I used the 6 by 7 and owned a couple of the 67's along with several lenses. The 67's paid for themselves in short order. I did a lot of industrial work and the 75mm shift lens was a life saver in facility work. The SMC glass was about as sharp and any that can be found. My 67's produced hundreds of 2 foot by 3 foot lobby prints for my clients. The metered prism was okay, but I usually used a hand-held spot meter. You can easily go broke buying lenses. I sold them off over twenty-five years ago but still have the Pentax 67 tool on my key ring. One thing to bear in mind, today these are ancient technology, but when they came out they were state of the art. And yes, I am on the wrong side of sixty.
That's incredible! This makes me want to try some other lenses as well, never knew about the 75mm shift lens. Out of curiosity what system did you switch to after the pentax 67, and was it better or worse?
Howdy, When I stopped doing facility work and stayed with studio work - my 67's, 645's and Graflex XL's went up for sale. For studio work I used Fuji first generation GS-680 slr's and a Toyo 45C view camera.
grainydays I have friends in San Jose, and 8 different lenses for this camera. I could bring them in November when I visit, if your location makes sense.
Im sure there are a lot of us old timers still out there with Pentaxes. I, for one, am one of those guys. I'm 71 years old now and have been shooting anything and everything since I was a kid in 1955 Yonkers, NY. My first camera, a Kodak 'Box' camera was the norm then and from then on, everything was fair game. Not to go off on a tangent but after lots of different kinds I was in the 60's to 70's and later with first, a Pentax 6x7 and then I liked it so much, I think I jumped over the '67' and went straight to the '67ll' when it first came out. I think it was $1300. But with or without a sense is what I'm not sure of, because that lens was considered the 'Kit' lens at that time as were all of the best 35mm camera lenses the 1.7, 1.8 and what? the 1.5? were the norm for the "Kits" in those days. Now those big aperture lenses are now considered an optional fancy specialty lens. I still have that '67ll' and still consider it my favorite film camera although I never went down the Mamiya or Fuji paths which I may have found better. But at the time, I was shooting a lot of motocross and needed a somewhat "fast" camera to stop the action and I remember the '67ll' being one of the only ones that offered the 1/1000th f stop that really stopped the bikes in action but found that they weren't fast enough to stop the front wheel spin. I could go on and on about this camera but I'm getting hand cramps from typing. (Carpel Tunnel Syndrome). I, of course, have gone digital and have bought half of what's out there in this format just as I did in film. Too much to talk about. You younger generation guys are getting my film blood boiling up again and of corse I have to break them out again and dust off the cob webs on them...because I still have a lot of 1999 or so out dated rolls of 220 film of all kinds to expose. Its a pain in the ass, but somebody has to do it!
@@richardoleck4842 75 here reserecting two 6 x 7 bodies with now $11 batteries, always take them out, to shoot some. Lots of huge lenses beg to make city landscape.
you probably have already figured it out by now but "Auto" doesn't do what you said it does. Auto works exactly like how any lens works on SLR cameras. The lens is wide open for viewing and composing and then at the moment of shutter actuation the lens is stopped down to your set F-stop. The Manual setting works like a full time depth of field preview and you are actually viewing your image through whatever aperture is set on the lens. Obviously "manual" is not ideal for regular shooting unless you just want to check your depth of field.
When I was a photography undergrad back in 1970s, one of my yearmates had one of those cameras, very slick. Very sculptural piece of kit. One of the **BEST** looking cameras ever made. Congratulations on owning one!
@@grainydaysss you can kill that radiation on your lens by keeping it under a direct sunlight for some days(depends on the amount of radiation it has) and the yellow orange tint you see in the vintage lens is that radiation so as soon as that tint disappears your lens will be okay
i love how lonely your pictures are. how the objects in the images look so alone and almost prays for the viewer to use them. you find a window into an empty world in an overpopulated one - I really like that. Love your vids :)
8:15 great video but the auto / manual switch is just for focusing wide open. The original 6X7 and that lens never had an aperture priority mode so even in auto the aperture should shut down to what you have it set too as soon as you fire the shutter regardless of if you have a metered prism so its odd that you were getting off exposures!
Ok, I'm so stoked I just read this comment! I just shot my first roll this week and my lens was set to auto! lol. I though I messed up a bunch of photos! Thanks for that valuable info.
There are four versions of the camera body, not three. There are two versions of the 6x7. The earliest (1st) version has no switch to lock up the mirror before exposure, which is what he has here. After a few years, Pentax added a switch which releases the mirror to its raised position, allowing any vibration to settle before the exposure. There is no separate name, just the switch on the right side front below the prism. Note that mirror and shutter operate electrically, so if you use his trick or the mirror release on later models for long exposures, you are running through your camera battery at a fast rate.
@@grainydaysss You info re removal of lens and prism to avoid damaging the linking chain is not correct. It makes no difference whether you remove the lens or metering prism first. What is important is that when you reinstall, you must install the metering prism first, and only thereafter install the lens. Also, this rule only applies to use of the metering prism on the 6x7 and 67 models. It does not apply to use of any of the non-metering finders or to any finder on the 67II body.
This camera is more than 45 years old and has probably never been serviced. It's not too hard to work on if you know what you are doing; Pentax has factory authorized repair shops all over the country (US). The last time I had mine serviced, it was cleaned, lubed, adjusted and the meter was calibrated, for $150. Repair parts are mostly not available from Pentax, so it's best to use one of their independent service shops, which will generally have their own parts supply.
no, don't expose to sunlight. the grease will heat up and particularise onto the glass elements. use the uv method and run a fan onto the setup so it stays cool.
You seemed confused by the Auto/manual switch. The camera uses open aperture metering which stops down for the exposure and opens up again for viewing and framing. When you were talking about those linkages in respect of needing to remove the lens before removing the pentaprism, those linkages link the meter to the lens and simulate the exposure to the meter during open aperture metering. The manual setting puts you on manual iris. You use this for composition with the lens stopped down. You get depth of field as the film will see it at exposure aperture value. You can use this to help you preview the zone of acceptable focus around your critically focussed subject element. The camera should meter as normal unless Pentax made a mistake and it’s compounding the stopped down light level in the lens with the simulated value. It should make no difference if you are using a hand held meter. Buy one, don’t use a phone app. The real thing allows you to do much much more and better, when you learn to use it. The match needle meter in frame needs you to do some thinking, expose for the subject or, off a grey card or, a mid tone in the scene e.g. grass is a good mid-tone. Assess whether there is a strong specular highlight or, backlighting fooling the meter and either, go in close to meter the subject isolated in the frame or, guesstimate how many extra stops to add above the metered value e.g. two stops might mean increase the shutter speed by two clicks or, close down the aperture by two stops. Similarly darkness surrounding the subject will require similar metering compensation. Instead of stopping down you’d open up the lens or, lengthen the shutter speed. Ideally use two pushes of the wind lever rather than one long one. It stresses the mechanism less and keeps the frame spacing more even.
@@sharonleibel Yes. And somewhat confusing name of "Auto" came from "automatic stopdown" which means unlike older manual-aperture-only SLR lenses, you can set your aperture and still see bright view finder to focus and compose.
A good review. I bought the first generation Pentax 6x7 without the mirror lockup when it first came out. I liked the system so much I bought the 6x7 with mirror lockup as soon as it came out. I still shoot with both bodies and my 55mm wide angle, 105mm normal, and 200mm telephoto lenses.
The “Auto” selection stops the aperture down to your setting when the shutter fires. It does not choose your aperture setting through some communication with the light meter. The “manual” setting leaves the aperture stopped down to your f stop constantly.
Beautiful review brother. I’m into mirrorless and used to have a 35mm old camera and used to developed it on a Walgreens but I want to learn How to do it myself and get a film camera
I believe it was British photographer and magazine editor Bill Jay who wrote that one reason photographers got no respect was that shutters were too quiet. He said that if shutters sounded like a .357 magnum pistol round, people would pay more attention. The next time you use this thing, look around after you trip the shutter and try to see whether you're being respected.
I actually had the FANC (nuclear agency in Belgium) take a look at my Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 55mm f/1.8. The radiation is definitely not harmless. After about 500 hours of being closer than 30cm you're exposed to more radiation than is acceptable in a whole year for the average person. You can definitely still use these lenses, but be careful where you store them as to not be exposed to the radiation more than necessary. The nuclear expert told me not to hold them up to the eye, certainly don't store them in your bedroom and whatever you do don't drop it. Once the thoriated element is shattered you could possibly breathe in those radioactive elements. It's also a nightmare to have it cleaned up if that were te ever happen.
@@elpancreas8925 I always sleep next to my camera and use it as a fidget toys (because of the dials, switches, and buttons) whenever I have free time (call me weird, sure). And I have owned that thing for a year now. I bring it everywhere with me. So I would be near that thing about 6,000 hour a year.
There were four versions the Pentax 6x7, the Pentax 6x7 MLU, the Pentax 67 and the Pentax 67II. There were internal differences between the 6x7 and the 6x7 MLU in addition to the facility to lock the mirror up. The Pentax 67 it is said has some minor changes to the materials used and, according to one source, there were changes to the shutter mechanics. These changes are all so minor, that if they actually existed, you are unlikely to spot them. One real and significant change was to the lightmeter prism, improved by using a SBc rather than a CDs cell, (although they are interchangeable). Some of the lenses got reworked over time, for example the 55mm and indeed the 105mm. It is an amazing camera system, I bought mine new in 1982 and still have it. I have a number of other 120 roll film SLR's and the Pentax is not only by far the most reliable, easiest to use but also takes transparencies' to die for. 50 inch print, in the days when you could get a 50 inch print made by a lab, totally amazing.
Guys, can someone just confirm something for me. Around 7:56 Jason states that the lens chooses the aperture on the lens when it is set to auto, but I haven’t found this to be the case. When I have it set to manual, the aperture blades close down to whatever it’s set to which can make focusing at f/11 pretty difficult. I always shoot with the lens switched to auto but I’m still able to choose which ever aperture i need and it shoots at that aperture
Yes, you are correct, that was a mistake on my part. At the time, I thought the auto function on MF Takumar lenses was linked to the metered prism somehow. I now know this is incorrect.
@@grainydaysss Ahh I see, no problem at all! I’m relatively new to the Pentax so I just wanted to double check I wasn’t doing something wrong. Thank you
Referring to his comment on the 105mm lens at 6:30, I own two 6x7 plus one 67II, and I do not own a 105mm lens. I own 14 lenses and extenders for the Pentax 67, but I've never owned the 105mm, and I don't plan to own it. I have no doubt that "some people own a 67 just to own the 105mm 2.4", but that must be based on social media hype and a herding instinct, became it would not be because of the optical performance. The 105mm isn't a poor lens, but of the four P67 lenses which might be used as a "normal" lens based on focal length, it is the least capable. It started life almost 60 years ago as the "kit lens" for the system. Apart from removing the radioactive element a couple of years after introduction (just for the bad press such lenses got at the time), the lens optics were never updated like most P67 lenses. Its 2.4 aperture is 1/3 stop faster than the two 90mm alternative. Big Whup. It has lower resolution and less contrast than the alternatives. They used to sell for $125 - 150 each in good to mint condition. With all the hype, now beaters sell for three times that, and nice ones go for 6x. So, from a user for the last four decades, skip the 105mm and buy an alternative plus one or two additional lenses with the same money. Then, pat yourself on the back for not listening to hand-me-down YT recommendations.
@6:00 Not quite right about the generations.There were effectively four, or if you like the first of three was sub-divided into pre-MLU (ie pre- mirror lock up) models and MLU models. The pre-MLU and the 67ii are the least regarded on the market. The auto manual switch is just for depth of field preview, or you camera is not working right.
I've seen a video of a guy carefully moving the film advance lever JUST until the start hits the 120 marker when loading the film. Then he shuts the back and does the 4 wind-ons as normal. Could that solve your issue of losing half a frame of each roll? Ignore me if this is bollocks - I've only just got the camera and I'm still not done with my first roll. Oh, and I have the 90/2.8 instead of the 105/2.4. I love the 40mm equivalent FOV and the close focus is 65cm instead of 1m. Love your videos man. They fill me with existential dread and gear lust.
I'll give it a try next time I shoot with the pentax! Dont have much to lose haha. I hear the 90 is nice too, but man oh man you gotta try the 105 sometime, it's something else
Hi! Just in order to comple your info, there is a special edition, to honor the EF58 61 Imperial train in Japan, of the 67 ii (made by Pentax) in a brownish finished, that only 100 were made for the japanese market. Very very hard to see one of these...
Hi Jason! Have you sorted out your frame spacing issue? I heard you can correct it by lubricating camera especially film advance on the left (under shutter dial) , rollers. Also one of important information I saw , in case of frame spacing you can advance your roll between BAT. CHECK and screw next to BAT. CHECK. You might get all 10 frames. Because you get 9.5 frames you should advance film mark “start” before the orange dot .
I started out with a bit of experience using the P645 and knew a few with P67’s. Then when I got to working, we were thrown MamiyaRB67’s but I always longed for the Pentax glass. I work digital high speed cameras now but have a few 4x5” cameras I really need to pull out again. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I love the tone of these photos. I just bought a Nikon d3300. Is there any tips you guys have for me to edit my photos to give this emotion off the pics ? Thanks. The colour and style is awesome.
Sell Nikon d3300 and buy pentax 67. You will beat the crap out of any high end DSLR in terms of quality with approx. 400MP on pentax 67. You can’t reproduce film feel on digital photo
Love my 67.. er 6x7 as well. When you develop a roll is there room at the top? you could try taping the leader to the take up spool (instead of threading the paper into the spool slot) and advancing the leader so the film backing marker is 1" in front of the alignment arrow. Then close and fully advance to frame 1. I don't have spacing issues on mine but there is often a decent chunk of unused film at the top of the roll.
I only have the 55mm f4 with the rubber grip. Newer version on my 6x7. 77mm filter size. Great for portraits and landapes with no flare when shooting into the sun. It doesn't need a lens hood.
I wonder if that half shot is caused by the way you load it. You bring it to the start line using the lever and the lever wont return to its resting position until it is wound all the way. So you close it, finish the wind and lose a portion of the last frame. I could be wrong. But I've noticed that with mine. I started winding it until the star line is just before the dot and then turning the spool manually. Just a thought.
can't wait to go balls deep in the 6x7 system. someone just got me one as a gift but without the wonderful kit lens so that'll be next on my list of lenses to get
@@grainydaysss update; about a month ago I jammed up my 6x7 really badly doing that bulb mode trick in your video. with my new understanding of the complex electro-mechanical timing clockwork that relies on the solenoid to magnetically release the curtain drive train at the right time, I've come to realize that a CLA would've prevented this. anyway it's jammed up so badly that I have no choice but to sell this to someone who can make good use of it in it's current state. as of today I've gotten ahold of the newer 67 from 1990 and this issue is somewhat negated with a more powerful solenoid. I just wanted you to know you may run the small risk of an irreversible lockup if you continue to use that bulb mode trick with a first gen 6x7 like that if you're not sure your release contacts are reliable enough to handle it.
I had 2 days great with Pentax 6x7! First when I bought, 2nd day after not using it for 20 years! I traded it for Leica-M6TTL. I shot less than 50 rolls!
Love my Pentax 6x7 been using it for years first ran into it in the early 70s, Oh I still have about 600 rolls of 220 VPS. Love my lenses with the leaf shutters in them for this camera. I like my 90mm with its in lens shutter for studio portraits and other types of shots using studio flash as it sinks at a much higher speed when using the strobe connection on the lens. This camera is great for Boudoir photography as the subjects are used to the 35mm look of the camera. I only wish they made a digital back for it like the Polaroid back they had.
Love this video and your channel in general! I fully understand that you like to keep the Pentax also as a defensive arms - option. for 6x7 I'm using the Plaubel Makina - you should try once if you have the chance to(maybe in more peaceful times)...
Nice review. But I disagree about a few things: I have the same TTL viewfinder, and have found it to be impressively accurate. I do carry a light meter with me for back up. I have not had any issue with the auto manual switch, and since I use the TTL meter on the finder, I'm good to go. Lastly, I know the 105mm f/2.4 is incredible, but I have the 90mm f/2.8 LS (leaf shutter) lens and have found that to be equally impressive. I like my set up which includes several other lenses. I have a New Year's resolution to use my Pentax 6x7 more, and I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for giving a legendary camera its proper due.
My 67ii gives 21 exposures with 220 film, and the price my photo shop charges to develop a roll of 220 is the same as what they charge for 120! My only complaint is that they nixed the FP flash sync that was on the 6x7.
Amazing Video! Just bought this same setup and I feel a little more confident after this. Backlit pictures in the video just look great! Mind sharing the settings of the camera on the pics? btw, what's the light metering app? Congrats!
A routine CLA (clean, lube, and adjust) will correct any issues he has with his camera. Since this body has to be more than 45 years old, a CLA has probably never been done and is long overdue. Pentax used to maintain a number of camera repair shops across the country as "factory" service centers, but those are long gone with its merger with Ricoh. You can Google a number of small businesses which can work on these cameras. I'm lucky in that one of former official factory service shops is still in business here, and the factory: trained guy owns the place.
You only need to worry about taking the lens off first if your prism view finder is a TTL. I recommend trading your TTL prism in for one without, then you won't have to worry about breaking the chain.
You can look up pentax right hand grip and 3D print one. Works great. Also: don't put the lens in the sun... it will melt the glue inside. use your grannies' tanning light from the 80s which has the correct UV ray type. I did. Or get a flourescent black light. Sorry for the cryptic message... youtube acting weird for me atm.
Dude, the metered prism you got is very nice and reliable. Get yourself the waist level finder if you don‘t use the metered prism anyway. It‘s got 100% coverage, very bright, saves a lot of weight and thanks to the magnifiyng glass focusing is very easy. Keep going your great videos 👍🏻
There were tennis balls in the pool but no diving boards in the tennis courts. I don’t think that’s right. Seriously, thanks for the tip on the possible damaged “chain” and the 9-1/2 frame issue. Good things to ask a seller.
The wooden grip is on the wrong side unless you get the lever focus attachment. Thanks to these sort of videos my 67 and 6x7 values went through the roof. I sold them both making £1000 profit. The metered prism is very accurate in reality. I have a Kiev 6c 6x6 slr with a 90mm 2.8 Vega lens. Waiting for the prices to rise from the £50 I paid for it. No chance I know. Too much anti Russian prejudice.
Loving the content. I tend to do a decent amount of traveling and would love to take my 6x7 with me as a carry on. Do you have any bag recommendations? My current bag is just a little too small.
I just "accidentally" bought one of these, good thing I had this primer to go back to. Waiting on my fungusy 105mm, for now I'll have fun with the 55...
This was a very popular camera in the Detroit car studios They all had to be modified to fit the Polaroid film back. besides Pros it was a favorite among doctors and dentist because it was big and expensive.I had a couple and I loved them. it is still one of my favorite cameras.Get one. I still have 220 film too.
I have the same spacing problem with my Pentax 6X7. I Don't think it over winds; I was able to fix mine by just not winding it right the way at the start, then there was enough room for 10. Annoying guess work, but it does the job. Also, don't ask me why I'm watching a review of a camera I own. I have no idea, but I'm imagining we've all done it at one time or another.
Hello. im using a handheld light meter with my p67 and 105mm f2.4.should i set the lens to auto or manual (on the lens lever) if im using external light meter?
There's also a 150mm f2.8 for this system that's stellar build and image quality, and it's cheap! Better for portraits IMO than the 105mm, but it depends on what you like, of course.
90mm is kinda useless for much studio work. Now if they had a 180mm leaf that would be ideal. But hey, this is what made Pentax the company it is today 😅😂
'You can cry about it'...hahahahaha...This is a Pentax and we do not cry,we just shoot and enjoy.No whiny,wimpy,'it's too big,too heavy',no crippled,recalled,hyped up cameras,just good solid/reliable...I would like to see and hold one of these cameras,and yes,I shoot full frame Pentax..
I want that exact setup! I’m shooting on a noob AE-1 program and want something better, was thinking a Mamiya M645 and now I’m leaning more towards this 😭 *GREAT VIDEO BRO*
Do you have a prefered phone ap for a light meter? I was looking recently and saw a bunch of options. Not super happy with the one I chose, but it works.
I used the 6 by 7 and owned a couple of the 67's along with several lenses. The 67's paid for themselves in short order. I did a lot of industrial work and the 75mm shift lens was a life saver in facility work. The SMC glass was about as sharp and any that can be found. My 67's produced hundreds of 2 foot by 3 foot lobby prints for my clients. The metered prism was okay, but I usually used a hand-held spot meter. You can easily go broke buying lenses. I sold them off over twenty-five years ago but still have the Pentax 67 tool on my key ring. One thing to bear in mind, today these are ancient technology, but when they came out they were state of the art. And yes, I am on the wrong side of sixty.
That's incredible! This makes me want to try some other lenses as well, never knew about the 75mm shift lens. Out of curiosity what system did you switch to after the pentax 67, and was it better or worse?
Howdy, When I stopped doing facility work and stayed with studio work - my 67's, 645's and Graflex XL's went up for sale. For studio work I used Fuji first generation GS-680 slr's and a Toyo 45C view camera.
grainydays I have friends in San Jose, and 8 different lenses for this camera. I could bring them in November when I visit, if your location makes sense.
Im sure there are a lot of us old timers still out there with Pentaxes. I, for one, am one of those guys. I'm 71 years old now and have been shooting anything and everything since I was a kid in 1955 Yonkers, NY. My first camera, a Kodak 'Box' camera was the norm then and from then on, everything was fair game. Not to go off on a tangent but after lots of different kinds I was in the 60's to 70's and later with first, a Pentax 6x7 and then I liked it so much, I think I jumped over the '67' and went straight to the '67ll' when it first came out. I think it was $1300. But with or without a sense is what I'm not sure of, because that lens was considered the 'Kit' lens at that time as were all of the best 35mm camera lenses the 1.7, 1.8 and what? the 1.5? were the norm for the "Kits" in those days. Now those big aperture lenses are now considered an optional fancy specialty lens. I still have that '67ll' and still consider it my favorite film camera although I never went down the Mamiya or Fuji paths which I may have found better. But at the time, I was shooting a lot of motocross and needed a somewhat "fast" camera to stop the action and I remember the '67ll' being one of the only ones that offered the 1/1000th f stop that really stopped the bikes in action but found that they weren't fast enough to stop the front wheel spin. I could go on and on about this camera but I'm getting hand cramps from typing. (Carpel Tunnel Syndrome). I, of course, have gone digital and have bought half of what's out there in this format just as I did in film. Too much to talk about. You younger generation guys are getting my film blood boiling up again and of corse I have to break them out again and dust off the cob webs on them...because I still have a lot of 1999 or so out dated rolls of 220 film of all kinds to expose. Its a pain in the ass, but somebody has to do it!
@@richardoleck4842 75 here reserecting two 6 x 7 bodies with now $11 batteries, always take them out, to shoot some. Lots of huge lenses beg to make city landscape.
By law, photography videos must have lo fi chill beats as background music. P.s. loved the video
Some laws are unjust
I noticed that shit ahaha
Personally, I like my photography with a little bit of west coast gangsta rap.
I find it a bit distracting.
you probably have already figured it out by now but "Auto" doesn't do what you said it does. Auto works exactly like how any lens works on SLR cameras. The lens is wide open for viewing and composing and then at the moment of shutter actuation the lens is stopped down to your set F-stop. The Manual setting works like a full time depth of field preview and you are actually viewing your image through whatever aperture is set on the lens. Obviously "manual" is not ideal for regular shooting unless you just want to check your depth of field.
I noticed that and was pleasantly surprised that it worked like most cameras including m42 pentax lenses 😂
When I was a photography undergrad back in 1970s, one of my yearmates had one of those cameras, very slick. Very sculptural piece of kit. One of the **BEST** looking cameras ever made. Congratulations on owning one!
How much was pentax 67 back then in 1970?
It's not a spacing issue- by the time you get to your last frame, the radiation from the lens has started to eat away at the film ;)
Haha solved!
Peter Patenaude wait.... are you serious?
Lol no wonder with such a huge lense
@@grainydaysss you can kill that radiation on your lens by keeping it under a direct sunlight for some days(depends on the amount of radiation it has) and the yellow orange tint you see in the vintage lens is that radiation so as soon as that tint disappears your lens will be okay
Is this legit?
i love how lonely your pictures are. how the objects in the images look so alone and almost prays for the viewer to use them. you find a window into an empty world in an overpopulated one - I really like that.
Love your vids :)
thanks! I actually do gravitate towards emptiness in my work, trying to create a feeling of despair
Caleb knocking that camera over gave me a heart attack
i screamed so bad and loud that my ancestors can hear me
Scarier than any jump scare in any horror movie. Gotta warn a guy, Jason.
bro same 0.o been trying to find that vid... but no luck... was painful XD
2019 Photo Challenge : Grainydays
8:15 great video but the auto / manual switch is just for focusing wide open.
The original 6X7 and that lens never had an aperture priority mode so even in auto the aperture should shut down to what you have it set too as soon as you fire the shutter regardless of if you have a metered prism so its odd that you were getting off exposures!
Whoah you're right! Just tested it! Dang that's crazy maybe I was getting off exposures because I hadn't metered in a while. Thanks for the info!
Ok, I'm so stoked I just read this comment! I just shot my first roll this week and my lens was set to auto! lol. I though I messed up a bunch of photos! Thanks for that valuable info.
There are four versions of the camera body, not three. There are two versions of the 6x7. The earliest (1st) version has no switch to lock up the mirror before exposure, which is what he has here. After a few years, Pentax added a switch which releases the mirror to its raised position, allowing any vibration to settle before the exposure. There is no separate name, just the switch on the right side front below the prism. Note that mirror and shutter operate electrically, so if you use his trick or the mirror release on later models for long exposures, you are running through your camera battery at a fast rate.
Wow haha where were you when I was doing my research!? Some great info here thank you for sharing!
@@grainydaysss You info re removal of lens and prism to avoid damaging the linking chain is not correct. It makes no difference whether you remove the lens or metering prism first. What is important is that when you reinstall, you must install the metering prism first, and only thereafter install the lens. Also, this rule only applies to use of the metering prism on the 6x7 and 67 models. It does not apply to use of any of the non-metering finders or to any finder on the 67II body.
This camera is more than 45 years old and has probably never been serviced. It's not too hard to work on if you know what you are doing; Pentax has factory authorized repair shops all over the country (US). The last time I had mine serviced, it was cleaned, lubed, adjusted and the meter was calibrated, for $150. Repair parts are mostly not available from Pentax, so it's best to use one of their independent service shops, which will generally have their own parts supply.
Oh shiit I feel awful when I saw your friends camera fall off the tripod ouch!
Seemed intentional?
Amazing, now i can enjoy someone reviewing something again.
Really feelin this guys' energy
no, don't expose to sunlight. the grease will heat up and particularise onto the glass elements. use the uv method and run a fan onto the setup so it stays cool.
You seemed confused by the Auto/manual switch. The camera uses open aperture metering which stops down for the exposure and opens up again for viewing and framing.
When you were talking about those linkages in respect of needing to remove the lens before removing the pentaprism, those linkages link the meter to the lens and simulate the exposure to the meter during open aperture metering.
The manual setting puts you on manual iris. You use this for composition with the lens stopped down. You get depth of field as the film will see it at exposure aperture value. You can use this to help you preview the zone of acceptable focus around your critically focussed subject element. The camera should meter as normal unless Pentax made a mistake and it’s compounding the stopped down light level in the lens with the simulated value. It should make no difference if you are using a hand held meter. Buy one, don’t use a phone app. The real thing allows you to do much much more and better, when you learn to use it. The match needle meter in frame needs you to do some thinking, expose for the subject or, off a grey card or, a mid tone in the scene e.g. grass is a good mid-tone.
Assess whether there is a strong specular highlight or, backlighting fooling the meter and either, go in close to meter the subject isolated in the frame or, guesstimate how many extra stops to add above the metered value e.g. two stops might mean increase the shutter speed by two clicks or, close down the aperture by two stops. Similarly darkness surrounding the subject will require similar metering compensation. Instead of stopping down you’d open up the lens or, lengthen the shutter speed.
Ideally use two pushes of the wind lever rather than one long one. It stresses the mechanism less and keeps the frame spacing more even.
Exactly.
@@sharonleibel Yes. And somewhat confusing name of "Auto" came from "automatic stopdown" which means unlike older manual-aperture-only SLR lenses, you can set your aperture and still see bright view finder to focus and compose.
Great video man!
appreciate the love dawg!
A good review. I bought the first generation Pentax 6x7 without the mirror lockup when it first came out. I liked the system so much I bought the 6x7 with mirror lockup as soon as it came out. I still shoot with both bodies and my 55mm wide angle, 105mm normal, and 200mm telephoto lenses.
Finally someone with a sense of humor I can stand, not nervously laughing at their horrible puns.
Lovely tones in those photos-- WOW!
OH my god..This shutter sound is so f***ing awesome. Love your channel. Best on film photography. Greetings from Germany
Grüße zurück!
The “Auto” selection stops the aperture down to your setting when the shutter fires. It does not choose your aperture setting through some communication with the light meter. The “manual” setting leaves the aperture stopped down to your f stop constantly.
Agree. As per the manual it is just a depth of field preview. Kinda weird they labelled it the way they did
Beautiful review brother. I’m into mirrorless and used to have a 35mm old camera and used to developed it on a Walgreens but I want to learn How to do it myself and get a film camera
Thanks dawg, any specific camera you had in mind?
I believe it was British photographer and magazine editor Bill Jay who wrote that one reason photographers got no respect was that shutters were too quiet. He said that if shutters sounded like a .357 magnum pistol round, people would pay more attention. The next time you use this thing, look around after you trip the shutter and try to see whether you're being respected.
"it's cold as fuck in this apartment" this hit me on a spiritual level
I actually had the FANC (nuclear agency in Belgium) take a look at my Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 55mm f/1.8.
The radiation is definitely not harmless. After about 500 hours of being closer than 30cm you're exposed to more radiation than is acceptable in a whole year for the average person. You can definitely still use these lenses, but be careful where you store them as to not be exposed to the radiation more than necessary. The nuclear expert told me not to hold them up to the eye, certainly don't store them in your bedroom and whatever you do don't drop it. Once the thoriated element is shattered you could possibly breathe in those radioactive elements. It's also a nightmare to have it cleaned up if that were te ever happen.
I am not regretting choosing a 6x7 body with the newer 90/2.8 after reading this comment
how much use would it take to get 500 hours of having it closer than 30cm to your face? lol, harmless, definitely.
@@elpancreas8925 I always sleep next to my camera and use it as a fidget toys (because of the dials, switches, and buttons) whenever I have free time (call me weird, sure).
And I have owned that thing for a year now.
I bring it everywhere with me. So I would be near that thing about 6,000 hour a year.
@@thegrayyernaut They say 2 heads are better than one.
Meh, Im already screwed given I work with Americium
There were four versions the Pentax 6x7, the Pentax 6x7 MLU, the Pentax 67 and the Pentax 67II. There were internal differences between the 6x7 and the 6x7 MLU in addition to the facility to lock the mirror up. The Pentax 67 it is said has some minor changes to the materials used and, according to one source, there were changes to the shutter mechanics. These changes are all so minor, that if they actually existed, you are unlikely to spot them. One real and significant change was to the lightmeter prism, improved by using a SBc rather than a CDs cell, (although they are interchangeable). Some of the lenses got reworked over time, for example the 55mm and indeed the 105mm. It is an amazing camera system, I bought mine new in 1982 and still have it. I have a number of other 120 roll film SLR's and the Pentax is not only by far the most reliable, easiest to use but also takes transparencies' to die for. 50 inch print, in the days when you could get a 50 inch print made by a lab, totally amazing.
Guys, can someone just confirm something for me. Around 7:56 Jason states that the lens chooses the aperture on the lens when it is set to auto, but I haven’t found this to be the case. When I have it set to manual, the aperture blades close down to whatever it’s set to which can make focusing at f/11 pretty difficult. I always shoot with the lens switched to auto but I’m still able to choose which ever aperture i need and it shoots at that aperture
Yes, you are correct, that was a mistake on my part. At the time, I thought the auto function on MF Takumar lenses was linked to the metered prism somehow. I now know this is incorrect.
@@grainydaysss Ahh I see, no problem at all! I’m relatively new to the Pentax so I just wanted to double check I wasn’t doing something wrong. Thank you
@@xesse1 'Manual' is essentially a depth of field preview
The auto and manual on the lens is a depth of field preview.
Watching this on my Pentax 6x7.
Little did he know he's be selling the thing mere years later...
While searching for an affordable grip for my 6x7 I happily realized that the all-red 6x7 is still riding ebay's endless ocean
Thanks for the tip on the film advance I can now test a couple I recently came across; it seems they both work.
I got rid of my light meter prism and got a non light meter prism which you don't need to worry about breaking the chain with.
Referring to his comment on the 105mm lens at 6:30, I own two 6x7 plus one 67II, and I do not own a 105mm lens. I own 14 lenses and extenders for the Pentax 67, but I've never owned the 105mm, and I don't plan to own it. I have no doubt that "some people own a 67 just to own the 105mm 2.4", but that must be based on social media hype and a herding instinct, became it would not be because of the optical performance. The 105mm isn't a poor lens, but of the four P67 lenses which might be used as a "normal" lens based on focal length, it is the least capable. It started life almost 60 years ago as the "kit lens" for the system. Apart from removing the radioactive element a couple of years after introduction (just for the bad press such lenses got at the time), the lens optics were never updated like most P67 lenses. Its 2.4 aperture is 1/3 stop faster than the two 90mm alternative. Big Whup. It has lower resolution and less contrast than the alternatives. They used to sell for $125 - 150 each in good to mint condition. With all the hype, now beaters sell for three times that, and nice ones go for 6x. So, from a user for the last four decades, skip the 105mm and buy an alternative plus one or two additional lenses with the same money. Then, pat yourself on the back for not listening to hand-me-down YT recommendations.
@6:00 Not quite right about the generations.There were effectively four, or if you like the first of three was sub-divided into pre-MLU (ie pre- mirror lock up) models and MLU models. The pre-MLU and the 67ii are the least regarded on the market. The auto manual switch is just for depth of field preview, or you camera is not working right.
Yea theres a lot I didn't get right in this video
I've seen a video of a guy carefully moving the film advance lever JUST until the start hits the 120 marker when loading the film. Then he shuts the back and does the 4 wind-ons as normal. Could that solve your issue of losing half a frame of each roll? Ignore me if this is bollocks - I've only just got the camera and I'm still not done with my first roll. Oh, and I have the 90/2.8 instead of the 105/2.4. I love the 40mm equivalent FOV and the close focus is 65cm instead of 1m. Love your videos man. They fill me with existential dread and gear lust.
I'll give it a try next time I shoot with the pentax! Dont have much to lose haha. I hear the 90 is nice too, but man oh man you gotta try the 105 sometime, it's something else
@@grainydaysss I will buddy. Heard too many good things about it. I picked up the 55/4 too which I'm looking forward to playing with.
Hi!
Just in order to comple your info, there is a special edition, to honor the EF58 61 Imperial train in Japan, of the 67 ii (made by Pentax) in a brownish finished, that only 100 were made for the japanese market.
Very very hard to see one of these...
8:50 what's that giant hunk of brass lens there? Something to do with the Graflex back next to it?
I believe it is a Lomo Petzval lens
Hi Jason! Have you sorted out your frame spacing issue? I heard you can correct it by lubricating camera especially film advance on the left (under shutter dial) , rollers. Also one of important information I saw , in case of frame spacing you can advance your roll between BAT. CHECK and screw next to BAT. CHECK. You might get all 10 frames. Because you get 9.5 frames you should advance film mark “start” before the orange dot .
I started out with a bit of experience using the P645 and knew a few with P67’s. Then when I got to working, we were thrown MamiyaRB67’s but I always longed for the Pentax glass. I work digital high speed cameras now but have a few 4x5” cameras I really need to pull out again. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
I had one of these, with 3 or 4 lenses, some 20 years ago … No regrets, right.Tears of happiness. 'Tis better to have loved and lost …
Just looked at the price on eBay and it's pretty hefty but I'm very tempted. However, I have to go and look at the camera before getting it, I guess.
What's a good price for a 67 with a 105 lens I was going to get one of these things about 4/5 years ago and the prices have skyrocketed
I love the tone of these photos. I just bought a Nikon d3300. Is there any tips you guys have for me to edit my photos to give this emotion off the pics ? Thanks. The colour and style is awesome.
Sell Nikon d3300 and buy pentax 67. You will beat the crap out of any high end DSLR in terms of quality with approx. 400MP on pentax 67. You can’t reproduce film feel on digital photo
Cerisette Kotomi Pentax 67 is currently 1000 dollars on eBay. Any budget alternatives ?
Love my 67.. er 6x7 as well. When you develop a roll is there room at the top? you could try taping the leader to the take up spool (instead of threading the paper into the spool slot) and advancing the leader so the film backing marker is 1" in front of the alignment arrow. Then close and fully advance to frame 1. I don't have spacing issues on mine but there is often a decent chunk of unused film at the top of the roll.
I also bought a dead stock pile of Plus-X that had 220 rolls in it and when I switch it to 220, the knob fell off. it really sucked.
The 105 and the 55 are always in my bag.
I dream of that 55 everyday
I only have the 55mm f4 with the rubber grip. Newer version on my 6x7. 77mm filter size.
Great for portraits and landapes with no flare when shooting into the sun. It doesn't need a lens hood.
@@neilpiper9889 I've got the 55mm f3.5, its always on my camera. Beautiful lens
I always used a potato masher flash (sunpak 611) with mine works as well as the wood grip.
hey is this the one with iso dial? cause mine doesn’t have one. 😖
I wonder if that half shot is caused by the way you load it. You bring it to the start line using the lever and the lever wont return to its resting position until it is wound all the way. So you close it, finish the wind and lose a portion of the last frame. I could be wrong. But I've noticed that with mine. I started winding it until the star line is just before the dot and then turning the spool manually. Just a thought.
So where can I buy a print of the image shown at 11:18?
can't wait to go balls deep in the 6x7 system. someone just got me one as a gift but without the wonderful kit lens so that'll be next on my list of lenses to get
damn that must be a good friend of yours haha. Lens is definitely worth the investment
@@grainydaysss it's coming with a 55mm f4 which I'll definitely just be selling off to get the 105
@@grainydaysss holy shit this thing slaps
@@MysteryManBob hell yea brother!
@@grainydaysss update; about a month ago I jammed up my 6x7 really badly doing that bulb mode trick in your video. with my new understanding of the complex electro-mechanical timing clockwork that relies on the solenoid to magnetically release the curtain drive train at the right time, I've come to realize that a CLA would've prevented this. anyway it's jammed up so badly that I have no choice but to sell this to someone who can make good use of it in it's current state. as of today I've gotten ahold of the newer 67 from 1990 and this issue is somewhat negated with a more powerful solenoid. I just wanted you to know you may run the small risk of an irreversible lockup if you continue to use that bulb mode trick with a first gen 6x7 like that if you're not sure your release contacts are reliable enough to handle it.
I had 2 days great with Pentax 6x7! First when I bought, 2nd day after not using it for 20 years! I traded it for Leica-M6TTL. I shot less than 50 rolls!
The newborn joke got meeee
Love my Pentax 6x7 been using it for years first ran into it in the early 70s, Oh I still have about 600 rolls of 220 VPS. Love my lenses with the leaf shutters in them for this camera. I like my 90mm with its in lens shutter for studio portraits and other types of shots using studio flash as it sinks at a much higher speed when using the strobe connection on the lens. This camera is great for Boudoir photography as the subjects are used to the 35mm look of the camera. I only wish they made a digital back for it like the Polaroid back they had.
Love this video and your channel in general! I fully understand that you like to keep the Pentax also as a defensive arms - option. for 6x7 I'm using the Plaubel Makina - you should try once if you have the chance to(maybe in more peaceful times)...
Feel like the half frame is series waiting to happen.
Nice review. But I disagree about a few things: I have the same TTL viewfinder, and have found it to be impressively accurate. I do carry a light meter with me for back up. I have not had any issue with the auto manual switch, and since I use the TTL meter on the finder, I'm good to go. Lastly, I know the 105mm f/2.4 is incredible, but I have the 90mm f/2.8 LS (leaf shutter) lens and have found that to be equally impressive. I like my set up which includes several other lenses. I have a New Year's resolution to use my Pentax 6x7 more, and I'm looking forward to it. Thanks for giving a legendary camera its proper due.
My 67ii gives 21 exposures with 220 film, and the price my photo shop charges to develop a roll of 220 is the same as what they charge for 120! My only complaint is that they nixed the FP flash sync that was on the 6x7.
For the half shot you should have someone acting as if they are searching for something in the blank area. Could be fun
Four versions actually. There is also a 6x7 MU version from 1976 with Mirror-Luck-Up.
Great video! Keep the great work!
cheers my dude!
ohh wanna get one soo bad..btw whats the name of the "pentax 6x7" font?
What about the other normal lens for the system, the 90mm f2.8
Awesome review and photos. That pool looks fantastic. Certainly more photogenic than the one by my apartment in DTLA. lol.
I just ordered a cheap beater one off eBay because of this video. Thanks!
Make a book or a zine with the half shots.
Or take a landscape view shot, where you only put a certain amount of the picture in the frame, like a parallax correction.
What is the metering app you’re using? It’s very precise apparently
Amazing Video! Just bought this same setup and I feel a little more confident after this. Backlit pictures in the video just look great! Mind sharing the settings of the camera on the pics? btw, what's the light metering app? Congrats!
A routine CLA (clean, lube, and adjust) will correct any issues he has with his camera. Since this body has to be more than 45 years old, a CLA has probably never been done and is long overdue. Pentax used to maintain a number of camera repair shops across the country as "factory" service centers, but those are long gone with its merger with Ricoh. You can Google a number of small businesses which can work on these cameras. I'm lucky in that one of former official factory service shops is still in business here, and the factory: trained guy owns the place.
You only need to worry about taking the lens off first if your prism view finder is a TTL. I recommend trading your TTL prism in for one without, then you won't have to worry about breaking the chain.
You can look up pentax right hand grip and 3D print one. Works great.
Also: don't put the lens in the sun... it will melt the glue inside. use your grannies' tanning light from the 80s which has the correct UV ray type. I did.
Or get a flourescent black light.
Sorry for the cryptic message... youtube acting weird for me atm.
Dude, the metered prism you got is very nice and reliable.
Get yourself the waist level finder if you don‘t use the metered prism anyway. It‘s got 100% coverage, very bright, saves a lot of weight and thanks to the magnifiyng glass focusing is very easy.
Keep going your great videos 👍🏻
No 90% coverage. 100% you need to remove prism or use waist lever finder
6:41 that place was amazing. Found while driving to Vegas from LA and had to pull over and check it out
I’m wondering which light meter app you use. Thanks! I bought this camera at a thrift store recently. It’s heavy AF!
What light meter app do you use? I have a spot and incident meter, but hate carrying all that jazz when I'm doing run and gun stuff.
There were tennis balls in the pool but no diving boards in the tennis courts. I don’t think that’s right.
Seriously, thanks for the tip on the possible damaged “chain” and the 9-1/2 frame issue. Good things to ask a seller.
You should make a zine out of "half shot" photos from the last frame!
The wooden grip is on the wrong side unless you get the lever focus attachment. Thanks to these sort of videos my 67 and 6x7 values went through the roof.
I sold them both making £1000 profit. The metered prism is very
accurate in reality.
I have a Kiev 6c 6x6 slr with a 90mm 2.8 Vega lens. Waiting for the prices to rise from the £50 I paid for it.
No chance I know. Too much anti Russian prejudice.
Loving the content. I tend to do a decent amount of traveling and would love to take my 6x7 with me as a carry on. Do you have any bag recommendations? My current bag is just a little too small.
I just "accidentally" bought one of these, good thing I had this primer to go back to. Waiting on my fungusy 105mm, for now I'll have fun with the 55...
Enjoy! The p67 is one of the best
@@grainydaysss Thanks! Going to have to work out first though..
This was a very popular camera in the Detroit car studios They all had to be modified to fit the Polaroid film back. besides Pros it was a favorite among doctors and dentist because it was big and expensive.I had a couple and I loved them. it is still one of my favorite cameras.Get one. I still have 220 film too.
I have the same spacing problem with my Pentax 6X7. I Don't think it over winds; I was able to fix mine by just not winding it right the way at the start, then there was enough room for 10. Annoying guess work, but it does the job. Also, don't ask me why I'm watching a review of a camera I own. I have no idea, but I'm imagining we've all done it at one time or another.
Hello. im using a handheld light meter with my p67 and 105mm f2.4.should i set the lens to auto or manual (on the lens lever) if im using external light meter?
Is the color rendering a product of editing or of Ektar 100? Because wow
Amazing video. U said Light metre app, what light metre app did u used for Ur film photography?
exactly at 1:20 you say 120mm... 120mm? * triggered *
So and which lenses do I should use when I don't wanna use the radiated lenses?
There's also a 150mm f2.8 for this system that's stellar build and image quality, and it's cheap! Better for portraits IMO than the 105mm, but it depends on what you like, of course.
Maybe the red one belonged to a fire department? Do you know where I can get a good quality version, I’m in the U.K.
Looks easier to carry than my RZ67.
Your arms must be jacked carrying that beast around
Where’s that pool at?
Been binging your videos since yesterday! Love you vibes man
Can you please tell us how you add white borders to your photos? Would love to learn that
Such a fire camera
The lens uses mostly?
Great camera, that 1/30 flash sync was always an issue though.
Just buy 90mm 2.8 leaf shutter lens .
90mm is kinda useless for much studio work. Now if they had a 180mm leaf that would be ideal. But hey, this is what made Pentax the company it is today 😅😂
'You can cry about it'...hahahahaha...This is a Pentax and we do not cry,we just shoot and enjoy.No whiny,wimpy,'it's too big,too heavy',no crippled,recalled,hyped up cameras,just good solid/reliable...I would like to see and hold one of these cameras,and yes,I shoot full frame Pentax..
“… and beat the crap out of your enemies at 6?”
Mamiya RB67: “Must be referring to the Pentax instead of me. He didn’t mention ‘kill’…”
I want that exact setup! I’m shooting on a noob AE-1 program and want something better, was thinking a Mamiya M645 and now I’m leaning more towards this 😭 *GREAT VIDEO BRO*
Do you have a prefered phone ap for a light meter? I was looking recently and saw a bunch of options. Not super happy with the one I chose, but it works.
what light meter app do you prefer?