[Agnostic]

Thank you Nesster! I like your work with the vintage cameras as well.

I love these old folders. The quality you can get from these vintage cameras is amazing if you know more or less what you are doing and the Zeiss Ikons seem to be especially well built. I also have a 6x9 Balda Pontina on the way, can't wait to try that as well.

And you can get these cameras for crazy prices. I haven't paid more than 20 euro's for any of them (including shipping!).

I would love to get my hands on a Zeiss Ikon Ikonta with a Tessar and rangefinder but they are a bit harder to find and more expensive.

I am also looking at getting an affordable MF slr (for street and landscapes mostly). Any advice?

[Blue]

. . .

I am also looking at getting an affordable MF slr (for street and landscapes mostly). Any advice?

You really need to try some bodies out and see which ones you like handling the best. Don't rule out screwmount systems either. If I had to pick just one of my film bodies to keep (with a knife to my throat of course) it would probably be my Spot F with the SV close second. As far as k-mount goes, I like the K2. I also like the SuperProgram because of the 1/2000 shutter speed and ttl flash support. Another good choice because of the viewfinders are the ME Super and MX.

[Agnostic]

You really need to try some bodies out and see which ones you like handling the best. Don't rule out screwmount systems either. If I had to pick just one of my film bodies to keep (with a knife to my throat of course) it would probably be my Spot F with the SV close second. As far as k-mount goes, I like the K2. I also like the SuperProgram because of the 1/2000 shutter speed and ttl flash support. Another good choice because of the viewfinders are the ME Super and MX.

Thanks for the advice but I guess I misled you with the MF (medium format, not manual focus was intended) in front of the SLR .
I already have a black MV and the ME super and MZ-5n (ZX-5n) which both have great viewfinders indeed! And that's just the Pentax bodies. (Yeah I'm a camera junkie!).

Your advice to try what I like is useful though but it's hard to get your hands on medium format bodies, at least around here.

[Blue]

Thanks for the advice but I guess I misled you with the MF (medium format, not manual focus was intended) in front of the SLR .
I already have a black MV and the ME super and MZ-5n (ZX-5n) which both have great viewfinders indeed! And that's just the Pentax bodies. (Yeah I'm a camera junkie!).

Your advice to try what I like is useful though but it's hard to get your hands on medium format bodies, at least around here.

MF is used as an abbreviation for manual focus as well as medium format. As far as the latter in regards to Pentax, that is very simple in that there are about only 4 choices. I know what you mean about it being hard to get your hands on medium format bodies. The area I'm in it is difficult to find 35mm bodies. I would guess that you would prefer the "feel" of the 6x7 over the 645 by just looking at some of your current gear.

Edit: The MZ-5n is AF . . . auto focus.

[Nesster]

Them MF SLRs scare me a bit, they are rather hung if you know what I mean, as in large. Even the small ones hang heavy.

Apart from the Pentaxes, at various times I've been looking at the rebuilt Pentacon/Russian models... but I keep shying away. Every month I pick up a couple at the camera show, heavy bricks they are... and the Pentax 67 lenses are the biggest damn things I've ever seen.

OTH: the modern RF MF cameras are reasonably portable and give excellent pics. There's a whole line up of Fuji fixed lens cams, the wide angle especially looks excellent - makes fantastic pics (I've never had one). Then there's the Mamiya 6 and 7 which go for big bucks unfortunately. I see them fairly often in New York actually, around guy's necks.

The real sleepers are the Koni Rapid Omegas - though these are large, they have awesome IQ... and go for very cheap, being an out of favor configuration.

[Agnostic]

Them MF SLRs scare me a bit, they are rather hung if you know what I mean, as in large. Even the small ones hang heavy.

Apart from the Pentaxes, at various times I've been looking at the rebuilt Pentacon/Russian models... but I keep shying away. Every month I pick up a couple at the camera show, heavy bricks they are... and the Pentax 67 lenses are the biggest damn things I've ever seen.

OTH: the modern RF MF cameras are reasonably portable and give excellent pics. There's a whole line up of Fuji fixed lens cams, the wide angle especially looks excellent - makes fantastic pics (I've never had one). Then there's the Mamiya 6 and 7 which go for big bucks unfortunately. I see them fairly often in New York actually, around guy's necks.

The real sleepers are the Koni Rapid Omegas - though these are large, they have awesome IQ... and go for very cheap, being an out of favor configuration.

Yeah, I've been having a look at the Koni Rapids, they go for very good prices. I see one of those in my future even if it is only to try one out.

[Blue]

Them MF SLRs scare me a bit, they are rather hung if you know what I mean, as in large. Even the small ones hang heavy.

. . .

They are not that scary. Here is a comparison of some of my blacked out crew.

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Last edited by Blue; 07-03-2009 at 06:17 PM. Reason: typo

[Agnostic]

They are not that scary. Here is a comparison of some of my blacked out crew.

Nice collection! Why do black cameras look so good?


Orwopan 400 pushed to 800 in Diafine.






First roll from the Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515
I'm pretty happy with the results considering it's all guesstimation on a 70 year old camera and there is no dof scale on the lens.

[Blue]

Those are interesting images Agnostic. Did you shoot those hand held?

[Agnostic]

Those are interesting images Agnostic. Did you shoot those hand held?

Yes, hand held. The ones on the Zeiss Ikon I think were at f/8 1/125s, shot in the evening around sunset on Neopan 400 rollfilm.

In fact the finder on this camera is nice for street shooting, better than my 6x6 Zeiss Ikon folder. I just have to get used to it, I tend to aim a little to high because the viewfinder is not that accurate, so in some shots part of the subject was cut off at the bottom of the negative . The only other negative I found was the lack of coating on the lens which you can see in the skies and the strange looks you get when using it .

All in all a lovely compact point and shoot

Can't wait to get some some color or slide rollfilm to try in it.

[jgredline]

Great street shot!

with the trusty k1000 self portrait and my girlfriend

[jgredline]

with the trusty k1000 self portrait and my girlfriend

Ok, time for some advice. If you want people to see your portrait, don't put it on the same post as your girlfriend

Seriously, though...Great work and I am in the I love my K1000 camp myself.

[Blue]

Great street shot!

That it is. I wondered it he used a tripod on that one is why I asked him if he was hand holding the folder.

[jgredline]

I tried my first roll of Fuji press 800 and I have now found another film I do NOT like. The colors where all flat and the grain is rough and frankly ugly. I had no choice but to convert them to black and white...Still Ultramax 800 is the best of the 800 films I have used, which is not saying much....

Pentax me super, Fuji press 800 and smc-m50f/1.4

It was nice to see a the fireworks stand with a few customers yesterday. I for one did not buy any. I have no money I can afford to burn.