On Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:20:13 +0800
Albert <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Well, the news came down the pipeline from Fuji that they are
> discontinuing the Fuji GW rangefinders (GW670III, GW690III,
> GSW690III) as well as the 645 RF's. Ouch.
>
> They are going to concentrate on the Fujiblad line..
>
> So my hopes of a GW690III are shattered (yes, there's still
> evilbay.. but)
>
> I'm curious what all of you are lugging around (if any) as far as
> MF as a big brother to your OM.
>
> Mamiya 7's?? That's a house mortgage and a half last time I
> checked!!
Me? I lug around a Mamiya 645-something, a nice mechanical
manual-focus thing. A pile of interchangeable inserts (but not
backs), an expensive 80mm lens and a shaft viewfinder. Ohh, and the
Sekonic 308II flashmeter (real MF cameras do not have build-in
meter). Build like an OM, operates very unlike an OM and I think that
it can be had 2nd hand for almost nothing. New, I think the model I
have is no longer available (others are, though, in the Mamiya 645
series)....but it works like a charm :)
I am not sure I am recommending anything here. I bought it, and since
I spent the money I am justifying that the purchase was sound :)
I think that today I'd probably give the Pentax 6x7 a really good
hard look, since they seem to be cameras with some merit. Who knows,
one day I may decide that the 645 format is too small and the 4x5 is
too big...
Anyways, Albert, if you like a 6x7 "OM-layouted" SLR, then I would
look at the Pentax 6x7. If you like the "classic" (*blad) layout of a
MF, then I am perfectly happy with the Mamiya 645 (although the
negative is slightly smaller there). You could, of course, also
spring for a *blad? :)
The best idea is to go to your local specialist shop and get to feel
how the cameras are to operate. In my opinion, the difference between
two MF cameras is much bigger than, say, the difference between an OM
and a C*N*N Wunderbrick. In Paris we have a shop with the
interresting name "Le Moyen Format" (The Medium Format), which has
only that - and a lot of it. (Incidentially, they have a sister-shop
with the name "Le Grand Format".....take your best guess at what they
are specializing in...) I am sure that there must be a dealer
somewhere near you, with a reasonable selection of MF cameras, which
would let you play around for a while?
--thomas
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