Best "in the field" Medium Format camera

<p>The best TLR that I've used is the Rolleiflex.<br>

I have no problems with a Hasselblad, although it's heavy. I considered a Mamiya, but they are big.<br>

A rangefinder might be nice, those are smaller than SLR and one won't have to think about taking extension tubes or long lenses into the field. They also tend to be quite hand holdable.<br>

But in the end, you first need to decide on the type of camera to make the right compromise.</p>

<p>How come nobody has mentioned the Contax 645?<br>

It has the fastest shutter speed in medium format, excellent Zeiss lenses,<br>

costs less than hasselblads and rolleis, is lighter and more compact than other MF SLR's and offers auto focus<br>

IMHO this qualifies it to be The Best "in the field" Medium Format Camera.</p>

<p>I have to agree with Marco. I love my Contax 645. Not very heavy, great lenses, very ergonomic. I have a Hassy, too, with a PM5, but I tend to use the Contax more often because it feels so good in my hands.</p>

<p>Like the Pentax and Contax 645s mentioned above, the Mamiya 645 is great in the field; light and slick to operate. If you need fast lenses, the Mamiya 645 stands out as the best choice. Every focal length from 45mm to 300mm is available with at least an f2.8 maximum aperture: 45/2.8, 55/2.8, 70/2.8, 80/2.8 AND 80/1.9(!), 110/2.8, 150/2.8, 200/2.8, and 300/2.8. No other medium format system can match it for the *fastest* range of lenses.</p>

<p>The speed only drops off slightly for the ultrawide lenses (28/4.5 and 35/3.5), the specialist lenses (24/4 fisheye, 50/4 shift, 80/4 and 120/4 macro, 145/4 soft-focus, 150/3.8 leaf-shutter), the longest telephoto (500/4.5), and the zoom lenses (55-110/4.5, 75-150/4.5, 105-210/4.5).</p>

<p>There are also slower versions of the telephotos from 150mm upwards, for those who need to save money or weight.</p>

<p>All of which means that the Mamiya 645 also offers the *widest* range of lenses in MF!<br>

[...bar of course the large-format style cameras with bellows and lensboards, in which case there are hundreds of potential lenses, ancient and modern].</p>

<p>Yet neither Contax nor Mamiya are a lot smaller than a 6x6 Hasselblad. If at all.<br>

So don't be swayed by the size thing too soon. ;-)<br>

Bear in mind too that you do need a prism on a 6x4.5 camera.</p>

<p>If it were between the Mamiya and a Hasselblad... i would go for the latter.<br>

The Contax is a different beast though. Excellent camera, with good metering and absolutely great lenses.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I use Mamiya RZ67PROII and Mamiya 645AFD in filed with no problems. Mamiya is cheap than Hasselbled and have very high quality lenses and bodys. The Z series lenses are the best i ever seen in optics. Shure is a heavy system to take with us for long walkings, but at 1 month ago i take my RZ with me in my backpack walking in Spain highlands in north with not much problem. Ansel Adams have sayed he take with him allways the most heavy camera he can carry :)</p>

<p>A Mamiya system based on a body like the super/pro/TL is a great field camera. Sharp glass, cheap and good availabilty. Very simple to use. Not too heavy and fairly compact for the genre. For the price of a decent hasselblad body you can pretty much get a pro-Tl with 3 lenses and a couple of backs AND a metered prism. The pro-TL with a single lens like the 80mm or 45mm is compact enough to squeeze into a small bag like a lowepro TLZ, the type designed for a 35mm SLR with a zoom, making it good for walkaround/travel shots.</p>

<p>The only downsides are mirror slap when handheld (I've had unsharp results at 1/60th with the 80mm even with my steady hands), slow flash sync, limiting depth of field for landscapes even when at f/22 (all of these are par for the course for MF SLR), and the metering display only goes down to 1 second.</p>

<p>Depends on what you need. I would pick from Mamiya 7, Pentax 67II, Hasselblad SWC or the new Fuji 67 folding rangefinder.</p>

<p>I have the 645 Pro in the past and never have sharpness problems, the camera have a button to look mirror, because it´s a medium format mirror, a big one. The RZ series with the shutter in lenses, if you look mirror and due the camera wheight, you can produce so sharp images as a large format camera. Same for 645 series.</p>

<p>Well, i have owned the 7II and sold it. It takes great photos but it is not built all that well. I then bought a Blad 501CM and have never looked back. Best thing for you, try and get your hands on one, hold it, play with it and you will be sold. <br /> I have taken my Blad into some remote areas and there is no issue with portability. The biggest plus for me over the Mamiya was the ability to change film types mid roll and the huge availability of used lenses and accessories.</p>

<p>In medium format, I currently use both Hasselblad (503) and Rolleiflex (2.8f-TLR). I have also owned the Mamiya 7II. I find that I use the 50 year old Rolleiflex the most, in that it is light, has an exceptionally sharp 2.8 Planar lens, and in general, is just fun to shoot with. While the Mamiya lenses were superb, I did not find them better than the aforementioned, nor was the Mamiya fun to carry, so I sold it (and don't miss it). Good luck.</p>

<p>Well my budget is also in the under 700 dollar range...also i was looking into tlr's (rolleiflex and rolleicords). Also what about durability for these cameras?</p>

<p>Oh and what about some older vintage folding cameras? ex. zeiss ikon/nettar, bessa I and II, Agfa's...etc</p>

<p>Yes, the Hassy loves a tripod and vice versa, but what camera doesn't? That studio only myth is just a myth. I am 75 years old and a good deal shakier than I was. I found the Hassy hard to hand hold at first, but familiarity bred steadiness. I can now shoot at 1/125 with confidence and I would think a younger, healthier person could beat that. In a pinch, I mount a 45 degree prism and a left side handle and go down to 1/30 with pretty good sucess (all this with the 80mm).<br>

Technique is everything. Shorten the strap by taking a loop or two around your hand and put a little tension on the strap - squeeeez the trigger.</p>

<p>I have used a mamy 645 Pro, a 'Blad 500c/m and the Contax 645 in the field. If I were going to make a choice of a system camera, it would probably be the mamy.</p>

<p>But then the 500c/m is an icon that electrifies the hands with class, the C645 is a working sob that is is very, perhaps more technically capable. I have the blad and the C645. I'd still have the mamy but it was ripped off.</p>

<p>So I guess I have to change my recommendation for one of each of these cameras.</p>

<p>No offense to Mr Marsing but this question is pretty impossible without knowing what kind of pictures he takes. The myth of a do it all medium format camera is a myth. After owning a variety of them I've come to the conclusion that each has some wonderful applicaitons and some bad ones. A lot of this has found it's way into the conventional wisdom but each camera has it's proponents (apologists?) that try to refute the conventional wisdom. Portraits in the field on a tripod or off - get a Hassselblad or some other 6x6 or 645 slr (interchangeable Mamiya tlr close second). Studio portraits get a RB RZ 67 - neg size matters). Environmental portraits (people in a scene) and scenery in general get a Rollei or other non-interchangeable tlr. Travel with multiple points of view needed - get a Mamiya rangefinder (lightweignt). Don't neet ot alter your point of view get a Fuji 6x9. Sports or flexibility handheld with lots of detail - get a Pentax 67. It's only when you get a camera to do an alternative task that you sacrifice (Rangefinder Mamiya for head shots, Hasselblad and sports.) I feel each medium format camera type is a specific tool and get the one that matches what you want to take a picture of. For the record I take pictures of buildings a lot so I take a Plaubel superwide or a Mamiya 7 when I want to do medium format work.</p>

<p>for that budget, the choice is pretty obvious to me: pentax 67.</p>

<p><em>"Bear in mind too that you do need a prism on a 6x4.5 camera."</em></p>

<p>Why?</p>

<p>Elliot, if you want a tlr then stick with Rolleiflex, as they are not only the best built but the only ones still commonly being serviced. As for the old folders, there are some real bargains. One of my favorite was an Ansco 6x9 with a three element coated lens that I bought for $30. The shutter was one stop slower than marked and it only had zone focusing, but stopped down to f11 at infinity it was surprisingly sharp.</p>

<p>Lots of good posts here. I've owned a Pentax 67 and among film formats I currently own a Pentax 645n, a Graphic 6x9, a Fuji G617 plus LF Graphic and Wisner 4x5s. I've also shot with Mamiyas and Hasselblads and all of this over the last 20 years. I've preferred transparency film and Velvia and Provia, in particular. I also shoot mostly landscapes and nature. All that said, the following may seem like heresy but it works for me.</p>

<p>For the most part, I've given up on film medium format with the exception of the 617. I've found that traveling or backpacking, a medium format body, several lenses, winds up being a tremendous hassle in terms of weight. My experience with foreign airlines in terms of carryon weight allowances has not been particularly good especially when you add a laptop to the carryon mix.</p>

<p>My solution is quite simple: I take a lightweight DSLR, several lenses and I take 3-5 multiple overlapping frames of a scene and I stitch the frames. I can usually approximate the same look as Velvia or Provia. I frequently use HDR processing and while possible with film, it isn't practical from an efficiency standpoint.</p>

<p>On a recent trip I shot one scene with overlapping frames shot vertically on a tripod and I netted a 300 meg file. This solidly in the realm of a 6x9 drum scan. Actually, the results were more like a 4x5 scan because the noise/grain at ISO 100 was lower than any film stock I could have used and with greater dynamic range than any transparency film stock.</p>

<p>The other issue is mobility. With the exception of the Pentax 645s or the Contax, most MF systems are substantially slower requiring manual manipulation of some functions and/or manual metering. The Pentax 645n wins hands down in terms of speed of use in the field. But even then I still prefer stitching multiple digital frames.<br>

Your mileage may vary. :-)</p>

<p>Mr. Wood, if a person uses film, could they take multiple exposures they way you're doing it, and after scanning the negatives, stitch the digitized images together using film? I'm just asking, it seems possible.</p>

<p>Absolutely. It's quite possible to stitch scanned film frames. From the standpoint of time consumed from exposure to final stitched file, it takes longer to complete because of processing, scanning, etc. It all happens much more quickly with digital files as a source.<br>

A 35mm SLR could certainly be used to take multiple frames, that scanned and stitched, would give MF file sizes. As for using film for stitching, I do it sometimes in a backward fashion. My Imacon Photoflex scans 617 but not 4x5 frames. I use the 617 carrier to hold 4x5 frames and by scanning one side of the frame, then the other, I've been able to scan 4x5s at high resolution without resorting to the higher cost of a scanner natively capable of handling that size.</p>

<p>Elliot,<br>

Luckily, I have had a lot of medium format cameras to use over the years.</p>

<p>I once owned a Rapid-Omega 100. Konica made great lenses. If it weren't for eBay nobody would want to buy yours if you wanted something else. The Rapid-200 models will let you change film in mid roll. It's a big camera and the only thing rapid about it is the focusing and film advance. You can change lenses in mid-roll but you have to put a dark slide to accomplish it.</p>

<p>Using your budget as a guideline, I would stick to the 500 C/M Hasselblad recommendation. Lots of possibilities to expand the system with more lenses as you want to grow. Even expands to digital if your check book will take you there.</p>

<p>If you wanted something that isn't Hasselbad expensive, consider the <a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Mamiya-645-1000s-w-80mm-f2-8-Prism-Kit_W0QQitemZ120458161617QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item1c0bddadd1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">older Mamiya 645 1000s model.</a> They are plentiful and the lenses are excellent. They handle very similar to the Hasselblad.You can probably get the camera and an extra lens for the budget you mentioned.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>If you want a more compact system, and don't have a need for any additional lenses or backs, go with a Rolleiflex- they've got excellent optics, and they have very few moving parts (just the shutter, really), so there is very little that can go wrong when you're in the field. If you find yourself constantly switching lenses, and if you want to switch between several different types of film, then go with a Hasselblad (though, for under $700 you may not end up with a very complete setup- probably just one lens and a couple of A12 backs). Hope this helps.</p>

<p>If you do settle on a Rolleiflex, you should have no problem finding one within your budget. Here's what a quick search came up with:<br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-T_W0QQitemZ230366659306QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item35a2ec42ea&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-T_W0QQitemZ230366659306QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item35a2ec42ea&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-3-5-Automat-with-Zeiss-Opton-Lens-Nr-903517_W0QQitemZ280383427866QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item414827951a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-3-5-Automat-with-Zeiss-Opton-Lens-Nr-903517_W0QQitemZ280383427866QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item414827951a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-3-5T-with-Tessar_W0QQitemZ280383477600QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item4148285760&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-3-5T-with-Tessar_W0QQitemZ280383477600QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item4148285760&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-T-Type-II-Version-1-Medium-Format-TLR-Camera_W0QQitemZ160352954100QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item2555c7e6f4&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-T-Type-II-Version-1-Medium-Format-TLR-Camera_W0QQitemZ160352954100QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item2555c7e6f4&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLLEIFLEX-AUTOMAT-4-MX-SYNC-W-7-5CM-3-5-OPTON-T-TESSAR_W0QQitemZ110422744387QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item19b5b55d43&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLLEIFLEX-AUTOMAT-4-MX-SYNC-W-7-5CM-3-5-OPTON-T-TESSAR_W0QQitemZ110422744387QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item19b5b55d43&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/D336-Rolleiflex-3-5-75-mm-Planar-2-8-75-mm-Heidosmat_W0QQitemZ310159604497QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item4836f3fb11&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/D336-Rolleiflex-3-5-75-mm-Planar-2-8-75-mm-Heidosmat_W0QQitemZ310159604497QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item4836f3fb11&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Nice-Gray-Rolleiflex-T-Recent-CLA-in-Germany-Warranty_W0QQitemZ400065275722QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item5d25bfa74a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/Nice-Gray-Rolleiflex-T-Recent-CLA-in-Germany-Warranty_W0QQitemZ400065275722QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item5d25bfa74a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Rolleiflex-T-Recent-CLA-in-Germany-Warranty_W0QQitemZ390077028791QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item5ad26719b7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Rolleiflex-T-Recent-CLA-in-Germany-Warranty_W0QQitemZ390077028791QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item5ad26719b7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLLEIFLEX-3-5-B-AUTOMAT-MX-EVS-FILM-CAMERA-USED_W0QQitemZ180383001029QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item29ffaa29c5&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/ROLLEIFLEX-3-5-B-AUTOMAT-MX-EVS-FILM-CAMERA-USED_W0QQitemZ180383001029QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFilm_Cameras?hash=item29ffaa29c5&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><br>

<a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-TLR-2-1-4-X-2-1-4-1-1-2-X-2-1-4-VINTAGE_W0QQitemZ300136453782QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45e186d696&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14">http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-TLR-2-1-4-X-2-1-4-1-1-2-X-2-1-4-VINTAGE_W0QQitemZ300136453782QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45e186d696&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14</a><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/Rolleiflex-TLR-2-1-4-X-2-1-4-1-1-2-X-2-1-4-VINTAGE_W0QQitemZ300136453782QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item45e186d696&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14"></a></p>