jon_bergman1 Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Hi, I like old 6x6's like Pilot Super, Reflex Corelle, Rolleiflex etc. Is there any of these old cameras that comes with a wide angle(except for the rollei that is silly expensive)? Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troll Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 The Rollei Mutar (0.7X and 1.5X) work very well with regular Rolleis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_fromm2 Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Fujita 66, also sold as Soligor 66 and Hanimex 66. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick j dempsey Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Holga. ;) Just kidding... but there are also a few of the fake TLR style cameras that had semi wide lenses like the Argus Super 75. (takes 620 film) While the rest of the Argus 75 line had 75mm lenses (go figure) the Super 75 had a 65mm lens. 80mm is "normal" for 6x6, and 65mm is similar to a 35mm lens on a 35mm camera. Other than the lens, the Argus Super 75 has the "super" features of actually focusing, and having 3 aperture stops... which the other Argus 75's do not. Wide-angle fixed lens cameras simply were not common either in medium format or 35mm until sometime in the 1980s. Many interchangeable lens cameras had wide lenses available. The Mamiya TLR line had a 65mm lens available which usually lists for around $60... being one of the cheapest lenses other than the 80mm available for it. One of the bodies will probably set you back around $100-$150, but be sure it comes with the waist level finder attached, as these sell separately for like $50! The Pentacon 6 SLR also had wide lenses available and I believe that one of those systems is similarily priced to the Mamiya TLR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick j dempsey Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Oh, also the Mamiya Press camera had a wide lens available, but I think the bodies and lenses for those are pretty pricey. There are also other SLR 6x6 cameras like Hasselblad, Bronica, and the Russian Kiev series which came in both Pentacon 6 and Hasselblad clones. Budget interchangeable lens 6x6 SLRs include the Kalimar Reflex and Kowa 66. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick j dempsey Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Kalimar Reflex is the same as the afore mentioned Fujita 66. Rollei also made an SLR but it was a flop and is now something of a rarity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank.schifano Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 The Mamiya TLR cameras also had a 55mm f/4.5 lens set, though that particular one will probably set you back more than a body. I've seen them for around $250 to $350 at http://www.keh.com. Too rich for my purposes. I have the 65mm f/3.5 set and it's pretty good, better than pretty good. I've read some complaints about the lens. I don't usually enlarge more than 8x or so, and any shortcomings are not evident to my eye. I suppose if I were to make some prints of high enlargement ratios, I might see something, but I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patrick j dempsey Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 I'm shooting one of the silver series 65mm lenses... which the silver series is supposed to generally be not as good as the black series for the entire line, but I think it's a nice lens. It's not quite as sharp as the 80mm... but it's hard to find anything that is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDMvW Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Pentacon 6TL and its ancestor the Praktisix, etc. and the Soviet copies of it and of the Hasselblad all have a number of 6x6 wide angle lenses. I have the soft, but otherwise OK soviet MIR-26B, a 45mm lens. There are also much nicer Flektagons from Zeiss Jena. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bueh Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Unfortunately, there is not really a wide angle option for classic SLRs like the Pilot. You know that retrofocus lenses were only introduced 1950 by Angenieux, so before that there was simply no way to design wide angles for cameras with a mirror box. Else I agree that the cumbersome and unreliable Kiev-60 (and similar) cameras might be the most "old-school" alternative for an inexpensive camera with interchangeable lenses. Else there is always the Hasselblad and more modern gear... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johan_de_groote Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 In Pentacon mount you can find 30mm, 45mm, 50mm, 55mm and 65mm without much trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan_fromm2 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Bueh, Taylor, Taylor, & Hobson made retrofocus lenses for Technicolor cine cameras in the 1930s. Retrofocus is both a design type and an Angenieux trade name. CZJ introduced a 65/8 Tessar (yes, Tessar) for the Exakta 66 (old one) in 1939. There was also a 40/4.5 Tessar for Kine Exakta. But you're right, practically speaking wide angle lenses for SLRs, all sizes, came in in the 1950s. Cheers, Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_satola1 Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 In response to the Mamiya TLR comments, I spent a nice chunk on one of those 55mm lenses (black) at KEH and, for me, at least, it really opened up the camera for me. I'd been pretty new to square format, not counting using an Instamatic as a kid, and I'd not been happy with the results of my lame attempts to compose square with the 80mm. Also, my antique eyes had some trouble focusing on the glass (always whipping off my glasses and burying my nose in the hood), so I got a porrofinder, and that, combined with the 55mm (and its great depth of field) turned the C330S into a fast street camera for me. I really like the lens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank.schifano Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Don't get me wrong, I really like the Mamiya TLR and I completely agree with you that a 50 mm lens on the square 6x6 format can make for some interesting compositions. If I didn't already have something similar in the way of a wide angle for another square medium format rig, I'd strongly consider buying one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juan_mcmahon Posted April 6, 2008 Share Posted April 6, 2008 I have a Yashinon's wide angle for my Yashica Mat 124G (TLR), but I don't recommend it. It works, yes, and sometimes you don't have another choice but use it, but the results are fair. Same thing with the Telephoto. If a wide angle is a "must" for you and TLR's is your choice, Mamiya's TLR's is the best decision. Rolleis "Mutar's" are too expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_bergman1 Posted April 8, 2008 Author Share Posted April 8, 2008 Thanks for all your answers. I am very interested in the old Exakta 66 and the wide angle tessar but I have heard that both of them are very rare. What would I have to pay? Best regards Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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