Advice on medium format

PoleStar

Hi guys, having developed a taste for film photography (with my Nikkormat FTN 35mm film camera), I am dying to try medium format.

I was hoping for some advice as to what to buy!

I dont want something bulky like the TLR cameras as I want it to be portable.

What kinda budget do I need for something basic, I am on a shoestring for this!

ender ender

If tlr's are out for their size then slr's probably would be too. I think Hasselblad do the smallest slr's but they're still fairly bulky, Bronica are bigger again and Mamiya RB's and RZ's are absolute monsters.
Maybe the Bronica ETRS or one of the Fuji rangefinders? They're closer to 35mm slr's in size. I'm sure somebody here uses them and will give you more info.

Check out Mr. Cad or Ffordes websites, I got medium format stuff from Ffordes (in Scotland) and they were the cheapest around, good customer service and the stuff was in fairly good condition.

I've got a Bronica SQ-A (slr) and it is big, but not much more bulky than my digital slr. At €260 with an 80mm lens it wasn't madly expensive but I don't know your budget. You could get different backs at a later stage too, for 6x6, 6x.45 or even 35mm panoramic.

PoleStar

Cool I will check those websites out!

Anymore help is greatly appreciated!

magicbastarder

a bronica ETRS would be a shade smaller than a hasselblad; i've used one, and own a hasselblad and a rolleiflex. the hasselblad is my favourite; build quality and ergonomics make it a pleasure to use.
you need to think about how you're going to get your pictures in the end; it's been a while since i had prints made in the high street, but i do recall getting standard 6x4 prints from one place because they had no way of printing square prints en masse from 6x6. factor in a possible light meter (i don't know if any of the 'entry level' cameras would have much of a light meter built in - the bronica and hasselblad i use don't)

to give you an idea of budget - the way i work is mainly to shoot and scan, rather than dev and print my own; so €150 or thereabouts for the light meter, €600 for the camera a few years back, and about €180 for an entry level flatbed scanner which can scan medium format film.
rolls are about €3-€4, and b&w is €4.50 a roll dev and cut in gunns, E6 is probably about the same price for the film but €8.50 dev and cut in the fuji place on abbey street.

TinyExplosions

In terms of size, a Holga is about as small (and as basic) as you'll get for medium format... after that, a Yashica TLR would be the next sort of size up, the into Bronica or Hasselblad territory -they're lovely, but not exactly portable!

Could also check out a Mamiya 6 or 7 series rangefinder, they tend to be a bit more compact

PoleStar

Thanks a mill.

It seems I will be looking at the bronica systems, as the hasselblad is a bit out of my price range!

Effects

The Etrsi has a viewfinder you can get with a light meter so it works in auto shutter priority mode. I got my etrsi in various parts on ebay. Probably easier to buy it all in one if you find someone selling all the parts you want.

jpb1974

I am on a shoestring for this!

If it's a shoestring then your looking at a Holga or a Diana... but it depends on what you define as shoestring... maybe a Mamiya 645 (1000s), they can be got (body, lens, wlf, film back) for about €150 if you're lucky.

thefizz

PoleStar wrote: »

I dont want something bulky like the TLR cameras as I want it to be portable.

A Mamiya 645 camera or as already mentioned one of the Fuji Rangefinders would be a handy size.

minikin

As the fizz said, check out the mamiya 645 pro with the metered prism viewfinder and motorised speed grip, a lot like using a 35mm... have one, lenses are fantastic. centre weighted or spot metering - full auto exposure if you like that sort of thing

DaireQuinlan

If you're REALLY on a shoestring, and you want something that'll take reasonably good quality pictures and is pretty compact, there are 1000s of old compact 6x6 and 6x4.5 folders to be had 2nd hand on EBay. Some with rangefinders, some without, some with metering etc etc. Price wise they can go from next to nothing to staggeringly expensive depending on their collectibility and the whims of the buying public.

Personally, I'd recommend a TLR of some description, you ought to be able to get a good Yashica 12 or something similar for a fairly reasonable price. I've got a Bronica SQA (6x6) and a Yashica 124, the Yashica is probably a little more compact than the Bronica. Whatever you do, if you want compactness, don't consider anything Mamiya 6x7 or TLR gear. While fantastic cameras, their 6x7 cameras in particular are mind bogglingly huge

This guy sells refurbished folders, but I've also found his site a good overview of some of the better models available...
http://www.certo6.com/cameras

pimark

I have a bronica amongst some other cheaper MF gear and can wholly
recommend them. Quality gear at a good price.

redto

have no idea what they are like but they seem cheap and they do from 35mm to 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 inch large format


http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Seagull

PoleStar

God dammit, choices and more choices!

Right I may have been a bit vague in my OP with budget. Having been researching a bit based on the replies here, I would say my total budget is a bout 300 euro but I may go about that in installments ie body first then back and then lens etc over couple of months!

Torture I know but I would just feel guilty forking it all out in one go!

So does this help anyone?

Also, I think portability is going too ha ha from what I have been seeing unless I wanna fork out big bucks for a mamiya 6 or 7, or get a folding camera which I dont want.

God its hard! Now I know what one website meant when he pointed out peoples difficulty in buying a 35mm (canon vs nikon etc) and wondered how on earth anyone could choose a medium format!

Kintarō Hattori

I know in your opening post you ruled out a TLR but they really aren't that big. I got a Yashica 12 a week or two ago and have taken it out and about with me several times. It's fairly compact and doesn't really weigh that much.

TinyExplosions

Here's a few snaps I took this morning to give you an idea of comparative size -the mug is bog standard, so not huge or tiny... the Camera's are a Yashica Mat 124 TLR, a Bronica ETRSi and a Voightlander BESSA I Folding camera:



Size Comparison 1 by blogtackular.com, on Flickr



Size Comparison 2 by blogtackular.com, on Flickr




Size Comparison 3 by blogtackular.com, on Flickr




Size Comparison 4 by blogtackular.com, on Flickr




Size Comparison 5 by blogtackular.com, on Flickr




Size Comparison 6 by blogtackular.com, on Flickr




Size Comparison 7 by blogtackular.com, on Flickr

Chorcai

The lubitel is also very light and shoestring

joolsveer

This is a snap of some of my old cameras. The folder is a Zeiss Ikon Ikonta and has a rangefinder. It still works well.

PoleStar

Everyone is tempting me too much ha ha!

Im so jealous of your collection of 3 medium format cameras! I just want one!

Anyway, for those familiar, is there a huge benefit to using the larger of the medium formats, ie 6x6 or 6x7 (Im only asking because I have kinda put portability on the back burner a bit!).

TinyExplosions

There's no 'benefit' as such, it's just a different neg size... a lot of people equate medium format with 6x6 and like it for the square frame, but 6x4.5 or 6x7 are both good sizes, it's just like a larger 35mm frame really!

Personally, I'd prefer a 6x6, because I like the square frame, but I got a great deal on the Bronica, so I'll stay 645 for a while!

Misa-san

Jumping on the bandwagon a little...

I have a Zeiss Ikon Nettar, not unlike your Zeiss jools - lovely little thing. Just inherited a Brownie Flash 2 aswell (note: early-morning recall of makes and models may not be 100% accurate)

This may be a bit of a silly question - but does anyone have a recommendation on where to get medium format/120 prints done? Just roughly even, workprints, just so I can see how they turned out. I'm conscious of the fact the square format doesn't fit on the standard 6x4 or 7x5 prints without being cropped ...

Would I be best just leaving them in to be scanned to a CD (or even scanning them myself if I can get around to it)?

thefizz

Misa-san wrote: »

Jumping on the bandwagon a little...

I have a Zeiss Ikon Nettar, not unlike your Zeiss jools - lovely little thing. Just inherited a Brownie Flash 2 aswell (note: early-morning recall of makes and models may not be 100% accurate)

This may be a bit of a silly question - but does anyone have a recommendation on where to get medium format/120 prints done? Just roughly even, workprints, just so I can see how they turned out. I'm conscious of the fact the square format doesn't fit on the standard 6x4 or 7x5 prints without being cropped ...

Would I be best just leaving them in to be scanned to a CD (or even scanning them myself if I can get around to it)?

I could contact print your films for you. A full roll of 120 will fit on one sheet of 12"x9.5" paper. All it would cost you is postage

Simplicius

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

If you're REALLY on a shoestring, and you want something that'll take reasonably good quality pictures and is pretty compact, there are 1000s of old compact 6x6 and 6x4.5 folders to be had 2nd hand on EBay. Some with rangefinders, some without, some with metering etc etc. Price wise they can go from next to nothing to staggeringly expensive depending on their collectibility and the whims of the buying public.

This guy sells refurbished folders, but I've also found his site a good overview of some of the better models available...
http://www.certo6.com/cameras

I have a collection of folders, tlr's etc and if you want lightweight, cheap go for a folder, read the website above reccomended by Daire. coupled rangefinders are not worth it in practice so spend money on simpler model with a better lens. with folders 95% of time you end up guesstimating the distance or prefocusing ( as I do when using them for street).

My current fav is an Agfa Isolette with f/4.5 solinar and it produces cracking results.


That's Entertainment by Anthony Cronin, on Flickr

pimark

I have a Holga which I'm really enjoying using at the moment.
Well worth trying

Chorcai

Light..



Ultra light !!