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Twin Lens Reflex ?
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Hi,
I’m hoping to poke my toe into medium format with a TLR, but need some advice, being unfamiliar with this type of camera
The models I’ve seen from my research thus far, tend to be the beuatifully crafted Rolleiflexes, the companion Rolleicords, the Mamiya C range, and the Japanese TLRs; namely the Yashicamat and the Minolta Autocords.
Some of the key factors at the forefront of my mind at present, are namely:
:Weight – don’t want to end up with a brick around my neck (in so so far as possible), and would favour lighter models, if possible.
:Lenses – 75/ 80mm fixed normal lens should be fine, but do I really need f2.8 with these cameras ?
:Serviceability – anything I need to consider given these cameras are quite old ?
:Shutter Speeds – is 1/250 the limit on TLR’s, and if so, is this sufficient ?
:Meter/ Automation – Not too pushed on this one, a meterless camera is not a dealbreaker for me.
:ISO – Is ISO 400 the maximum on these cameras ? I may want to push film beyond ISO 400; is this possible ?
:Subjects – anything which is a pain in the ass to shoot with a TLR, given the nature of these cameras ?:Budget – around €200ish, but willing to expand my budget to prevent future Rollei lusting, if necessary..
Any advice/ experience on the above would be great. I know a few people here have been dabbling in TLRs of late, and hope I can call on your experiences,
Thanks in advance,
Damien
All the brands you mentioned are good cameras….
Make sure you do your research and take your time deciding what to go for
Condition is a very import factor with these cameras. they all take great pictures…
Needing a 2.8 is up to you, if you will be shooting in low light then the 2.8 can be handy. You can pay extra for the 2.8 so decide your self if you need it…
With any old cameras I would recommend a good service when you first get them to losen the up. A good service costs around 100 euro from Declan and Alan
Some TLR’s go beyond the 1/250, my Rolleiflex goes to 1/500, I generally always shoot hand held at 1/125
Meter, Its a personal choice, I have a meter on my Rolleiflex but always use a hand held anyhow, i prefer incident metering…
Some TLR’s will go beyond iso400, If you use a hand held meter you have what ever ISO you want…
Theres no auto focus on these cameras so moving subject can be a pain to shoot on these cameras. With a bit of practice and fast film to allow a bigger aperture it can be done…
200euro budget is going to restrict what you can buy, there are lots of options though still open to you, do your research, condition is important
Have a look at the Lubitel TLR’s or even Holgas, great cameras for getting into MF on a budget, super images from them
Best of luck
MHi Martin, thanks for the heads-up,
Good to know Declan & Alan will service – just out of curiousity do you know if they provide a CLA service for Leicas also ? (may be looking at a 2nd Leica body in not too distant future)
Re: 2.8, what’s the depth of field like w/ 2.8 on medium format ?
Think I might need 1/500 for flexibility – what model Rolleiflex do you have ?
Re: autofocus, not too pushed, and liking manual to be honest.. also one less thing to go wrong on the lens :)
Re: models, am steering clear of the Lubitels & Holgas for the moment, as I really just want to buy right the first time. Have seen a slightly older Yashicamat in my budget range, but to be honest I’m wondering if I’m not better off with a non-metered Rollei and being done with it.. am I being realistic thinking I could pick up a non-metered Rollei for say €400/ €500 ?
Damien
do you know if they provide a CLA service for Leicas also
Cant say for sure you would need to ring them, they did a full take apart and reassemble type CLA on my rolleiflex. Id be surprised if they cannot do the same on your leica
Re: 2.8, what’s the depth of field like w/ 2.8 on medium format ?
Its very narrow but still very usable in low light conditions. Depends how close you are to your subject though…
Think I might need 1/500 for flexibility – what model Rolleiflex do you have ?
Its a 1967 2.8F Rolleiflex with the 80mm Carl Zeiss planar lens. Like new since the service… love it to bits…
m I being realistic thinking I could pick up a non-metered Rollei for say €400/ €500 ?
Have a look on ebay, you will get one for that price though. The important questions is what condition will it be in. Ask lots of questions about the camera. Have a look on the web for advice guides on buying a rolleiflex etc. Remember though the Yashicamat and Rolleicords etc are all super cameras and will all take super pictures. The main thing is condition not brand. Leave money aside also to have it serviced as some of these cameras might only have had 10 roles of film run through them in the last 25 years…
all the best
M[/i]A site i find found very useful for info on the Rolleiflex, buying guide and prices for each model…, maybe you might too
http://www.antiquecameras.net/
Martin – thanks for the link, will check it out
Your 2.8F is a beautiful camera to be sure – the Rollei TLRs really are a picture of mechanical perfection!
Damien
Just updating to mention I’ve just bought my first Rollei.
For the past few months, I’ve been reading everything I could to discern the differences between the different models, and in the end settled on a Rolleicord (VA, Type 1) for my needs, with the lighter weight and lower cost of the Rolleicords the deciding factors for my first TLR purchase.
In any case, just waiting for the postman to arrive in the next week or so (hopefully in time for Christmas), so I can get out and about shooting with it :)
Damien
Congrats Damien you will be very happy. The Rolleicord’s are excellent. Wait till you see the optics of the Rollei cameras you will be blown away….
All the best
MThanks Martin, have wanted a TLR for so long now, that I’m really looking forward to getting to grips with it when it arrives.
One thing I’m not so sure about yet, is what sort of bag would suit it. The ‘cord I bought does not come with it’s own everready case, so need to look into how to protect it against the Irish elements, when I’m carrying it about and it’s not in use – what do you do yourself with your ‘flex ?
Damien
the Mamiya C (with the 80mm lens) fits into a Lowepro Toploader 65 without the additional padding.
hope this helps!Thanks Gizzo, that does help. When you say additional padding, do you mean the internal dividers in the bag ?
I’ve traditionally found Lowepro bags a little too bulky with all the inbuilt padding, but I will try check it out instore and see if it suits.
I’ve heard of people using camcorder bags too, so must check that out.
In all, probably looking for a fairly compact bag, but one that I could throw my rangefinder into also, for those days I go out with both cameras,
Damien
yes, I don’t know if you have ever seen the padding in a toploader but there are 2 pads fixed with velcro that they’re useful to keep a 35mm SLR in position. if you remove them, also a big TLR will fit nicely.
mind you, it’s a not-so-compact bag. worth checking also the lens cases. you might find something there.Damien,
The flex and cord are around the same size and smaller that the mamiya c
I like to keep things tight and neat so that I can bring them with me hiking. I use a Lowepro 4S lens case, fits like a glove, see link below. VERY good padding on this bag. I took the straps off mine and just have the one strap on it that allows me to hang it over my shoulder. Theres also a velcro thing on the back to allow me to hook it to my bigger camera bags if need be. See link below:
http://products.lowepro.com/product/Lens-Case-4S,1955,11.htm
Below are two pics of my camera with the 4S. This would be what I would recomend
Regards and have fun
M
Thanks Gizzo. Have been doing a bit of research actually, and it turns out one of the bags I’ve long wanted to buy, suits my needs perfectly.
The Domke F-5XB will take a TLR, with room for my M6 & 35mm also. I’d been looking at this model, along with the Domke F-5XB to serve my rangefinder needs, for a while, without knowing it would also suit my TLR needs also.
Hoping to put in an order for one of these online soon, and will update this thread to let people know how I get on,
Damien
Thanks Martin for the recommendation, but you’ve managed to illustrate everything I dislike (excessive bulk and padding) in Lowepro bags! Lol
I’m a big fan of light and compact set-ups, and think with the F-5XB, I’ve stumbled upon such a solution for housing the ‘cord, along with doing double-duty with various combinations of my M6 and D200 also.
Thanks again though for the recommendations, and will post again to let you know how I get on :)
Damien
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