Medium Format Camera for new beginner

[joce_tam]

Hey there,

 

I am considering to buy a medium format camera, my budget is around $400-700

Aus dollar?

 

Can anyone give me suggestion?

 

Thanks,

 

Joce

[syd]

Hey Joce.

 

I'm a fellow Aussie and know how tough it can be buying Photographic equiptment in this part of the world. I think your best bet (unless you find a great deal in the *Photographic Trader* - buy it at your local newsagent) - is to buy from the U.S and import as I have done on many occasions. Your other option is to buy from Ebay, if you research what your looking for and are wise.

 

For somewhere in the upper end of your budget you should be able to buy an RB67 kit with one good lens from any number of places. My advice is to go with Midwest and if you don't have any joy there try KEH. But the best advice I can give you is don't buy through the local retail outlets as they have stupidly inflated prices for 2nd hand.

 

http://mpex.com/frames.html (Midwest Photo Exchange) Talk to Jim; I have bought from him on several occasions and all my equiptment has been near mint!

 

Good luck.

[syd]

Here you go Joce...

 

RB-67 Pro Outfit w/90 f3.8Non-C,ProS120Bk, W/L fndr., 8+ $425 USD.

 

http://www.mpex.com/current_index.htm

 

$425 USD = $607.14 AUD, if you add shipping and the small ammount for import duty + GST you will get yourself a great unit of a classic system for under $700 AUD!!! I promise you, you won't get that deal in Australia. By the way I use the Mamiya RB67 system myself and it's one of the top pro workhorses with a fully interchangable system.

 

Good luck.

[goemon]

What do you want to do with it?

 

I happen to think that TLRs are very good MF starter cameras; they're usually not

enormous and heavy, they work reasonably fast, the quality is usually very good, and from

there you can figure out what you really want, if it turns out you didn't want a TLR.

[cenelsonfoto]

You might want to check out this guy, in your part of the world, too.

 

http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~razzle/index.html

 

Does fun stuff with old Lands. I want one of his 75mm/6x12 conversions, but of course I cant afford any toys right now.

 

I also second the TLR idea. I love mine and they can be had for a pittance.

 

Good luck.

[j._bradley_deal]

Joce,

For about a third of your budget you can get a good Yashica-Mat TLR in good condition from the -Bay. I payed $65 USD for my Yashica D in excellent condition. They are very light and portable. A good all around choice for portrait(IDEALLY SIUTABLE IMOH) or for landscape work as well. How automated do want the camera to be? That is where the budget can get blown out of the water. What do you intend to shoot? No doubt you will get a wide range of good opinions and good advice here. CHeers! Brad.

[alec_holst]

i am a beginner to Mf like yourself, and i just got a yashica 124g off ebay for about $115(usd). I love it so far and think it is very capable of producing great images. It's fun and easy to use and it syncs at 1/500th. ALso if you end up not liking it, you can easily resell it for what you paid for it...no reason a 30 year old camera would go down in prices now.

[pavelp]

What kind of camera would you like? SLR, rangefinder, TLR or something else? What do you plan to do with the camera (shoot fast moving subject or portraits/landscapes?) Do you want interchangeable lenses? What film format you think you'll prefer: 6x6 (square), 6x7, 6x4.5 (possibly others)? Do you want to be abvle to handhold your camera or will it be attached to a tripod pretty much all the time?

 

If you just want to get your feet wet, TLR is great suggestion. Rollei, Minolta Autocord, Mamiya (interchangeable lenses), Ricoh Diacord, Yashica, all are very good with excellent optics.

[bueh]

My suggestion is: A Mamiya RZ67 with the 180mm tele/portrait lens or the 65mm wide angle lens and a hand meter should be within your budget. Later on you get the other lens and, if you really, really need it, a normal lens. Your pictures will have the best possible quality from the start and this will encourage you to use your stuff. If you are timid and want buy twice, start now with a fine twin lens reflex camera with a working light meter (e.g. Yashica-Mat 124G) and upgrade later to a bigger negative or a more versatile TLR (Mamiya 220/330) or 6x6 SLR.<br>

Or work it out for yourself: How large should your negative be, what modern cameras for that negative size can be bought with your budget and what kind of photos and shooting style will you prefer. All camera types (TLR, SLR, range finder) have their strength and weaknesses. Find out what you like, check them out in a shop and don't compromise. I am looking forward to see your photos.

[robert_reiss]

I asked this question once and ended up buying a Mamiya 330 and several lenses on ebay. I regret to say that I haven't used it much because it's a bit primitive. (I keep planning to do so, however). I have been thinking of selling it in favor of a manual focus Pentax 645 which are selling inexpensively and are reported to have xlnt lenses and ergonomics (especially with regard to the ability to hand hold and slr view finder). Many on this forum recommend KEH as standard of sorts when looking for good deals on used medium format equipment. I'd check out the Pentax, Mamiya, and Bronica systems. Even older Hasselblad cameras seem to be coming into an affordable range if all you want is a standard kit. After reading dozens of threads (which you can also do), the optical quality of these systems is probably equal for real world use. You need to answer for yourself questions regarding the ability to hand hold easily vs. format shape/size and availablity and cost of extra lenses and accessories.

 

Later, I bought an rz67 pro II with metering prism which is an excellent camera but heavy for use off of a tripod. The things I like about it are the options for metering without a separate light meter and excellent optical quality plus the ability to take a polaroid back which has been very helpful when using studio strobes. An RB67 would be a less expensive way to get great lenses and interchangeable backs, but without an internal meter, I have read. The RB also requires that you advance the film and cock the shutter separately. The RZ67 bodies (even the older ones, I would think) have a single lever that advances the film and cocks the shutter at the same time. I think this is worthwile in real world use, less to forget about when you are first starting out.

[bueh]

Okay, I didn't know exactly how much your AUS$ were worth. The RZ is probably too expensive but I would still go for it and save a little longer to buy it. It is a wonderful and foolproof camera. Though I agree with Robert in suggesting this camera, I don't think a AE (auto exposure = light meter) prism is worth its money. Way too heavy and expensive, better learn how to use a good hand-held incident light meter. Bright viewfinder, close and easy focussing, high versatility, great macro capability and excellent glass are the highlights of this camera.

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

I, too, started out with a Mamiya C330f, a TLR with interchangable lenses. The 180mm Super lens is really nice for portraits. Nice camera, but I sold it about a year ago. The system was bulky, heavy, and slow to use. Not the ideal for capturing my young children in action.

 

I'm currently shooting a 35mm Contax IIIa rangefinder. It's a dream to use, and the Zeiss lenses are amazing. And I can get really nice 8 x 10's (haven't tried to print larger).

 

But I do still think of getting another MF camera. The Mamiya 645 system looks nice, and it's cheap when purchased used. SLR's are great for macro work, if that's an interest. You should be able to get a good older body, such as a 1000s, and a lens or two to start.

 

The Mamiya RB/RZ systems look too big for me to lug around (I don't shoot in a studio). Great cameras, just not prctical for my uses.

[lee_shively]

The Mamiya TLR's are relatively inexpensive and the lenses are very good. Interchangeable finders and lenses make it very flexible. They are pretty indestructible, too. I've owned one, off and on, for 30 years.

 

I'm a recent purchaser of a Pentax 645 outfit (original manual focus model). The lenses are excellent, especially the 75mm which is outstanding. It handles like a 35mm SLR, albeit a heavy one. If you're looking to make the transition from a 35mm SLR to medium format, the Pentax would be a good choice.

 

You should be able to buy a used body with normal lens of either of these cameras within your price range.

[afs760bf]

Well, if you just want to try out MF, and like the classics, try a Koni Omega or Rapid Omega. It's a rangefinder, and as a complete setup, comes with four lenses - 60mm, 90mm, 135mm, and 180mm. 6x7 format. Ten exposures on 120 film. Inexpensive and very sharp. Just a suggestion.

Best,

Barry

[lee_frost]

Joce,

 

Hi,

 

I live in OZ and buy all my gear from ebay in the US. I have bought about 20 items over the last couple of years from MF to SLR 35mm.

Don't worry about import duty on second-hand gear as there isn't any, but make sure you tell the trader to mark the item 'used'.

 

Open a Paypal account [it's free to open one] and never, never buy from anyone who won't take Paypal [you are covered against not getting your goods and it has never happened to me yet].

 

Your AU$700 should be spent so you only get one or two postage costs if possible. I recently bought a ETRSI body, 3 lenses, 2 viewfinders and 2 backs [everything Mint] from 3 dealers all up, but all postage was cost only. Always Contact trader first to find out if the postage is going to be the actual cost or is he going to slug you a heap extra to put it in a box, as a lot of US ebayers seem to think that doubling/tripling the actual postage and insurance cost is fair dealing [$US40/$AU60 for a standard Nikon lens size parcel isn't uncommon], something I have never seen in Oz, this 'value adding' behavior.

 

I won't give camera advise as to model as you didn't sat what the usage will be.

 

I would strongly suggest forgetting PRO MF gear as service costs in Oz cost a fortune. That would rule out any RB67/Pentax 67/any type of 66 except perhaps a TTL type in top condt.

 

Look at older 645's [ETR/ETRS/Mamiya etc.] in 'Excellent +' condt. too, as that gear will mostly have only had amateur use only. All larger formats for your price range will have been flogged to death. Service costs are cheap in the US, but here you will have to sell your house first and then wait forever to see the camera again.

 

Sending off recently acquired gear for a service first is the norm. in the US, but here you want gear that will be in great shape when you get it. Not easy. Look here for cameras with a lot of threads about things going wrong with their camera. Note the brand/model and avoid. Look for well known cameras but rarely mentioned for problems. Target them on ebay if they suit.

 

Cheers.