geoffrey goldberg

Not to jump in from left field, but recently picked up a Technikardan 23S. While there are many out there who may not care for it, with a digital back on it - its a heck of a lot of fun. Massive flexibility, small size, analog movements. Wonderful.

<p>I bought a new 6003 SRC 1000 back c. 1992, and have reviewed the literature from then (but not the owners manual, which can't find). The method is this:<br> - set the ISO on the camera body, as the back didn't have an ISO knob<br> - if you use a 6008 back on the camera, set the ISO on the camera, and the ISO on the back should be at 100. <br> The 6008 SRC 1000 operates differently: <br> - you set the film speed on the back, and<br> - on the camera you set the exposure compensation knob at 0, unless you have a specific correction. <br> The literature shows the SCA 356 module, but nowhere are there any settings on it. It says that TTL metering adjusts the flash as needed. So…. if there is a knob on the SCA, try ISO 100 first…. but also try adjusting to match the film speed for a test set of shots. <br> Hope this helps. </p>

<p>You have gotten many good ideas, and I hesitate to throw another hat in the ring… but there are several different things to know about MF: <br> first, there are systems cameras. These will do amazing things, almost anything you want, except they are not fast, and they are not light. Most are SLRs of some kind, but with the WLF they can be somewhat reasonable in size. There are a few boat anchors among these as well. The best (IMHO) is the Hassy V, which I owned and never really bonded with, but still like a lot and yearn for sometimes. The ergonomics on it aren't ideal for street shooting, but its a great camera. There are others, but watch the weight add up. <br> then there are MF cameras that are more like enlarged 35mm cameras, but work to 120 film. The Mamiya 6 and 7, Bessa, Plaubel, Pentax 6x7, and a few others are in this camp. They are very good camera, most are rangefinders, and in the case of the Mamiya, the lenses are lovely and fine. I really like RF for 35mm work, but somehow for the more contemplative MF work, not so much. Each their own. <br> The TLRs are pretty much unique to MF work. The issue of parallax is not important, they don't focus super close without attachments (not a big deal), but they are lovely in the hand. The ergonomics on the Rollei, for example, are worked out over 50 years, and very clever. I find them very good for hand-held work, and they are a fine travel camera. They are quiet, the viewing on the GG is what makes them special as well - as you think about the composition of the picture in a way that is different than other cameras. I wouldn't start with anything else, but there are many different voices out there who come from different places on this. But the TLR has the right combination of lightness, ergonomics, contemplative shooting, and street fast that is just special. <br> One other thing - on lenses. There was a test years ago of a Mamiya 6 or 7 lens, a Hassy V (Zeiss) and a 1950s Rollei TLR. While the Mamiya was the best, the Hassy very good, the big surprise was the quality of the TLR - it held up just fine in today's world. Of course condition is important on these. <br> Some folks like the Yashica 'cause of the changing lenses, but the weight is significantly more (although its cheaper), and that takes away from the portability. <br> Hope this helps - <br> Geoff</p>