quality level for one in need of tasting Medium formate SLR is Kiev-6C or Kiev 88, the so-called Russian Hausselblad knock-off.
My first medium format camera was a Mimiya RB 67. And WOW!!!!! what a difference from 35mm. I loved it . I did landscapes and it was big (6x7) heavy and had a magnifier so you could really focus well. I'm tempted to get a new one.
Among the roll film family cameras was a Rolleicord V, and a Yashica 44. The Rolleicord still works, while the focusing shaft snapped off just below the bolt holding the focusing knob. Ye Olde 75mm f/3.5 Schneider Xenar is as good as a Zeiss Tessar, so I didn't have any complaints. Later on, I looked at interchangeable lens 120 roll film cameras such as the Mamiya C-series. Then I looked at 120 roll film SLR cameras, rejecting the "Unobtainium"-level Hasselblad system and the "poor man's Hasselblad," the Kowa Six. I settled on a Bronica ETR-C, since that system was (sorta) affordable and flash synchronization at higher speeds was important to me.
Mine was a Bronica S2. Pretty like a Hassy 500 with high level of customization (lens, finders, film backs, screens, grips) but with a focal plane shutter that can reach 1/1000. Highly recommend.
many people can get old school, top tier cams with much lower prices today though, which i think will make them look down so many cheaper ones. My time with S2 was not long enough to say anything about how good it was for work as you did with 6x7 cams, but i guess you would love it too, Kyle.
my favourite cam is Zeiss Ikon Nettar 518/16 + Novar-Anastigmat 75mm f/4.5 VARIO, no focus at all, you have to guess or use a meter tool, I did many portraits by guessing the distance and it's a beautiful bokeh
My 3 favorite ever and my 3 beginner recommendations: Favorites: Pentax 67 Contax 645 RB/RZ 67 Recommendations for beginners: Pentax 645 (though these have gotten pretty expensive lately). Anything Bronica- very under appreciated brand. Any number of TLR cameras- most anything by Yashica will treat ya right. So basically Kyle nailed it :)
Kyle McDougall it’s a lovely system and I really regret selling mine. The risk you always run with them is that they break and turn into super expensive paper weights... there are some spots that will repair still tho if you’re willing to pay for it 🤑🤑🤑
Starting using a Yashicamat in 1980 when I was in art school and continued using it doing professional work which raised some eyebrows but it's the finished work that counts.......also couldn't beat a Speedgraphic with type 55 film for portraits.
I'd love to shoot 4x5 (I had a Speed Graphic with various lenses) and shot readyload chromes) but always wanted to shoot type 55 and never had a chance and now the new stuff is too costly and unpredictable (if they even have it available). One could take a 135 lens (semi wide) on the 4x5, make a full body portrait and still blur the background nicely. Just can't do that today unless one spends thousands on lenses.
One neat option for the bronica sq is the 645 back and the hard to find 35mm back. Very versatile camera. I really like the results I get with mine. Great video 👍🏻
Bronica EC-TL. 6x6 medium format camera. I picked it as my first medium format since it has shutter speeds from 1/1000 to 4 sec and bulb. Not to mention it has an aperture priority mode which not too many medium format cameras have built-in. Love mine and I haven't really been lusting after any other medium format cameras since getting it.
I bought Mamiya 645 for my first medium format camera. Then I bought GA645 a week later. I love them all.Now I just keep them for different situation. Maybe I will go Hasselblad for collection next year.
My first and current medium format is the Fuji GA645, I bought it 2 years ago because of your video on it, a great camera ! (and got it for only 70€ tho)
Thanks for a great overview! I personally have a Rolleicord III and a now working Yashica mat 124G that I brought back to life by massaging the shutter. I can't say anything about Swedish prices for the cameras I use as they are in good shape which brings up the price in addition to the supply and demand for film cameras in general! If you are adventures look for an untested camera and hope for the best but have in mind that i may require some service!
I will NOT recommend a 645 camera ! Those cameras are annoying to use in vertical ! Get a 6x6 camera, my recommendation are a 200/2000 series Hasselblad with shutter inside the cameras which can use all types of Hasselblad Lenses (with or without shutter inside the Lenses), get it with the best focus screen Acutte Matte and latest version of the waist level finder. If you want a 500 series Hasselblad camera, go for one with FULL mirror 501CM, 503CW, 503CWD, 500 ELX, 553ELX or 555ELD. If you want a TLR camera, get a Mamiya C220 or C330. If you want a rangefinder camera get a Mamiya 6.
Dude, this is the perfect video. I think the Pentax 645 might be the one for me as much as I like the more manual/modular appeal of the Mamiya. Oh, what am I saying? I want to have all of them!😩😆
I bought a non-light-meter Rolleiflex with the Schneider f3.5 Xenar lens (as opposed to the models with the Zeiss lenses which cost quite a bit more). I challenge anyone to see a significant difference between the Zeiss Tessar and the Schneider Xenar lenses, the Schneider lenses are fantastic and quite undervalued. I also have a Hasselblad 503CW, but I use my old Rollei a lot more (and thus have had much more success with it) because I'm never afraid to throw it over my shoulder when heading out in the world as opposed to the Hasselblad which is much more cumbersome to shoot with and cost about 20x what I paid for the Rollei (back in the early 2000's when they could be had on ebay for around $200-$300 USD. ) Buy an older Rolleiflex, you'll use it a ton, it will appreciate in value and you'll make great images with it. It's also so cool looking that it's a great conversation starter. People (including a lot of cute girls!) who see me shooting with the Rolleiflex come up to me all the time to ask about the camera. That doesn't ever seem to happen with the Hassie.
I just purchased a Rolleicord IV. It is similar to one that my father had let me use when I first started taking pictures. I shoot Canon and one feature that I liked about the Rolliecord is that there are not a series of lenses to purchase. Nice to have a camera that won't require me to obtain more lenses.
John Sciara This is a great example of film-photography enthusiasts turning drawbacks into imaginary virtues. “Yay, not only is it slow, inconvenient to use, and produces mediocre results, but it's less versatile too!”
@@jlwilliams I could have purchased a medium format camera that had interchangeable lenses. It was my preference not to buy a camera that would require more lens purchases. So it was not an drawback. Its called preferences. Have a good day
The main thing you need to take into account when you are looking for TLR or rangefinder options are the lens and the shutter which come with them (besides making sure that the camera actually works). Most of them have three-element lenses and shutters with a top high speed of 1/200 to 1/300 s, and top low speed of 1/25 or 1/15 s. Try to find a camera with a four-element lens and a shutter with a full range of speeds from 1 s to 1/400 or 1/500 s.
For beginners i would always recommend the Bronica ETR series of cameras, much cheaper so you don't feel so cautious when using the camera, easy to find accessories and actually really good lenses and then of course whenever people want to upgrade its easy to do so
This video is a godsend to all folks wanting to start their medium format journey. Good on ya, Kyle, for putting out this killer content. And also making me want to buy an RB67 again...? No no, I cannot, I have too many cameras.🤣
About a year ago I was able to buy a Pentax 645 N with a 75mm len for $600 and I love it. The 645N II is just to expensive though. The camera does use the FA lenses so it does have auto-focus but manual focus is just as easy and probably more reliable. Far more features than the 645 which I once owned.
I do love my Zeiss Ikon Mesa 5245/16 uncoupled RF. The images are beautiful. The TRL I love my Rolleicord II Type III some of the best images of shot. I also have the Mamiya C220. I shot it a few times and the viewfinder is brighter than my Rolleicord. Each one has a purpose in my mind because in reality, why shoot 2 of the same 6x6 formats. lastly the RB67 Pro (OG) now thats a beast an I have not mastered. need more time and muscles
Хорошее видео! Но Вы забыли про советские камеры! Я до сих пор снимаю на фотоаппарат Искра 1962 года выпуска. Это отличная камера с сопряженным дальномером и сопряженным со взводом затвора узлом перемотки пленки. И все это отлично работает! Удачи Вам)))
Nice to see affordable recomendations into film photography. It seems like, through the most popular youtubers related to film photography, everyone ought to have a Lecia M6, or Mamiya 7, or Pentax 67 to get into the vibe.
Kyle, I have been following the superb vlogs on your channel & your journey with film & in particular medium format system & this inspired me to ultimately find a system to enter this genre of film photography. Your vlogs lead me seek out a Pentax 645n or Mamiya 645 &/ 67. Unfortunately, my research revealed that these had become very popular camera to buy & a lot of the better models (I was hankering after a Pentax 645n & lens) available were via Japan, which for us Brits in UK was a problem as when you add the taxes etc... it made them a rather expensive purchase. So I switched tac & managed to purchase in UK a used but mint in box Bronica Etrsi system & lens for a super price. I have just purchased some 120 film & hope to take this camera out & shot some images next week... Having said all that I still do hanker for a Pentax 645n & lens which looks so great to shoot on your vlogs. I also really liked the Route 66 vlogs & images, which really inspired me to take the plunge into medium format. I am looking forward to your vlogs in UK around a theme, when you get settled & the situation allows... Thoroughly enjoy your channel, content & presentation Keep Up The Great Work / Vlogs Regards David
Thanks David, I appreciate it! I’m sure you’re going to love the Bronica. I’ve heard great things and almost purchased one over my Pentax. All the best.
I picked up a 6x6 pinhole camera for $80CAD on ebay out of Ontario; been having a lot of fun with it, and I don't think I'll ever have a lighter camera!
I have the press also, great lenses 50 to 250 mm lenses, changeable backs up to 6x9 so the 50mm is super wide angle, equal to a 21mm lens on a 35mm camera. Polaroid backs if they ever bring back tear apart film again.
Super helpful video. Honestly think 6x7 is a waste. 6x6 seems like the perfect spot for me. I'm debating whether I should snag the Bronica SQ or just pull the trigger on a 503cw
A couple of good recommendations I have are the Voigtlander Perkeo I (6x6 folder) and the Bronica RF645 (6x4.5 rangefinder)...both are excellent cameras!
@@KyleMcDougall I was lucky enough to snag a mint copy a few years ago with the 45mm, 65mm, and 100mm lens...plus the external flash designed for it. It is by far my favorite and most used analog camera.
Good video. Over many years I've shot a lot of film, shot a lot medium format. The only professional use of an interchangeable back was to use Polaroid. Of course you already know - your smart phone is your Polaroid. By the time I started shooting with Nikon D2X (DSLR) I only used a light meter in studio set-ups. Outside my Nikon was my light meter. It was faster, smarter, more reliable than anything I could do with Minolta IV, Spotmeter, my slide rule (someone should do a video on that. Want to know the reciprocity failure correction for Type 55 Polaroid at 2 minutes? It's there, and then immediately there are shutter and aperture combinations for different transparency films, etc...) The Mamiya SLRs like the 645 were very popular among pros back in the day. I never actually used them, but I never heard anything bad (except maybe the electronic metering. usually this is ALWAYS dirty battery contacts - get out a pencil eraser. I got my Minolta Spot Meter retail $400 for $80 because of this. I cleaned the contacts once - I'm sure it'll still work). Before buying one of these cameras, check the bellows (look through the back or remove the lens and shine a flashlight close to the bellows. Also check the shutters. When leaf shutter cameras heat up - like in a car- the oil vaporizes, it then will condense onto the coolest available surface - that's often the shutter blades that slide against each other - this causes them to stick, slowing the shutter speed down or jamming it. Easy to fix for a good camera repair guy. Don't bother with the waist finder or a Twin Lens Reflex - unless you're setting up in a studio and you'll only do portraits. They're too slow - even for landscapes. For people? forget it. (The two best cameras for capturing human expressions over the entire history of photographer are the Leica rangefinders with the leaf shutters and the Nikon DX, D2X and probably my 850D - every other camera including ALL the film SLRs have too much shutter lag. The parallax from a rangefinder is not a big deal. You just have to think a bit, and most of the time you want to like something up - it'll be a gimmick. Rangefinders have the advantage that the viewfinders are much brighter than SLRs so you can compose, focus and then shoot much faster. Never shot with the Pentax 645, but I've done a lot of shooting with the Pentax 6x7. One reason, besides cost, I was never interested in 645 because I wanted the largest possible negative. There's a reason Weston's contact prints from 8x10 negatives look the way they do. Even now the larger the format the better the quality the image. This is why smart phones haven't made Sony/Canon/Nikons obsolete. The main accessories you want are Grip-handle (leverage for stabilizing - that Pentax 6x7 has a kick like a pistol takes some practice to hand hold it), maybe the internal meter (for B&W it's usually good enough), lens shade. Twin Lens Reflex (I had a Yashica) too slow working. But if you do set-ups, camera on tripod, people on those marks, daylight flash...it can work. (You can be Diane Arbus (she used on) or Annie Liebowitz with one. Doing set-ups removes the element of speed, the leaf shutter is like the Leica's I mention above so you can capture fleeting human expressions - but not looking through that viewfinder- and the leaf shutter gives you a 1/250th flash sync speed. (the usual 1/30, 1/60 isn't enough for daylight flash use) The rangefinder medium formats. I've used some Polaroids 110Bs like this. You want the coupled rangefinder. I can call out distances better than most people, when I'm guessing at distances for a camera setting I'm mostly using the hyperfocal distance. or some sub distance. With a Coupled rangefinder you can get those eyes sharp. The advice about them being the lightest weight medium format cameras is excellent - these are the medium formats you can travel with. (I've done it with a 4x5 and with a Pentax 6x7 but it's heavy, bulky, slow) For just trying out medium format film these are probably ideal. The Fuji 6x9 is I think the largest negative (except fot the panoramic ones) in medium format. If I was ever going to shoot film again (Of course I'd just use my Pentax 6x7s) ideally I'd go for the Fuji 6x9. I want that negative size. Hasselblads are great cameras, we mostly used them in the studio. Outside compared with the 6x9? the 6x9 would be better all around. What I wound up doing with my B&W photography in the 1990s was I would scan the contact sheet, sometimes the neg. Then work up the image I wanted in Photoshop. (I started using Photoshop 2.5 in 1992 on a MacIIci (your coffee maker has more processing) everything was so slow and unreliable it sent me back into the darkroom for 10 years. Why? It was clear darkroom printing would soon be obsolete, and anything that went wrong in the darkroom I could fix or improve - the computer stuff? It wasn't really stable until about 2005. Still worked, but it was often inexplicable and frustrating.) So I'd recommend shooting B&W film, processing it with a Compensating Developer (You get a much wider range negative. Without Pyro Weston would never have left the studio) then getting the negs professionally scanned, then do you your work on Photoshop or some other app and digitally print. If you still want to make chemical prints, start with the notes from your Photoshop work. It'll save you a lot of time. There's also a way of printing on clear or frosted film to make masks for the darkroom - that worked really well. The thing about the darkroom is that tricks I was doing in the 80s and 90s (like the yellow bug bulb and the #0 multigrade filter in the snoot mounted on my ceiling to flash the paper to bring up detail in the highlights) no one did, almost no one knew about. So 60 year old guys who seem like they know everything? B&W darkrooms had lost a lot of their tricks in the 1960s and 70s. (I learned that Hurrell used at least two of my tricks and had done so for decades. Guys my age never knew this stuff. I'm in my 60s. I made a tray rocker. If you wanted a tray rocker after about 1940 you had to make it yourself, but you had to also first think it might be useful. ) The one thing I did in the darkroom that is technically impossible in a digital inkjet print is I always waved clear plastic with some sebum on it (nose grease) for about 10% to 25% of my exposure. This obliterated the film grain on the print (you may actually want this). My thinking was I was sick of looking at a print and knowing which film, was it cropped.... based on immediately seeing the film grain. With my blur the image no longer existed on that surface - made all the difference. (Gerhard Richter figured this out with his figurative work.) Of course digital printing is so high res now you can probably do this good enough. (I haven't done any digital printing in years). When you watch old movies and you see the grain? You are looking at a surface. That's now an aesthetic choice. There are reasons to have it and to not have it. Either choice is okay - what's important is that you make that choice.
I would recommend an old Kodak folding camera from the 1930s-50s. They take dead sharp images with a large negative, and are around $20 on eBay. I’d even dare to say that they equal or outperform some more modern cameras.
Yes, my late Daddy's 1945-ish Kodak 620 (make a note of the film size) Medalist non-rangefinder (estimate the distance and set the focus) has a very good Kodak made Ektanar f4.5 90mm lens (four element) in an x-sync shutter and makes 8 6x9 cm images per roll. They go for $45-125 with a good lens, shutter and bellows and fold-up no bigger than the big i-Phone, just thicker. It'll make 24 x36 Inch enlargements all day long sharp as a tack if I focus well and hold it still. The Yashica Mat 124 is an outstanding performer for the money, but they are getting quite hard to find in good+ condition. They go from $125-200(!) I've a dozen in various states of working conditions, but none in "saleable" condition. "620" is just a different size spool than "120" but they are NOT interchangeable!!! 620 and 120 film will fit on the same stainless steel or plastic developing reel, so don't worry about that, but the film spool is greatly different.
@@Walkercolt1 If you're brave, you can trim and sand down the plastic reel a bit to fit in a 620 camera, or roll it into a spare 620 reel in a darkroom.
Good recommendations. I would personally recommend the Pentax 645. I prefer it over the Mamiya 645 because the Mamiya gets quite big if you add the metering finder.
I've seen this but Im new to film and can't find to much info on the Bronica. I'm trying to find a Mamiya cause it's a good amount of info online incase something goes wrong the online info helps to solve the problems. With the Bronica I don't know the common problems so I worry if I get it, I won't be able to find any info as readily.
Yep, great choice. I don’t have experience with one, but I’ve researched and came close to buying one many times. Excellent option for someone starting out.
I had purchased a Mamiya 645e w/80mm lens (new in the box ) 12 years ago this was the entry level 645 with built in metering. Purchased. A wide and telephoto lens was purchased separately. Sold it all 5 years ago because it was difficult to get film processed. I no longer process film.
SLR, TLR, Rangefinder...but don't forget the plethora of scale focus medium format cameras available from makers like Zeiss, Agfa, Mamiya, Moskva, and Voightlander. While these may not be the best for a novice shooter, they are often the cheapest way to start shooting medium format in a bunch of different frame sizes.
