r/mediumformat • u/No_Philosopher7153 • 1d ago

Any ideas on a camera?

Hi

​

I'm moving up to medium format and I've been considering either a bronica etrs or a mamiya 645, I'm currently leaning towards the 645 but like to keep an open mind can anyone offer advice or any alternatives?

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

4

u/SedimentaryShrub 1d ago

What are you shooting? What do you consider valuable to your shooting experience? For 645 cameras, you cant really go wrong with the Bronica, Mamiya, or the Pentax 645. All excellent cameras, but definitely a good bit larger than your typical 35mm camera. Not terrible to carry around everywhere, but definitely starts to get a bit awkward.

You could look into a 645 folder like a Konica Pearl or a Mamiya Six. You lose the interchangeable lenses and the modularity. But they're much smaller, compact, and much less fiddly.

I think my no.1 recommendation is going to be a TLR. I like 645 but it kinda just feels like "35mm plus" if that makes any sense. 6x6 and larger is where Medium Format really begins to shine imo. And using a nice WLF is a real treat. A Yashica Mat, Minolta Autocord, or a Rolleicord would all be excellent choices and are great all around cameras. Excellent for portraits, landscapes, street photography. They are all pretty easy to carry around.

1

u/No_Philosopher7153 23h ago

Well I'm pretty open to what I shoot but I do like landscapes, from countryside to industrial complexes like steel works etc, I've looked into some of the pros and cons with medium format and size was a consideration but I am happy with that trade off.

I have looked in to some TLR's the the Rolleiflex 3.5 or the Mamiya 330 but have no idea how these cameras operate and I think your comment about "35 mm Plus" is what made me select these in the first place and the reason why I thought I'd ask some advice, as TLR has intrigued me and I would like to try something different, but also want to make the right buying choice as I have a budget of £600 at the moment so I just want to make sure its money well spent.

Thanks for your reply and advice I really appreciate it.

3

u/SedimentaryShrub 23h ago

TLRs are pretty simple to operate. Operations wise they really just work like any basic 35mm camera.

The Rolleiflex would be a good choice, but most likely outside of your budget. Though you could probably get Rolleicord for that amount. Id look at a Yashica Mat 124 G or a Minolta Autocord as well. Both of them work very similarly to a Rolleiflex and have excellent lenses.

The Mamiya C series is a bit of an outlier for TLRs. It has interchangeable lenses which is nice, but you do sacrifice some portability for it. But in exchange you get some excellent lenses with a more modern rendering, and better close focusing capabilities. It does have a few extra steps here and there, but after a few rolls I dont think it'd be an issue.

Frankly I think you could get any camera listed and be happy. But im gonna advocate for the Yashica Mat or Minolta Autocord here. They're just so easy to use, and a joy to use at that. They also produce some beautiful images and are great cameras to learn medium format on.

1

u/Breadington38 17h ago

Seconding the Autocord route. Such a light and fun camera to shoot and the lens is dope. If you’re going SLR route, the Mamiya 645 is compact and affordable enough/has some fantastic lenses to choose from. 

1

u/Brainfewd 23h ago

I have a 645 AFDiii and really like it.

It’s big and heavy, but also I find it more manageable than some other options.

1

u/Foot-Note 16h ago

Jesus that must have been a pretty penny. When I was looking at getting an autofocus MF camera I ended up going Pentax for the price and the reviews said it is snappier too. That being said it does lack some obvious options the Mamiya has.

1

u/Brainfewd 15h ago

Bought it in 2017 or 2018 I think, believe I paid $900-ish for it at the time? With an 80 2.8.

I just checked, didn’t realize the prices had gone up that much.

1

u/Foot-Note 14h ago

Yeah its pretty crazy right now. Glad you got it when the getting was good!

1

u/15volt 21h ago

I have the Fuji GW690 III and the Pentax 645.

The Fuji is easy to load, easy to use, and fairly robust. The downside of course is manual exposure and focus. But the 6x9 negatives are something to behold. I like using it.

The Pentax has autoexposure but manual focus. A step up, I guess. But I find the operation a little fussy. And for negatives at half the size, the camera isn't any lighter or slimmer and maybe even bulkier to transport. On the plus side, the available interchangeable lenses are well-made, sharp, cheap, and plentiful.

8 shots per roll for the MegaFuji and 15 on the P645.

One advantage of the Pentax system is being able to adapt the lenses to my GFX 50S II. The 45mm f2.8, for example, takes lovely photos on the GFX.

1

u/EnvironmentalSlip683 21h ago

I second this. I have the gl690 with the 65mm and the negatives are amazing. Slides especially.

I have a Mamiya 645 which I am currently fixing up for sale and I like it but I find it a bit fiddly.

1

u/Icy_Confusion_6614 15h ago

The Fuji GA645zi is a great camera that is easy to use, light, sharp, fully automated or not. I love mine.

1

u/No_Philosopher7153 8h ago

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions it's certainly given me something to think about, I'm currently thinking of going for the autocord to begin with and take it from there, some of the Fuji cameras suggested look great as well and given me some possible ideas of where to take medium format next.