Which 6x4.5 Medium-format camera should you buy?
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- Опубликовано: 13 фев 2018
- Following on from the previous video this one looks at the different options for cameras shooting 6x4.5 frames.
Bronica Etrs(i)
Mamiya 645
Hasselblad H1
Contax 645
Fuji GS645
Bronica RF645 
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Great round up mate, I've just dug out my old ETRSi with a 75mm and a 50mm sadly I only kept one back, need to go shopping. Loved this camera back in my wedding days and just getting back into shooting film. My first video using the Bronica has got me hooked. I love this puppy altho the RF645 looks damn good to me I love range finders. Top work Jonathan thanks for putting this together, happy to sub your chan. Regards Paul.
I did a comparison test between the Mamiya AFD ii, Contax, Hasselblad H2, and the Pentax 645Nii. The Pentax has the 2nd most bright screen after the Hasselblad. Focus speed is on the FA lenses are also faster and more accurate than the Contax at less than 1/2 the price. You can also use the 67 lenses. The 67 105 f2.4 is well known for those who want to have the reliability of Pentax but the looks of that Zeiss 80 f2.
I can highly recommend the Fuji GA645 Pro camera, it's my favourite MF camera. Exposure and focus never seems to miss with it. I've had a Mamiya 645 Pro in the past and a Pentax 645N, however I sold them and now have the 645Pro and the 6x6 Mamiya C220 with 80mm lens. Nice video.
Saving up for a Mamiya 645 Pro TL!
Good overview. I've used a Mamiya 645 1000s and a Mamiya Super, both of which are superb.
As always nice content and at the same time WB and exposure way out of the realm :)
I use the Fuji GA645i. Great camera. The Pentax 645 is great too and with a adapter you can use Pentax 6x7 lenses coupled to it's meter.
There’s one Bronica that has a non-removable back, the ETR-C. The magazine itself was part of the body, the insert was the only removable item. All accessories worked, prism, speed grip, motor. The later ‘PE’ lenses were the very last version of the lenses that were made, they were technically identical to their predecessors, but optically superior.
Great video. One point: rangefinder patches don’t change with focal length, the problem is with the effective rangefinder base.
Very informative video! Thanks!
Just bought a 645 1000s with the 45mm lens, the 150mm lens, several filters, winder, prism finder, waist level finder and some ilford films for about 530 USD.
Condition MINT+++ (as new)
Have one of the original Bronica ETR cameras and three lenses. While I do not use it as much as I used to, I do not get rid of it because I love the picture quality. When you do it right, the shots are amazing.
I plan on getting a Mamiya 645 Super or Pro with the 80mm f1.9 and 500mm f5.6 for wildlife photography specifically
I used to have a Bronica ETR-C with the usual 50/75/150mm Zenza lenses. (Cost was the object, since an ETR-S was pricier, and a brace of lenses was more important than a removable back.) The first lens I bought was the 50mm, which was a tad soft. The 75 and 150mm lenses were tack sharp, which was great. I'm a 35mm SLR photographer and didn't need the Bronica, even though the 6X4.5 Ektachromes were exquisite. I sold it and my medium format camera remains Ye Olde Rolleicord V, for the times when 35mm is too small or X-synch flash is primary. The alternative at the time was the Kowa 6 series, which was so-so in lens quality and mechanics. The later Kowa 6MM which did have interchangeable backs was said to be mechanically reliable. Either was cheaper than a Hasselblad 500 series, especially for non-commercial/casual use.
Hi Jonathan, very nice review. I am a little late with this comment, but an interesting option for those who already own a 6x6 Hasselblad 500c or 500cm or similar is to use a A16 6x4.5 Hasselblad backs. This allows to shoot 6x6 and 6x4.5 on the same camera system. There are tricks to get the viewfinder 6 x 4.5 framelines (I use toothpicks and that works really well, others use masks). Cheers, Daniel
I am a huge fan of the Fuji 645 models, both the GS645 models from 1980s and the 10-15 year later GA645 autofocus models. They are unequaled IF your use is compatible with a fixed lens camera. They are light but physically strong and have outstanding optics. The GS645 is quite strong for a folding camera, but folding in inherently weaker than non-folding and can suffer bellows damage. The GS645S (crash bar) has a very fragile focus mechanism, easily damaged with any lens impact and hard to find in reliable condition. The GA models have no weak points IMO. The "zoom" model, which I use, as a slower lens, but since I use a 400 speed film in it, not a problem. The Bronica RF645 looks like a good feature set, but the range of lenses available is not great, the lenses and accessories are hellishly expensive and hard to find. Bronica failed shortly after introducing this camera and never got a chance to debug its new-model problems, particularly a poorly functioning rangefinder; no parts; no service (no sale).
Really helpful thanks
I love your videos, but, nevertheless, you should do a separate video on the Pentax 645 by way of penance.
Actually might have to.
Of all the cameras ive had over the years, and theres many of them, It is the Bronica ETRSi with the pistol grip and auto view finder i wont ever sell.
You can switch film on a 35mm mid-roll as well, it's just a bit more work that's all ;D
Ikonta Rangefinder bellows folding cameras do 6x45 with Zeiss Tessar lenses. Wedding photographers used them in the fifties and sixties.
yes, that will be my next camera. they are also SUPER cheap, i will buy at least two and keep one as a spare
3:33 i was about to comment " dont put it on the floor glass down" then i saw you got the hood on hehe
The challenge of shooting the Mamiya 80mm f1.9 MF lens is the very thin slice of focus you get when wide open. For instance, I have taken portraits where one eye is in perfect focus, but the tip of the nose isn't inside the perfect plane of focus. An 80mm 6X4.5 f1.9 lens is equal to a f1.2 lens in 35mm at 50mm. My 80mm f2.8 in 6x4.5 is equal to a 50mm f1.4. The Mamiya 80mm f1.9 is the fastest MF lens made and has beautiful bokeh.
The Fuji 6X4.5 RF shown in your video is the AF model, GA645 which is a 60mm f4. It's one of the best travel cameras ever made. At f4 it has a really nice bokeh equal to an f2.8 in 35mm. One of the better values in 6X4.45 is the Fuji RF with crash bars. It has a very sharp 60mm f4 lens. The model is the Fujifilm GS645S Pro. It has a 60mm f/4 and sells between $400 to $550. for a decent model. Most of the prices are higher in the US than what you are quoting in my experience in pounds even after the exchange rate is considered. MF film demand is going up fast. Good videos. Will you cover the 6x9 format? I love my Texas Leicas in 90-mm and 65mm. BTW, doesn't Pentax make a 645?
Hello, Danvil, and how you meter with external light meter Mamiya 645 with 80/1.9 lens 1.9 or 1.2 ?
A Hasselblad 500C/M with an A16 back would also do the job ;)
I have the Bronica ETRSi and it’s my favourite camera after my Zorki 4K which is 35mm. I don’t make prints above roughly A2 size so the 645 format is fine for me.
I have one too. Still have the boxes and accessories as well as backs and spare bodies. Fun stuff especially if one has had quite a long time enjoying technology advancing!
also they are tiny compared to 6x6 and superlight
Any light meter app recommends? Thanks!
how u gonna leave out the pentax 645 systems smh..
HUGE FAIL
Of course 645 it is worth shooting. I shoot it all the time. I use a Hasselblad 6x6 and when I think that a specific scene does not look perfect in square, I shoot it anyhow and crop in portrait or landscape format just as I like. What do I get in the end? a 6x6 negative from which I use only a 645 part.
Hi Jon, I watch your videos often !! I have a Pentax 645n and wonder why it was not considered ??
It's a glaring omission and quite frankly I should make this whole video again just to add it on at the end. I can't think why I missed it and despite never having shot one I hear they're great cameras.
I had a Bronica EC with a 50mm Nikkor. Wish I had never sold it.
Hi, I have the Fuji 645 Wide60. I have shot 2 rolls so far and am still learning about the camera, but am well satisfied with the results. I did buy this one from Japan.
Hi, could you advise me between the Bronica ETR and the ETRSI? Thank you
I have a really good offer for the ETR but don't want to waste my money if it's not a good one
The ETR is the oldest version; the ETRSi is the newest version. The ETRSi has a few features that the ETR does not- mirror lockup, through-the-lens flash control, and the ability to take the later AE finders. The main advantage is that the ETRSi is newer. The main advantage of the ETR is that it is less expensive.
There is Zenza Bronica SQ-AM with built in Motor
pentax 645?
Pentax 645?
Did you forget about the Pentax 645, 645N, & 645Nii?
No but I’d recommend a Bronica/Mamiya setup to beginners because of the dim finders and less-configurable bodies on the Pentax series
Jonathan Notley - but for half the price of the Contax with motorized winding and auto-focus on the N models, it can be quite a deal. One can also mount Pentax67 lenses on the 645 for an added bonus.
Pentax 645n finder is not dim at all....in fact less than my mamiya 1000s finder.
The Pentax 645NII viewfinder is very bright, much, much brighter that the Bronica's. And I'm speaking from experience here, having owned both (currently own the Pentax).
@@WayneReich Let us not forget that the Contax 645 presents two negative features which IMO make it totally unsuitable for beginners if that its the standard here: (1) The Contax system is the most expensive system in 645, and (2) The Contax has proven to be "delicate" at best, with no parts for repair and electronic based, also limiting repairs.
A 6x6 modular SLR such as Bronica or Hasselblad is best, because one has the choice of formats. Easy.
Weird thing that the Pentax brand has did not mentioned in this video. For commercial interest, may be?
Probably not. While presented as a survey of all major options in the 645 format, this video really touches only on several models he has had some personal experience using. There is little more than a mention for a few more systems, and much misinformation about some (Fuji GS/GA) or complete omission of others (Pentax 645). Whatever content is included re these other cameras appears to be faulty regurgitation of info quickly skimmed from some other YT video. Not a finest hour for JN, who usually has a well thought through presentation.
645 with a waistlevel finder is difficult in portrait mode!
I’d go as far as saying that these are landscape-orientation only till you get the prisms
Making a portrait from the waist is usually better as making it from above unless you want to do it so.. I se two avantages : the subject is often amused by this kind of camera and less intimated by a look-like gun camera; and you can put higher the camera, the most nearer of your eyes with few horizontal distance between the lens and the subject. It's more true with a teleobjective.
But seeing the underside of the jaw is often unflattering
@@JonathanNotley The focus is made on the eyes, so the jaws are blurry. But from bottom I believe it is worse, with shadows on wrinkles.. And generally we dont want to give an sensation of superiority, as we do with children. With a C220 or 330, if you dont want these effects (but honestly, with a 180mm you are at 3 meters to have only the face, and are 15 centimetres below, that is only 9°),you can use the "sport" visor and then are at the same level than the subject..
0:13 Most digital medium format is half the size of 645
With all fairness to Jonathan, his summary of the Fuji 645 series of cameras is deficient on a number of points. His point that if you are looking to use a 645 camera in a wide variety of situations, the SLR systems are preferred is quite valid. The rest of his discussions on the pros and cons of of the Fuji 645s, and to a lesser degree, the Bronica 645, are more than a bit questionable, suggesting that he has never used them. There are more detailed videos on both Fuji and Bronica 645 elsewhere.
Another millennial internet expert trying to buy street cred with his mouth
Hardly. I am 75 years old, have used many of the cameras discussed and studied the rest. I presently own and occasionally use a Fuji GS645, GS645W, and a GA534Zi. I suspect that makes me more experienced on the subject than you, and probably Jonathan. As for "street cred", whatever that is in this context, I could give a s..t. I earned my "cred" the old fashioned way, starting in 1958.
wow. the prices for these old cameras sure have gone up in the last few years. pretty scary.
6x6 the EC
Why did you ignore the Pentax 645 series?
I forgot
Contax goes as fast as 1/4000 which is insane and really helpful with medium format
Yeah, but that camera is insanely expensive, besides that speed is mostly helpful if you want to take shots in outdoors... during midday... with the lens wide open... using a high speed film... and with no ND filter.
pentax?
For the cost of some of the Pentax 645 cameras I've seen you may as well get the Hasselblad
There's no Pentax :C
What's with the cartoon look?
Nils L this was recorded immediately following the previous video without me adjusting the ISO, the sun came up and overexposed me
Jonathan Notley bummer. It's a really good video though.
Nils L thanks, I guess I’m learning as I go too. First video had auto white balance turned on which made me change colour with every passing cloud
645 with a waist level viewfinder is a chore. The trip with 6/6 is that you do your crop to a rectangle on the enlarger. The Bronica ETRSi was a disappointing camera in image quality terms. Not much difference between it and good 35mm excellent 35mm was actually better. The lenses were very contrasty and with limited tonality they produced very little magic. The Mamiya lenses are fantastic and they made that qualitative leap that made you aware of the power of medium format. The shutter is focal plane so you lose the high shutter speed flash in the studio and the field. The lenses and accessories were light and inexpensive. The Mamiya is a lovely tool. The Mamiya glass is really worthwhile. The Contax and Hasselblads are good and offer outstanding lenses but the prices are something to give you pause. You missed out the Pentax 645. The astonishingly good lenses and good ergonomics are a virtuous circle. They even had two or three leaf shutter lenses. The film goes in on inserts so you miss out on proper interchangeable backs but you can even use 70mm sprocketed film, 220 and 120. It’s essentially a field camera but can be used in the studio.
I like the little Fuji rangefinders and their image quality is excellent. 645 is an interesting size but you need an eye level finder to make it easier.
apparently the bronica prism meter is not reliable ?
Depends on the model and the condition - mines an AEii and seems to works fine. If you find a non metered prism for a good price maybe you could use a handheld meter? They’re supposed to be more accurate anyway.
You have to control the brightness level because you was losing skin color. It is too bright in the video.
Watched it 3 years after the release. The prices..., jesus
Yeah it’s crazy, especially the 6x7 cameras
Don't buy any 6x45 especially the Mamiya.
Go straight to 6x6 or 6x7.
If you are hard up and not up to lugging heavy equipment and a bit hard up go for a folding rangefinder 6x9.
I use a Moskva 4 and meter with a Hanimex Sekonic. Total cost £50
If you are stronger and richer get the Pentax 6x7 with a 55mm f4 wide angle lens. My favourite.
i like 645 as an every day camera, i carry either my fuji xt30 or my etrsi with me every single day, would never carry my rolleiflex sl66e with me if its not for a dedicated photowalk or anything like that
I think whats completely obsolete is 135 film cameras. if you develop yourself the weight price and size difference between 135 and 645 makes the 135 obsolete
30 pounds for an ETR back??? Where from? Even eBay prices are upwards of twice that.
If you’re in the U.K. try West Yorkshire cameras
@@JonathanNotley Thx - good link.
645 is not very glamorous? There's not many other professions where you can make 6 figures
Miss the crucial moment .....?
A professional photographer has at least two camera bodies !
Bro thows lights...... way toooo much
Yeah it’s got a real radioactive vibe to it aha
Jonathan Notley true dat, so when i have night, sun is in ur room, mysteri solved
Dude you shouldn't set any camera on the table with the lense up!