What is the most affordable but sharpest medium format photography system?
March 8th, 2010 | 
Author: I want to invest in a medium format camera system, I am looking at various used film systems. I am wondering what is the cheapest system that performs well? Are there any underrated cameras I can find on eBay for cheap? Systems I am looking at right now are the Hasselblad 500C/M or the Pentax 67, both these systems seem quite expensive though. What other systems are good to look at? I want either a 6×6 or 6×7, a 645 would be okay if it were super affordable.
Posted in Hasselblad Cameras | 
Tags: 6x6, Affordable, Ahead, Camera System, Cameras, Ebay, Epson Inkjet, Epson Printer, Epson Supplies, Film Systems, Format, Hasselblad 500c, Inkjet Supplies, Invest, Medium, Medium Format Camera, Medium Format Photography, Most, Pentax 67, Photography, Photography System, Printer Supplies, sharpest, System, Wide Format Inkjet Printer, Windows Xp
I bought a Yashica A on ebay in good conditon for about $65, and it takes great pictures. It’s super sharp. It takes 120 film and will give 6X6 negatives. It’s a very solid, well-made camera. The body is entirely metal and it has a nice, bright view screen and good optics.
It’s probably my favorite camera for landscape photos now.
Here’s my camera:
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/gatewaycityca/FILE0330b_small-1.jpg
And here’s a picture I took with it. I developed the film and picture myself. (The actual print is a lot better than the scan).
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f86/gatewaycityca/Big_Bear_Lake_6_8_2008_b_small.jpg
tlrs are cheaper than slrs, most medium formats are brilliant, i like these: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hellas2008/3012546132/
tlrs cost less than slrs generally
Mamiya C220 or C330. Both are great cameras and are selling very cheaply at ebay. You can change lenses on these. I have used both in the past. I had one but traded it of recently as my eyesight has made it difficult to use one.
6×6s are available inexpensively in the TLR format. I bought a very good Rolleicord for about 100 bucks, but I also recommend the Yashica Mat 124 and 124G which I have seen sell for less than $100.
You can get after market,as well as Yashica brand, telephoto and wide angle converters for a song also and they will go on both the Yashica and the Rollei made cameras.
I managed to trade into a Mamiya TL (645A format) and purchase a couple of lenses for less than $350, and it is like very good.