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#11
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On Wed, 4 May 2005 00:58:41 +0100, "Bandicoot"
wrote: "Michiel Fokkema" wrote in message . .. [SNIP] I use a Bronica rf645. For street photography I prefer light wide angle lenses. The 65 on my Bronica is perfect in that apsect. The camera is fast and silent. the optics are super sharp. Drawbakc might be that you that th Bronica shoots in portrait. For me however that is an advantage. If the OP is happy to use 645 for this caategory of work, I too would suggest looking at the Bronica. Another option is a Fuji 645: these have fixed lenses, and are very light. The 60mm lens on the GS645S would make it a very good tool for this sort of work - I have one and it's a great camera. The GS645 has a 75mm lens and is also an excellent camera, though the bellows are often perished and need attention. I use a GS645S and it's great. They are really small -- not really much bigger than my Fed-4 35m rangefinder -- and the wider angle lens is good. The ony problem I find is the rangefinder spot is pretty dim. It's sometimes hard to see and to focus with. Not a problem if you have it on infinity or if you're focusing to the hyperfocal length. But irritating if trying to focus precisely. The Fed, despite being a whole order of magnitude down from the Fuji in terms of quality, has a much brighter rangefinder spot. Matt |
#12
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On Tue, 03 May 2005 23:29:41 +0200, Borghesia wrote:
OnSafari wrote: Thanks for your input. I had never thought about using a Rollei TLR. I will keep it in mind. I know you said that you feel that they are about the best for handholding, nut my thoughts would be that since you need to look down in to the viewfinder, it would make you more apt to shake the camera. Am I wrong in this? What size images do they produce? In contrary...a TLR has the shutter build in the lens, because it has no mirror clapping up and down, there is less camera shake. I am comfortable to take pictures down to 1/8 of a second with my flex, and still have perfectly sharp objects. TLR have the 6x6 format. Not all TLRs are restricted 6x6. I have a (meopta) Flexaret VII which does 6x6 but also has masks for 6x4.5 and 35mm. There's even a mask which drops into the viewfinder to mask it for 6x4.5 - although there's no real need as it has frame lines for 6x4.5 already. The frame counter/advance mechanism works for 6x4.5 as well as for 6x6 which is handy. I agree on the shake though, braced against the belly and with the strap tight it's easy to hold it steady. Matt |
#13
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Thanks again everyone. Your adive is quite helpful.
As far as the 645 format is concerned, a couple of years back I purchased a Mamiya 645. After getting back the images, I thought they were slightly better than my 35mm, but only slightly, and not enough for me to justify the cost of the system, so I had returned it. Also, the 645 was much larger than my 35mm. It is interesting to find more than a few of you agreeing that the TLR is something I should consider. I originally thought everyone would come back saying that my choice of (potentially) going with the Mamiya 7 II was dead on, but no one has mentioned it other than saying that the TLR would be a better choice considering the image quality and the cost savings. EBay has had quite a few near mint Mamiya 7 II systems (body & 80mm lens) sell between $1375-$1525 recently. There is even a Rolleiflex 3.5F available, which the owner is claiming has never been used. The auction is up to $1,000+ now with 4 days left! Should I be concerned that the Rollei 3.5F was produced in the 60's, whereas something like the Mamiya 7 II is a current model? That would be a consideration as well when considering cost factors. By this I mean that parts for the 7 II if needed would be more readily available. As far as the Rollei is concerned, what should I look for (year, s/n, features), and how much on average should I expect to pay for one in very good to mint condition? Chris ~Stay in Focus~ |
#14
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"OnSafari" wrote: It is interesting to find more than a few of you agreeing that the TLR is something I should consider. I originally thought everyone would come back saying that my choice of (potentially) going with the Mamiya 7 II was dead on, but no one has mentioned it other than saying that the TLR would be a better choice considering the image quality and the cost savings. The problem with not owning a Rolleiflex is that you really aren't a photographer unless you've worked with a 'flex. It's simple part of the culture. It's like being a sports car fan and never having driven a Spyder. Shut up and buy a Rollei. By comparison, the Mamiya 7II is just a camera. But it's a far better camera than any TLR. The lenses are better, the film is flatter, and you have a choice of six of the best lenses ever made. Any one of the 43, 50, 65, and 80mm lenses would be great for street photography. And did I mention that the lenses are better? And that the film lies flatter? But it's just a camera. And a really ugly one, at that. The Rollei is a work of art. EBay has had quite a few near mint Mamiya 7 II systems (body & 80mm lens) sell between $1375-$1525 recently. There is even a Rolleiflex 3.5F available, which the owner is claiming has never been used. The auction is up to $1,000+ now with 4 days left! Don't spend that much on a Rolleiflex. Look for a 'flex with the f/2.8 Xenotar from around 1960, and plan on spending US$500 or so. Should I be concerned that the Rollei 3.5F was produced in the 60's, whereas something like the Mamiya 7 II is a current model? That would be a consideration as well when considering cost factors. By this I mean that parts for the 7 II if needed would be more readily available. Yes. But being a classic, there are people who work on Rolleis, so as a practical issue, it's not a problem. As far as the Rollei is concerned, what should I look for (year, s/n, features), and how much on average should I expect to pay for one in very good to mint condition? See above. I think that a Rollei with a meter is an (aesthetic) abomination, but unfortunately the vast majority of Rolleis made (at least after 1960) have meters. Sigh. David J. Littleboy Tokyo, Japan |
#16
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#17
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The problem with not owning a Rolleiflex is that you really aren't a
photographer unless you've worked with a 'flex. Noted. ;-) Shut up and buy a Rollei. So what are you saying? Don't spend that much on a Rolleiflex. Look for a 'flex with the f/2.8 Xenotar from around 1960, and plan on spending US$500 or so. Thank you. Very solid information to go on. This of course leads in to the next question. What is the difference between the Xenotar and Planar lenses, and which one should I look for? Look for a 'flex with the f/2.8... grab yourself ... a Rolleiflex 3.5F So which one should I look for? Obviously the f/2.8 is faster, but I though someone had mentioned that the 3.5 was the better of the two? the Mamiya 7II is ... a far better camera than any TLR. The lenses are better, the film is flatter, and you have a choice of six of the best lenses ever made.... Now I am confused. This was supposed to be easy. I am sinking this all in! Chris ~Stay in Focus~ |
#18
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In article . com,
OnSafari wrote: the Mamiya 7II is ... a far better camera than any TLR. The lenses are better, the film is flatter, and you have a choice of six of the best lenses ever made.... Now I am confused. This was supposed to be easy. OK, I have a Mamiya 7 with 43mm lens, and two Rolleiflexes, a 3.5E Xenotar and a 3.5F planar. Both the rangefinder and the TLRs are great cameras, but for different reasons. If you're going to get the Mamiya, make sure it's for the optics - they're about the best you can get in medium format, but remember that you're buying a camera that has some ergonomic irritations (the Mk II is somewhat better here, but whoever designed the lens hood for the 43mm lens will be first against the wall when the revolution comes), and has some build quality "issues", to the extent that bits have a habit of falling off them. If you're going to get a Rollei, get it for the ergonomics, the build quality and the joy of using it. People tend to see them in the same light that the 35mm Leica crowd see their equipment - solid engineering, well designed, a camera designed for photographers (or at least the ones who can get used to seeing left and right reversed ;-)). You won't get the opical performance of the Mamiya 7 system (then again, there's not much that does), but there's nothing "wrong" with the Planar and Xenotar lenses - they're perfectly decent lenses (and although some will fight holy wars over Zeiss (Planar) vs Scheider (Xenotar), I can't say I've found there's much to choose between them). |
#19
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In article ,
Patrick wrote: For MF street photography, try a Fuji GA645 Zi. It has an AF leaf shutter zoom lens that is sharp as hell. Auto focus? Zoom lens? Gazoinks! This is witchcraft, sir! |
#20
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"Chris Brown" wrote: Patrick wrote: For MF street photography, try a Fuji GA645 Zi. It has an AF leaf shutter zoom lens that is sharp as hell. Auto focus? Zoom lens? Gazoinks! This is witchcraft, sir! Really. Sacrilege and blasphemy. Real men don't use AF. What's interesting is that a lot of Pentax 645 users get some great mileage from the Pentax zooms (especially the 33-55), at least the folks who get images into my favorite Japanese landscape photography magazine. David J. Littleboy Tokyo, Japan |
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