Three 6 X 6-Shooters

I want to share some recent pictures I have taken with my 6 x 6 medium format film cameras. I have a Yashica Mat 124G (1974-75 timeframe), a Rolleiflex 2.8D (1956) and a Rolleicord Vb (1966). I’ve owned the Yashica Mat 124G the longest, but it is the most recently manufactured of the three cameras. I found the Rolleicord Vb on the www.photrio.com website – great for analog photography fans searching for film gear. The Rolleicord is my most recent addition and probably in the best condition of the three. Each camera has specific strengths that make it a great choice for someone who wants to shoot medium format film. All three are built very well and all produce exceptional images – read on and see for yourself..

Rolleiflex 2.8D Examples

I’m not going to debate which Rolleiflex model and / or lens is the best that money can buy. Makes no difference to me since I have only one. And, I’m pretty happy with it. The Zeiss Planar 2.8 is a gem.

Here are pictures I shot recently – in the last few weeks – with the Rolleiflex.

Rolleicord Examples

The Rolleicord is often described as the consumer version (non-professional) camera in the Rollei family. I like it because it is lighter than the Rolleiflex camera, making it a lot easier to carry all day. Here is my camera and some recent examples:

You can’t see the lens – what makes it different that the Rolleiflex is that it features a 75mm 3.5 lens vs. the 80mm 2.8 in the Rolleiflex. Here are some example pictures from the Rolleicord.

Yashica Mat 124G Examples

Here is a picture of the camera – really in great condition for being over 50 years old.

What Else

I have one other medium format film camera and that is the Fujifilm GSW690 III. It is a beast, both size and capability-wise compared to the Rollei and Yashica models. The camera is commonly referred to as the “Texas Leica.” The Fuji is a large camera using rangefinder focusing, The negative from the Fuji measures 6 x 9 centimeters. When scanned at 3200 it produces a whopping 125 MB image. I will go into more detail and show some pictures from the Fuji GSW690 in a future posting.

It’s getting a little more difficult to find high quality medium format cameras. But if you start looking at KEH and MPB you will often find what you are looking for. You can still find medium format (120) black and white and color film online and at your local camera stores. The same can be said for finding labs that develop and print 120 film.