debusti_paolo Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Ops!!!also a hassie 903swc to go wideeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal_edmonds Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Save for a Hasselblad... You can't go wrong buying the best... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_waller Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Look for a Mamiya TLR. I shot this on my C220 F just last Saturday.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_brown29 Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Hi Leon I have been where you have started from (?). I have had a Fuji 645 rangefinder for about 8 months. Great point and shoot - light and easy to carry. Weighs just a little bit more than my Nikon D40.Only problem is not being able to see where you can focus. Not great for headshots or portraits, but super for landscape and travel I have just bought a Bronica ETRS for more control. The Fuji costs £220 and the Bronica £250. You want the newest Bronica you can find and I got one with metering prism and speedgrip. Have fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rekfotos Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Don't let Chrisopher Anderson hear you make fun of the Holga. His book is out of print: http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/c.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.BookDetail_VPage&pid=2K7O3RHAR2GS Holgas are great with plenty of light and are a neat segway for an afternoon away from digital. Using it can be a roll of the dice, just like any film camera, or life for that matter. I give mine to the baby sitter (15 y.o.) to shoot my 3 year old at the playground. I know I will love any recognizable part of her that makes it into the frame. I also have a Super Ricoflex which takes terrific photos. Looking at the image thrugh the camera is like going back in time. I do have my eyes open for the next step up, but I have really benefited from taking baby steps to a more substantial MF kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_watson Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 645 is probably nearest the price/quality quotient you're after. Bronica/Pentax/Mamiya are all great with Bronica arguably being the cheapest--the big auction site is usually awash in Bronica 645 gear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol_tisdale Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 I've gotten several Yashica TLRs on eBay for approx. $60 including shipping. If you just want a cheap medium format camera, you can find a Universal Roamer for cheap. Got two off eBay for about $15 total for each. That gets you a folding 6x9 similar to your Ikonta A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward_vargas1 Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Visit Keh for used medium format. I use both 645 and 6x6 from Bronica and both are very reliable except when the batteries die. http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/BrandTableOfContent.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnw436 Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 +1 on KEH. I have had nothing but great luck with them. The only thing odd about KEH is that they are way off base when it comes to TLRs. Granted, part of what you are paying for is a warranty, but they are off by a whole lot. If you go the TLR route then ebay is a better way to go in my opinion. For all else, KEH is my first choice because they stand behind the sale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_mareno Posted October 28, 2008 Share Posted October 28, 2008 Leon, I'm newish to MF so I can relate to your excitement over the Ikonta A. Mt first MF camera was an Ikonta III w/ a 75 3.5 Novar. It had a light leak and the Novar looked less than optimal. I finally tracked down the light leak in the bellows and wow, the Novar is not bad! I also just purchased a Fuji GS645s that has a sharper lens than the Novar, but it lacks something in comparison to the Zeiss glass. Funny, the more I go back in time (camera wise) the better my photographs look. My newest and probably final MF camera is a Zeiss Super Ikonta 531 A w/ an uncoated 75 3.5 lens. It may be the smallest 6x4.5 MF camera ever built. Shooting it and the Ikonta III is a pretty quick affair w/ their coupled rangefinders. I just loaded some Tri-X into the 531 A and will be shooting the first roll tomorrow. While the Fuji is easier to use and has a sharper lens, it is also a plastic camera. Nothing beats shooting the precision built Zeiss folders in my opinion, and the images they make are great. So my vote goes for the Zeiss Super Ikontas. Wonderful shooters, small size, extremely affordable and just a real pleasure to shoot. Here's a shot from the Ikonta III w/ the Novar.<div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leon_b1 Posted October 29, 2008 Author Share Posted October 29, 2008 Lots of good answers, thank you! Clearly I'll have to go along to a show or two and have a browse. I have a nagging feeling I'll probably end up getting more than camera - I've already had to stop myself getting more Ikontas. Anyway, it's great to see people getting so enthused about MF...I certainly find it inspiring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michellemandat Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 a very interesting thread about medium format. I think that a cheap and good folder with a sharp lens is also a choice for those who want to take medium format pictures. In my opinion, Ikonta, Isolette etc if they have a Tessar or Solinar lens and a fixed shutter perform very well and with minor difference in comparison with TLR like Rolleis. It's my choice after using Rolleis and other Yashica or Seagull. Medium format is not really the format of the future then preserve your money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpo3136b Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 It's going to be tough to find a dud medium format camera, I think. Excepting the Holga, I haven't heard of a brand or model that people felt really did them wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
photo5 Posted October 29, 2008 Share Posted October 29, 2008 Can't go wrong with a Rolleicord. Look for a Rolleicord III with the Schnieder Xenar lens. It is a simple camera, and if you find one in near mint condition, it will last forever. That is the medium format camera I started with, and it produces simply breathtaking results. Best of all, it's small, compact, and lightweight, and can go with you anywhere. People will look at you funny when you use "that antique camera." I have been in love with the Rollei TLR ever since then, and have owned many Rolleiflex and Rolleicord cameras. I am down to three now, two Rolleiflex cameras and one Rolleicord camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdrose Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 I have a Mamiya RZ67 that I got fairly cheap. However, a RB67 with a prime and back can be found for really cheap. At least a couple have sold for $250 at eBay. That's cheaper than most digital point & shoots! I know this sounds crazy, but the cheapest way to get into medium format has to be the Ansco Billy 6x9cm folders. $10.00 and they don't take a horrible picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k5083 Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 The problem with any Ansco (Agfa) folder is the likelihood that (1) the bellows is leaking and (2) the focusing element is fused in place by the lubricant they used to use, which turns to cement. If not for these problems, these cameras would sell for $40-50 like the Zeiss-Ikons and Voigtlanders to which they are otherwise comparable. If you can find one that you're sure does not have these problems for $10, you have a great deal. But probably you can't (although the Billy may have had better bellows). I bought three Isolettes, only one had a good bellows, and all had stuck focusing elements. I freed the element on the one with the good bellows (MUCH harder than you would think), so that one works, the others are junk. I stick with other brands now. Too bad because like JD says, the Agfa/Anscos were fine cameras, they just committed the sin of not being built to last for over 60 years. Which hardly seems much of a sin in the digital era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug_foster Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 The photographer, of course, makes the difference - but you might want to consider the Mamiya C220. In my opinion, the picture submitted by Chris Waller in his post of Oct 28th (using this camera) is of excellent quality. Composition, lighting, tonal values, etc, are of a high order. I found myself studying this photo in great detail. The camera is a tool in the hands of someone who knows how to use it - but it does help to have a good tool and the C220 seems to have that capability. I happen to be a Hasselblad user but may think about the C220 in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpwphoto Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Bronica-affordable, versatile, and sells for a decent price when you go to upgrade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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