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Initially I want to shoot street-y landscape stuff I guess so interested to see how that will pan out with a more square image plane.
Easy enough to try on a phone, iPhones have a square mode (presume android have similar). When shooting square I'll often trial the shot on my phone first
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Find a Rolleicord cheap, and use it for everything. You'll soon find out if 6x6/120 is for you, and you'll have had a great time at a low cost. My opinion is they're the best beginner camera, and light enough to carry everywhere. Manual everything, too.
I started MF with a Rolleicord III, which I still own, though it hasn't had use in a long time. I have tried things like the ETRSi and didn't like them. In fact, the more I think back the more I remember hating those poxy little 645 SLR's. Awful.
What I did like, though, was the Bronica RF645. Limited on the portrait side - literally; it comes as portrait orientation rather than landscape, which I loved, but you cannot get up close as with an SLR/TLR because of the RF. I used the RF645 extensively and shot a lot of street, and it served me a few dozen rolls in Brazil over a two week trip. I was sad to sell it when I did. Pretty sure it went to fund moving from a Leica M3 to M6ttl, which was my go-to camera.
What I would certainly return to using is a Hasselblad 500C. I had the older C, not C/M and again used it extensively. It came with me on a bunch of trips including an Inter-Rail across Europe for a month, shooting portrait and street and whatever. Dead quiet for an SLR and easy to pack. Took the same space as the Rolleicord, just heavier and more versatile (closer focus, etc). Even an old Zeiss lens is exceptional. I also owned a SWC for a while which certainly lived up to its title (best lens ever).
I only got rid of the Hasse 500C since I was using the Mamiya RB67 more, with its rotating back. Since I was using that for portraits, made sense to use a bigger frame and not crop. It also had a much bigger brighter focus screen.
Since I used the RB67 so much I ended up with a Pentax 67II, which was stupidly heavy but amazing. Serious jumbo SLR, and operated like one, but with a localised tremor whenever you fired the shutter. For portraits and serious work, that's 'the one'. I think my one was bought by Tim Walker's studio assistant as a spare body...
Oh, also owned a handful of folders and stuff. Got a 6x9 folder and a 645 Nettar, both are great for travel and sticking in your (bag) pocket. The Nettar went on almost every trip I went on. It was owned by my grandfather's brother, and spent its first life on the motorbike with him as he travelled.
TL:DR get anything, you'll probably dump it for something else in time.
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Man I forgot how much I love these cameras. Feels so good.
Just remembered I also owned a Rolleiflex (with 3,5 Tessar) and a couple Lubitels too. Looking at the square hood, it’s for Yashica, maybe you can find a Yashi cheaper to try.
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gotten onto a mate who's Bronica SQ-A I am going to borrow for a bit
If you have the chance to borrow stuff like this that's perfect, just shoot it a bit and see if you like it.
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Thanks all for the thorough input. I'm going to hold fire and do additional research. Probably wait for a competitively priced ETRS or 645 w/ 120 back. I've gotten onto a mate who's Bronica SQ-A I am going to borrow for a bit.
I need to do more research on the different aspect ratios and limiting factors i.e wanting to shoot portraits is obviously going to be hard w/ a waist level finder. Initially I want to shoot street-y landscape stuff I guess so interested to see how that will pan out with a more square image plane.