Yeah they don't really carry 35mms much anymore. It depends on the store for medium format. My local store doesn't stock them but the store near my dad has a good stock of them.
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Medium Format 120 film - Users?
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Yeah they don't really carry 35mms much anymore. It depends on the store for medium format. My local store doesn't stock them but the store near my dad has a good stock of them.
Thanks for the info Bartelby. There are two Jessop stores in Belfast, I know neither stock medium format, but it's maybe useful to know they can order them up. I really must get hold of a jessop catalogue.
Thanks
Thanks for the info Bartelby. There are two Jessop stores in Belfast, I know neither stock medium format, but it's maybe useful to know they can order them up. I really must get hold of a jessop catalogue.
Thanks
No problem.
My dad got an awesome deal on a Mamiya kit. To reduce the stock of 35mm cameras they had a 33% off sale on all SLR, a while back. So my dad walked in and got over £500 off as there was nothing about the sale being on 35mms only!
As I mentioned in a previous post, medium format camera prices are definitely dropping. Top of the range Hassleblad's are the exception, they hold their prices remarkably well considering that there lots of second hand ones about.No problem.
My dad got an awesome deal on a Mamiya kit. To reduce the stock of 35mm cameras they had a 33% off sale on all SLR, a while back. So my dad walked in and got over £500 off as there was nothing about the sale being on 35mms only!
In my time I have owned and used the Mamiya 645 and the very large and heavy Mamiya RB67 and the later RZ67 ....... but that was years and years ago.
What would be a good box/folding camera? Id like the portability of those bellows type medium formats.
Bronica 645
I've had 3 Bronica 645s over the years. Bought the first one in 1982 and used it for studio portraits and weddings for around 6-7 years. I had one lens and 1-220 back for it.
I went to work for the company I work for now and the director was a hassy man. We wanted to put a medium format camera in the budget, so we both spected out a system and my whole system came in for what he budgeted a body and lens.
The shoot out between our personel cameras was judged by our graphics department. We shot black & white and E-6. He was a much better darkroom technician than I was and made some beautiful prints. But the side by side E-6 gave me the advantage. His exposures weren't as accurate across the whole roll of film. I trusted my hand held meter and he bracketed.
They also liked that you could get 3 more shots per roll. (I know, big whoop).
Anyway, we ended up buying a 3 lens kit with 2-120 backs and a Polaroid back, AEII meter view finder and an auto winder.
The auto winder locked up. I called tech support and they said to try it on my personal camera...bad move. The first crank cracked the gears inside of the body. They agreed to fix it since the had told me to try it. On the return trip home, UPS lost the package. UPS bought me a new one...
I never opened the box and sold it and bought my first Nikon... I still had the other one at work.
That was close to 20 years ago and I still have the second one. I haven't actually used it since 2003, but it's still almost like new.
I've had 3 Bronica 645s over the years. Bought the first one in 1982 and used it for studio portraits and weddings for around 6-7 years. I had one lens and 1-220 back for it.
I went to work for the company I work for now and the director was a hassy man. We wanted to put a medium format camera in the budget, so we both spected out a system and my whole system came in for what he budgeted a body and lens.
The shoot out between our personel cameras was judged by our graphics department. We shot black & white and E-6. He was a much better darkroom technician than I was and made some beautiful prints. But the side by side E-6 gave me the advantage. His exposures weren't as accurate across the whole roll of film. I trusted my hand held meter and he bracketed.
They also liked that you could get 3 more shots per roll. (I know, big whoop).
Anyway, we ended up buying a 3 lens kit with 2-120 backs and a Polaroid back, AEII meter view finder and an auto winder.
The auto winder locked up. I called tech support and they said to try it on my personal camera...bad move. The first crank cracked the gears inside of the body. They agreed to fix it since the had told me to try it. On the return trip home, UPS lost the package. UPS bought me a new one...
I never opened the box and sold it and bought my first Nikon... I still had the other one at work.
That was close to 20 years ago and I still have the second one. I haven't actually used it since 2003, but it's still almost like new.
To the best of my memory, the only medium format cameras that have bellows are the Mamiya C330 / C220 models which are twin len reflex and the RB 67 and its successor the RZ 67 both of which are single lens reflex. I have a feeling that Rolei also made a medium format camera that had bellows focusing but I can't remember the model.
FJ
I was just recently generously gifted this camera but have yet to shoot w/ it. Just wondering, does it have any built-in correction for parallax? (My school's Mamiya C-something does, but I dunno about the Yashica.)
TIA
it has a few extra lines on the viewfinder, but thats about it. there is no mechanical correction.
i am not talking about "the work place" and i am not talking about graphic design and journalism majors, i am talking about fine art photography in the same terms as painting or sculpture. almost all of the fine art photographers i know build their own darkrooms and almost never rely on a public space.
i will never stop using film, though MAYBE in the distant future I will switch my color strictly to digital, but b/w and definitely Polaroid emulsion stuff, I will keep to the darkroom.
there is just so many cool things you can do in the darkroom that just cant ever be reproduced in Photoshop.
I point those interested to Jerry Uelsmann
back to 120, something cheap (i mean like almost 35mm cheap) and something "artsy" in that I wouldnt be making pro prints with these, just cool photos. as I said, anything Hassy or Rolei is gonna be way out of my price range.
Though, personally, I wouldnt ever mind an 8x10 view camera, ground glass...
Whats the chinese equivalent of that $220 beast?
$220 IS cheap, yes, but id rather spend less and get more back artistically than I do with actual quality.
$220 IS cheap, yes, but id rather spend less and get more back artistically than I do with actual quality.
There are folding cameras that take 120 film and usually produced negs in the 6x9 range. I don't know any off the top of my head, but bellows in medium format isn't limited to the big cameras you listed.
In fact, a quick search for 6x9 folder on ebay got me this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ZEISS-IKON-FOLD...ryZ11717QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD2VQQcmdZViewItem
Can you give a real dollar figure budget? Are we talking $100, $200, more? Also, what format? 645, 6x6, 6x7, other?
Im not so much into the actual size of the negative, just the film, id like to try using 120 film, where I live you can get it processed for $3.50.
So, im more looking for a crap box, sub $100.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150108439782
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160103193519
are more my speed.
like i said, id love to have a nice, expensive, highly awesome medium/large format camera. but not now.
So, im more looking for a crap box, sub $100.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150108439782
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160103193519
are more my speed.
like i said, id love to have a nice, expensive, highly awesome medium/large format camera. but not now.
LOL. that IS the chinese equivalent. they make a few models that are cheaper too. just goto B+H and type in "Seagull"
Two Words ... Minolta Autocord
While people discuss Medium format prices dropping, these along with the Rollei TLR cameras are actually going up. The Minolta Auto had an AMAZING lens on it which rivaled the Rollei counterparts. I have a 1956 Autocord, had it CLA'd by an 'cord Specialist in OR, and its like brand new now. It takes amazing pictures for its age. New this camera was 99.00 in 1956, they now regularly go for 150 in poor shape, and 300-350 in excellent shape. 2.8 Planar Rolleis from the same time period in good shape sell for several thousand. People sometimes move these into the "Collectable" realm, but don't be fooled these cameras have more life in them than any digital SLR youll buy today. The things are built like a tank.
Tell you what, we'll meet up in 60 years with one of your current 2000.00 dSLRs and my Autocord ... youd probably be surprised at that time what a 120 year old camera can do.
While people discuss Medium format prices dropping, these along with the Rollei TLR cameras are actually going up. The Minolta Auto had an AMAZING lens on it which rivaled the Rollei counterparts. I have a 1956 Autocord, had it CLA'd by an 'cord Specialist in OR, and its like brand new now. It takes amazing pictures for its age. New this camera was 99.00 in 1956, they now regularly go for 150 in poor shape, and 300-350 in excellent shape. 2.8 Planar Rolleis from the same time period in good shape sell for several thousand. People sometimes move these into the "Collectable" realm, but don't be fooled these cameras have more life in them than any digital SLR youll buy today. The things are built like a tank.
Tell you what, we'll meet up in 60 years with one of your current 2000.00 dSLRs and my Autocord ... youd probably be surprised at that time what a 120 year old camera can do.
Well, as awesome of a film camera the Autocord is, its still more than I want to spend.
ill stick with my 35mm for doing real photography and look for a medium format thats more for fun and art than anything else.
ill stick with my 35mm for doing real photography and look for a medium format thats more for fun and art than anything else.
You can get a 4x5" field camera and put a 6x9 rollfilm back on it, I've got one, and it was reasonably good the few times I used it. I've got a Pentax 67, 2 Mamiya 645s, a Maymia C330 TLR, that covers 6x9, 6x7, 6x6 and 6x4.5. I also have 2 4x5s and a 5x7 with a 4x5 reducing back. If I shoot film again, it'll be the 5x7.
You know what, im thinking now I need just a Polaroid back for my AE-1
that would be awesome. full control over a polaroid picture? oooh id love that.
so, maybe my best bet is to find a converted ol school polaroid (with manual controls) to pack film....
that would be awesome. full control over a polaroid picture? oooh id love that.
so, maybe my best bet is to find a converted ol school polaroid (with manual controls) to pack film....
I'd try the Moskva-5 I already mentioned in this thread. It has a very well working range finder, so you don't have to guestimate the focusing, unlike with those cameras you mentioned. It also looks better, has a better shutter (up to 1/250sec) and probably a little bit faster lens (f/3.5). The build quality is quite good, too.
Here's one on ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/MOSKVA-5-USSR-Z...goryZ710QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
They go for a lot cheaper usually, though. It's rather easy to get a decent one for something like $60 shipped.