My medium format camera is dead. Long live the new one.

[jmowreader]

During the last part of June, I went on my Annual Huge Photo Expedition. This time I did San Francisco with my Mamiya RB67.

Sadly for me, when I was putting a new roll of film in it on Saturday, one of the legs on my tripod (not my Tiltall, a smaller 'pod I bought because the plan was to shoot on Alcatraz where the Mother of All Tripods cannot go) collapsed and the camera went straight down a set of concrete steps.

It lasted the rest of Saturday and most of Sunday before the light baffle stopped rising when the shutter button is pressed. (Fortunately for me, it completely quit working with only two frames left on the day.)

Bad news: the body is completely fucked and the mounting clip for the CdS metering prism won't hold the prism to the body.

Good news: except for the mounting clip (which can be replaced) the prism is in fine shape. The three lenses I have are all fine, as are two of the three magazines. The third magazine needs a cleaning, but it can be returned to full operating condition.

Best news: I was able to find a Pentax 645n and 55-110mm lens for a good price, and bought that. I'll be selling all the RB gear to KEH next week. I'm looking forward to the matrix meter it has (sorry purists, I freakin' LOVE matrix metering and the only medium format camera I've found that has it is a Pentax), lighter weight and 30 extra pictures per five-roll box of film.

[CincyDem]

1. Love me my RB67.

That’s a painful story. I always mourn moving one step closer to extinction. My backup is a SQ-A but I’m really partial to the 6x7 format.

Good luck moving the accessories.

[jmowreader]

2. Most of the "accessories" are not compatible between the two systems

One argument against Pentax is they don't use film magazines. There's a little insert with no dark slide, so you can't change film mid-roll. I thought about that, then realized: the only 120 film I ever shoot is Fujichrome Provia 100F. (Given that, when Kodak Alaris comes out with the 120 Ektachrome I will definitely buy some, and if I like it I'll move to it.) Since I'm never going to want to change emulsions mid roll, not being able to do it isn't a huge penalty.

[Major Nikon]

3. Bronica cameras are cheap

That’s what I have. No matrix metering, but you do get magazines. I really like the 6x6 format. Not as many shots per roll, but no need to ever turn the camera.

[jmowreader]

4. If I was going to go Bronica...

I would have gone with the ETRS (6x4.5). The tradeoff with 6x6 is that when you print rectangular photos, you're going to crop the frame down to 6x4.5 anyway. I'd rather turn the camera when I shoot verticals and get a third more frames per roll.