Medium format. what to buy?

inaneredstripe

inaneredstripe

Messages
6,457
Name
mark
Edit My Images
Yes
Wifey, who cut her teeth on manual film cameras long before digital came on the scene, is looking into medium format camera to play with.

having had a look around ebay etc, she is now pretty confused.
any suggestions as to body, manufacturer etc?
she's looking at a Hasselblad 500C/M at the mo. its got an 80MM planar 2.8 on it and a few bits n pieces £700 ish.
worth it?
 
etrs is 645, 500CM is 6x6...digi backs pretty much miss the point as far as I'm concerned, why would wifey shoot 35mm in the first place..?
 
Digi back is just a distant future possiblity.
She's a pro tog that shoots digital with mainly Canon 5D's.
Medium format film will be to have a play with.
mamiya 645 is also a strong possible.
but if were gonna buy one, it makes sense to buy one that we CAN put a digi back on in future IF we wished too.
 
Bronica is nice but old-school.

Any currently-supported Mamiya or Hasselblad is your best bet if you care about digital backs.
 
mustanir said:
Bronica is nice but old-school.

Any currently-supported Mamiya or Hasselblad is your best bet if you care about digital backs.
Click to expand...

Almost any Hasselblad can accept a digital back, including the 500C, CM & CX as well as the still current CW variant.
 
inaneredstripe said:
Digi back is just a distant future possiblity.
She's a pro tog that shoots digital with mainly Canon 5D's.
Medium format film will be to have a play with.
mamiya 645 is also a strong possible.
but if were gonna buy one, it makes sense to buy one that we CAN put a digi back on in future IF we wished too.
Click to expand...


oh I dunno then, 645 is barely worth the effort over 35mm.
everybody keeps ignoring that and buying the crappy format, so it must be just me..:LOL:

I'm gonna say Blad and Bronnie SQ same as ever, both of which take digi backs but mostly because they aren't 645.

I shall now pour myself a pint of bleach for saying digi in the film forum...:)
 
inaneredstripe said:
just looked at Mr spacemans post and replies on the Blad.
Bronica ETRS looks like a good buy.
Click to expand...

...or Bronica SQ-Ai if you want a lower cost 6x6. Now and then you see new old stock kit at used prices.

Depending on why you're looking at MF, something like a Mamiya 7 (II) could be an interesting and relatively compact option.
 
Mamiya 6 FTW :D

any recommendation will depend on what she wants to shoot with it. For portability a 645 or rangefinder is good. For mainly studio or tripod based work where weight isn't such an issue an rb/rz67 or a 'blad are both nice choices

depending on where abouta in notts you are I have 4 MF cameras you could have a play with to see what you like: a mamiya 6, a mamiya rb67, a 'blad 500C and a yashice 635 TLR
 
Mamiya 6 - or 7 if you've recently won the lottery ;)

Have been doing a little bit of eBay window shopping recently looking at 500c/m's. Saw a 500c/m with 2 backs, 80mm & 150mm lenses, prism finder and a couple of polaroid backs go for <£900. Looked like a bit of a bargain.

The only thing that worries me about 2nd-hand blads is that whilst often looking to be in good condition, they've sometimes been worked to death and are in need of proper maintenance, which isn't cheap.

I guess the real question to ask is, "is it worth £700?"

Has she considered a Rolleiflex?
 
mamiya 6,7 or 7ii , nothing else . well apart from mamiya rb or rz67 if it only stays indoors and on a tripod.
 
****well apart from mamiya rb or rz67 if it only stays indoors and on a tripod***

LOL Most people these days carry more than a RB67 in extra body fat....put the RB67 in a back-pack and you wont know it's there, total weight plus extra lens about 6lbs
 
excalibur2 said:
****well apart from mamiya rb or rz67 if it only stays indoors and on a tripod***

LOL Most people these days carry more than a RB67 in extra body fat....put the RB67 in a back-pack and you wont know it's there, total weight plus extra lens about 6lbs
Click to expand...


statistics show that due to excess weight, people are more trained to carry it every day :LOL:

unless they are very typical and walk only from/to their car :D
 
***oh I dunno then, 645 is barely worth the effort over 35mm.***

....about 2.7 larger neg area compared to 35mm and that can be useful, and you get more wows from the digital guys with medium format ;)
 
ETRSi is a good used buy, plus you get more shots per roll, always useful I thought. Also you have two distinct orientations with the rectangular format, which helps a lot with composing and creativity. I loved mine for general shooting.

Mamiya RB67 (6x7) was always my fave for studio (aside from a Cambo 5x4") - massive view screen for better focussing. Nicer format than 6x6 IMO
 
Last edited:
I think I'm going to invest in an ETRS. I had an RB67 and Pentax 67 previously, but found them a bit cumbersome when it came to handheld shooting so ended up selling.
 
robadob said:
I think I'm going to invest in an ETRS. I had an RB67 and Pentax 67 previously, but found them a bit cumbersome when it came to handheld shooting so ended up selling.
Click to expand...

I've been debating the same question (maybe it's something in the weather), but I'm leaning the other way towards the RB67. I've found what I think is a reasonable deal (£130) on a Pro S with 90mm, WLF, but no backs. Convenient, as I keep getting asked what I want for my birthday (Saturday if you want to bring cake).

I favour the RB67 as I like big negatives and I plan on mostly using it for landscape or landscape-type projects. It's all horses for courses.
 
Last edited:
Horses for courses indeed. That sounds like you've got a very good deal, I'll keep an eye out for backs.
 
Don't forget the Bronica SQA and SQB which are 6x6.

The problem with the Blad is that its all mechanical. Therefore it needs servicing to maintain accurate shutter timing. The other problem is the price of the lenses which are better than the bronica lenses but are about 5 times as expensive. Therefore a nice bronica SQB with 50, 80 and 130mm lenses and a couple of backs will cost you around £500 the same thing based on the 500cm will cost you between £4 and 5K.
 
If the results are what's important here then you just can't beat the SQb. Apart from the slightly cumbersome mirror lock mechanism it's a beautiful bit of kit and can give you negs every bit as good as the 6x6 bodies with more style points.

If the budget is there for more then the blad does look and sound nicer.

If you want to keep the digi options open the you really want to choose from any blad, a contax 645, Mamiya RB/RZ or 645AFD. You can get adapters for other bodies but they add a lot of expense and often create problems with alignment.
 
I usually stay away from MF threads....I have a deep burning desire for a Hasselblad H4D but will end up very single if I impulse buy one of those cheekys! Therefore, in the name of relationship preservation, I stay the hell away!

Having said that...I hear nothing but fantastic rave reviews about the quality of the Mamiya RZ67 Pro II and the positives of the larger format vs the 645 cameras, which are ultimately "cropped format" medium format cameras. So definately consider one of those :D
 
Another vote for the Bronica systemm I have a SQ-Ai whihc I think is great.

However if you are looking to go digital (pass the bleach Joxby :LOL:) then you really are lookng at

Mamiya 645AFD III.
Mamiya RZ67 Pro II/D.
Or Hasselbald as some one said their 500 series will take didgi backs with an adaptor, or, there H1/H2/H4 series which really are lottery money unfortunatly, even used.
 
I don't see the arguments about the weight of the RB67. The whole assembled camera fits nicely into a small gadget bag, and even carrying a couple of lenses, the lot weighs significanly less than the kit people habitually lug around in backpacks. :shrug:
 
Alastair said:
I favour the RB67 as I like big negatives and I plan on mostly using it for landscape or landscape-type projects. It's all horses for courses.
Click to expand...

Sounds a fair price. Make sure it has the rotating back adapter fitted or it's something else you'll have to source, although there are usually plenty about. I might be able to help you out with a very tidy 120 back which has recently had the seals replaced. Let me know when you're ready if you're interested.
 
It wasn't so much the trasporting of the cameras, but more to do with handling whilst taking shots.
 
It really isn't that heavy in use, especially if you use a strap to support most of the weight and just use your hands to focus and recock the shutter mechanism. It is more bulky/heavy than the alternatives though, especially the rangefinders
 
CT said:
I don't see the arguments about the weight of the RB67.
Click to expand...

I think it's one of those internet myths. People read it, believe it and then repeat it as fact.




If I were you I'd got for 6x6 as a minimum. If you're feeling tight fisted or creatively limited you can always fit a 645 back to it. You can't do the opposite with a 645 if you want to go square without sacrificing a lot of the negative's real estate.
 
Kev M said:
I think it's one of those internet myths. People read it, believe it and then repeat it as fact. .
Click to expand...

Well I think the problem Kev is that people associate it with studio use, which is understandable, but it's not that heavy in all honesty and you can hand hold it quite comnfortably. As raa said above, with a neckstrap it sits nicely on your chest at just the right height to drop your eye to the WLF.
 
****if you want to go square without sacrificing a lot of the negative's real estate.***

I'd say the square thinking guys are in a minority, because only a few photos look good in square...how many of the great painters, painted square pictures, or how many times in their painting lives.
erm so what's the point of a square neg when you are going to crop it anyway to look better, so 15 shots from a 6X4.5 is more efficient.
Also if the square format was a great idea why don't digital cameras break from 35mm tradition and have square pictures/screens, surely it would be easier to design the electronics for that format.
 
Last edited:
Knikki said:
Another vote for the Bronica systemm I have a SQ-Ai whihc I think is great.

However if you are looking to go digital (pass the bleach Joxby :LOL:) then you really are lookng at

Mamiya 645AFD III.
Mamiya RZ67 Pro II/D.
Or Hasselbald as some one said their 500 series will take didgi backs with an adaptor, or, there H1/H2/H4 series which really are lottery money unfortunatly, even used.
Click to expand...

No adapter needed for CFV 16, 39 or 50 MP backs :p
 
There is lots of sense in what you say there Brian but 6*6 cameras aren't just about being sensible. They are wonderfully challenging and expressive artists tools and I'm writing this surrounded by square photos.

6*45 is the most sensible way into MF but I've never liked any of the systems I've used. None make the act of taking a photograph feel like an event in the way the larger formats do. In this time where there is no real need for MF film, when it is used it should be fun and an event to enjoy. Even if it's not always very efficient.
 
If you spring for a Mamiya, go for RZ over RB. RB won't take a digital back as far as I know. It's also heavier, but that never stopped me from taking my RB67 on holiday with me to China or lugging it up every hill I get the chance to get up.
 
I'm pretty sure you can get Phase Ones and other digi backs which fit the RB67 with an adapter. Unless things have changed recently though, there aren't any bigger digi backs than 645 so you're losing out on the potential compared to the 6X7 neg size, Also your wide angle lenses would suddenly become pretty er... unwide!
 
Last edited:
CT said:
I'm pretty sure you can get Phase Ones and other digi backs which fit the RB67 with an adapter. Unless things have changed recently though, there aren't any bigger digi backs than 645 so you're losing out on the potential compared to the 6X7 neg size, Also your wide angle lenses would suddenly become pretty er... unwide!
Click to expand...


yep, they are leaf backs made for Blad's but with an adapter plate, its the same for the SQ, I don't think there is a dedicated back for these two like there is for the ETRs.
I dunno why we're calling them 645 backs anyway, the biggest one there is is still less than 80% of a 645 frame....its the crop v full frame thing all over again.:LOL:
 
I think 6x6 was used due to lenses/sharpness, I agree that 645 is small compared to 6x6-6x7.

I would love a mamiya 7 but £$$£££

£130 for a RB67 is good, I had one for a few days but they are big and heavy (A lot heavier than my 5x4 camera...)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top