cheaper medium format

[roger_wong]

I wanted to experiement with medium format a couple years ago, and picked up an older Mamiya M645 with an 80mm lens and waist-level finder for about $450.

 

It has served me well in that time. Mamiya still makes new lenses and bodies based upon this venerable M645.

[q.g._de_bakker]

Seagul TLRs are not made using Yashica's tools or dies. They are the Sjanghai Camera Factory's "all original" copies of Rolleicords.

[nick_albano]

I haven't used many of the cameras discussed here. I have used both the Mamiya TLRs and a Hasselblad. If you want it on the cheap - but with room to grow and professional quality equipment - it's the Mamiya. Interchangable lens, viewers and screens and no need to switch backs to go to 220. I, personally, would stick to the 330 series which cocks the shutter and the body at the same time and has a built in aid to warn you when parallax error will cut heads off in the negative.

 

Any of the TLRs make excellent cameras for shooting candids of kids. A waistlevel viewfinder lets you have eye contact with the child and a camera with a waistlevel finder is closer to a child's height. The Mamiya is a professional grade system and Mamiya still supports the product except for the older lenses (which have a chrome shutter). I'll add that these cameras all have leaf shutters in the lens which allows flash synch at all speeds (letting you experiment with fill flash, etc.) and, because there is no mirror "slap", you're subject won't feel like a deer in hunting season. Also - because these are completely mechanical systems - there is essentially no delay between hitting the shutter release and the camera firing. I am still amazed at how few "blinkers" I get with the TLR - a very common problem with SLRs.

 

Because there is no mirror, there is no vibration problem when doing florals, table tops or landscapes (if these are your real interests, you should seriously consider a large format camera). Because the Mamiyas use bellows focusing, any Mamiya TLR or SLR will do closeups that you need special adapters or lens for with other cameras. Parallax error can be corrected in the TRLs with a "paramender".

 

p.s. to clarify a comment someone made above - the Mamiya TLRs do not have interchangeable backs - the Mamiya SLRs (the RBs and RZs) do.

 

p.p.s. for cameras and lenses (and backs) - avoid e-bay, unless it's a reputable dealer who will back your purchase with a money back guarantee if the equipment is unacceptable to you.

[tak_ming_leung]

For a little more investment - around $700 - you can get a used Bronica ETRsi outfit on EBay with an original PE 75mm lens, waist level finder and a 120 film back. The ETR-series is modular and totally upgradable. The PE 75mm lens has superb optics that is second to none. The build quality of the ETRsi body is very high and will provide years of satisfactory service. IMHO, Bronica offers higher performance on a per-dollar basis than Mamiya and Pentax MF lines. Only Fuji rangefinders offer similarly excellent value and quality but then you will be limited to one lens only.