jessevad

Well you won't be doing any high speed sync and the sync speed on the Pentax is extremely slow.

 

It does take very very beautiful pictures but you might want to consider something else if you're going to focus on portraits.

 

Mamiya RZ Pro 2 or Bronica gs1 both excellent cameras and they both use Leaf shutters in their lenses which means you can sync all the way up to the fastest shutter speed on the camera which is about 1/500 of a second it makes a big difference.

 

I would say both of those cameras take just as good a pictures as a Pentax. Both can be had on eBay for very good prices.

 

Another good Japanese site to go and buy camera equipment is called buyee.com have every camera ever made it's a site in Japan and you can find really hard to get stuff there good luck.

Thanks great advice!

Thanks so much for the advice, good to know!

I can second the consideration for Japanese-located cameras. I've bought a number of cameras and lenses from Japanese dealers, and they're all rated far below their actual condition. Their "good" condition ratings usually translate to near-mint around here.

 

As to the "yellowing" of their lenses, I'd suspect the sample photos, and not the coating. I have a bunch of Pentax 35mm lenses and they don't exhibit any yellowing. I'd suspect that the yellowing might be the reflection of the Canadian balsam used to adhere the lens elements.

 

Some early 50mm f/1.4 Pentax Takumars did have Thorium (a radioactive metal) in the coating, exhibited yellowing, and still measure a minute amount of radioactivity.

 

If you decide on 6x7, but not Pentax, keep the Bronica GS-1 in mind; very portable.

anks

My two cents worth :) Go for it. The 67 model is the most expensive so I bought a mirror lock up model of the 6 x 7. Love it. The light meter is handy but not essential. A selection of lenses is not expensive. I have noticed the yellowing but I’m guessing it has to do with the multi coating. I’ve only shot black and white and the negatives have that WOW factor. Just check for proper operation of each part eg film rewind crank closes properly after using. Enjoy the journey.

What kind of Photography do you do? The Pentax 6 X 7 only has a sync speed of 1/30 very slow.

 

Depends on what type of Photography you're doing.

 

He pretty much have to shoot it on a tripod because it has a lot mirror flap which causes vibrations you have to mount it on a hefty tripod.

pretty much mostly portrait photography

Congrats on wanting to move up to medium format

 

I don't own a Pentax 67 myself but reading descriptions on eBay revealed they have problems like any other used camera

 

They are a bit complex, so know what you are getting into -

 

Link ...

Pentax 67

 

If I was buying a used Pentax 67, I would only buy and pay top dollar for a near mint camera, but if there was any less than six description photos, I wouldn't even consider it and simply skip past it. Also the verbal description must be believable, any doubts, again skip past it.

 

Not sure about "yellowing" of lens glass but there could be haze, fungus or significant scratches, be alert to those

Thanks for the advice!

Hello all,

First post here so I appreciate any advice y'all can give. I'm considering buying a Pentax 67 to begin experimenting with medium format. I have experience with 35mm film photography but not medium format. It seems like eBay is basically the only place to buy the 67. Anyone have any other recommendations or is eBay the best bet? Also, I'm hoping to get the 105mm 2.4 lens but it seems like the glass on most have yellowed. Is this avoidable and how much of an impact on pictures does the yellowing have? Any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks!