What is the most affordable but sharpest medium format photography system?
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.
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.