shootinglulu Posted March 8, 2012 Share #1 Posted March 8, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I keep meaning to make the jump into film but my negative thoughts, excuse the pun, have been stopping me and I need a little help. I am looking for a medium format camera, Rolleiflex TLR I think, and would like to buy one from a dealer who I could trust to sell me a nice one in very good order, rather than buy from Ebay Also please can anyone recommend an analogue workshop for a novice like me, to learn about my camera and go through shooting, developing and digital scanning and printing?..I'm in the UK. Thankyou:) Lucy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted March 8, 2012 Posted March 8, 2012 Hi shootinglulu, Take a look here Where to buy and workshop advice please.. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
earleygallery Posted March 8, 2012 Share #2 Posted March 8, 2012 Also consider a Rolleicord, a little more basic but also more reliable than the 'flex. The Yashica TLR's were also well considered in their day. Many of the Leica dealers recommended on this forum sell other brands s/h and would be a good starting point. As for workshops, IMHO just apply what you already know, buy a manual for your particular camera, see how you go. B&W processing is simple, if you can make a cup of coffee, you don't need a workshop for that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted March 8, 2012 Share #3 Posted March 8, 2012 The advice James has given is very good about the camera's. A Yashicamat is a pretty good camera with a good lens and an ideal entry into the MF field. Some people can get on with the reversed view in the viewfinder, and some can't, so I would recommend spending less. Fundamentally you wouldn't see any vast difference in image quality between a Yashica, a Rolleicord and a Rolleiflex anyway. There are a couple of new MF scanners on the market, the Reflecta is out, the Plustek coming soon, but for scanning MF negs an Epson V700 is very good. For your film and chemicals you could try Silverprint Silverprint - Home - News - Photographic Materials and more - or Morco Professional Photographic Products until you are familiar with what you want and can shop around. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
earleygallery Posted March 8, 2012 Share #4 Posted March 8, 2012 Just to add, if you wanted to consider other less expensive options, a Bronica SQ is a great camera system (or the ETRS 645 format). I do like the relative simplicity of a TLR though, they make excellent street photography tools too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted March 8, 2012 Author Share #5 Posted March 8, 2012 James and Steve thanks very much for your advice and links, I've a lot to learn and it's useful to follow pointers. I will have to handle some cameras I reckon. The Rolleiflex may be tricky to view with but the main use will be street portrature rather than candid shots. I was just looking at a Mamiya 7 which looks nice to handle but it may be easier to approach people with the quirkier looking film camera to make street portraits. I'm in London next week and will visit some camera shops to handle some different systems. Thankyou. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
antistatic Posted March 8, 2012 Share #6 Posted March 8, 2012 I find the TLR is great for engaging people for portraiture. It is a very non-threatening camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith (M) Posted March 9, 2012 Share #7 Posted March 9, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) In a fit of film-mania last year I bought a Rolleicord Vb (1963 or '64) from Theo de Wit (Collect Camera NL). His offerings are pricey but of a very high standard. As you are going to London, Aperture would be a good place to visit, judging by their adverts they generally have a choice of 6x6 cameras. Otherwise I would recommend at look at what Peter Loy has to offer. I bought my M4 plus other items from him and found him to be excellent to deal with. Getting used to using something like the Rolleicord takes a little bit of practice but the big, bright screen and grid-lines helps to ensure accurate framing. Weight was one of my main concerns when deciding which TLR to buy, so that ruled out the Mamiya C330 etc. The Rolleicord is lighter than the Rolleiflex (and I have heard comments about being more reliable) but is slightly slower/clumsier in use as it does not have the 'Flex's lever wind/shutter cocker and the 'Cord's shutter release is awkwardly positioned. However for street use I have not found these to be a problem - practice makes perfect and all that! In essence, the 'Cord is a lightweight (ish), beautifully built TLR with an excellent lens (Xenar f3.5). Oh, and have you discovered the TLR section on the Rangefinder forum? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted March 9, 2012 Author Share #8 Posted March 9, 2012 Thanks a lot keith for your suggestions and links. I'll look for Peter Loy I hadn't heard of him..The Rolleicord looks fine, the differences in models I will appreciate by handling,..No I hadn't looked at the RF TLR forum which I really where I should have gone rather than to the Leica forum. Many thanks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpattison Posted March 9, 2012 Share #9 Posted March 9, 2012 Hi, Don't forget this thread.. http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/film-forum/202506-leica-users-also-using-rollei.html And visit Robert White, in Poole.... he sometimes has MF second hand. Specialist Camera and Photographic Suppliers | Robert White Photographic Ltd John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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