Compact MF cameras?

[cgw]

Zeiss Ikon only made durable cameras. If anything, they were over engineered. I have yet to come across a faulty Zeiss Ikon camera amongst the dozen or so I have in my collection. My oldest Zeiss folder is from 1926 and is in excellent condition.

As far as image quality goes, medium format film produces a very high mage quality - it is different to anything digital can produce and certainly not inferior.

Let's just say you've been lucky. Leaky bellows and gummy shutters are simply age-related maladies many examples of these fine cameras suffer from--problems that have little to do with build quality. In 2018 they'd be easier to love if competent service was more widely available. No interest in kicking the film/digital binary.

 

[Dave442]

My parents had a Rolleicord that just sat in the closet. I pulled it out a few times just to look through it, but for some reason I never loaded it with film and took it out. Of course I don't remember seeing anybody in the 80's shooting with such cameras from the 50's.

From handling the camera I can say that it seemed plenty portable and does not feel that big when handling it - in part as your looking down and holding it in both hands.

 

[OldManJim]

Agree with the comments on Zeiss. I have an Ikonta B that apparently was a WWII "bring back" and sat in someone's closet for decades. I'm getting it CLA'd and am looking forward to shooting it. Folded up, it fits nicely in a jacket pocket - but you need a light meter in the other pocket!