I wan to but a classic camera, btu I need some advice....

[kevin h. y. lui.]

I want to buy a clasic camera from eBay but I need some advice...because I'm

lost in it. I don't know wheather I should buy a Rolleiflex : 3.5 type or

Automat or Voigtlander : Prominent( I/II ) or Vitessa (not T type)or the

others.

 

The fold cameras are light, but the operation seems not very attracive...and

they have too many types that I don't know which one is good.

 

Please help me with your advice...

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

What is it that you want to do with the camera? Portraits, landscapes, street shots? Do you plan to use a tripod? Will you use it mainly in a studio? If you will use it on location, how much weight do you want to carry? Do you require interchangeable lenses? How large do you plan to print? . . .

[harry_zet]

no one was ever sorry buying a rolleiflex

[robert_mounier]

Begin with a folder like the Voigtlander Vito II, it's a wonderfull pocketable camera with a fine lens, and you can get it for $25.<div></div>

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

"no one was ever sorry buying a rolleiflex"

 

Unless they needed interchangeable lenses. Or they don't like waist-level finders. Or they wanted a small camera to carry in a pocket. Or you have a tight budget (you almost certainly will need a CLA).

 

Rolleis are great - if that's what you need.

[Troll]

If you don't know what you need, then you don't need it.

[j._bradley_deal]

Medium Format is different animal than 35mm. If medium format TLR is the route you want to take I would suggest a Yashica Mat, D or 124. All can be had for $125 or less. Look for a model with Yashinon lenses. They will give any Rolleiflex a run.

-JBD

[dave_powell2]

Hi Kevin,

 

In the 35mm realm:

 

* The Retina IIa both folds and operates very nicely. Great Kodak/German engineering on that puppy.

 

* Any of the Rollei 35's are very light and small, and produce nicely detailed images.

 

* A bit larger and heavier than the Rollei's is the Leica/Minolta CLE, which constantly amazes me with the detail caught in its negatives.

 

* A bit of an unknown gem is the Ansco Super Memar (or Agfa Super Solinette), which can be found with the fairly rare (and stunning) Solagon f/2 lens. They're light, easy to set, and take wonderful photos. I especially like the fact that their shutter-speed and aperture setting rings interlock, and once set for current lighting conditions, can be turned as a unit to select a variety of different aperture/speed combos for the same overall exposure.

 

* OK, I'll also mention the Argus C-3, since the one that I've tried produced amazingly detailed negatives (so detailed, in fact that the pro shoppe that printed 'em wanted to know which camera I used. "These negs are better than some of our customers' Leica images," they said. And when I magnified the negs through a loupe, I could actually see the shapes of individual leaves on trees at the horizon. So if you want to play with a super-simple 35mm camera that (though quirky) produces nice images and is pleantiful and cheap on eBay, then consider the C-3!

 

Of the above, only the Rollei's and the Leica/Minolta CLE have meters (which may or may not still work). But they ALL are a joy to use with an accurate hand-help "classic" meter or the ever-popular Sunny-16 rule.

 

In the 120 realm:

 

* If you get a Rolleiflex, the Automat has the nice ability to auto-detect frame positions, so you don't have to use the film-number window when winding.

 

* A popular folder (believe it or not) is the Kodak Monitor 620, with the Anastigmat Special 4.5 lens. Though designed for 620, many of the Monitor 620 versions (though not all) use spring-metal clips to hold film in the chambers...and 120 is easy to insert once the spool flanges are trimmed (no respooling is necessary). The lens quality also makes this trouble very much worth it. Oh, and the Monitor 620 makes huge 6x9 negatives, and (like the Rolleiflex Automat) has an auto-stop feature. This allows me to shoot 220 in the camera, to get more images per roll than from 120.

 

* The Bessa II with Color Heliar lens is quite easy to use (for a folder)...and has a coupled rangefinder. It is somewhat heavy for a folder, though. And (as with any folder...35mm or 120) bellows light leaks and rangefinder accuracy are always potential issues.

 

* I don't own them, but the Voigtlander Perkeo and the Russian Iskra have a wide following...as do the oft-mentioned Ikontas.

 

And, you absolutely MUST look for Gene's many "Found Film" posts on photo.net. While not all of 'em are about "classics" (in the high-end sense), they do show how good many of the lower-spec cameras can be in able hands...including such sleepers as the Argoflex and even the Kodak Brownie Hawkeye (which was designed for 620, but in some cases also accepts 120 spools).

 

Hope this gives you many more things to research!

 

Sincerely,

 

Dave

[brucecahn]

Have owned many Hasselblads and 3 Rolleis, as well as several Mamiyas, Pentax 6x7, Bronica, Yashica 120 and probably a few others. I find the Rollei twin lens f3.5 Zeiss Planar from the late 1950's to be the best of these and an outstanding camera. It gives me gorgeous 16x20 prints. Way ahead of 35mm and they are priced pretty low.

[charles_stobbs3]

I was very sorry to have bought a Rolleiflex but it was my own fault. I bought it at a flea market and it felt so big and solid so I parted with $50 without examining it closely enough. The Tessar elements were separating, the viewing and taking elements were mismatched and the leatherette was shabby (that I noticed). Too expensive to fix. No one to blame but myself but I learned that TLR's have more to go wrong than other cameras.

[richard_oleson]

The Rollei will be more reliable and durable than the Prominent or the Vitessa.

[lauren_macintosh]

Dave Powell and the others have given you a lot of good info: here, I have a Dslr and a Hassey and now have 4-zeiss Ikon contina's and a contessa all 35mm range finder's from the 50's these were gotten for short funds : you need know what you want to do and then get that type of that will fill your bill for you:

[kevin h. y. lui.]

Thank you for your ideas! Let me see...

i wan a light, easy to handle old camera with a fine lens. i don't think i need to have interchangleable type because it i not necessary.

 

i like rolleis too, but for those which in a better condition,the price is quite hight. also the ldr on, e.g automat , usually require cla too.

[david_m]

If you want something light that eliminates any medium format camera except a folder. Good ones are: Agfa Isolette with Solinar lens, Voigtlander Perkeo with Skopar lens, Zeiss Ikonta with Tessar lens, Ensign Selfix with Ross-Xpress lens. Braun and Kershaw also made good folders. Try to find one that shoots multiple formats (it will have more than one red window on the back). The main thing to avoid is a leaking bellows.

[kevin h. y. lui.]

i hav tried ikonta , the pre-war one, but i don't really it. it is because the shutter release button is in the front.

if i wan a fold camera, i would choose Voigtlander bessa ii( the heliar one is expensive, the one with colour skopar is difficult to find)

 

i wantto try vitessa or prominent becuse it has vey good lens and the operation , design are vey attractive, which the others can not provide.however, i love using medium more, therefore i don't know should i buy a camera that can use 2 different format of film or buy 2 cameras.

[red_buckner]

The lenses for a Prominent are superb, and the camera is a wonder of finish and engineering. But. The viewfinder in the Prominent I is too squinty to be useful--which disqualifies the camera for quick or low-light shooting. The Prominent II solves that problem, and should be seriously considered.

 

There are three normal lenses available for the Prominent. The best one, in my experience, is the Ultron.

 

If you want a folding version of the Prominent, go for a Vito III. It comes with the Ultron lens and a better viewfinder. But there are no interchangeable lenses and the shutter is a shade inferior to the Prominent's.

 

For more on this go here:

 

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze7asgb/newphotographythroughvintagecameras2/id2.html

[kevin h. y. lui.]

I've heard some people said that Super ikonta model B can use 135 and 120 film , like adding a rolleikin to a rolleiflex, is that true?

[stephen_w.]

Check the vintage Canons.

 

http://www.canon.com/camera-museum/camera/f_camera.html

[kevin h. y. lui.]

I don;t really like Canons. THe one that made before 70s to 80s are just copies from the cameras that made in Europe....

[ben_hutcherson]

I just bought a Rolleicord Va off of Ebay for $75 shipped. I couldn't be happier with it, although I do plan on replacing the focusing screen with one of Mr. Oleson's once he gets them back in stock.

 

The Rolleicords offer a lot of the same quality as the 'flexes. All of the later 'cords have a 3.5 Xenar lens(Tessar design), which isn't as high of quality as the Planar found on the later 'flexes. Even so, I haven't found it to be a limitation, and I suspect many wouldn't. Stopped down a few stops, it's an incredible lens. Also, the Rolleicords advance by a knob rather than a lever and lack the auto film start sensing of the later 'flexes, as well as not having a self cocking shutter.

 

The Vb was the last Rolleicord, and is the one that sells for the most. The only thing it offers over the Va, like mine, is interchangeable viewfinders. If you can live without that, the Va is a lot less expensive. Plus, Mr. Oleson can outfit you with a bright split image screen for the Va for $30, while a replacement Vb screen will be $100.

 

For even less money, a Rolleicord III forgoes the ability to sync with flash bulbs(which most of us will never use) and double exposure interlock.

[stephen_w.]

"THe one that made before 70s to 80s are just copies from the cameras that made in Europe...."

 

Bull dung. Where did you get that idea?

 

BTW, don't they teach english where you are?

[tormod_ropeid]

An informative page on folders is http://www.cleanimages.com/Article-MediumFormatInYourPocket.asp . All classic cameras take some time getting used to. It's worth it.

[stephen_w.]

Excellent site, Tormod. I've booked marked it. I have an Ikonta 521/16 that I recently got at an estate sale for $5.

[mat carruthers]

If you want light-weight - go with a range-finder. They're also fun and easy to use. And inexpensive (though prices on eBay have been steadily rising in the past month). I got my Canonet QL19 for less than $10 and it produces better images than most of my SLRs. If medium format images are more important and you also want to use multiple film types - maybe try the Yashica 635 - you can use 120 or 35mm.

[davecollopy]

Quote: "The fold cameras are light, but the operation seems not very attracive...and they have too many types that I don't know which one is good."

 

You got that right. But before you get too far you need to decide between 35mm and 120.

 

In medium format TLR's are a pleasure to use with their big fresnel viewfinders and focus assist magnifying glass. But they are also bulky and heavy to pack around all day. I rarely use mine without a tripod or away from home. Medium format folders are light and small, almost completely innocuous. But focussing, framing and exposure are often left to the intuition of the photographer. This remains true after you add expensive options like built in meters which rarely work and couple rangefinders which are obscure even when accurately calibrated, all of which adds bulk and weight, completely defeating the the folder's original concept. But an even more important decision for you to make that will go a long way in realizing what medium format camera is right for you is finding the image format you prefer. If you tend to prefer square negatives then a TLR would be the way to go. I much prefer 6x9 negatives and I primarily use folders.

 

But if you haven't yet decided between 35mm and the bigger format it's very likely you don't need to bother with 120 roll film. Most photographers move to medium format to get more than what 35mm is capable of producing. This is a conscious compromise they make in terms of ease of use, and everthing that is difficult with medium format cameras becomes much easier in 35mm cameras. You can readily find older 35mm cameras that have perfectly acceptable metering and focusing systems, all in a package that is light and inconspicuous.

 

And so, if you haven't found any reason in terms of your output to shoot 120, I bet you will be perfectly happy with a nice vintage 35mm camera.