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  #1  
Old 21st January 2010, 08:34 PM
rcheer rcheer is offline
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Default medium format model help

I've been lucky enough to be awarded with a grant from ' The Robert Pilgrim Photographic Trust' to purchase a medium format camera. I would be grateful for any advice in helping me choose. So far I have been thinking about Mamiya C220 or a Mamiya RB67. what do others think? Thanks
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Old 21st January 2010, 08:43 PM
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How about you list your requirements. Studio, location, film format etc etc.
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Old 21st January 2010, 08:55 PM
rcheer rcheer is offline
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The camera would be used for mainly location work, with the ocassional studio use. I shall be shooting in mainly black & white. I've just used Fujifilm Neopan 400 in my SLR, so will prob use the same in 120 as I've been really impressed with its results.
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Old 21st January 2010, 08:55 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by percepts View Post
How about you list your requirements. Studio, location, film format etc etc.
Also any info on how we can get the same grant for an MF would be gratefully received. :

Seriously, well done and Rob's spot on. It is not something to commit to without a good deal of effort to tailor camera to requirements.

Some indication of your budget limits might be helpful as well.

Mike
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Old 21st January 2010, 08:58 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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It all depends on the work you want to do, I use a number of older cameras, from an old rolleiflef automat 4 and a weltaflex tlr to a number of folders,which suits the work I do, but they may not suit you, perhaps a bronica might suit you, they are great cameras and have a great system of lens and are available secondhand in quanity in both 645 and 6x6,it just depends what you want to do,Richard
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Old 21st January 2010, 09:03 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Reading your last post I would suggest something like a bronica might d would do suit you,They are a reasonably sized camera and would do for both location work and studio, and have great len's all with leaf shutters,which is great if you use flash,(sync at all speeds),Richard
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Old 21st January 2010, 09:38 PM
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Sandeha Lynch Sandeha Lynch is offline
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It's difficult to pick one unless you accept the implied compromise between handholdability (or not), portrait and/or landscape format, interchangeability mid-roll (or not), and focal lens choices (or lack of). And that's assuming you're happy with manual exposures and a waist level finder (no hulking prism).

For example, a second hand C220 with a 55mm lens would be an excellent economical choice for handheld work if you only wanted wide. And an RB67 with any lens would equally good if it's always going to be on a tripod.

Condition is all, and if you've never worked with MF cams before be sure you get it from a reliable source with some warrantee and good customer service.
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Old 21st January 2010, 10:38 PM
Neil Smith Neil Smith is offline
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It is difficult to recommend a particular camera, people develop their own preferences. But depending on budget Sandehas recommendations are good I used a C220 for many years with excellent results, RB and RZ Mamiyas are also good but certainly not as portable. The Bronica range are good also, the SQ is a nice camera if you like the square format and you can always crop to rectangle. You can even pick up Hasselblad CMs for £500-£600 which is a steal.

Have a look on Ffordes website, they still have plenty of film camera stock all checked and with 6 months guarantee parts and labour, they even do 7 days approval on mail order. Web Address Below

https://secure.ffordes.com/index.htm

I must point out that I have no connection with Ffordes except buying from them in the past.

It can be good to hold a camera and try it out before you decide which one to buy, as I said people develop preferences for different reasons.

Good luck with your hunt.

Neil


Neil
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Old 21st January 2010, 10:47 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rcheer View Post
The camera would be used for mainly location work, with the ocassional studio use. I shall be shooting in mainly black & white. I've just used Fujifilm Neopan 400 in my SLR, so will prob use the same in 120 as I've been really impressed with its results.
Ultimately there is an element of pure personal choice but the main factors will be price and film format. So you have 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7 or 6x9 or 6x12.
6x9 and 6x12 are really optimal for landscape orientation only but can be used vertical.
6x7 is good for portraits but so are 6x6 or 6x4.5.

6x6 format is good because if you like the square format you never need to rotate camera for portrait format. 6x7 does not have to be rotated for portrait but can be if so desired.

6x6 gives 12 sots a roll. 6x7 only 10. 6x9 and 6x12 even less per roll whereas 6x4.5 can give 16 shots per roll.

Some medium format cameras with changeable backs give options of more than one format. e.g. a hasselblad normally gives 6x6 but can also do 6X4.5 with an alternative back.

Then as has been mentioned some of the classic twin lens reflex cameras are great for hand held portraiture but not much good for other uses.

If you want flexibility then you have to look at the whole system. The Mamiya system has great lens and a wide range of lenses. The hasselblad system also. And they are both still being manufactured and both have huge amounts of second hand equipment available.
Then there are the no longer manufactured cameras such as Bronica which were a lot cheaper.

Then you have Fuji rangefinders in 6x7, 6x8 and 6x9 which wedding photographers loved. Fixed lenses but very simple to operate and high quality lenses.

So further information is required such as what sort of location work. Landscape, product, portraiture, architecture as some are more suitable than others.
And what sort of studio work? Product, still life, portraiture.

Then perhaps think about what lenses you need and whether they are available for the particular camera you are thinking of. For example, for architectural work you may a shift lens. Well you won't get one of those for a Fuji rangefinder but you can for a Hasselblad or a Mamiya.

T4 in Newbury used to be a good shop for equipment but it is a very long time since I was there. They had a good selection of S/H kit but these days with feebay most S/H shops have next to no stock to look at.
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Last edited by Argentum; 21st January 2010 at 10:56 PM.
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Old 22nd January 2010, 08:09 AM
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Steve Smith Steve Smith is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Neil Smith View Post
It can be good to hold a camera and try it out before you decide which one to buy
That's definitely worth doing as different cameras suit different people.

e.g. I am perfectly happy hand holding my RB67 whereas Sandeha suggests it should only be used on a tripod - neither of us is wrong, just different.

Given the situation you are in, and if I was going to buy my first medium format camera with the (limited) knowledge I have now, I think I would go for a Bronica SQ system (Or Hasselblad if I could afford it).


Steve.
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