the cameras aren't common, and the f/5.6 is more $$; they show up now and
again, but I suspect a number were bought since you can buy the camera
plus shutter and lens focusing mount plus rest of the camera for less than
the lens and shutter alone at many dealers? But you probably wouldn't have
to wait more than a month or so to find one on EBAY or online? They seem
to come in droves; I think folks see the listing, and the prices offered,
and then go to the closet and pull 'em out for ebay listing? ;p) ;-)

Your brooks version has the great advantage of having interchangeable
backs, including ground glass and polaroids IIRC etc., which is handy if
you want to use various film types or speeds (color print, slides, B&W;
100 ISO, 400 ISO etc.). Plus it is faster and better/later lens design.
The f/8 really wants to be at f/11-16 for best performance, which is very
good. This isn't the camera for fast or low light shots; the hassy 38mm
biogon is very usable at f/4.5+ with little quality loss - amazing kit ;-)

The hassy superwide SWC/M is another great travel camera, except it looks
far more valuable than the Plaubel Veriwide (which looks like grandpa's
old camera and worth $25? ;-) Of course, you can tell I like landscapes
and cityscapes. The hassy also does closeup work well, if you have the
accessory ground glass back and chimney finder setup, but best for flat
documents copying as the DOF is still minimal and very low distortion ;-)

The polaroid bodies adapted for rollfilm use are another nifty rollfilm
camera option, but pricey as custom conversions etc. If the spun off
polaroid entities bring out a 120 rollfilm camera with their usual lenses
(and even an AF folder or SLR seems possible, cf. Captiva bodies ;-), then
we could have a whole new "retro" renaissance in MF folders (cf 35mm RF
;-)

grins bobm
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* Robert Monaghan POB 752182 Southern Methodist Univ. Dallas Tx 75275 *
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