by johanniels.com
Cameras that take 120 and 220 size film are considered Medium Format cameras. I’ve owned and shot a few and they are presented and discussed here.
This image I shot during our 2021 holidays in France. I took a Pentax 6×7 with the terrific 105mm 2.4 Takumar lens with me and a pocketfull of 220 films. This Brutalist water tower from the central France countryside fits into a little series of brutalist structures. I have been working on this little series for more than a decade.
Continue reading “A Brutalist water tower in France”
I decided to show my little collection of large format lenses. And I smuggled a few 6×7 cm lenses in too. About half of these lenses are barrel lenses, meaning they have no shutter. But, you can shoot them pretty easily if you’re shooting black and white film. I plan on making a video showing how to shoot them that way, it’s really simple and much fun too!
Continue reading “Expanding the herd”
Pentax 67 was one of the most popular camera systems in the classic medium format. The cameras, lenses and accessories of the series have been on the market since 1969. The focal lengths of the lenses with the additional names Super Takumar and SMC (Super Multi Coating) Takumar range from 35mm to 1000mm. This page contains a full list of all lenses made for the system.
Continue reading “Pentax 6×7 and 67 and 67ii lenses, full list”
Medium Format is the bee’s knees for film shooters. It’s where you can shoot film and rival the image quality from digital files, while retaining the signature lower contrast film look. And did you know that 6×7 is the designated press and artist’s format! This article extensively discusses your 6×7 options!
At the end of the Second World War, the cover of an American comic depicted a female Army photographer named Linda Lens hitting a German soldier knock out with a Kodak Medalist on a strap.
Impressive for sure but to make a real impression (on a soldier’s helmet or elsewhere), I’d advise the Mamiya RB67.
The Beautyflex 2.8 was the only TLR (twin Lens Reflex) camera ever to compete with the high-end Rolleiflex models of the 1950s and 1960s, the only non-Rolleiflex ever built that had a 2.8 lens. The Cantor lens on the Beautyflex 2.8 resembles the image quality of the Xenotar lenses on the Rolleiflex 2.8C.
This is a rarely seen camera. I was lucky to purchase it online a while ago and was totally amazed when I finally found one in good working condition after looking for it for over a year.
The leather parts are of brown cowhide with a crocodile-like pattern. The back has chromium-plated edges that give the camera a sophisticated elegance. The logo on the front of the camera corresponds exactly to the one that adorned the Rolleiflex cameras of the thirties. The well-proven carrying strap eyelets of the earlier models have also been taken over.
Continue reading “The modern Rolleiflex FX, FW and FT cameras”
