Talking about my experience with Pentax 6x7 after using it for a year. Where else to find me: Web: www.marinaboichuk.com/ IG: / marinaboichuk Prints: analoguediaries.darkroom.com/
Working professionally in the 70s and 80s the pen 6x7 was wildly popular with architectural photographers, even without a movable film back. It was all down to a wonderful shift lens.
Hey! My favorite camera! 😂 I've had three bodies and I have an embarrassing number of lenses for it. I actually think your review is pretty spot on and I completely agree that this camera is not for everybody. In fact, I would say it's not for most people. And the battery problem... 😫 I've seen so many people rave about the portraits you can take with this camera, but it does so many other things. I've often considered filming a review of my own, just to go over the other stuff it can do. For example, It does shockingly well taking macro photos, which is absurd for a 6x7. I have two macro lenses and a bellows. I use all of them. To make the camera more weight friendly, remove the handle and swap out the pentaprisim for the waist level viewfinder. The waist-level finder makes taking portraits very difficult, but the weight is significantly more manageable. Also, you get 100% coverage, the screen is brighter, and the built-in magnifier makes focusing easier. I also added a left-handed soft shutter release built into the wooden handle, which makes a huge difference.
Nice! Great it is working for you and you able to make the most out of it. I didn’t have a wooden handle and it still didn’t help much 😅 For the same reason I wasn’t even considering Mamiya 67 (that is just huge). Waist level finder is a bit restricting for the portrait work unfortunately, and that is what I shoot 99% of the time. So I guess better stick to my 645 or Hasselblad.
After 8 years spent dreaming of this camera because... prices, I finally bought it in January. It's a 6x7MLU with metering prism with the 105 that's yellow thanks to the thorium they used back in the days. I don't have spacing issues, or at least nothing compared to what I got witj my Pentacon Six if I used Ilford style receiving spools - Fuji were the best to prevent that. I get your point and beside your take on the viewfinder, which isn't that dark and is mostly flawed by not being 100% coverage, but I can see how it can impair the fun you have with it and sometimes your results. For the weight I use the strap from peak design and I can carry the P67 for an afternoon without problem. I 90% shoot portraits, I even brought it to a concert, shooting vertical pictures at 1/30. They were underexposed but some of them turned stunning. As you say I don't think 6x7 film cameras are for everyone, even though some CZcamsrs made it seems that way. But for me, it's a better fit that all of the 6x6 cameras I got or tried in the past, including Hasselblads.
Thanks for your input, I completely agree with all of the above. While it’s absolutely possible to make gear work for your needs, sometimes one piece of equipment seems easier and more fun to work with when the other only makes things harder to achieve the desired results.
I have a question. I have the 105, 55 and 75 all SMC pentax. For some reason, with the 105 and the 75, when I stop down the aperture in manual mode, it also stops down the lens. So if my lens is at 22, I can't even see what I'm trying to get in focus because it's too dark. The only lens that doesn't stop down is the 55 - I can see a bright screen at all apertures. Do you know why this happens to the 105 and 75 but not the 55? i have to focus wide open and then fix my fstop its pretty annoying. Do you have this issue or is my copy defective? the viewfinder is only bright in all apertures if i ahve the lens in automatic mode once i switch to anything lower than f11 i basically cant see anything in the viewfinder its wayyy too dark.
Thirty years ago I tried a Pentax but went for a Mamiya RB67 with removable film backs, 1/400 flash sync speed, Big bright viewfinder. I still have it and use it regularly, Plenty of lenses and accessories on Ebay today. I think the Pentax is a beautiful camera but I think for me I made the right choice with the Mamiya RB67. I needed 6x7 so Hasselblad wasn't an option. The RB is heavy so I just work out a couple of times a week! :)
I owned and LOVED this camera (MLU)! Intuitive handling, stellar lenses and great image quality! Back then, I didn’t care how heavy a bit of kit was so long as it gave me what I wanted. Not sure how I’d feel today but given I’m toting a Nikon Z 9 and Z lenses, I suspect I still don’t really care so much about weight.
I love this camera and it's 105mm. I did take some amazing picture with BUT I sold it too... Too heavy, too unreliable, too... argh ! Now for my medium format work I stick with my 6x6 sturdy, reliable and not so ugly C330. Life feel so easy now 😀(ok... I do large format too now and life feel not easy at all sometimes)
Honest review. There is so much hype surrounding this camera. I'm with you, I'm going to stick with my Hasselblad, and if I want to go bigger, I just grab my Fuji 6x9.
Since I never shoot flash, always continuous lighting, I switched from the 500cm with matte D screen to P67 (not 6x7) with standard prism (no light meter), because of the 105mm lens and because focussing is so much easier, both in terms of crispness and orientation. Yes, the P67 is slightly lighter (standard prism), but not by much. Never looked back.
I've used my P6x7 with a chimney magnifier for years and focusing was always easy with an f/2.5 lens, now it's even easier when I have an f/1.8 lens, I'm actually thinking of getting the standard prism back.
I had a P67 for many years, but as my eyes got older I found it more and more difficult to focus properly. Some years back, I happened upon a good deal on a 67II which I still use to this day. Much brighter viewfinder for focusing and I love the built-in grip! I, also, have a 500C/M but it's funny that I find handholding the 67II easier vs the Hasselblad. I enjoy using both formats, though.
I have a 6x6 medium format camera as well as the Pentax 645 but I've always wanted to own a Pentax 6x7 or 67 - but actually watching your video was really helpful and has made me realise I'd prefer to borrow the camera and try it out first! Like you it's that lens - I'm blown away by photos I see with it...
The P6x7 is still my fav film camera ever. That said, I only use it for portraits in natural light, so flash sync is completely unimportant for me. I had 3 different bodies (P6x7, P6x7 MLU, P67) over the years and never had any issues with frames overlapping when making sure I always pull the film advance lever all the way (it's easy to stop pulling just a couple mm short). People who praise the 105/2.4 and compare to other medium format systems are missing a huge point, that you can easily adapt many exotic/projection lenses to P6x7 and other cameras with a focal plane shutter. So comparing the P645/P6x7, Pentacon/Kiev60 or Mamiya 645 to a Mamiya RB/RZ67 or Hasselblad 500 is (in my use case) pointless, cause the cameras have completely different capabilities. Ones are amazing platforms for adapting strange lenses, the other ones are great platforms for flash photography and should be judged in separate groups. The dim viewfinder and difficult focusing is a complex issue. The TTL finder is the darkest, the non-TTL finder is brighter, the collapsible chimney and the rigid magnifier chimney are much brighter and also magnify the image, but then you see things left-to-right so it can be a bit counterintuitive to focus. That said, there are second hand focusing screens available which are brighter and/or have a split prism which helps a lot. Some years ago I adapted the much brighter plastic focusing screen from the P67II to fit the P6x7 and that also helped a lot but requires some DIY tinkering. There's plenty of my P6x7 photos on IG @knur.konesur.photo if you want to have a look :) Hope you (unlike me) enjoy your journey with the Hasselblad :)
So great to hear you like the system and it works for your needs. With what you point out it does seem P67 system is much more complicated than Hasselblad, for example. This is definitely not the best option for someone who’s not an expert (like myself) in such things 😅
@@AnalogueDiariesI honestly think that with a better body and a waist-level finder, you would have a very different opinion of the camera. The first generation 6x7 is a problem child and that metered pentaprism is actively bad. But, if you get the MLU body and a waist-level collapsible finder, you basically have a faster, but noisier and bulkier Hasselblad 500c. So, 🤷.
I honestly think the 105/2.4 is overrated. My favorite lens by far is the 150/2.8, which I think provides a more "medium format" look to portraits. Especially, full body portraits. But, I'm not sure we can consider the ability to adapt weird projector lenses to be a strength of the system when that's not its intended purpose. I think that's just lucky happenstance for nerds. Now, I am a nerd, and I have made alterations to my P67. But, I think that runs the risk of appreciating the tool over the art that you can make with that tool.
I can honestly say that I have taken some of my best photographs with this camera. It hurts to hear you describe it as a piece of garbage. It is a camera from another time and as such compared with modern cameras it is difficult to use and lacks features. The lenses are fantastic with fabulous bokeh , you can get amazing photographs with the Pentax 67 but you will probably have to work a bit harder than if using a lot of other cameras.
Of course, I am all about enjoying the process and when the gear gets on the way and makes it into a struggle I start questioning whether results worth that struggle. In my case it’s not. I don’t like having too many cameras, so everything has to be versatile. P6x7 is not versatile camera for sure.
Yeah, I am with you on that one. I shied away from the Pentax due to its many documented issues. All of my medium format cameras are 100% mechanical, none of them even takes a battery.
I had the Pentax 6x7 MLU for a short time...i found the view finder quite dark and very difficult to focus also the light meter prism was way off and the battery lasted for a very short time. I got the RB67 instead still big and heavy but a nice clear view finder and no battery.
It's kind of surprising that there could be such a difference between pentax 645 and pentax 67. the last version of Pentax 645 has so many features justlike a dslr including autofocus. Have you ever considered trying pentax 645?
The P67ii added many features, and they manufactured it STARTING in 1999, so they are all relatively new. They are also all $3k... 😂 I think that autofocus on a 6x7 negative would just make the camera monstrous. When you're looking at this vs an RB67, more weight is not what you want.
I have settled on the Pentax 645n over all other medium format cameras. 16 exposures helps plus the lenses are good & they have shutters in some lenses but I don't need that.
My Pentax 67 is my go-to for most of my photography (largely car events, landscape and architecture... notable for all being ambient lighting!). I definitely wouldn't want to try shooting with flash with it... that really does sound like a nightmare! Can definitely get pretty heavy after a full day of walking around with it, but i always forget the pain when I see the results. It's a shame it didn't work out for you... hope the Hasselblad works out better!
Since you have committed to a Hasselblad, you will most likely be satisfied with it. It is a very well respected camera for many decades, as well as having fine lenses. So, what I would suggest to you would probably be too much strain on your shoulders and back. The most important thing is to find the camera is at one with you and not the experience of being frustrated with the proper operation of the camera or the weight. It is light enough to use not only in a studio setting, but also for shooting outside. Many women have no problem doing that. Have fun and success with your chosen camera.
Try a Mamiya 6 or 7... Might suit better...if You require better flash sync speed and with 6 is 900 grams (no lens) 1,150 grams (with 75mm lens) much lighter...
Yeah, I figured. And even considering that 1/30 shutter sync can be manageable when working with flash, yet I ended up with so many wasted exposures due to unreliable triggering 🤷🏼♀️ With Hasselblad my flash always works with every exposure I take.
idk how everyone loves this camera, I tried to love it but kept falling into more and more problems with it. Battery dying, choosing when to fire.. getting repaired. I'll stick to my RB67!! great video as usual.
Working professionally in the 70s and 80s the pen 6x7 was wildly popular with architectural photographers, even without a movable film back. It was all down to a wonderful shift lens.
Hey! My favorite camera! 😂 I've had three bodies and I have an embarrassing number of lenses for it. I actually think your review is pretty spot on and I completely agree that this camera is not for everybody. In fact, I would say it's not for most people.
And the battery problem... 😫
I've seen so many people rave about the portraits you can take with this camera, but it does so many other things. I've often considered filming a review of my own, just to go over the other stuff it can do.
For example, It does shockingly well taking macro photos, which is absurd for a 6x7. I have two macro lenses and a bellows. I use all of them.
To make the camera more weight friendly, remove the handle and swap out the pentaprisim for the waist level viewfinder. The waist-level finder makes taking portraits very difficult, but the weight is significantly more manageable. Also, you get 100% coverage, the screen is brighter, and the built-in magnifier makes focusing easier.
I also added a left-handed soft shutter release built into the wooden handle, which makes a huge difference.
Nice! Great it is working for you and you able to make the most out of it. I didn’t have a wooden handle and it still didn’t help much 😅 For the same reason I wasn’t even considering Mamiya 67 (that is just huge). Waist level finder is a bit restricting for the portrait work unfortunately, and that is what I shoot 99% of the time. So I guess better stick to my 645 or Hasselblad.
I have a Pentax 67 with TTL prism and I repleced my battery after 7 years!
P.S.: I hate the square format. The “rectangle format” is my style. To each his (or her) own. Happy shooting! 6:20
I had mine for several years and rarely used it.I still have a 200mm lens and a 645 adaptor. The lenses work well on a Pentax 645.
After 8 years spent dreaming of this camera because... prices, I finally bought it in January. It's a 6x7MLU with metering prism with the 105 that's yellow thanks to the thorium they used back in the days. I don't have spacing issues, or at least nothing compared to what I got witj my Pentacon Six if I used Ilford style receiving spools - Fuji were the best to prevent that. I get your point and beside your take on the viewfinder, which isn't that dark and is mostly flawed by not being 100% coverage, but I can see how it can impair the fun you have with it and sometimes your results. For the weight I use the strap from peak design and I can carry the P67 for an afternoon without problem. I 90% shoot portraits, I even brought it to a concert, shooting vertical pictures at 1/30. They were underexposed but some of them turned stunning. As you say I don't think 6x7 film cameras are for everyone, even though some CZcamsrs made it seems that way. But for me, it's a better fit that all of the 6x6 cameras I got or tried in the past, including Hasselblads.
Thanks for your input, I completely agree with all of the above. While it’s absolutely possible to make gear work for your needs, sometimes one piece of equipment seems easier and more fun to work with when the other only makes things harder to achieve the desired results.
I have a question. I have the 105, 55 and 75 all SMC pentax. For some reason, with the 105 and the 75, when I stop down the aperture in manual mode, it also stops down the lens. So if my lens is at 22, I can't even see what I'm trying to get in focus because it's too dark. The only lens that doesn't stop down is the 55 - I can see a bright screen at all apertures. Do you know why this happens to the 105 and 75 but not the 55? i have to focus wide open and then fix my fstop its pretty annoying. Do you have this issue or is my copy defective? the viewfinder is only bright in all apertures if i ahve the lens in automatic mode once i switch to anything lower than f11 i basically cant see anything in the viewfinder its wayyy too dark.
Thirty years ago I tried a Pentax but went for a Mamiya RB67 with removable film backs, 1/400 flash sync speed, Big bright viewfinder. I still have it and use it regularly, Plenty of lenses and accessories on Ebay today. I think the Pentax is a beautiful camera but I think for me I made the right choice with the Mamiya RB67. I needed 6x7 so Hasselblad wasn't an option. The RB is heavy so I just work out a couple of times a week! :)
I owned and LOVED this camera (MLU)! Intuitive handling, stellar lenses and great image quality! Back then, I didn’t care how heavy a bit of kit was so long as it gave me what I wanted. Not sure how I’d feel today but given I’m toting a Nikon Z 9 and Z lenses, I suspect I still don’t really care so much about weight.
I love this camera and it's 105mm. I did take some amazing picture with BUT I sold it too... Too heavy, too unreliable, too... argh ! Now for my medium format work I stick with my 6x6 sturdy, reliable and not so ugly C330. Life feel so easy now 😀(ok... I do large format too now and life feel not easy at all sometimes)
Ahaha large format never makes life easy 😅
It all depends on your use case / requirements. It's a good idea to sort that part out before buying.
Thanks cap 😅
Honest review. There is so much hype surrounding this camera. I'm with you, I'm going to stick with my Hasselblad, and if I want to go bigger, I just grab my Fuji 6x9.
Since I never shoot flash, always continuous lighting, I switched from the 500cm with matte D screen to P67 (not 6x7) with standard prism (no light meter), because of the 105mm lens and because focussing is so much easier, both in terms of crispness and orientation. Yes, the P67 is slightly lighter (standard prism), but not by much. Never looked back.
I've used my P6x7 with a chimney magnifier for years and focusing was always easy with an f/2.5 lens, now it's even easier when I have an f/1.8 lens, I'm actually thinking of getting the standard prism back.
Always amazed by other people’s results with this camera. Too bad it didn’t work out for me personally.
I had a P67 for many years, but as my eyes got older I found it more and more difficult to focus properly. Some years back, I happened upon a good deal on a 67II which I still use to this day. Much brighter viewfinder for focusing and I love the built-in grip! I, also, have a 500C/M but it's funny that I find handholding the 67II easier vs the Hasselblad. I enjoy using both formats, though.
I have a 6x6 medium format camera as well as the Pentax 645 but I've always wanted to own a Pentax 6x7 or 67 - but actually watching your video was really helpful and has made me realise I'd prefer to borrow the camera and try it out first! Like you it's that lens - I'm blown away by photos I see with it...
The P6x7 is still my fav film camera ever. That said, I only use it for portraits in natural light, so flash sync is completely unimportant for me. I had 3 different bodies (P6x7, P6x7 MLU, P67) over the years and never had any issues with frames overlapping when making sure I always pull the film advance lever all the way (it's easy to stop pulling just a couple mm short).
People who praise the 105/2.4 and compare to other medium format systems are missing a huge point, that you can easily adapt many exotic/projection lenses to P6x7 and other cameras with a focal plane shutter. So comparing the P645/P6x7, Pentacon/Kiev60 or Mamiya 645 to a Mamiya RB/RZ67 or Hasselblad 500 is (in my use case) pointless, cause the cameras have completely different capabilities. Ones are amazing platforms for adapting strange lenses, the other ones are great platforms for flash photography and should be judged in separate groups.
The dim viewfinder and difficult focusing is a complex issue. The TTL finder is the darkest, the non-TTL finder is brighter, the collapsible chimney and the rigid magnifier chimney are much brighter and also magnify the image, but then you see things left-to-right so it can be a bit counterintuitive to focus. That said, there are second hand focusing screens available which are brighter and/or have a split prism which helps a lot. Some years ago I adapted the much brighter plastic focusing screen from the P67II to fit the P6x7 and that also helped a lot but requires some DIY tinkering.
There's plenty of my P6x7 photos on IG @knur.konesur.photo if you want to have a look :)
Hope you (unlike me) enjoy your journey with the Hasselblad :)
So great to hear you like the system and it works for your needs. With what you point out it does seem P67 system is much more complicated than Hasselblad, for example. This is definitely not the best option for someone who’s not an expert (like myself) in such things 😅
@@AnalogueDiariesI honestly think that with a better body and a waist-level finder, you would have a very different opinion of the camera. The first generation 6x7 is a problem child and that metered pentaprism is actively bad.
But, if you get the MLU body and a waist-level collapsible finder, you basically have a faster, but noisier and bulkier Hasselblad 500c. So, 🤷.
I honestly think the 105/2.4 is overrated. My favorite lens by far is the 150/2.8, which I think provides a more "medium format" look to portraits. Especially, full body portraits.
But, I'm not sure we can consider the ability to adapt weird projector lenses to be a strength of the system when that's not its intended purpose. I think that's just lucky happenstance for nerds.
Now, I am a nerd, and I have made alterations to my P67. But, I think that runs the risk of appreciating the tool over the art that you can make with that tool.
@@russellrichard5773 I am not opposed to try different versions of this camera/lenses. But definitely wouldn't invest in those 😅
I can honestly say that I have taken some of my best photographs with this camera. It hurts to hear you describe it as a piece of garbage. It is a camera from another time and as such compared with modern cameras it is difficult to use and lacks features. The lenses are fantastic with fabulous bokeh , you can get amazing photographs with the Pentax 67 but you will probably have to work a bit harder than if using a lot of other cameras.
Of course, I am all about enjoying the process and when the gear gets on the way and makes it into a struggle I start questioning whether results worth that struggle. In my case it’s not. I don’t like having too many cameras, so everything has to be versatile. P6x7 is not versatile camera for sure.
Yeah, I am with you on that one. I shied away from the Pentax due to its many documented issues. All of my medium format cameras are 100% mechanical, none of them even takes a battery.
I had the Pentax 6x7 MLU for a short time...i found the view finder quite dark and very difficult
to focus also the light meter prism was way off and the battery lasted for a very short time.
I got the RB67 instead still big and heavy but a nice clear view finder and no battery.
I’m truly fascinated by people who use RB or RZ 🙌🏻 I never even considered to own one because of the size. Bet they also heavier even than LF Graflex.
It's kind of surprising that there could be such a difference between pentax 645 and pentax 67. the last version of Pentax 645 has so many features justlike a dslr including autofocus. Have you ever considered trying pentax 645?
Original Pentax 645 was my first mf camera and I still have it. It is a very good piece of equipment
The P67ii added many features, and they manufactured it STARTING in 1999, so they are all relatively new. They are also all $3k... 😂
I think that autofocus on a 6x7 negative would just make the camera monstrous. When you're looking at this vs an RB67, more weight is not what you want.
I have settled on the Pentax 645n over all other medium format cameras. 16 exposures helps plus the lenses are good & they have shutters in some lenses but I don't need that.
645 is great! I still have the original one and it is still very decent camera.
My Pentax 67 is my go-to for most of my photography (largely car events, landscape and architecture... notable for all being ambient lighting!). I definitely wouldn't want to try shooting with flash with it... that really does sound like a nightmare! Can definitely get pretty heavy after a full day of walking around with it, but i always forget the pain when I see the results. It's a shame it didn't work out for you... hope the Hasselblad works out better!
Great to hear it works out for you 👏🏻
P67. GOAT
😁😁😁
Since you have committed to a Hasselblad, you will most likely be satisfied with it. It is a very well respected camera for many decades, as well as having fine lenses. So, what I would suggest to you would probably be too much strain on your shoulders and back. The most important thing is to find the camera is at one with you and not the experience of being frustrated with the proper operation of the camera or the weight. It is light enough to use not only in a studio setting, but also for shooting outside. Many women have no problem doing that. Have fun and success with your chosen camera.
Thanks! 🙏🏻 I do enjoy using Hasselblad and its reliability.
Try a Mamiya 6 or 7... Might suit better...if You require better flash sync speed and with 6 is 900 grams (no lens) 1,150 grams (with 75mm lens) much lighter...
The price on those is ridiculous. Thanks, but I’m good with Pentax 645 and Hassy 😂
The viewfinder problem can be fixed by getting a newer version
Yeah, I figured. And even considering that 1/30 shutter sync can be manageable when working with flash, yet I ended up with so many wasted exposures due to unreliable triggering 🤷🏼♀️ With Hasselblad my flash always works with every exposure I take.
i love this channel so much. your photography is amazing and you don't shill things like everyone else.
idk how everyone loves this camera, I tried to love it but kept falling into more and more problems with it. Battery dying, choosing when to fire.. getting repaired. I'll stick to my RB67!! great video as usual.
Honest review, thanks for the content, gained a sub.
oh also, Слава Україні
Thank you! Героям Слава 👊🏻
I hate the 6x6 format.
It’s not for everyone for sure 😄