paulstephen

I couldn't find any specific info in the previous threads, so here

goes.

 

I need a medium Format camera almost exlusively for portrait work.

Predominately using natural light (maybe reflectors, but very little

flash work)

I only have $500 to blow. This is more of a grand experiment than

anything else (perhaps leading to a career change?) My only MF

experience so far is with old folders and a Diana, so I'm starting

to think about a flexible system. Can a decent camera/back/lens be

had sub $500? If so, what would you suggest?

 

I have another question as well, comparing 6x4.5 or 6x7 is there a

big difference on prints rarely going above 11x14?

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

If you simply posess a D1X (or D1H for that matter) they will collect dust on the CCD. Changing lenses is the likely culprit, and the easiest solution is to learn how to clean the CCD yourself. A can of air with the trigger VERY LIGHTLY squeezed with the little plastic hose attatched will provide the perfect ammount of air pressure to knock the dust off. I hold the camera with the mount facing the ground and shutter open and bend the little canned air hose upward. Don't try this if you are afraid of damaging the CCD. (too much air can wrinkle the protective film on top of the sensor.)

an olympus XA would be a good answer. I found one for a dollar at a yard sale that had spent the last ten years as a kids toy, and certainly loked like it. It's a point and shoot rangefinder with aperture control that has to be focused manually and can take a hell of a beating for around forty to sixty bucks.

When I was 15 the best place to really get experience was the school paper and year book. I don't think the teacher would even have known what medium format was.

http://www.freespeech.org/coreya/yashica/tlrhist.html

 

give this site a shot...

For about the same (perhaps a few dollars more) you can get a used Koni-Omega Rapid camera (one of several varities). Search ebay for "omega camera" These are 6x7 rangefinders with interchangable lenses. Pretty hard to beat for the $$. Also look into the Mamiya Press (or super 23) camera.

Simple newspaper quality or fancy glossy pages? For newsprint you won't really notice any difference, as the quality is more limited by the printing process than the equipment.