medium format cameras

<p>Hi guys,<br>

Im gonna be traveling around india and i'm looking for a medium format camera that gives off very artistic shots without giving the wallet to much of a beating. Any recommendations for a camara that can produce really rich and colourful pics would b greatly appreciated.<br>

Thanks<br>

jonny </p>

<p>Why a medium format camera should give you "very artistic" and "colourful" shots ? Medium format cameras are not that easy to operate, colour film needs careful exposing and development, scanning, etc... I would say, just get as good a DSLR as you can afford and be done with it - if you want to exaggerate, instead of the usual cheap zoom try to get a decent prime lens. That is it.</p>

<p>It depends on what you mean by "very artistic shots". Some people consider images made with a Holga very artistic, and that will set you back about US$25.00 or so for 6x6 images. Regardless, the artistry is going to come from you, not your camera.<br>

Rich and colourful pictures will be had with any number of films and will depend less on the camera itself. Velvia is going to give you super saturated colors in chromes, Portra VC (in various speeds) will give you great prints.<br>

As you're going to be traveling, I think you need to consider the size and weight of the camera. An old TLR will be light and relatively cheap now: Yashica D or later, or a Mamiya C220. A Mamiya 645 may fit the bill, though a Mamiya 6 or 7 may be out of your budget. Bronica ETRSi may be an alternative as well. Stay away from Seagull.</p>

 

<p>Med format options include slrs, rangefinders, and tlrs and the format includes 6x4.5, 6x6, 6x7, 6x9 and so on. A used Bronica RF 6x4.5 rangefinder with a 65/f4 lens would be a very nice lightweight item. If you want a used slr, options include Hasselblad, Pentax, Bronica, Contax, & Mamiya. Rich and colorful pics are the result of operator talent and technique more than hardware. <em>It's the carpenter, not the hammer IMO.</em><br>

Henry Posner<br /> <strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>

<p> </p>

<p>I like my Mamiya 7 II - it's compact and light and it produces a nice 67 neg. But there are limitations, such as close focus that isn't very close. In addition, MF isn't great for low light because you'll need to stop down to get enough DOF.</p>

<p>A nice 645 SLR is versatile and not very expensive. The Bronica ETRSi suggested above has leaf shutter lenes that flash sync at all speeds. Or you could go with 6x6. A TLR is a good compact choice for travel.</p>

<p>If you really believe that it's the camera that makes the pictures "colourful", "artistic" and "really rich" you are bound to fail with whatever camera you buy.</p>

<p>Better get a good, non-entry-level dSLR with a couple of prime lenses and learn photography while traveling scenic India.</p>

<p>It looks as if some folks want to push you to digital. Ignore them and buy what you want to use.</p>

<p>Is the trip about photography or about the traveling? I leave the Hasselblad at home if it's about travelling, especially if it's traveling with other people or visiting people who aren't photography people. Shooting with a camera that doesn't have a meter is going to be slower than shooting with a modern SLR/DSLR with TTL matrix metering. Shooting film requires dealing with rolls of film while in transit. <br>

I'm with the people who suggest a TLR, but preferably one of the later models with a working meter, but without some prior experience with a film camera, using a TLR or any cheaper medium format camera isn't like shooting with an automatic everything DSLR.</p>

<p>You didn't say what you budget was.</p>

<p>You didn't say how much you know about photography (can you use a handheld lightmeter?).</p>

<p>You didn say if you will be taking B&W, colour negatives, or colour slides.</p>

<p>You didn't say what your subjects would be.</p>

<p>You didn't say how the pictures would be displayed: projected slides, large prints on the wall, medium prints in an album, small prints in a album, or just viewed on a computer screen.</p>

<p>You didn't define what "...gives off very artistic shots without giving the wallet to much of a beating..." means</p>

<p>So how are we to help you find a camera?</p>

<p>If I were in your shoes, I'd get a Pentax 645N (or NII) and some lenses to go with it. Relatively inexpensive, intuitive, operates much like a 35mm SLR, great glass, and an all-around good value. Your choice of film will be important; you need to investigate the pros and cons of various films. The artistic output will come from you. The color will come from your film and from your post-processing (assuming you will scan to have digital images).</p>

<p>Have quite a few MF cameras. Folders, TLRs, Mamiya RB, and a Mamiya Universal. But, for traveling, bought a Mamiya 645 Pro. About the size of a DSLR, takes 15 photos. And, can be used with a metered prism finder.</p>

<p>The only really portable MF cameras are the 6x4.5 systems. Of these Mamaya and Pentax are the cheapest - Mamiya being the more readily available of the two. You may also want to consider Bronica which is also cheap. Either of these with a metering prism offers SLR ease of use and is not too much bigger. Lenses for both are fairly reasonable. Your other option is to go with a TLR (again Mamiya is a good bet) or a rangefinder (mamiya or Bronica)</p>

<p>You can't go by format alone, and deem the smallest format the most portable.<br>

The old Mamiya 645, for instance, is actually bigger than some 6x6 cameras.<br>

And if you add the prism you need to shoot verticals ...<br>

So do also take a look at the cameras and see which one ticks all the boxes.</p>

<p>Invest a hundred bucks in any postwar Rolleicord in decent condition. Burn a dozen rolls of film, and after that you'll know what you really need.</p>

<p>Unless you have a real desire shooting film etc .. I would just get a compact dSLR and a kit lens and be done with it, a all in one automatic camera while on holiday. </p>

<p>What is the difference if you shoot the same settings on both camera ... they both are gonna be rich and powerful. If you do it wrong they both are gonna be crap. Don't forget with film you have no histogram. The best advice I have is really surf sites and read books about India and see what sort of pictures you like to shoot, what angle to point towards,where to stand, what lens to use, what time of day to use, what light is there from the sky etc etc....</p>

<p>Hasselblad 500C or CM with 2.8/80 lens and a meterknob, or a small Sekonic or Gossen light meter. A12 back and standard waist level finder. Has been a workhorse for about 50 years now. Cannot go wrong with that.</p>

<p>Thankyou for all your suggestions guys. I think i'm gonna do some research on the mamiya 645. I've just had a mamiyaflex model c2 TLR given to me as a gift a few days ago so i think i'll burn a few rolls of film and see how they come out. Thanks again to all<br>

jonny</p>

<p>Thankyou for all your suggestions guys. I think i'm gonna do some research on the mamiya 645. I've just had a mamiyaflex model c2 TLR given to me as a gift a few days ago so i think i'll burn a few rolls of film and see how they come out. Thanks again to all<br>

jonny</p>

<p>I would tend to agree with Mr. Posner above - Medium format options include a wide variety of types. What size Image do you ultimately want? Digital or Film? There are (IMHO) a number of questions only YOU can answer that will greatly assist you in your choices. <br>

This site is a great resource for your search - but you need to know what you want. Photos that have impact are the result of a combination of operator talent and technique much more so than the equipment used to capture the image. <em>It's the carpenter, not the hammer. </em>hI have seen impactful photos from an Instamatic 104 - and I have seen bland images from a Hasselblad - so get on out there and use your imagination and vision (never an included feature in ANY Camera). Happy shooting!!</p>

<p>You can pick up MF cameras cheaply now. The old Rolleiflex 3.5F and 2.8F TLRs give amazing results and the meters are perfectly reliable but they are rising in price now. They are also light and very easy to use but cause much interest to onlookers so not a street camera. I have had a Rollei 6008 (bulky and very heavy), a Bronica 645 (great and easy to handle) and a couple of Rolleiflex TLRs of which I have kept one as I love it. However, if you want MF quality without film hassle get a Sony A900 DSLR. The IQ is stupendous and rather better in my experience than MF. It'll cost you more though, particularly as you'll need high quality lenses to cover the FF format.</p>

<p>I can vouch for the Mamiya 645 Pro TL. It is a good film camera, although a hefty camera, it is still very portable. You can find used ones on ebay fairly reasonable, the mamiya lenses are very sharp and are a great deal, especially the medium range prime lenses, they're cheap and fast 2.8 lenses.</p>

<p>i think the fuji gw690 range would answer your question very well. amAzing price-to-quality ratio - and very lightweight, too. only eight shots on a roll of 120, but it will Definitely give you 'rich and colourful' results!</p>

<p>Go to eBay or craigslist.</p>

<p>Look for TLR - twin lens reflex cameras. When it comes to Rolleis, make sure the seller has used it in the last few months. Rolleis have a problem with their shutters freezing up if they're not used often. Repairing it will cost around $250.</p>

<p>The Sears TLRs were built in Germany. I think they stopped selling them in the 60s. You can get them for under $50.</p>

<p>Unless you find other lenses, you'll be stuck with the 75mm that's built into them.</p>

 

<p>Think about portability as well. There are medium format rangefinders that are quite good and you can snap in p&s mode as well as manually. Look at the Fuji ones to start with, on the used market they're $500-600 for a zoom lens version in great shape. Optically they're not as crisp as the 'Blad optics, but they're nothing to turn up your nose at, either. I'd probably have brought my Fuji 645zi with me to Vietnam if I'd had it then, in addition to my dSLR. It doesn't take up much room and it would have been great for street photography there, and for some nature/landscape stuff as well. Around home I take my Fuji into markets and the like, around my neck, set on wide and a best guess aperture/shutter, and run a remote cable through my shirt sleeve so I can snap pictures (candids) without people knowing. I'd have loved to do that in VN where the streets were colorful and alive but pulling out a camera seemed to make people act differently, which I wanted to avoid. That would have worked with the dSLR, too, but for street photography I like B&W pushed 2 stops for really contrasty shots, and I couldn't get that in digital.<br>

If you like landscapes avoid the RFs and go for a MF 'Blad or similar if you're concerned with tight control over your shooting and focus, and don't rule out LF cameras like the Chamonix 4x5 or similar. The 'Blad is really tough to go wrong with since the optics are superb. As a previous poster suggested, the 80mm CFE is simply stunning, and you could get a 50mm CF for a reasonable price (assuming you think buying a used lens for $800-1000 is reasonable, which I think is reasonable for MF).<br>

Most important... have fun and post pictures when you get back!</p>

<p>I highly recommend the Minolta Autocord TLR,you can achieve the most beautiful images with this camera cost should be between 150-300$ used!!!</p>