It is the Cadillac limousine of my collection! I will be featuring that camera on this channel soon. Honestly, my best photos have come from that camera.
Hi Todd. I have several TLRs, and I love those because exactly as you mentioned. Absolutely agree. Next time I want to see your VLOG of playing the cello that I do, too. Thank you for the great presentation. I subscribe you.
Totally agree. I really love my medium format cameras. I have a 500C that I shoot often and a Mamiyaflex Automat A that just blows me away with how sharp the lens is.
Absolutely agree. I love mine also. Mamiya RB67 SD, Mamiya C2, Mamiya C3 and a few Yashica TLR models. They are just wonderful to hold, use and care for before passing them on to future film enthusiasts as they were passed on to me, along a 60 plus time line.
@@FilmCameraObsession I have the Mamiyaflex C2 and I love it. I wanted the C3 because of the wind crank instead of the winding knob. I’m fine with it as it is. Definitely more temperamental! If you forget to click the next-frame-advance-switch after loading & shutting the door, you will wind through the whole roll! You know about that! If you bump that same switch without film in it, you have to wind and wind to get it back to the red dot position, otherwise the frame counting will be messed up and it stops winding to the next frame after the 12th shot. And there is nothing to prevent double exposure or no exposure before you wind-on. I would love to shoot a roll through a C3 just to experience it. Keep making these great videos!
I have an RB67, and it is a tank. The shutter and winding is weapons-grade. The schl-thock of the mirror is quite something. I have owned it for 30+ years, as I have my rollfilm folder, a Ensign 12/20. I am seriously looking for a TLR as the sweet spot.
Don't forget the venerable Mamiya C220 & C330 TLR's too. One thing I notice with waist level viewfinders is that it forces a different view... you are not looking along at, but looking up to. Check out many of the street portraits in this video. It is a refreshing alternative perspective. Yes you can kneel down with a 35mm but if you do so you lose the spontaneity of the situation.
That Hasselblad looks sweet! The main reason to shoot 35mm is for portability and lens selection. Last time I checked super telephotos were in short supply for MF cameras LOL.
Thank you for a nice video - and really convincing :-) You (almost) talked me into using medium format cameras again. But the Rolleiflex Tessar and Planar I have are really uncomfortable to carry around - and to that comes the accessory lenses etc. I find them more suitable for studio photography; but it IS a shame to lock them up indoor. I will reconsider ; -)
I started shooting medium format. Years later, I started shooting small format. Finally, I started shooting large format. I prefer medium format because it is the best compromise between small format and large format.
Definitely. I am about to post my first foray into large format. I really enjoyed it, and the photos came out great. But you are totally right about the compromise.
Thanks for sharing your obsession. With the exception of the Rolleicord, all were medium format SLR cameras. How about including a few medium format rangefinder cameras?
When I use a Hass ELM in the studio models are very impressed. I get comments like .'I really like the sound of that camera' or 'That sounds like a real camera' .I get the same as you .People always want to talk about medium format cameras when they see you using them .I then get comments like' Are you a professional?'.
Indeed! I have a street shot in my Hasselblad video--this guy with a very weathered face. I asked if I could take his photo and he asked, "why?" I said I was just a hobbyist. He said, "A hobbyist with a Hasselblad?" I laughed and fully had to convince him I wasn't a professional and going to publish his face.
Hey Todd, I really enjoyed this video, thank you for sharing it, can you remember what film you used to take the photo of the lady with the red hat at 3:18? The colours are fabulous, thanks
I find people are interested in my Mamiya 645, but if I really want to get there attention I take my Graflex Speed Graphic 23. I have 6x9 and 6x6 backs, shooting 6x9 gets expensive at 8 shots per roll. Plus they take a long time to scan those big negatives. Most times I shoot 645 at 15 shots per roll and get a big improvement over 35mm.
I get you. I have a Hasselblad A16 back that gets 16 frames (old 4x4 slide size) and have seen a Hasselblad 645 (which I would love to own but they are spendy). The A16 I reserve for street shooting as the extra 4 shots helps, at least in my head. In all honesty, I prefer scanning larger negatives, in the end 36 negative may scan fast, but post....Thanks for sharing. I'm trying to carve out time to go shoot a 4x5 Graflex SLR in the next week or so. Time for a vid on that!
The best and only reason people should get one for is image quality, secondary to that is the limitations involved will force the photographer to be more careful about the shots they decide to take. I find myself not taking mediocre shots with my 8-shot per roll GW690 that I would have with a 36-shot 35mm camera.
Definitely. I have some landscape shots that I remember with such fondness because I waited, and waited, and fretted wondering if it was the best light. I'm keeping count in my head of how many frames are left. And then there's the scanning........
So hard! I would like to do a desert island camera. I can eliminate the Zenza pretty quickly. The Rolleicord and the RB67 are tied. It would be hard to lose the Mamiya because of the sharp lens. But the Hasselblad just FEELS good and the images aren't necessarily sharp but they are distinctive.
I doubt that digital SLR’s will last as long as these film cameras. Love the Rolleiflex cameras. I use my Rolleiflex to do 6x6 and my Rolleicord Vb is set up for 645 negatives. I have the Bronica SQ system, they are ok. I’m thinking that the Bronica S2A was probably more robust.
@@FilmCameraObsession there is a Rolleicord Vb kit that is marked Rolleicord 16. You will end up changing out the counter on the side, adding the mask to the inside and a mask to the top viewfinder screen. Rolleicord also made a 24 exposure kit which is too small for my liking, it’s like 35mm.
@@FilmCameraObsession rolleiflex baby works with 127 fim, that I found it harder to get anywhere. I've read about cutting 120 film to use it insted of 127. that would be easier to find and of course cheaper
I love medium format, though I'm too cheap to spend something like 1000€ on one single camera (I'd rather buy several cheaper ones :) so Instead of a Hasselblad I have a Kiev 88 which cost me about 200€ plus about 150€ for 2 extra lenses (a Mir 45mm and a Tair 33 300mm which is a hefty beast indeed at almost a foot long, 4" diameter and weighs some 4 lbs) and I like it, even with all it's quirks. I also have a Meopta Flexaret V TLR which I got for less than 100€ and it's a great camera. I also have a box camera and a folding one in 6x9 cm negative size for a really antique look. By the way, if you want people noticing you and asking questions, try large format. :) I even had the police called on me when I was photographing an abandoned building in the middle of a suburb on a Sunday morning with my Speed Graphic. Obviously someone had seen a long haired, bearded creep setting up some strange contraption on a tripod and freaked out. Fortunately, unlike in the US, having the police called upon you is not very scary here in Finland, they just drove by slowly and saw it was just a camera so they didn't even stop.
@@jlove24 I have been considering getting one but I think vintage cameras are more of my "thing". I can get nice "lo-fi-results" with my box camera and folder.
I find my Rolleicord vb is a great cheaper option with a fantastic lens--and it looks cool. I am preparing to go shoot my Graflex 4x5 this week. Big old SLR with a weird hood to look down at the ground glass. Should get some attention. I need to look up the Meopta Flexaret. I've never even heard of it.
One of my "medium" format cameras shoots 24 shots on 120 film, still bigger than 35mm 45X30, it is a Bencini Koroll 25s. Obviously not in the same league as the cameras you have, but I would NEVER spend that kind of money on a camera, too decadent for amateur use. I have about 60 camera in 828,127 120, 620 and 35mm modes.
@@FilmCameraObsession Morning Todd, yes, I drool over cameras like yours, look at the prices and quickly move on :-) I can actually afford more expensive cameras, but I prefer really old and obscure cameras, and like you it has become an obsession and a great deal of fun. I love the art deco "bakelite" cameras which are usually very basic spec but very aesthetically pleasing. My most expensive 120 cameras are British, the AGI Agiflex Agifold it was $25 and the Artima Arti-6 $15, in 35mm it is a German Ihagee Exakta VX1000 $22. I live in Wales, UK so these cameras are more commonplace in Europe.I have done very little photography of late because of the Covid-19 restrictions and there seems to be no end in site. Anyway, I have rambled on long enough :-) so keep up the great videos and keep safe, and anyone else out there too. Cheers and thanks.
Absolutely could not agree with you more. I have owned several TLR's as well as Bronicas. Love them all. Thanks for the post.
Take your time, feeling connection with your camera, outstanding!! I love my Rb67.
It is the Cadillac limousine of my collection! I will be featuring that camera on this channel soon. Honestly, my best photos have come from that camera.
Hi Todd. I have several TLRs, and I love those because exactly as you mentioned. Absolutely agree.
Next time I want to see your VLOG of playing the cello that I do, too. Thank you for the great presentation. I subscribe you.
I hope my photography is better than my cello playing!
Totally agree. I really love my medium format cameras. I have a 500C that I shoot often and a Mamiyaflex Automat A that just blows me away with how sharp the lens is.
The 500c is my all-time favorite! How do you like the Mamiyaflex?
Those shutter sounds are such crunchy and crispy
Thank you this was great.
I just got a gift from a dear friend..it was an argoflex and now life has begun:) the sound is what makes my day!!
Cool! I would like to see that. Do you have a video?
@@FilmCameraObsession honestly...I'm a little embarrassed to say ... how?🥴
Would love too!
Absolutely agree. I love mine also. Mamiya RB67 SD, Mamiya C2, Mamiya C3 and a few Yashica TLR models. They are just wonderful to hold, use and care for before passing them on to future film enthusiasts as they were passed on to me, along a 60 plus time line.
Nice. I would love to get my hands on a Mamiya C3.
@@FilmCameraObsession I have the Mamiyaflex C2 and I love it. I wanted the C3 because of the wind crank instead of the winding knob. I’m fine with it as it is.
Definitely more temperamental! If you forget to click the next-frame-advance-switch after loading & shutting the door, you will wind through the whole roll! You know about that! If you bump that same switch without film in it, you have to wind and wind to get it back to the red dot position, otherwise the frame counting will be messed up and it stops winding to the next frame after the 12th shot. And there is nothing to prevent double exposure or no exposure before you wind-on.
I would love to shoot a roll through a C3 just to experience it.
Keep making these great videos!
Awesome video. Subbed.
Hello sir love from India. I completed your 500 subscribers 😀❤️❤️
Fantastic! Thank you so much and all the best!
I have an RB67, and it is a tank. The shutter and winding is weapons-grade. The schl-thock of the mirror is quite something. I have owned it for 30+ years, as I have my rollfilm folder, a Ensign 12/20.
I am seriously looking for a TLR as the sweet spot.
Don't forget the venerable Mamiya C220 & C330 TLR's too.
One thing I notice with waist level viewfinders is that it forces a different view... you are not looking along at, but looking up to. Check out many of the street portraits in this video. It is a refreshing alternative perspective. Yes you can kneel down with a 35mm but if you do so you lose the spontaneity of the situation.
I would love to add a C330 to my collection. Waist level is still my favorite.
Thank you for good video! I'll buy Hasselblad 500 and 907x for digital.
I am lusting over the new digital backs that were made for the 500c. I just don't have 6K at the moment!
I would agree with you 100%. Have you priced 4x5 film lately? 120 film is an economic alternative.
That Hasselblad looks sweet! The main reason to shoot 35mm is for portability and lens selection. Last time I checked super telephotos were in short supply for MF cameras LOL.
I love that Hasselblad. Very portable and great lenses.
Thank you for a nice video
- and really convincing :-)
You (almost) talked me into using medium format cameras again. But the Rolleiflex Tessar and Planar I have are really uncomfortable to carry around - and to that comes the accessory lenses etc. I find them more suitable for studio photography; but it IS a shame to lock them up indoor.
I will reconsider ; -)
I get it, and I still enjoy my Kodak Retina IIIC and Leicas. But my Rolleicord and Hasselblad do great on the street.
I started shooting medium format.
Years later, I started shooting small format.
Finally, I started shooting large format.
I prefer medium format because it is the best compromise between small format and large format.
Definitely. I am about to post my first foray into large format. I really enjoyed it, and the photos came out great. But you are totally right about the compromise.
Thanks for sharing your obsession.
With the exception of the Rolleicord, all were medium format SLR cameras.
How about including a few medium format rangefinder cameras?
I wish I had a Mamiya 7! My buddy has one. They are steep!
I have a Fuji GW690, it's fantastic and takes humongous 6cm x 9cm negatives.
When I use a Hass ELM in the studio models are very impressed. I get comments like .'I really like the sound of that camera' or 'That sounds like a real camera' .I get the same as you .People always want to talk about medium format cameras when they see you using them .I then get comments like' Are you a professional?'.
Indeed! I have a street shot in my Hasselblad video--this guy with a very weathered face. I asked if I could take his photo and he asked, "why?" I said I was just a hobbyist. He said, "A hobbyist with a Hasselblad?" I laughed and fully had to convince him I wasn't a professional and going to publish his face.
Hey Todd, I really enjoyed this video, thank you for sharing it, can you remember what film you used to take the photo of the lady with the red hat at 3:18? The colours are fabulous, thanks
Probably Portra. I will dig up the negative.
Actually, Ektar 100! Who knew?
since i bought my mamiya rb67 its really hard to use my 135 cameras again ! :)) it feels really diffrent and better
I totally agree! I had the RB67 out the other day. Heavy but a great performer.
I find people are interested in my Mamiya 645, but if I really want to get there attention I take my Graflex Speed Graphic 23. I have 6x9 and 6x6 backs, shooting 6x9 gets expensive at 8 shots per roll. Plus they take a long time to scan those big negatives. Most times I shoot 645 at 15 shots per roll and get a big improvement over 35mm.
I get you. I have a Hasselblad A16 back that gets 16 frames (old 4x4 slide size) and have seen a Hasselblad 645 (which I would love to own but they are spendy). The A16 I reserve for street shooting as the extra 4 shots helps, at least in my head. In all honesty, I prefer scanning larger negatives, in the end 36 negative may scan fast, but post....Thanks for sharing. I'm trying to carve out time to go shoot a 4x5 Graflex SLR in the next week or so. Time for a vid on that!
120mm?
The best and only reason people should get one for is image quality, secondary to that is the limitations involved will force the photographer to be more careful about the shots they decide to take. I find myself not taking mediocre shots with my 8-shot per roll GW690 that I would have with a 36-shot 35mm camera.
Definitely. I have some landscape shots that I remember with such fondness because I waited, and waited, and fretted wondering if it was the best light. I'm keeping count in my head of how many frames are left. And then there's the scanning........
@@FilmCameraObsession DSLR Scanning isn't bad with the right setup, I go drum scanning if planning on selling prints.
So whats is your favorite from all of the four cameras that you own? hassy?
So hard! I would like to do a desert island camera. I can eliminate the Zenza pretty quickly. The Rolleicord and the RB67 are tied. It would be hard to lose the Mamiya because of the sharp lens. But the Hasselblad just FEELS good and the images aren't necessarily sharp but they are distinctive.
That was a 'wet' moment when you fired off all those mirror's... Thank you 😂
It makes medium format SLR's so addictive.
I have a Fuji GW690, will never shoot 35mm again unless its quick snaps with my Pen EE
I doubt that digital SLR’s will last as long as these film cameras. Love the Rolleiflex cameras. I use my Rolleiflex to do 6x6 and my Rolleicord Vb is set up for 645 negatives. I have the Bronica SQ system, they are ok. I’m thinking that the Bronica S2A was probably more robust.
They are marvels. I am hoping to pick up a Rolleiflex when I can. I'm not sure how to go about changing the Vb to a 645...different cartridge?
@@FilmCameraObsession there is a Rolleicord Vb kit that is marked Rolleicord 16. You will end up changing out the counter on the side, adding the mask to the inside and a mask to the top viewfinder screen. Rolleicord also made a 24 exposure kit which is too small for my liking, it’s like 35mm.
Just starting with the MF, and find you! Thanks for the video
So much fun. What will you be shooting? Enjoy your images and let me know how it goes.
@@FilmCameraObsession waiting for a rolleiFlex baby 4x4. By know wondering how to cut 120 film :/
@@alfonsogarciamarcos7362 Nice! "Get" or "cut" 120 film? I get my film from B&H Photo in New York City.
@@FilmCameraObsession rolleiflex baby works with 127 fim, that I found it harder to get anywhere. I've read about cutting 120 film to use it insted of 127. that would be easier to find and of course cheaper
I love my 3 TLRs also (a bit) more than my 35mm collection
It is difficult to go back to 35mm, I know! I just posted a new Leica video. Even with some great 35's, I keep gravitating back to MF.
@@FilmCameraObsession I like the phrase gravitating 👍🏻😂
I love medium format, though I'm too cheap to spend something like 1000€ on one single camera (I'd rather buy several cheaper ones :) so Instead of a Hasselblad I have a Kiev 88 which cost me about 200€ plus about 150€ for 2 extra lenses (a Mir 45mm and a Tair 33 300mm which is a hefty beast indeed at almost a foot long, 4" diameter and weighs some 4 lbs) and I like it, even with all it's quirks. I also have a Meopta Flexaret V TLR which I got for less than 100€ and it's a great camera. I also have a box camera and a folding one in 6x9 cm negative size for a really antique look.
By the way, if you want people noticing you and asking questions, try large format. :) I even had the police called on me when I was photographing an abandoned building in the middle of a suburb on a Sunday morning with my Speed Graphic. Obviously someone had seen a long haired, bearded creep setting up some strange contraption on a tripod and freaked out. Fortunately, unlike in the US, having the police called upon you is not very scary here in Finland, they just drove by slowly and saw it was just a camera so they didn't even stop.
You should try out a holga 120, medium format camera that’s only $40
@@jlove24 I have been considering getting one but I think vintage cameras are more of my "thing". I can get nice "lo-fi-results" with my box camera and folder.
@@Murgoh yeah I get you just thought for $40 it’d be fun to just try out
I find my Rolleicord vb is a great cheaper option with a fantastic lens--and it looks cool. I am preparing to go shoot my Graflex 4x5 this week. Big old SLR with a weird hood to look down at the ground glass. Should get some attention. I need to look up the Meopta Flexaret. I've never even heard of it.
Those Graflex SLR:s are really cool. Unfortunately on the pricey side for a good one.
120mm???
LOL! You are totally right! Slip of the tongue. Say 35mm and then.... 60mmx60mm roughly, right?
One of my "medium" format cameras shoots 24 shots on 120 film, still bigger than 35mm 45X30, it is a Bencini Koroll 25s. Obviously not in the same league as the cameras you have, but I would NEVER spend that kind of money on a camera, too decadent for amateur use. I have about 60 camera in 828,127 120, 620 and 35mm modes.
Whoa! Interesting. I have never heard of this camera. And 60 cameras...You'll come across these for sure.
@@FilmCameraObsession Morning Todd, yes, I drool over cameras like yours, look at the prices and quickly move on :-) I can actually afford more expensive cameras, but I prefer really old and obscure cameras, and like you it has become an obsession and a great deal of fun. I love the art deco "bakelite" cameras which are usually very basic spec but very aesthetically pleasing. My most expensive 120 cameras are British, the AGI Agiflex Agifold it was $25 and the Artima Arti-6 $15, in 35mm it is a German Ihagee Exakta VX1000 $22. I live in Wales, UK so these cameras are more commonplace in Europe.I have done very little photography of late because of the Covid-19 restrictions and there seems to be no end in site. Anyway, I have rambled on long enough :-) so keep up the great videos and keep safe, and anyone else out there too. Cheers and thanks.