I have GAS.

Not the unfortunate to be stuck in a lift with kind, this affliction is in the head.

Gear Acquisition Syndrome, and as I am let to believe, is quite a common curse for many with a passion for photography, and strikes those affected with an irresistible desire to procure as much camera equipment as is humanly possible.

Hopefully, it’s not so terrible a thing, as for me it stems from a desire for perfection rather than just gluttony - a quest to find the perfect tool to simplify my process.

When it comes to cameras, however, there are added complications, not least with them often being beautifully constructed machines of accuracy and precision designed with the purpose of capturing time for all eternity - they become somewhat covetable items, and unfortunately ownership of the most expensive or rare often comes with a sense of kudos and pride.

Photographically, I like to think I am a purist, ( see: luddite). I prefer to shoot film over digital, and in order to make the capture process as linear as possible, would absolutely love to be a one camera, one lens kind of person. However, over time working in the industry as an assistant and lighting director, I have been exposed to a wide range of influence from many whose work I greatly admire, and the advertiser’s notion that just having something different to that you already own will improve your work in some way, has unfortunately got to me. - I have obsessed over the quest for the perfect camera, and hope that someday, I will happen upon a unicorn with one wrapped around its collar.

When I started getting into photography in my teens, my first 'proper’ camera was a Nikon FM2 with a zoom lens I bought from a shady bloke in a pub for £50 and a double scotch. That camera was my baby, and I used it for everything. Portraits, landscapes, concerts, still life, street photography, and my first forays into fashion testing. Not once did I question the camera’s abilities or results, and I still rate some of the images taken with that camera as my favourites - although this is probably due to a combination of a youthful eye unbound from convention, arrogance and sentimentality.

I’m sure my problem with having multiple choices stems from A.D.D. The exposure to varied approaches and multiple techniques which I have witnessed means I end up preferring different cameras for different work - which is kind of fair enough when it comes to picking tools- but when you just want to head out for the day to take a walk, or add to a project you have in mind, having a few options of what to use clouds the thinking. Added to that, if you are working on a variety of ongoing projects, which I often am, switching between formats can mean inconsistency when it comes to grouping the finished works.

So - I decided to do this test, to hopefully finally figure out which camera system I could stick to. There already are loads of blogs online examining the optics and resolution and what not… but the simple fact is no one can really tell you what is best for you. Aesthetics of an image and the way a camera sits in your hand is not particularly mathematical, and is up to individual taste.

For example, I was saving up for a second lens for my everyday carry rangefinder. I had a 28mm 2.8 Zeiss, and wanted something faster, in 35mm, and to see if there was something with better image rendition. I did lots of research, looked at blogs, forums, and finally made a decision on getting the most recent, cleanest used ASPH summicron I could ‘afford’, as this was widely heralded as the ‘sharpest ever’ etc.

I love the lens, and indeed it is sharp and clean, contrasty and lovely. And also cost the same as a used Honda. Few weeks later I did a job with a guy I know who pulled out his Leica and put a 1950’s Elmar on it. The lens was battered, and had half the coating rubbed away from the front element, but the results were absolutely lovely. Buttery flare, whacked colours, vignetting, warmth, swirly bokeh… magic. It didn’t hurt having Keira Knightley in the shots either, but the point is clarity and sharpness is sometimes overrated…

So anyway, to the task in hand.

THE TEST

I got together a group of the usual suspects. Medium format cameras most commonly encountered on set, or are championed by many of the people I respect. Unfortunately I was limited as to how many varieties of camera I could get my hands on, and tried to keep it simple by using what are the ‘standard’ lenses for each system. Of course, I understand there are many variables to a test like this - some systems have multiple choices of lenses of similar focal length, and any test I do can only give the results of the particular example I have in my hand - but to that end, every camera I tested here appeared to be a shining example, and all the lenses were immaculate.

The test was shot in studio for consistency. Film was all the same batch, I opted for Kodak Portra 400, as that seems to be pretty much industry standard in my area of work. The film was rated, metered and exposed at box speed 400 ISO, was all processed at normal at the same time, and scans were at the same settings on a Noritsu.

The key light on the model was a daylight balanced Arri M40 HMI through a softbox with full diffusion, and behind camera was a northwest facing skylight adding ambient fill to the room. The ambient was mostly consistent, as it was a clear blue sky for the duration. I added a tungsten clip light towards the lens and left some elements in the background so the effects of fall off, depth of field (DOF), light halos and bokeh could be observed.

The plan was to repeat the same photograph with each camera as closely as possible.

Firstly I had the cameras mounted on a tripod locked at a medium distance from the subject for the primary shots, bracketing through the apertures from widest to mid range, one at minimum aperture - then I moved closer, taking handheld shots with the lenses at their respective minimum focusing distances and widest apertures, to demonstrate the fall off, bokeh, vignetting and the qualities of any aberrations.

THE CAMERAS

This is a test of industry standard ‘studio’ cameras, so I stuck to 120 format. Before you yell ‘what about the …xyz’ - This test was done for myself and paid for by myself, so I chose systems which I am personally interested in using, as well as which are popular choices for professionals. I skipped 645 systems - yes, I know the Contax 645 is an amazing camera, but they are wildly expensive, and 20 year old, battery heavy, highly electronic AF cameras with no spare parts or repair shops is not something I can do.

The 6x7’s - Mamiya RZ67 (110mm), Mamiya RB67 (90mm), Pentax 67 (90mm SMC v.3)

The 6x6’s - Hasselblad V (501 CM) (80mm, 50mm), Rolleiflex 2.8F Planar TLR (fixed 80mm)

The Rangefinders - Mamiya 7ii (90mm, 65mm), Fuji GW690 (90mm fixed), Fuji GSW 690 (65mm fixed), Plaubel Makina W67 (55mm fixed)

Control Camera - Canon 5D Mark 3 with 50mm 1.2L USM

NOTABLE OMISSIONS, PROBLEMS AND FUCK UPS

I would have love to have tested the Plaubel Makina with the 80mm lens, the Fuji GW 670, Fuji 667 (AKA Voightlander Bessa iii), and a Rollei 6008, but couldn’t get my hands on them.

I could only get a 110mm for the Mamiya RZ67, which although is considered ‘standard’ by many (including Mamiya), for me standard is the 90mm. The 110 has a 35mm equivalent of 53mm, the 90mm is a 44mm equivalent. I prefer the 90mm as have a bias for wider and feel it closer to my field of view.

The RB67 jammed up immediately, owing to a dodgy back I borrowed for the purposes of the test, having lost my own 120 mags for it years ago. So that was that. Sadly I had completely forgotten that I could have used the 90mm RB lens on the RZ, as the RZ has a feature enabling it to accept the older lenses.

Given the joys of hindsight, there are a few things I could have done differently for consistency - one thing for certain is I should have brought in an assistant on the test, as it got a bit more manic than I had expected. The test took much longer than I estimated, so probably should have blacked out the studio to guarantee there would be no variation in the ambient light. And In haste, I neglected to shoot the round of close ups on the ‘chair’ set with the Mamiya 7 ( so see ‘extra images’ section for the close ups on that system).

Once I had all the cameras in front of me, I then realised that things would not be as straight forward as I expected, as - duh - the different cameras have… DIFFERENCES!

I had figured if I set the light to a standard value, an exposure of 1/125 at f8, that would cover all the bases for me easily cycling through the different cameras aperture/speed combinations and still be able to handhold without causing motion blur. However, of course, the cameras are not all standardised - some of the cameras have intermediate apertures, and shutter speeds.

For instance, the RB 90mm has a maximum aperture of f3.8, and the next stop down is 5.6 - so is that a stop? Well maybe, I guess, but not on my meter… the RZ has a maximum shutter speed of 1/400 - most of the others have 1/500, and so on, so it meant I had to tweak the HMI’s output and meter constantly to meet the values - and then my meter doesn’t have every increment either, so some intuition was involved along the way. One of the joys of neg film though, is the latitude of it, so I wasn’t really that troubled by being over or under a little on the HMI/ Daylight mix, as long as the light on the model was constant.

What was most difficult was composition.

I started off with the subject centralised and focused on the eyes. As I switched between cameras, I had to pan the tripod up to get the focusing patches on the face, and then recompose for the shot - it was very difficult to resist the urge to recompose the shots as I classically would - to be aesthetically pleasing, so yes, there is some variation in the composition, but otherwise the tripod/ distance did remain at a fixed point.

The first image shown from each camera is the widest aperture, gradually closing down to show the depth of field increase, and with such you will notice the vignetting decrease.

The shots against the white walls are a little underexposed as it was toplit. My bad, was a bit slapdash with the readings as these were shot to finish the rolls. The negatives are actually fine as it is portra and has a wide latitude, and contrast could be dialled in for scans/ printing - but the scans were maintained a constant for the nature of the test.

So here goes, aside from being resized for the blog, all images are straight from the Noritsu scanner full frame including key lines, without exposure or colour tweaks, or retouching.

CONTROL SHOT

Canon EOS 5D Mark 3 with Canon 50mm 1.2L USM lens. 1/125 second f8. Shot RAW with auto white balance.

THE 6X7’s

Mamiya RZ67, 110mm lens, 1/400 sec f 2.8

Pentax 67, 90mm SMC lens, 1/500 sec f 2.8

Pentax 67, 90mm SMC lens, 1/125 sec f 5.6

Mamiya RZ67, 110mm lens, 1/125 sec, f 2.8 minimum focus, opened 1.5 stops on shutter for bellows extension.

Pentax 67, 90mm SMC lens, 1/500 sec f 2.8 minimum focus

THE RANGEFINDERS

Makina Plaubel W67 55mm lens 1/250 sec f 4.5

Makina Plaubel W67 55mm lens 1/60 sec f 8

Fuji GSW 690iii 65mm 1/250 sec f 5.6 minimum focus

Fuji GW 690ii 90mm 1/500 sec f 3.5 minimum focus

THE 6X6 SQUARE FORMATS

Hasselblad 501 CM 80mm CFE Planar 1/500 sec f 2.8

Hasselblad 501 CM 80mm CFE Planar 1/125 sec f 5.6

Hasselblad 501 CM 80mm CFE Planar 1/8 sec f 22

Hasselblad 501 CM 50mm Planar 1/250 sec f 4

Rolleiflex 2.8F Planar, 80mm, 1/500 f 2.8

Rolleiflex 2.8F Planar, 80mm, 1/125 f 5.6

Hasselblad 501 CM 80mm CFE Planar 1/500 sec f 2.8 minimum focus

Hasselblad 501 CM 50mm Planar 1/250 sec f 4 minimum focus

Rolleiflex 2.8F Planar, 80mm, 1/500 f 2.8, minimum focus.

EXTRA IMAGES

Mamiya 7ii, 80mm lens, 1/500 sec f 4, minimum focus.

Rolleiflex 2.8F Planar, 80mm, minimum focus.

Pentax 67, 90mm SMC, 1/30 sec f 11 handheld using mirror lock up

IN USE

Here is a brief rundown of the cameras from MY point of view - please do more research for full specs on the systems you are interested in!

Mamiya RZ67ii

Just before digital cameras took over, the RZ was the industry standard for the majority of fashion, portrait and commercial photographers for good reason. It is probably the most versatile modular system out there, with a vast array of excellent lenses and adapters, many inbuilt functions, reliable, relatively fast to use with experience, and the 6x7 aspect ratio is magazine friendly without much cropping. The Toyota of camera systems - RZ has a bright viewfinder with a variety of focusing screens, waist level and prism finders are available, it can accept polaroid, and even digital backs ( the pro ii D version, requiring additional specific accessory plate, annoying attachments and some patience), has interchangeable film magazines which rotate for landscape/ portrait format, which can be changed mid roll, and the leaf shutters mean flash will sync at all shutter speeds up to 1/400 second. The RZ can focus very close even without the extension tubes (requires exposure compensation as the bellows rack out), and has a multiple exposure setting and mirror lock up for slow exposures. Focus is made with wheels on either side of the body, which can be locked to prevent accidental shift for static work. It also sports a hotshoe, and a setting so it can shoot manually even if the battery fails (1/400 second only).

The cons are, it is big and heavy. Add a motor wind, prism finder, a few lenses and a couple of film magazines to your outfit and before you know it you will need to lug about a seriously ample bag or case, so you might need an assistant to help, (and the number of a decent osteopath). Many work on tripods when using the system. For handheld work I like adding a Mamiya speed grip which is a side mounted handle that screws to the tripod plate, this attachment can restrict access to the hotshoe if using some wireless triggers or on camera flash, but it has a coldshoe on top of the grip so you can still attach and connect a flashgun or trigger to the pc socket via a cable.

Note - the wide shape of Profoto’s air remote comes into restrictive contact with the focus wheel if using in the hotshoe on the side of the camera.

If the camera does jam or lock up along the way, as can sometimes happen when quickly changing lenses etc, there is usually some motions you can go through to reset it and get it working again before panic sets in. The body battery last for ages, but when they go, you are done other than shooting at 1/400 sec so pack a spare. Threaded cable release is in the shutter button.

Battery is 4LR44 6V or 1.5volt.

Pentax 67

A lot of fashion and portrait photographers love these cameras, as the lenses have a great quality for skin, and lovely rendering to them. The 105 Takaumar lens is a thing of legend for its pin sharpness and swirly bokeh at wide apertures. The cameras are immediately intuitive to those familiar with 35mm slr, as it is basically an slr on steroids. This means it is a joy to shoot, as you’re seeing what you get, and camera movement is instinctive as it is up to your eye and not reversed.

Many pro P67 shooters I have worked with would rotate through multiple bodies on a shoot, for a few reasons. Speed - The cameras are a bit fiddly to load, so even if you are well practiced at loading, on a busy shoot you can rattle off the format’s 10 frames to a roll in less than the time it takes to load one.

Variety - Once the body is loaded, it’s loaded, so in order to shoot different film stock on the same shot, you need multiple bodies.

Security - because the cameras were originally relatively cheap, build quality meant even though they are strong, the innards are not massively reliable, so they can develop issues you won’t know about until the film comes back. I guess this is a Ferrari - looks great, but spends a lot of time in the garage.

You can find examples out there with a dedicated polaroid body - assuming you still have polaroid to shoot, the downside to this is although you can use polaroid to check the lenses are working, you won’t know if there is a problem with a body, so if the nature of your work is shooting people quickly, better to watch your back by covering a shot on 2 or more bodies. No one ever said film photography was cheap…

Functions on the P67 are pretty simple - shutter speeds on top, apertures and focus on the lens, a battery test lamp and button, pc socket. Some versions have a mirror lock up function which is helpful as the mighty reflex mirror causes camera shake once you come below 1/125 second!

Unlike most 35mm slr cameras however, the P67 has an interchangeable viewfinder of which there are a few kinds available, chimney, waist level, metered and unmetered prism. The viewfinder crops slightly so apparently you only view around 90% of what you actually get. There are strap lugs on both sides, as well as a third one on the left hand side so you can carry the camera lengthways with a strap, and you can also add a speed grip which serves best as a carrying handle - this has a coldshoe on to for adding a flash trigger which you would then connect to the body with a pc synch cable. The speedgrip also has further strap lugs. Cable release is threaded and in the shutter button.

The cons - again, it is big and weighty, and could be cumbersome if you have Donald Trump hands. The mirror in the body is a whopper, and when it flips up to make an exposure the camera shake is like recoil - so shooting below 1/125 without a tripod or monopod can lead to motion blur. If you have a ‘MLU’ version, you can use the the mirror lock up function to avoid camera shake - which means you have to shoot blind for that fraction of time it takes to flip up the mirror and press the shutter - I have done a frame handheld at 1/30th using this method in this test as it had the function.

The standard prism viewfinder is not especially bright, and if you use old or long lenses in low light focus can get pretty tricky. There are brighter ground glass screens available. And as I mentioned, although these cameras are solid lumps of metal that can take a beating, they are prone to breaking - some versions have plastic gears in the advance mechanism which goes brittle over the years can break if you hammer it (so go smooth and steady on the advance), and the camera can misbehave in extreme temperatures. WARNING - when changing lenses with the prism off, you need to follow a set procedure for re-attaching lenses as the aperture linkage chain is delicate and can break if mashed. The camera also needs a battery to run the shutter, so no battery - no camera. The film advance is one stroke, but that stroke needs to be steady and positive, slippage can happen if you are flippant, resulting in the occasional overlapping of exposures on the film.

Flash sync is a frustrating 1/30th second, limiting what you can do with flash in strong daylight situations, however there are a few lenses available that have leaf shutters - so they can sync at speeds up to 1/500 to get around this. If you get a metered prism, it is rudimentary and centre weighted.

Takes a 6V PX28/4LR44 battery, without which the camera is inoperative.

Mamiya 7ii

The Lexus of medium format rangefinders, the Mamiya 7 has a sibling in the Mamiya 6, which shoots a 6x6 format and has retractable lens mount, making for a slightly more compact camera. the 7 and 7ii have interchangeable lenses, and are electronic cameras. The internal metering is remarkably accurate, and the 7ii has an AE setting which makes shooting a breeze - too easy in fact - the camera is such a joy to shoot you can burn through a roll pretty quickly. The shutter is very quiet indeed and has a hair trigger, so be careful to avoid accidental release. The shutter has a lock switch, which also is off/on for the power.

The 7 has a hotshoe which can accept many brands of flashgun, and the flash syncs at all speeds.

Simple settings, shutter speed on top via a large knurled wheel which has a stopper lock, apertures are on the lens. The internal meter indicators in the viewfinder and are illuminated > and < arrows, shutter speed is also indicated. The meter is a spot meter, and weighted to the rangefinder patch - do a test by looking at a bare bulb in a darkened room to find exactly where the spot is, as it is narrow. Some familiarity with the zone system is advantageous for spot metering. There is an AE lock button on the back for shooting in aperture priority mode. +/- EV can be dialled in. on the thumb wheel. Cable release is threaded and on the front left of the body.

The camera has a built in mechanism for closing the shutter curtain when removing lenses so as not to expose the film. This action is done with a twisting catch on the baseplate, and there is a release switch for once a lens is reattached. The camera will not fire if you forget to reopen the curtain (which happens a lot to me in a hurry). The mark one version had a simple ridged dial to close the gate, the mark ii has a flap which folds out to twist - unfortunately the plastic flap is fragile and they often split, I found a seller on ebay who makes an excellent replacement in painted brass for around $40 and it took minutes to replace.

The camera has a lovely ergonomic grip so is great in the hand, and a large, bright viewfinder. The focus patch is not bad, can get a bit lost shooting into backlight.

The lenses are incredibly sharp from corner to corner and exposures come out immaculate and true. If anything, they are almost too true, by which I mean they are such an accurate rendition, the lenses do not add any ‘character’, which I personally find desirable.

The only real gripe I can find with these excellent cameras is the shape - the lenses protrude quite a bit and makes it difficult to carry under arm, and awkward to fit into a small bag without detaching the lens - but the cameras are light for everyday carry, and make for a fantastic travel camera. It has a third strap lug bottom left so can be carried on its side as well as horizontally. Fore some, the maximum aperture of f4 might be an issue, but the ergonomics and not having a mirror make shooting handheld at slow shutters easier. Prices for these systems at the moment is insane.

Being a rangefinder, minimum focus is not great at around a metre, and there will be some parallax error close up, so it is perhaps not ideal if your main stay is tight portraits on a wider lens.

Battery is one 4SR44 cell and the camera will not shoot without one.

Makina Plaubel W67

A surprising amount of people have not heard of this camera. They are a bit rare, and as such go for silly prices. They are fantastic though.

A visually simple rangefinder with chunky large features it kind of resembles a child’s toy in the best way. Basic functions -shutter, aperture, and internal meter which is initiated with a button press. The major joy of this camera, (aside from the beautiful rendering of the lens) is that the lens retracts and it folds flat against the body, so it is a fantastic everyday carry camera - if you don’t mind walking around with a few grands worth on you.

Quirks are that the aperture ring, which has a smooth operation (so no positive clicks for stops) and the shutter speeds are on the lens, where the iso setting can also be found. The focus, which is on a chunky dial on top, surrounding the large shutter release button.

I love the design of these cameras, they are super simple and a chonk. The viewfinder is large (everything is large) and the focus, shutter release, meter activation and advance can all be done with the same hand, but you do have to look at what you are doing to change aperture. One thing to bear in mind is that despite the ergonomic, solid construction, once the lens is extended you need to be quite careful with them. The lens and bellows is on a scissor mechanism, which could easily get hurt if knocked, and the bellows themselves can develop leaks if they get caught in the folding scissor mechanism, as can the shutter and meter cable - to which end it is recommended the camera must always be focused to infinity before closing the bellows, or you could be looking at an expensive repair.

No interchangeable lenses, there is a standard version, and a wide version, both lenses are made by Nikkor, 80mm and 55mm respectively. They have a definite personality to themselves which I think renders warm and contrasty with a lovely bokeh.

If you look carefully at the full frame scans, you will see the gate has rounded corners, and on the version I used here there is a faint line just on the edges of the frame. I haven’t measured to see if the negative is actually larger than 6x7, but images might need the edges cropped slightly. (*according to Lightroom, the images are larger than 6x7 and allow cropping.)

The meter is a spot meter and indicated with illuminated ‘+ O -’ indicators in the viewfinder - it is triggered by pressing a button on the back of the camera. in the version I had it was accurate when working, but a little temperamental, so I used a hand held meter when using the camera. For me, I find the wide version a little too distorted for close portraits, so I would probably just have this as a street or landscape camera. I’m not sure I would be comfortable pounding one on a commercial shoot, but that is probably a mental thing with me having too much reverence for the camera, rather than a reliability issue.

The shutter release is a big button on top, which is guarded from accidental release by the focus wheel surrounding it. As a rangefinder, there is no mirror so it is easy to make handheld exposures at slower shutter speeds. The rangefinder focus patch is a bit vague around the edges, and can be faint when backlit. However as this is a 28mm lens equivalent, the depth of field is decent anyway.

Downsides would be the price, fixed lens, and the delicate aperture/shutter linkage means you have to be a bit slower and considerate. You also have to look at what you are doing to change settings. I have been warned you should expect to have this camera in for repairs at some point. A friend in the know told me Mr. Parr has multiple Plaubels, and at least a couple are usually out being serviced.

The camera has a coldshoe, and a pc port on the lens, and strap lugs on either side. The meter requires a battery but will shoot without one.

Fuji GW 690 & GSW 690

i’m going to do these together as much of the same applies.

Known as ‘The Texas Leica’ because it looks like a scaled up version of the classic rangefinder, it shares another similarity to the 35mm camera - the aspect ratio - these fuji’s being 3:4 as opposed to the 4:5 ratio of the 6x7 cameras. So given the film format, you end up with mahoosive negatives for amazing detail.

These cameras are great. Super simple, relatively affordable, and tough as old boots. Totally manual, no batteries needed but no meter either. Functions are the basics - shutter, aperture, release and a pc sync. Shutter and aperture controls are on the lens which can slow things down a bit as they are close together and you tend to need to watch what you are doing. One thing I love about this system is they have 2 shutter releases - one on the top as per normal, and one on the front of the camera - which I end up using most of the time as it just makes sense given the way I hold it, especially if vertical. Cable release is threaded, and in the top shutter button.

The shutter has a lock to prevent accidental release in transit, which considering you only get 8 frames to a roll (on the 6x9 version) is a wincingly expensive mishap. Film advance is a two stroke, and again it needs to be done smooth and positively to avoid slippage and overlapping frames - also when loading, be sure to keep the roll taut as you wind it on, as when I was new to the camera I let it bag a little in the loading and experienced light leaks as the takeup was loose..

I prefer the ergonomics with the grippy surface of the Mark 2 versions over the 3, the 3 is just as rugged, but looks a little plasticky and toy like in not a good way. The Mark 3 however does come with a built in spirit level, which actually comes in very handy, as for some reason - possibly the size of the camera or the size of the negative, I find it is easy to skew the horizon when handheld. I actually resorted to buying a little bubble level that fits into the hotshoe for doing tripod work.

The cameras are surprisingly light for the size, especially compared to the Pentax, however they are not subtle. The ‘poing!’ sound upon shutter release is ridiculous, although apparently the noise of this comes from linkage to a counter in the baseplate, which records how many rolls have been through the camera, as it is recommended to have a service after 8,000 rolls. Handy indicator to inquire about when buying a used one online.

The lenses are very sharp for the price, but compared to the likes of hasselblad, the ones I tested have a kind of gentle softness which might not be for everyone - but does add a lovely something to landscapes (see ‘The Mourning Fog’ on my website). The viewfinder on the wide version is quite distorted to look through, but that is not reflected so much in the results. I know a portrait photographer who loves the wide!

They have a hotshoe, flash sync at all speeds, and there are strap lugs on both sides, with a third on the base for side carry. Volvo.

Hasselblad 500

Ah. The Bentley of medium formats. Bloody expensive, but luxury. The cameras that went to the moon, survived the swinging 60’s and remained pretty much unchanged until phased out for the dreadful H system monstrosities made in conjunction with Fuji.

Modular system, the body is a beautifully made metal and leatherette box with a winder, mirror and shutter release system. The shutter, apertures and focus rings are on the lenses mostly made by Zeiss, and it has interchangeable film backs - including polaroid and some special purpose variants, as the cameras were founded in military and aviation use. Film backs can be changed mid roll with the insertion of metal darkslides, which need to be removed to continue operation. There are pins on either side of the body to attach bespoke strap lugs. The hassy strap has a nice touch of holding the strap close to the body and it hangs lens down when idle so can be tucked under an arm.

Very simple, the standard functions are basic. No meter, unless you get a metered prism. Flash sync is pc socket, on the lenses with the exposure controls. Old lenses work on newer bodies, and there are a myriad of lenses available. Flash sync at all shutter speeds to my knowledge.

The camera is a square format, giving a 6x6 negative, so for standard editorial and full bleed printing purposes images need to be cropped - so you may wish to drop a 645 mask into the viewfinder, or shoot a bit wider - but the razor sharp negatives will easily allow for cropping in. Again, there are a variety of finders and prisms available, the camera as standard has a collapsible waist level finder, with a flip up magnifying glass for fine focus. Finders are easily switchable, as is the ground glass focus screen which you can switch out in favour of another kind (split screen, grid, etc).

No battery, 12 frames to a roll and the images speak for themselves - sharp as can be. The shutter sound is not quiet, but is so reassuringly satisfying you just don’t care. There is a winder knob on the right you twist to advance, it also has a fold out crank handle for faster advance. The CW version has a removable winder handle, so you can throw on a battery powered motor wind which also has an infra red wireless release unit. Cable release is threaded, housed in the shutter button. There is no lock on the release, but the camera will not fire if the darkslide is still in the back.

The system is quite compact in its basest form - i.e. a body, back and lens with wlf, and can be carried via a strap to swing down by your side, or out front. It will also fit into a small carry bag so it could work as an every day carry, but it is solid metal so a bit weighty. The whole system exudes precision, can be a little fiddly film loading under pressure as things have to be lined up just so - but they are ruggedly built.

Downsides for some might be the square format, and if using a waist level finder the image is reversed in the finder which takes a little getting used to. You can get a 645 back if you like.

The glass though…

Rolleiflex TLR

Lastly, the oldest of the bunch.

As most of you will know, these cameras are iconic for good reason. The one I have is from the 1970’s, and has not needed a serviced since I got it some 15 years ago. The design of these cameras is so good, it has barely changed since the 1930’s, which also means things were built to last and these have been a common camera for press and portrait photographers alike. The one I have is a rare edition which was had a glass film plate for extra sharpness (since removed) designed for aerial photography.

The rollei is a 6x6 TLR box camera, the precise viewing and focus is done through a lens that sits just above the taking lens. Aperture and shutter adjustments are via dials at the sides of the lens, focus knob is on the left of the body which in my version also holds a needle lightmeter, which is still accurate, although only gives a wide reaching incident or reflective reading. Film advance is via a fold away lever on the right, and the shutter release is as the base. The shutter release has a lock to prevent accidental release, and the shutter sound is a barely audible ‘snik’ which makes good for unobtrusive use. Cable release is within the shutter switch, and there is a flash sync socket on the lens with a ‘bulb’ setting for long exposure. There are essentially 2 variants, a 2.8 and a 3.5 aperture, with various lens manufacurers. They are 80mm as standard and can take hoods, close up rings and filters. Getting a lens shade is recommended as the glass is quite exposed to the elements and your fingers. A wide angle version is out there, the stuff of dreams for me - rare as hens teeth and eye wateringly expensive.

A built in waist level finder as standard, it also has the ability to switch to a ‘battle’ viewfinder, so you can hold it up to eye level and look straight through two rudimentary apertures in the front and back of the viewfinder chimney, while half the mirror can still be seen to aid focus through the glass. An optional prism finder is also available but adds a load of weight to the camera and looks like something from off a U- Boat.

One of the most portable of all the systems here, easily hangs by your side, can fit into a big pocket or pack and is great for street photography as people are either not threatened, fail to notice or are intrigued by something so old fashioned. The almost silent shutter is helpful in being inconspicuous, and the big viewfinder can come in handy for shooting from the hip.

One downside to the camera is that you need to be mindful of the parallax error, owing to the viewing lens being above the taking lens is you can inadvertently cut the top off a subject especially in close crops, or you could find a finger or other obstructions you missed on the film. Being picky because I have to - that the glass, in my 50 year old version at least, isn’t very contrasty when shooting colour film, but this might be because I often forget to attach the lens shade and the coating is rubbing off.

Conclusions.

Balls.

After all this, I really don’t know if I have immediately made any decisions for myself. All of the systems have their own merits and foibles, and to be fair, these cameras are all in this mix because they are the creme de la creme of the film systems out there, and there isn’t that much in it when comparing the results.

What was great about doing this test was the actual shooting of the different cameras in quick succession. Some were just so pleasurable and instinctive to work with.

The RZ - is a total workhorse that gives great results and can adapt to any job, but its a bit of a lump if you like to bounce around and move swiftly. Great for studio or somewhere you can work from a pelicase or table and you like lots of lenses.

The Pentax 67 is very instinctive as its like a 35mm. Looking through the lens you see what you get, and that often looks great. Reliability of a single body and the shutter vibration is a worry though, but probably my choice for location and fashion/ portraits with continuous light and spare bodies to work with. Lenses can be picked up affordably. Again, it is quite large and weighty for carrying all day on foot.

Mamiya 7 is lovely to shoot, clean and lightweight even if the end results are a bit clinical. This would be my choice for an everyday travel camera for environment and landscape. It’s insanely expensive though.

Plaubel 67’s are fab and fun and have a beautiful result, potentially fragile if you have to be careful backpacking - a great everyday carry if you can decide on a focal length.

Fuji 690’s are relatively cheap to buy, a joy to shoot, and you could happily throw them in a bag or glovebox without worry - except at 8 frames to a roll the format is quite indulgent. I love them for landscapes. I would like to try a 67 version and see how it goes for portraits. Prices are climbing on these rapidly.

Hasselblad 500 - I had forgotten how gorgeous these are to use. So reliable, and compact enough to sling under arm. The shutter is so sexy to a geek like me I was grinning at using it. If I could shoot square all the time, this could be the one.

The Rollei will always be my ‘New York’ camera. It’s great for the city, compact and can take a knock in your bag. I still keep coming back to this camera after all these years. You can pick one up for a fair price and it will last.

Thanks…

To the lads at GAS production hire for the studio, camera hire and equipment https://gasph.com/

To my patient model Ellie, for her time and attention span,

All of ‘you know who you are’ for lending your lovely cameras,

And to Cos and the gang at Labyrinth, for the processing and scans… https://www.fourcornersfilm.co.uk/labyrinth-photographic

I hope this was of interest to you, and if I helped you make a decision to stick with film and keep it alive!