Originally posted by tuco Thanks, Phil
I've always said MF film cameras are a series of compromises. It seems each does something better than the other at certain things. That's why I have both systems. And what a person my like/dislike about one system or the other depends a lot on the individual. But the 500C/M and the Pentax 6x7 are far enough apart that it is not too redundant to have both of them.
The Pentax 6x7 was my first MF camera which I purchased about 25 years ago. I still have it and it still is going strong. I shoot the Pentax 6x7 almost exclusively with a waist level finder these days so it is not much different than the 500C/M in that regard. And I also shoot my 6x7 much like my 4x5 system instead of trying to make a 35mm style camera out of it because I have digital cameras when I need to shoot like that.
The biggest thing for me and the 500C/M is of course the hot-swapping backs. As you may know I do a lot of highlight compression work and it is easy to devote a roll of film to that processing when you can swap the film out at anytime. Other things I really like as well is no batteries, the lens hood system and all 6 of the CF lenses I have for it take the same filter diameter which is huge bonus for colored and ND filter work for BW film. And I was hoping one day digital backs for the 500C/M would become more reasonably priced. I'm still waiting on that.
Congrats on your new Pentax 6x7, btw.
Thanks! Getting the 6x7 and trading off my old 645 is probably one of the best things I've ever done for my photography. I found that getting one kinda killed my Hasselblad lust, at least for now, so I was curious.
What I like about the 6x7 is kind of the same and kinda different to what you like about it. I love the huge negatives and I love the detail and the amazing sharpness (which I know by reputation more than experience at this point) of its lenses. I love that I can sit it on a tripod with the mirror locked up and get incredibly sharp landscapes, using it like a view camera. I love that the lenses are brighter than the lenses for most other 6x7 systems and aren't that expensive.
Most of what I love though, is where it fits in my photographic world. I shoot a 4x5 and an 8x10, both field cameras, so the 6x7's big strength is that when it's not on a tripod, I can slap a metered prism on it and shoot it like a big, fat LX. That's fantastic! It's exactly the right compromise between my 4x5 and the 35mm/digital stuff. For me, anyway.
Thanks for the comparison!