Looking to try MF, any suggestions?

Canuk · Sep 2, 2012

Would something like this Zeiss Ikon NETTAR Medium format Folding Camera | eBay be a good start or should I look for something else?

Mike_E · Sep 2, 2012

Nice little camera, really slow lens.

If you are good with the limitations it'd be ok. How much can you actually spend on this?

Canuk · Sep 2, 2012

I haven't really set a budget, I'm not sure how much it will get used, but $200-300 would be tops for now I would think.
I could spend more, if you have some other recommendations that would be great.
Would a folding camera be the way to go, or possibly a Twin Reflex be better to start and experiment.

Derrel · Sep 2, 2012

I would strongly consider a Yashica Twin-Lens Reflex camera as a possibility....the Yashica-Mat 124G would be the newest, best model available. ALso, the CHinese-made Seagull TLRs were "decent", and have been made fairly recently. Old bellows-equipped folders are neat cameras, as long as the bellows is good, and the bed and struts are not wonky, and as long as their 40- to 70-year-old shutters still work and the lenses are not scratched up terribly, or hazed over with fungus or old,evaporated lubricants.

Canuk · Sep 2, 2012

Thanks Derrel, I will have a look at those as well.
Is there anything else other than some 120 film to make these work? (dumb question, but have zero experience with this)

pixmedic · Sep 2, 2012

almost makes me want to dig our Rolleiflex 3.5E out of the closet and finish off that roll of film we put in it 3 years ago...almost.

unpopular · Sep 2, 2012

2nd on the Yashicamat. If weight isn't a big issue though the Mamiya TLR's are really cool.

Derrel · Sep 2, 2012

Canuk said:
Thanks Derrel, I will have a look at those as well.
Is there anything else other than some 120 film to make these work? (dumb question, but have zero experience with this)

All one really "needs" is film; the 124G has an on-board light meter powered by a small mercury battery, which I believe is no longer available. I have a Yashica 635, circa 1958...it has NO light meter, and thus requires nothing but film, no batteries, nothing extra, in order to shoot film. I listed the Yashica Mat 124G as being a good choice simply because it was a proven and widely-manufactured Medium Format camera with simple operation and falls within your budget zone, and is NOT a "collectible": like so many Rolleicord or Rolleiflex TLR's are. Here's a post with a wee bit of info about the 124G and its battery/meter situation. The shutter is NOT powered by batteries, but is 100% mechanically-timed.

http://photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00T89

2WheelPhoto · Sep 2, 2012

Derrel said:
Canuk said:

Thanks Derrel, I will have a look at those as well.
Is there anything else other than some 120 film to make these work? (dumb question, but have zero experience with this)

Click to expand...

All one really "needs" is film; the 124G has an on-board light meter powered by a small mercury battery, which I believe is no longer available. I have a Yashica 635, circa 1958...it has NO light meter, and thus requires nothing but film, no batteries, nothing extra, in order to shoot film. I listed the Yashica Mat 124G as being a good choice simply because it was a proven and widely-manufactured Medium Format camera with simple operation and falls within your budget zone, and is NOT a "collectible": like so many Rolleicord or Rolleiflex TLR's are. Here's a post with a wee bit of info about the 124G and its battery/meter situation. The shutter is NOT powered by batteries, but is 100% mechanically-timed.

http://photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00T89

If you have the battery make/model a suitable sub can probably be had. I've went through that with a few old cams now, mercury used to be a good thing.

3bayjunkie · Sep 2, 2012

I would suggest the Contax 645. It is a smaller MF camera and uses ziess glass with auto focus! Very nice camera and there are tons of them on ebay!

Canuk · Sep 2, 2012

The contax looks like a nice camera, but too much cash for an experiment, lol

Mike_E · Sep 2, 2012

For that budget I'd go with a Yashica MAT 124. The 124G simply has gold plated contacts for the light meter, the basic camera is the same except that the 124 non-g has a sturdier winding mechanism. The 124G is newer however so YYMV.

You might shop around a bit as prices are a little high during the summer and if you are wanting this for the long haul you might wait a while. Do be aware that TLRs are focused through a ground glass at the top of the camera. This is really pretty neat but is off-putting to some people.

If you like shooting black and white film then you should look into getting a day-light tank and developer. Look around this forum for info on developing and or scanning.

Good luck!

Canuk · Sep 2, 2012

Thanks for all the info. I have several developing tanks and all of the equipment required to do my own prints. I'm learning I have developed a couple rolls of 35mm now and printed a few photos, very rewarding.
Would the Yashica MAT 124 be a better choice than a Mamiya C220?

unpopular · Sep 2, 2012

The mamiya is a better camera, with more extension, better parallax correction and interchangeable lenses but will weigh significantly more.

I'd go with the C220, personally.

Also it's mechanically simpler, both the Yashicamat and the Rolleicords tended to jam up. If the shutter jams on the C-series, you just get a new lens.