Medium Format photography group - From "zero to hero!"

Yeh... bluddy stoodents.... :punch:
 
Sorry to fuel the fire here, but I just took delivery of this:

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Off to run a film through it this afternoon then off for processing, the backwards focusing screen is already messing with my head!
But reading what was said above about the newer plastic version I'm glad I went for this, it just feels so solid and well built!

Adam
 
Very nice Adam, have you many lenses for the 645 medium format? Who might you choose for developing and processing of films etc...? Good choice of films there.

Have fun;
Peter
 
Cheers, I only have the 80mm at the moment, was looking at the 35mm and 55mm though. I think I'm going to give Peak a try, process only and scan myself at first. Black and white I'll do myself when I sort out a bigger developing tank, only got a 35mm size reel at the moment!

Went out this afternoon and ran the black and white and a roll of portra through it, really enjoyed the experience of using the viewfinder, we'll see how my focusing was once I get some rolls back! Few frustrating moments but I'll learn!

Adam
 
Have you a separate hand-held light meter? When I shoot my first roll of 120 I think I'll try 'Peak Imaging as I've heard good things about them in the past. Looking forward to hearing about your first results. Exciting times ahead....

regards;
pete
 
No, that was my gamble of the day, used my fuji x100 with spot metering, a rough work around for now!
Yes will post as soon as I get them, going to stick two rolls in the post tomorrow so will get them after Easter :)

Adam
 
When I happen across some fivers down the back of the sofa, my first purchase will be some sort of MF SLR. I love my little TLR camera, and my digital, but I have a lust for shooting MF in B&W and learning the full process of development and printing
 
So then... :D

I have made up my mind - In record time for me :D

Mamiya 645 Super. I'm really liking the look of this one. Having looked at the specs, it's about the best combination of my ridiculous list in my first post and within budget. Just wanted to say thanks for all your advice everyone, very much appreciated!
 
I had a 645 super for a bit, prism, motor winder the works, it came from Hawaii with a 45 and a shot roll of film.
Liked the camera, but not the distortion on the 45, apart from a few motor winder issues, (screws not tight and dirty contacts), it walked through 10 rolls of prism metered film perfectly.
If I wasn't a complete RF heed, I'd have another, and no, even in Hawaii its possible to shoot an entire roll of grainy colour neg dross..:)
 
For me this camera is going to be my LF backup / location scouting / bad weather / messing about with camera. Previously this was done by my D700 - which I will still be keeping for when I need the digital functionality for important stuff - but I really want to give all film a try. RF's are a no no for me on a filters front, despite the strong appeal of the mamiya 7 for many reasons including lens quality and larger format. I would have simply used my RB67 were it not for the size and weight, which, when considering other 67 format cameras, are the same reasons for discounting the pentax 67 and so on - I don't want something heavier than my D700 + 24-70, and it also has to fit in the same gap! 66 Format doesn't really float my boat. I know they can be cropped, but I personally see that as a waste of film. If I'm going to crop a 66 frame to 645 anyway, why not get 16 frames instead of 12? So anyway, this little mamiya looks rather awesome. If I get on with one well enough, I may even sell my FM3a... But not to you John, not with your history :D ;)
 
The Pentax 67 is actually just as bag friendly as a D700 and a 24-70 (actually a little more so as most of the lenses I use are shorter than the 24-70). It fits in the same Domke F2 bag/Crumpler backpack that I use for my dSLR setup.
 
Woodsy said:
I know they can be cropped, but I personally see that as a waste of film. If I'm going to crop a 66 frame to 645 anyway, why not get 16 frames instead of 12?
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If I had my time again I'd shoot an RF645, I'd do 6x9 but that's a 5x4 enlarger :/, 6x6 is a pain though.

Woodsy said:
I may even sell my FM3a... But not to you John, not with your history :D ;)
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In summing up the judge said the defendant has caused death but neither intended to cause death nor intended to cause serious bodily harm and thus lacks the mens rea of cold blooded cameramurder, 100 hours gardening for gross negligence cameraslaughter, if it wasn't for the family pushing for life because I'd made it wear an M42 lens, I reckon I'd a got away with it.


...well that an those meddling kids course..


:)
 
Woodsy said:
It's at least as heavy if not heavier though, especially so with more than one lens.
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D700 + 24-70 = 995g + 900g = 1895g

Pentax 67 + metered prism + 105/2.4 = 1760g

A 45/4 would be about 600-700g on top, true. Could lighten the kit with the 90/2.8 instead of the 105mm, plus ditching the metered prism for a WLF. But I find it funny that people like to complain about the weight so much when you have people lugging similarly heavy digital kits without a peep. It's all academic anyway as you've made your choice (and it's a good choice as well).
 
Superb 6x6....!

Are the S2's non dependant of a battery I'm wondering.? (I'm don't know much about them). What year were they produced? They're hard to find second hand in clean condition.

Enjoy it!
 
Houston, we have a problem...

I have started carrying my camera bag that looks like a ladies handbag again, the TLR fits perfectly and leaves lots of room for the other usual ladies paraphernalia.. MF will rule for a while it seems.
 
This thread has not made me want a Pentax 645N or NII. It really hasn't.

If I keep saying it, maybe it'll come true. :oops: :$
 
I *think* the Fuji GA645Zi fits all your criteria! It's not a rangefinder as it's AF :) Most people seem to discount them as serious cameras as the zoom lens, AF and auto exposure puts off the manual-only brigade, but I've been very happy with mine. The lens is only a short zoom but is very good at all focal lengths, albeit a bit slow in the max aperture department. The AF is accurate and reliable enough for most things you'd use medium format for. It's smaller and lighter than any of the SLRs, so I think it's worth serious consideration.
 
magicolor1 said:
I *think* the Fuji GA645Zi fits all your criteria! It's not a rangefinder as it's AF :) Most people seem to discount them as serious cameras as the zoom lens, AF and auto exposure puts off the manual-only brigade, but I've been very happy with mine. The lens is only a short zoom but is very good at all focal lengths, albeit a bit slow in the max aperture department. The AF is accurate and reliable enough for most things you'd use medium format for. It's smaller and lighter than any of the SLRs, so I think it's worth serious consideration.
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Not good for using with filters though and, while not technically a rangefinder, it has a rangefinder-style finder. Neither the view nor the metering is through the lens.

Also, they can be seriously unreliable in my experience. That said, those cameras have great lenses and I actually really like the portrait orientation.
 
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skysh4rk said:
Not good for using with filters though and, while not technically a rangefinder, it has a rangefinder-style finder. Neither the view nor the metering is through the lens.

Also, they can be seriously unreliable in my experience. That said, those cameras have great lenses and I actually really like the portrait orientation.
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Yes they're not technically rangefinders, but it depends what Woodsy meant by not a rangefinder...
Mine's been completely reliable (touch wood!) so far, but I guess there's more to go wrong over something like the Fuji GW690 which is a very simple camera by comparison.
 
Appreciate the advice Simon :) However I've now ordered a Mamiya 645 Super. For me it had the perfect combination of stuff from my comical list and came in almost bang on budget.
 
Too late now but I would say Pentax 645n ;)
 
I'm picking up this mint/used Mamiya Z 50mm f4.5 next week to add to my other two RZ67 lenses and that'll be most things covered length wise for mainly landscape photography. I'm really getting into the medium format of late, slowly coming away from digital stuff.


Mamiya Z 50mm by Peter McCullough Photography, on Flickr
 
Glad this thread popped up - I'm buying an SQ-A from someone in the Classifieds here and I can't wait. I place all blame on RJ's shoulders, for continually submitting gorgeous photos. Now just need to get some film - is Fomapan in 120 format any good? I'm not terribly keen on the curliness of the 35mm, makes it difficult to get onto spools.
 
Not as curly as Shanghai GP3. There are some rogue batches of 200 and 400 about. Blotches, that some ascribe to a reaction with backing paper. The 400 is pretty rough. The 100 not too bad. I've used quite a few Fomas over the past few years. I've never had a problem with any curly film preventing me from loading it onto a plastic spool.
 
Can any RB67 owners enlighten me a little as to how you use it! I had a look at one at the weekend, there was a bit of a beaten up model in a camera shop in St Albans so i had a quick look at it. I didnt realise there is a bellows element to the whole thing. So i was having trouble just focusing it. So you can move the front forward and back with a bellows arrangement and you also have the traditional focus ring on the lens? DO you just preset the bellows and then use the ring and maybe micro adjust with the bellows still? or what? I liked the look of it, it just seemed a bit of a faff to get something in focus.
 
All focusing is done by moving the lens via the bellows. All lenses have a dof scale on the lens which on a couple of lenses doubles as a tiny focus adjustment for edge sharpness, mostly just the WA I think. I personally find it no problem to focus, everything snaps in to focus when you rack the bellows. In most cases only tiny movement of the dial is actually necessary.
 
ok cheers. Doesn't that change the focal length of the lens though, and consequently the size of the subject in the frame? Its a problem i have with my 5x4, trying to get the right framing of the subject while getting it in focus.
 
AshleyC said:
ok cheers. Doesn't that change the focal length of the lens though, and consequently the size of the subject in the frame? Its a problem i have with my 5x4, trying to get the right framing of the subject while getting it in focus.
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For Macro yeah, for most other stuff you're not really moving the lens that far. Even for a relatively close head shot you'd only have the bellows out a cm or so.
 
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