Medium Format camera recommendations

[JoshBertrand]

Hey hey.
So with all this Epic business I actually find that I have a renewed interest in shooting film. Something about the shallow depth of field plus a wide angle field of view is exciting. And all that resolution!

Medium format cameras actually seem to be downright affordable now. Can you guys recommend your favorites? Bodies and lenses. I was looking at the Pentax 645 which is coming in at around $200 for a used manual focus body + another $200 for a 45mm 2.8.

Also, how about a good place to send film where you get back high-res scans at a reasonable price.

I figure this will be good practice for framing with a 645 EPIC for a fraction of the cost.

Thanks for your input guys. Cheers,

 

[Vincent Thomas]

Why do you need a medium format camera to pratice framing?

v*

 

[kidrobot]

645 boooring

 

[Kyle Presley]

I shoot on a Bronica ETRS. The two lenses I use are 75mm F/2.8 and 150mm F/4. I got the whole package, including back, for about $200. I just bought an AE prism for it, so it shoots very much like an old SLR. It's quite fun to experiment with that super shallow DOF.

 

[JoshBertrand]

Wow Kyle. That's a great deal. Did you find that locally or online?

Vincent, by framing I meant just getting used to the field of view / depth of field characteristics of that size film (or sensor in Red's case).

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

645 boooring

You're right... Bring on the 617! :biggrin:

Seriously, though, there's some good deals to be had out there on 645 / medium format lenses. That EPIC 645 is looking more and more appealing to me every day as opposed to my coveted FF35 brain. However, I don't know if I can justify the 645 brain for every day ownership. I guess I'm waiting to see what lenses I can get and what the still capabilities and footage looks like from the new cameras. ...how the budget aligns with camera release dates, etc.

 

[JoshBertrand]

Yeah, the 645 is going to be a rental for me. But I hope to work with it often. The squarish format is beautiful. Plus, once you swap the lens mount it's still a S35 or FF35... you just lose a bit of the sensor... but there are plenty K's to go around. The medium format will make great motion plates for FX shots with plenty of room to scan around or map to 3d geometry. And I feel like it may be a little more practical than the 617, but we'll see how it all turns out.

 

[Richard Goodwin]

One thing I like is the Fuji 645 rangefinders. Some even have lenses that retract into the body. You don't get a lot of flexibility optics wise. But they fit nicely in a bag and are really nice to work with.

Otherwise the obvious choice of Hasselblad. Tons of used gear out there. If you get a somewhat newer body you can fit it with a digital back later if you want. Plus, I would think/hope that the Epic 645 might have an adaptor for Hasselblad lenses.

As a super cheap option try the Seagull TLR's. They are Rolleiflex knock offs but do a solid job and run under $200. If you want to go super cheap get a plastic Holga which is $35 and shoots an interesting image (go to lomo.com) (they don't have f-stops btw ).

As for scanning. You can get a pretty decent flatbed scanner for a few hundred dollars. It will not do as good a job as a Flextight scanner (or similar). But scans get expensive and you should be able to make a pretty decent print from a flatbed scan. For your finals you can send out to get professional scans.

 

[Kyle Presley]

Wow Kyle. That's a great deal. Did you find that locally or online?

Vincent, by framing I meant just getting used to the field of view / depth of field characteristics of that size film (or sensor in Red's case).

I got a great package deal from www.keh.com in Atlanta. Super nice folks and a whole lotta great vintage gear.

 

[Ronald Reddick]

Look for a Mamiya 6x7 (RB or RZ Pro, you will love the larger neg, bellows focus, etc. Have shoot all over the world with this camera and love it over the smaller 645 format.
Plus the glass is fantastic (f6 500mm anyone), fast and clear. Would make great glass for the Epic 645 if someone makes an adapter plate which I may work on myself with a machinist friend.

There are some great labs in Boston and NYC for film. Do not know the florida market

Ron

 

[Mark K.]

I love shooting 120 on the old Pentax 67 (though maximum flash sync of 1/30 can be a problem some times), a lovely camera that takes lovely pictures.