Analog film photography and cameras

Thanks! :)

Hmm yeah that's a good point - hadn't thought about that at all. I've mostly shot landscapes on the 6x6 lubitel, so maybe 6x45 would be a little more suited to that, would be fun to experiment with a different format.

@amey A Mamiya you say?

@amey A Mamiya you say?

Yep

Another sprocket hole shot taken with the Rollei on ancient Kodachrome.

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Being sold tomorrow unfortunately. I highly rate the 645 series though. Used the m645 first for a term a couples years back then invested in a 645super a year ago for my last year of uni. Best upgrade ever!

The 645super has loads of interchangeable bits, lens, ae prisms viewfinders, backs, battery winder or crank options, straps etc. useful for all situations. Simple and easy to work with and quite portable with the right parts. You do need quite stiff tripod though as it can weigh a bit with a wide angle, auto winder battery grip and ae prism finder.

Fujica gw670 could be a good shout if you want to get larger negs but not 6x9 format?

I think someone on here has mentioned them but I'd really recommend filmdev.co.uk for developing. Nice and quick developing time and relatively cheap for the small scans.

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Brilliant, all of them
May I ask for used film?

Top is expired Kodak portra 160 @ 80
Middle 2 are Agfa vista 200
Bottom is expired Kodak UC 400 @ 200

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I pretty much second all the things BigH said @tyeness

I highly rate the 645 series though (...) You do need quite stiff tripod though as it can weigh a bit

This obviously depends on how much you are willing to schlepp / whether you need a tripod / several lenses..
..the 645 I have here is 1.8kg (body with 45mm lens), and I very rarely use it because I just can't be assed to carry that much, at least not daily, and I really want to use cameras that I'm happy to bring with me on a daily basis.

Fujica gw670 could be a good shout

I keep thinking about these (and other medium format rangefinders like Mamiyas or Makinas) as they would allow for large, landscape-format negatives, with a camera that's more easy to carry - only thing holding me back is the cost.
I'm not that familiar with the Fuji system, but as far as I know you can't get these for 200?

Thanks for the advice! And no worries on the sale, highly unlikely I'll be buying before next year anyway, which is a shame. Trip to Skye coming up at the end of the month :/

How do you find the 645Super accessories for availability/affordability?

The Fujica looks cool, and nice and easy to use but I think it'd be cool to try something where I can experiment with different lenses, and so on.

@***** Thank you too! I'm not sure I mind about the weight - I definitely can't afford to shoot film every day, and if I did I'd go for ease/convenience/size of 35mm, so the Mamiya (or whatever) will be a "day trip" kind of camera.

@***** - Ah yes, overlooked the sub 200 bit. They can be found nearer towards the £300 mark if your very lucky on ebay but obvs might take a while.

@tyeness - Ebay fu is key. I was fortunate to buy mine from japan with basically the majority of accessories included. Customs wasn't that bad and was still under £250 all in. They can be found in UK/EU but not for that cheap normally. Ive ended up spending a bit more on other accessories/lenses but all worth it and will hold its value well as long as its well looked after.

You could carry the 645super daily with/without a battery grip and a wrist strap which i remember picking up for about £15. I think the super weighs less than the OG M645. Kills your wrist eventually but a neck strap could be more useful depending on what you need the camera for and your shooting style.

I've invested in some 120 inserts with cases too which help in saving a bit of time reloading when "in the field" and with a bit of patience can be had for around £10 each.

I think the super weighs less than the OG M645.

Camera Wiki says the super (camera body + 120 back) is 895g.
The original 645 is 1170g (I just weighed mine : )

invested in a 645super a year ago for my last year of uni. Best upgrade ever!

..care to elaborate?
I only ever shot the original 645, and 645 1000S - what are the differences in practical use (apart from being able to change backs) ?

Kills your wrist eventually but a neck strap could be more useful depending on what you > need the camera for and your shooting style.

I shot these 645's with a waist-level finder 95% of the time - neck strap is perfect for this.
Guess a wrist thing is not a bad idea when using the prism..

Rolleicord 6x6 is my MF camera of choice, because my mate had one and I wanted MF.

No meter, so that can be difficult in low light but I just err on the side of over exposure and generally get good results.

It's pretty light and the waist level finder is a thing of beauty; I have an upgraded ground glass with split prism which is great for critical focus.

It's not a fast camera to use, wind on, cock shutter, frame, focus re-frame and release but I find my hit rate is actually really good, like 10 from 12 frames are technically ok, artistically, well that depends if you like photos of my dog and kids :)

No meter, so that can be difficult in low light

https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/pocket-light-meter/id381698089?mt=8

Hmm yes, I might need to be very patient, or very lucky - a cursory glance shows 645Super bodies alone at £150-170 :/

@mi7rennie the 166u is the same w/ cocking the shutter, manual wind etc but all that prep does force me to really pay attention to what I'm doing. The shots are still mediocre at best, mind, but I tend not to get any nasty surprises when the film comes back.

@tyeness

if any helps (me not affiliated in any ways)
http://www.apug.org/forum/index.php?threads/fs-mamiya-645-1000s-bodies-and-lenses.140202/

also this is nice
http://www.apug.org/forum/index.php?threads/fs-minolta-autocord-tlr-clad.142534/

Does anyone have a compact for sale in the region of £150? Or know any good second hand camera specialists worth looking at?

I was mainly shooting 35mm on a tripod, it worked and was practical but the quality was slightly lacking really. I loved the grain for printing and all that jazz but the overall quality of photos was so much better once I upgraded. I could have easily spend £200 on a good 35mm slr but it made sense to try a larger format while I could use the facilities at uni.

Practicality would vary for each person but for me the battery grip is beneficial for quick shooting and a better position for holding the camera in when not on a tripod. When on a tripod it means you don't have to mess about winding (camera shake) etc. If your already lugging a good tripod the few 100g's in body weight compared to the original 645 makes a difference. Maybe I'm being slightly biased but Ive got really used to where everything is, its all spaced apart and just seems to function well. Never used the waist finder and have never used it with a flash for studio so cannot comment on that.

Ultimately, the super has a smooth black finish and just looks cooler than the original 645' sos.. HHSCamera thread :-P >>>

They come up on ebay often. Im sure you will get one for under £250. This just sold last week link but make sure to message the seller directly and see if its possible to view in person, make and offer (if as auction) and potentially pay cash on collection if all is well.

Something to keep in mind with 6x7 is scanning the film as most places don't have the masks to do it. I have a Pentax 67 which is awesome and I love using but rarely do because of this. 6x6 is easier to live with. In which case a nice yashica 124 can be had for under £200

Haven't had in mind that this might be an issue.
Over here, medium format is almost solely done by the (few remaining) pro labs, so I'm thinking they got 6x7 covered.

It is a weird format though, isn't it. As it's so close to a square.
I've seen quite a lot of outstanding images shot on 6x7, yet it often takes me a while to settle in viewing that unusual aspect ratio.

Ultimately, the super has a smooth black finish and just looks cooler

Yea gotta admit they really do look pretty cool!

If they have it covered then don't rule one out, bonkers cameras.

I took the one below on my Pentax and the film was scanned 6x6, the developer wasn't aware of any other size. So the composition was different to how to saw it originally but turned out probably to be better once it was scanned incorrectly. So there are two chopped up photos in one here

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Here's another very informative article on the Olympus Mju II / Stylus Epic's exposure, focus & flash behaviour (scroll down) - http://antiquecameras.net/olympusstylusepic.html

Loads of good technical info there. I'm not sure I knew it could shoot at 1/1000 sec.

It's an odd article. The camera behaviour described as problematic (such as bias towards f2.8, fast close-focus over accurate distance-focus, avoiding refraction-prone small apertures etc) are probably all reasoned design choices on a Maitani led project.