[derelict]

Can someone drop some knowledge on me? I ordered some film from BH a few months ago and by mistake, my mistake, I ended up getting 120 film instead of the 35 I was originally thinking I ordered. So, I started looking into how much medium format costs to get in to. It would seem weird to any other type of person that a $20 mistake would lead into looking at adding different gear to the stable... So, I started messing around on KEH looking at 645 bodies and lenses. I was not too interested in adding more bulk to everything so I kept looking outside of the Pentax world. I ran across Fuji medium format rangefinders. Very interesting and yet I have never heard of them. Anyone use one? Have experience with one? It seems like the perfect portable medium format, fixed lens solution for someone like me who shoots mostly car shows and family type photos.

[luftfluss]

The Fuji GF670 Film Camera Review – Medium Format Lives! – STEVE HUFF PHOTOS

[Digitalis]

Mamiya, Bronica, Fuji made RF style medium format cameras.The cameras are still physically quite large, but the lenses are often smaller than their SLR counterparts.

[pathdoc]

Don't Holga "toy" cameras take this size film? I heard they had shut down production recently, but Lomography and who knows what else places might have one if you want to burn up your 120 film on the (relative) cheap & see what it's like before deciding to succumb to a whole new strain of gear-acquisition syndrome.

[tuco]

Yes, I have a Fuji GSW690III. I shoot in addition to 2 other medium format film cameras. It's great travel camera for those who like to shoot film. I'm an active film poster here on PF which is more than just talking about film and cameras and never posting any.

[lmd91343]

I have a Zeiss Super Ikonta 645. It folds up very small. Small enough for a jeans back pocket or jacket pocket. It is very sturdy when opened. Very nice lens too, a Schnieder or Zeiss 75mm lens. The model number is 531.

The downsides are: fixed lens, one lens only; must carry a light meter; available only on the used market; newest ones are 50 years old; must use care when shopping for both functionality and lens type (some have cheaper lenses); and a $200 - $650 price tag.

Zeiss Ikon - Ikonta (A) 531

[ChrisPlatt]

Sell or send the film back for a refund immediately - unless you have deep pockets!

Chris

[derelict]

Yes, I have a Fuji GSW690III. I shoot in addition to 2 other medium format film cameras. It's great travel camera for those who like to shoot film. I'm an active film poster here on PF which is more than just talking about film and cameras and never posting any.

Oh, I shoot film quite regularly. Here are just a few samples. They were all with my ZX5 and the 135/ 2.8 that pretty much never leaves the body.









I switched to M4/3s for digital but carry the ZX5 with me whenever I head out to car shows and trips. It is part of the small bag I carry. Based on what I take photos of, having a portable MF camera would be a decent addition. The all in one rangefinder style body appeals to me as it is less stuff that I have to invest in and carry around. Bulk is why I switched to M4/3. Great, sharp, quality images without the heaviness.

How do you like your Fuji? Like I said, I just discovered their existence so I am still researching them. The bodies have a threaded area for tripod mount, correct?

[tuco]

...
How do you like your Fuji? Like I said, I just discovered their existence so I am still researching them. The bodies have a threaded area for tripod mount, correct?

Nice pictures. Yes, it has a tripod mount. I like that Fuji a lot. It replaced my Mamiya 7II rangefinder which was a bit too fragile and was expensive so I needed to be more delicate with it. The Fuji I got in bargain condition and feels a lot more rugged.

The fixed lens doesn't bother me because I have other cameras with interchangeable lenses. And having no light meter is not much of a problem at all because I pretty much only shoot BW film and outside in the daylight I don't need a meter. And when I do meter a scene I use my one-degree spot meter anyway instead even if the camera has a built-in one.

It's a big camera in area. Obviously not as thick as my 500C/M or Pentax 67. But It's not heavy and if you wear at your hip like a bag with a long neck strap you can easily carry it all day. While I like the larger 6x9 images I get from the camera, the 8 frames per roll capacity means very selective shooting and changing film a lot that can be a hassle sometimes.

If you like small cameras then these medium format film cameras might not be to your liking. It is no problem for me since I pretty much grew up shooting medium format. I think I shot small format for only a couple years before switch over. So consider that. But a 645 rangefinder is comparatively compact gives you more film area to define your images. Have fun with whatever you decide.

[derelict]

Great news about the mount. A fixed lens is precisely why that style of camera appeals. No need to stock up on different focal length lenses and such.

I switched to the smaller M4/3 stuff in order to cut the bulk of stuff that I regularly use. The EM10 body and two primes weighs about the same as my Tamron 28-70/ 2.8 did. That gave me a lot more room in my small Flipside to carry the film body and a lens or two. This rangefinder would be a thing I throw in the bag instead of the ZX5 and a lens.

I know this adds a whole different set of costs to my hobby but I am okay with that :-)

[AquaDome]

Kodak Medalist, Zeiss Ikonta, Agfa Isolette, Moskva, Iskra...

Depends on how far back in time you want to go and if it really needs to be a rangefinder.

[lmd91343]

Kodak Medalist, Zeiss Ikonta, Agfa Isolette, Moskva, Iskra...

Depends on how far back in time you want to go and if it really needs to be a rangefinder.

Cool cameras! I have the Kodak Medalist II (camerosity EO), the latest Moscova 5, and the Zeiss Super Ikonta 531 from the '50s.

The Kodak is spectacular. The RF is the best of the bunch. The lens is a coated 105mm, if memory serves. The RF is the easiest to use of any MF RF I have used. That lens is fantastic. Maybe the best Kodak ever made. The frame is 6x9. The film is held flat. The thing is heavy and rigid. However the lens retracts a little. There is a sheet film adapter that fits on the back. I have the adapter, but never used it because I don't have a development tank for sheet film. I adapted mine for 120 size spools, so I would not have to respool to 620 spools. The Medalist I was the WW II photo journalist's camera. The II model has only an incremental improvements.

The Moskva has a squinty RF/VF, impossible with my glasses. It's 6x9 with an option to shoot 6x6. The lens is coated(many are not). The front standard was finicky and took some work to get it to function properly. That is a common complaint about these cameras. The lens is pretty good, but not as good as the Zeiss SI or the Kodak. I have made nice 2' x 3' enlargements from it!

The Zeiss Super Ikonta, I just posted about. I have the 531, 6x4.5 model. It is the only one I have used since I went digital. It is an excellent medium format camera that you can put in your pocket! My little Sekonic 308 meter is over half the size of the camera. I put my little Voigtlander meter on a string when I takeout this baby.