Bronica RF 645 Rangefinder Review added to photo.net

[bobatkins]

Just a note that I've added Mike Johnston's latest column "The

Bronica RF 645 Rangefinder Revisited" to the photo.net static pages.

<p>

The URL is <a

href="http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column3/index.html">

http://www.photo.net/mjohnston/column3/index.html</a>

[greg bates]

What a great review! I have the complete kit, three lenses (with 135mm) and the flash. I use this as my main camera. Mostly landscapes and cityscapes. All the �available light� and other stuff is done with a Nikon FM and 45mm 2.8 lens. The vertical format of the Bronica was easy to get used to. It is, in fact, easier to see a horizontal landscape on the tripod with the camera rotated to the right with the viewfinder on the top edge of the camera and away from the center column of the tripod. The camera seems more accessible this way and I can still keep my hat on! I really enjoy using this camera.

[david_chilvers]

Bob( and all members)

 

I`ve just read the report and having owned a rf645 and three lenses I must say that it`s refreshing to see a report that almost shadows how I felt about the camera. It is in my opinion the most under rated camera on the market and even more so on current prices. The main thing that I found with the gear was the portabilty of a three lens kit(OK not as small as a Leica) but easy to carry three lenses in your pocket and the body around your neck under your jacket and as far as results and egonomics I would say that it was the closest thing that I have used to the Leica M6 with good sharp and contrasty lenses with the ability to crop down to small areas of the frame and still get excellent results. The results were not as stunning as my Fuji 6x7 becasue of the neg size but all things being equal there wouldn`t be much to choose between them and I`m sure the flexibilty of being able to change lenses would narrow the gapBTW the new 100mm was a blinder.

Hope this helps anyone looking to purchase the Broni, you might not get on with the camera (we are not all the same) but you will have the ability to take good, sharp and contrasty images.

 

Dave C

[alex_p._schorsch]

Why didn't the reviewer even mention the 45mm lens. I think it would be a really "fun" lens, although it looks as though you have to use a seperate viewfinder with it. The Mamiya 6's 50mm always gets rave reviews, what about the Bronica 45?? I think the 45/100 would be a great combo. The review doesn't talk about close focusing, which is the bane of medium format rangefinders. I have to say that Mike Johnston writes very engagingly. My 2 cents. Cheers, Alex

[alex_p._schorsch]

Just an afterthought: Why couldn't Bronica get it together on the research and development of this product? Rangefinders like leica M and mamiya 7 allow the use of moderate wide-angle lenses without the use of external viewers. I think that it wouldn't have taken so much work to adapt framelines in the normal viewfinder of the RF 645. It must be a real PITA to have to use the adapter external viewfinder. I say this because the wide angle lens with the 100mm would make a very interesting combo. It's a pity, oh well,FWIW.Thanks, Alex

[kenneth_rowin]

A comment on the 45mm lens. I used it extensively on a trip to Glacier N. P. and found that for most photos the view through the main viewfinder was the same as the view thru the auxillary finder for "non-critical" views. As it was a fairly good aproximation of the view I left home the auxillary finder during the second half of the trip and found that I was more than satified with the images. I like the information conveyed in the viewfinder and found that not having that in the auxillary finder was more of a loss than the slight imprecision of where the edge would be while using the main viewfinder.