Looking for Recommendations for a Lightweight MF camera

[Megankeagles]

Hi there,

I am a keen and experienced user of my trusty (but heavy!) Pentax 645. 

I was wondering if there were any recommendations for a more lightweight option for day to day / holidays?

I am aware that lightweight generally means a rangefinder lens, but I don't have much experience in this. So I am ideally looking for a lightweight SLR or an autofocus rangefinder. Is there anything good out there that could be recommended?

Many thanks!

Meg

[Niels - NHSN]

Budget?

[Tony Rowlett]

For small, you can’t beat a Hasselblad, like a 501cm. I’ve been carrying one a bit and you’d be surprised how easy it slings over your shoulder. Beautiful camera,too. 

[Gary Naka]

How about a TLR.

A "folder" would be light, but you have to check the light tight integrity of the bellows. 
And for an OLD camera, I would expect to have light leaks in the bellows.  If not, you are LUCKY.
And focus is by eyeball estimation.

[SCL]

Confused about your title re the use of "MF", whether you mean manual focus or medium format. If you mean medium format, in the lightweight category there are lots of TLR (twin lens reflex) bodies which are lightweight...but if you're not used to working with a TLR, they do take a little practice to get used to their quirks, not the least of which is the horizontally flipped image in the viewfinder. Lots of brands out there and many are quite good, but all are pretty old. If you mean manual focus, you also mentioned autofocus...so what is it? Having used lots of rangefinder, SLR, and TLR bodies over the years...since you're coming up on the holidays, and apparently not interested in a digital body, I'd suggest something like a Canon Sure Shot which is an autofocus rangefinder zoom lens 35mm camera. The lens is razor sharp and the exposure meter on the ones I've owned has been spot on. It isn't sexy, but the learning curve is about 5 minutes and as a long time Leica user, I've been impressed with the results. A good street shooter or family event shooter IMHO.

 

[Dustin McAmera]

My nearest equivalent is a Mamiya 645 Pro. I don't think it's significantly smaller or lighter, unless you can live with a waist-level finder instead of a prism. Only the prism has the meter in it...

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Mamiya_M645_Super,_Pro,_Pro_TL_and_E

The old metal-bodied M645 models are 10 to 20 mm smaller in each dimension; not significantly lighter. Again, you can lose some weight and your meter by using it with a WLF.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Mamiya_M645

 

I have taken my old (mid-1930s) folding Super Sport Dolly with me travelling. Mine has a coupled RF; not the easiest RF to use. You can always ignore the RF and use scale focus. It fits in my jacket pocket once folded. I paid 40 uk pounds for mine, I think.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Super_Sport_Dolly

If you wanted a new version of the same thing, consider the Fuji GS645. It's about the same age as your Pentax, folds up almost as small as my old Dolly, and has a meter (not through-the-lens). It's a fixed 75mm lens; there's a separate wide-angle version of the camera. Folded, it would go in a reasonably-big jacket pocket. It weighs 820g; maybe only half the weight of any of the SLRs. It won't be cheap...

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Fuji_GS645_Professional_series

 

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Dustin McAmera
typo

[billorg]

10 hours ago, Tony Rowlett said:

For small, you can’t beat a Hasselblad, like a 501cm. I’ve been carrying one a bit and you’d be surprised how easy it slings over your shoulder. Beautiful camera,too. 

But that's not light

[billorg]

Rolleiflex TLR. 

[Tony Rowlett]

33 minutes ago, billorg said:

But that's not light

Maybe not as light as one would want, but the way the strap attaches to the camera and thus the ergonomics of slinging it over your shoulder, it’s just fine.  I’ve been doing this, and I’ve always demanded lightness and compactness. In the case of the Hassy, the bit more weight is worth it, in my opinion. 

A more serious detraction than weight of the Hassyis the price of admission, but you can find deals. 

[Tony Rowlett]

36 minutes ago, billorg said:

Rolleiflex TLR. 

I agree with this, too. It’s lighter, and it’s also a beauty!

[jose_angel]

I would get a rangefinder, in the format of your choice. The narrower the format, the smaller the camera (usually!). I think the best camera is the one that is least lazy to use it, other considerations are *secondary*.

Although I settled on the Mamiya 6 decades ago, I lately looked for something even more portable with a big negative and tried the much smaller and more compact Ikontas in 6x9 and 6x6. At first I thought it was the wise choice, but found the focusing to be a nightmare. Framing is also unfriendly. So I`m getting back to the *perfect* results of my 6.

A Mamiya 7 might be an even better and bigger but very expensive option.

Fuji rangefinders have always tempted me... although the lenses are not interchangeable. 
Hasselblad has always been there, but I'm fine with Mamiya, so I don't want to look anywhere else.

As Gary says, time inevitably passes, and it's noticeable on 2nd hand gear. Bellows are delicate parts (repairable in most cases).

 

Edited November 16, 2022 by jose_angel

[laurencecochrane]

Not into smaller MF cameras BIG BLOKE BIG HANDS I use a Mamiya RB67 DEFINITLY NOT WHAT YOU WANT and a Mamiya C33. Again NOT WHAT YOU WANT.   I would look at the above mentioned Mamiys 6. As has been said  MAMIYA 7'S TOO SPENDY but not as much as the OVER RATED extorcionately priced and notoriously fragile OLD 2.8 TLR Rolliflexes

Edited November 16, 2022 by laurencecochrane

[James Bryant]

21 hours ago, Tony Rowlett said:

For small, you can’t beat a Hasselblad, like a 501cm. I’ve been carrying one a bit and you’d be surprised how easy it slings over your shoulder. Beautiful camera,too. 

Hasselblad 501cm with 80mm f2.8, waist level finder, one film magazine, is a good walk around camera. However if you ad more lenses and accessories it gets heavy.

Edited November 16, 2022 by James Bryant

[robert_bowring]

Mamiya 6 or a Plaubel Makina 67

[maris_rusis]

I reckon the lightest medium format camera that can deliver good image quality is the Lubitel 166. My example weighs 587g (1 pound 4.8 ounces American). It shoots both 6X4.5 and 6X6 formats. They have not been made for some years but there are a lot out there. Prices vary up and down from $100 or thereabouts.

[JDMvW]

Lubitel is an interesting camera, but more suited for"primitive" work.

A Rolleiflex or a Rolleicord for TLR

There are lots of very light, good quality folding cameras with excellent lenses.

[maris_rusis]

21 hours ago, JDMvW said:

Lubitel is an interesting camera, but more suited for"primitive" work.

A Rolleiflex or a Rolleicord for TLR

There are lots of very light, good quality folding cameras with excellent lenses.

Yes, the Lubitel is simple but the triplet lens is ok. I've shot my Lubitel against my Rolleicord IV and image quality is basically the same at f16 and f22. Not because the Lubitel is good or the Rollei bad but because both are diffraction limited at those apertures. At the Lubitel maximum aperture of f4.5 the image is soft/sharp sometimes called "butter smooth" and possibly good for portraits or experiments if nothing else.

[Dustin McAmera]

In my first post I suggested the Fuji GS645 rangefinder (and now I want one!) But I didn't know the GA645 cameras existed; they are autofocus instead of rangefinder. The standard camera has a 60mm lens and there's a GA645W with a 45mm; like having a 35 or 28mm lens on 35mm; and even the GA64Zi with a 55-90mm zoom (hardly worth having a zoom for such a short range, surely). They're from the mid-90s. Probably quite hard to find one for sale, and again they won't be cheap. They look like oversized tourist compacts; even a tiny built-in flash.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Fujifilm_GA645

[Jochen_S]

Folding rangefinders like Agfa Super Isolette (which also inspired Iskra) aren't bad, if you are able to shoot without glasses. Rolleis seem impressively light weight, compared to Mamiya C. 

I guess you 'll end having to pay quite a lot of money "for anti matter" and it might make more sense to out the regular camera with just one lens. 

Another option might be a tiny view camera plus roll holder. My Voigtländer Bergheil 6.5x9 is light, the Rollex Patent holder disappointing and I admit never really warming up with the uncoated pre-war Heliar. You probably need less of a tripod than for an SLR and can focus critical stuff on a ground glass. 

The inherited mentioned Agfa was my first real camera. Knob winding and cocking the shutter separately isn't comfortable, if you had to shoot a whole lot but OK for touristic usage. The RF patch is dim, the entire thing a bit squinty, compared to more recent alternatives and the shutter button travels quite a bit but for thought through (film cost!) shots in broad daylight it seems surely suitable. There must be some more RFs with coated lenses floating around. Zeiss Ikon maybe? 

I recall my teenage vacations etc. as a lot of marching and cycling, until I rarely bumped into a suitable subject for the 75mm lens. I shot more when I had a TLR with 55s & 135s.

[laurencecochrane]

40 minutes ago, Jochen1664876637 said:

 Rolleis seem impressively light weight, compared to Mamiya C. 

 

And impressively OVERPRICED and FRAGILE. ( £4000 FOR A TLR ???????? ) Look up photography forums including this one, you will see BROKEN ROLIFLEX, BROKEN ROLIFLEX, BROKEN ROLIFLEX. .Compared to the far technicaly superior brick, the Mamiya C. I nterchangable lenses, Close up bellows focusing and Paralax correction Close up exposure compensation indicator. ( C33 and C330 ) Also nearly indestructable. Built to last forever. ( With a little servicing ) A camera you can happily kill someone with, then keep shooting on. I will be sticking with my C33. Killing people ? Option reserved.

Edited November 18, 2022 by laurencecochrane

[AJG]

Rolleiflex TLRs are definitely over priced in some ways, but in my experience they held up well under heavy professional use.  I had 3 of them that I picked up in the late 1980's and used a lot with no problems.  I still own 2 of those and I wind and click a few shots fairly often and they still work perfectly with the exception of the meter on my 3.5 E that doesn't work any more--no surprise for a selenium cell meter from 1956. Most of the these cameras are at least 40-50 years old at this point and haven't had any maintenance for the last 20 years or more so it isn't surprising that they break.  Repairs are more difficult now since fewer people know how to fix them.  Are the Mamiya TLRs more rugged?  Probably, since they are a simpler mechanism to begin with.  Most of them are also newer than most of the Rolleis that people pick up on eBay or antique shops and age is never the friend of photo equipment. 

[hjoseph7]

I would look into the Fuji line. Very well made and not too heavey with excellent lenses.

https://www.keh.com/shop/fuji-medium-format-gsw690ii-65-f5-6-67-711643.html 

[laurencecochrane]

3 hours ago, AJG said:

Most of the these cameras are at least 40-50 years old at this point and haven't had any maintenance for the last 20 years or more so it isn't surprising that they break.  Repairs are more difficult now since fewer people know how to fix them.  Are the Mamiya TLRs more rugged?  Probably, since they are a simpler mechanism to begin with.

You are right lack of servicing over a long time will effect reliablilty. Even with Mamiyas. Usually only the shutter slow speed issues and light seals. These is easily remidied Even by a large handed truck machanic like me..  Are the Mamiyas more rugged ? YES ! Built like a brick shithouse. Built to last forever. Repairable forever. As I said "you could happily kill someone and keep on shooting" Try that with a Rolli. Dont think so.

[AJG]

I've never bought cameras for crowd control--that's what I have tripods for.

[laurencecochrane]

2 minutes ago, AJG said:

I've never bought cameras for crowd control--that's what I have tripods for.

A Benbo one across the head will work too.