Buying medium format cameras

[yodleboy]

ok, i've been really interested in trying a medium format camera.

unfortunately, i've been a bit hampered by the price, even on EBAY...

is it even possible to get a decent used MF setup for no more than

$250??? I'm starting to think not. even trying to piece one together,

it adds up quick. does anyone have any suggestions? online stores i

should try? I already went to adorama, but prices were no better than

ebay really.

[mharris]

Have you thought about TLR's? Maybe a Yashica A, D or Yashicamat. For a little more you could get a Rolleicord. On the Yashicas look for either a Yashinon or Yashikor lens. The Yashinon being the better lens.

 

Hope that hopes,

Michael

[bueh]

Mamiya M645, C330 and RB67 kits are within your price range. Different cameras, all excellent picture-takers. Try before your buy!

 

If you are new to MF, I recommend the M645 SLRs as they are reliable, cheap and readily available.

[raczoliver]

You'll have to shop around to find a whole set for under $250, but it's not impossible. A Mamiya RB67 with a 90mm lens and one film back should be possible to find, however you should only choose that instead of a TLR if you are planning to expand the system with lenses, film backs and/or other accessories. Otherwise many good TLRs are within your price range.

 

We should also mention the notorious Ukrainian made Kiev and Pentacon cameras. They are within your reach, but read up on the topic before buying into one of them (www.kievaholic.com for example), and don't blame me for anything if you don't.

[andy m.]

Minolta Autocord<p>

Rolleiflex Automat<p>

I use one of each of these and neither cost more than $180, although these cameras should be serviced if you are going to put them to serious use.

[stephen_abbott3]

...or that sound you hear by the ocean...oh yes, a sea gull.

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

How do you intend to use a MF camera? In the studio or out and about? If you want to carry, skip the 6x7 SLR's for now. And the advice on a TLR is good - inexpensive and you can get excellent results once you adapt to the waist level finder.

 

Take a look at Minolta Autocords - very nice camera for short $$$. But try to find one with a Citizen shutter as they are easier to service.

[websterforrest]

Hi,

 

I would add my vote for the Yashica twin lens reflex (such as Yashicamat) idea. I stared medium format with a Yashicamat, and just the other day I was scanning some of the negatives and they were superb. You want to make sure you get one that has 'Yashinon' written on the front of the lens - this is meant to be the best lens. The cameras are long-lasting, and can still be fixed by competent repairmen. It's also very small.

 

-- Webster

[yodleboy]

thanks everyone, this really helps alot!

[yodleboy]

just got a bronica ETRS, 70mm lens, 120 back. can't wait to start shooting.

[buganah]

I also had an interest to be involved in medium format. Its a great way to add diversity to your current photography. I walked past a second hand junk shop and saw a MF camera, and the woman had no idea what it was and figured it was s toy. I gott a libitel 166 medium format, bit rough around the edges, for, wait for it, ten bucks. $10. Now im into MF, not the best quality but it solved my bub i had, now i take great and interesting shots,.....and they are huge....good luck mate. I also saw a box brownie, which could do the trick. Experiment mate,....

[lake_photography]

I have a Minolta Autocord that I bought used over ten years ago and have never had any

problems with it. I just had it completely over hauled simply becasue of age and it is like a

new camera. I have used Bronica's and tried a few others and I have stuck with the

autocord becasue of it's ease of use, light weight and ruggedness.

[theoldman]

At risk of sneers from the high-end market, this is offered for the non-professional (fun) photographer who wants to try out MF without crunching their budget.

Some time ago, after digging out some *very* old MF negatives and printing them, I decided to get back into MF for some specialty fun. I was not disappointed, and here's how I did it "on the cheap":

eBay has a search engine that is second to none for folks who want to sell and buy camera gear. Please note that I *always* first check the vendor's satisfaction rating, the length of time the vendor has been on eBay, and how many items the vendor has satisfactorily sold. If all those items are *not* within high realms, I pass them by. Also, I only pay by MO or certified check, so that eliminates several choices also. With that out of the way, here is what my experience was like:

Several vendors had MF cameras for sale and I finally settled on a Voigtlander Besa-I. Contacted the seller with several questions which he quickly answered satisfactorily. Therefore I bid on the camera and won it for (approx) $85.US. Upon arrival, the camera was pristine in every way, exactly as the vendor had described.

It has a pristine Vascar 1:4.5/105 lens, shutter speeds from B-to-300, F=4.5-to-F=22, timed release, cable release and you can choose between 4x6 or 6x9 (either closeup or infinity for both sizes, giving you 4 choices) by turning a knurled wheel control to change the size of the exposure. Of course, that also changes the number of frames you get from a normal roll of film. If you cannot google a good pic of the Voigtlander Besa-I somewhere else, there is one on my website.

In a prior life, I had carried a Voigtlander 35mm through 9 years of SE Asia with great success. It has taken several hundred (maybe thousands, the slides fill a 2ftx2ft box and other negatives fill about half that much more) of photos and it still works fine today so I was not concerned about the name Voigtlander or quality.

Getting the 120 (color) film developed is a pro-lab job, but does not cost much more than any other film for the developing. Printing is a bit more pricy so I usually just get the negatives and scan them into my computer and only print the ones I want, leaving the others just as digital photos for future reference. (always backup on disc plus domain, hard drives sometime go south unexpectedly!)

So it is possible to experiment (and have fun) with MF without breaking the budget. I popped over to eBay just now and found at least several of these cameras for sale, some quite expensive of course, but others well under $100.US. I live in the US so only buy from US vendors simply because I don't want any hassels with customs on an imported item. Did that once with a persian carpet and really got stung by customs surcharges.

As with anything, you have to be careful what you buy, who you buy it from, and what the seller's conditions of sale are.

But that is quite another subject in itself.

Hope this might help someone who wants to try out MF but can't afford to learn how to spell Hasselblad the expensive way. ;-)