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My choices: Hasselblad, Rollei, Mamiya 7, in that order. In my newbe years as photographer I worked with a Mamiya Press and loved it, and a Yashicamat too, but have no direct comparison because it happens more than 30 years ago.
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Many thanks to all contributors in this thread.
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FWIW, I went with a Bronica SQ - it was the only system that offered....
Long exposures w/o battery drain. (Lightning!)
Mirror lock up.
Decent construction quality. (The bodies do seem a little more frail than I'd like. Lenses seem bombproof.)
Reasonable cost.
Modern, multi-coated lenses. (Again, for the Lightning photography. Older glass can flare badly under this high contrast condition.)
The GS-1 was my second choice, and preferred format, but lens availability and cost was not as favorable.
-Greg
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Regarding the 65mm lens for the Mamiya TLR... It is not too much wider than the 80mm lens, but sometimes, and often for the way I use the machine, it is just enough to get a group of 3 or 4 people in the frame without needing to back up too much. That may sound trivial, but think about it for a moment. When photographing groups of people it is often useful to use a bit of low power fill flash. Flash power drops off considerably with distance, and at low power settings you quickly run out of light before you back up enough with a longer lens. With a shorter lens, you wind up getting too close and with that comes the usual exaggerated noses, etc. So don't discount that focal length too quickly.
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I started 30 years ago with a Mamiya 645.
Then worked at a studio with the Mamiya RB67.
Then switched to the first Pentax 645.
Then worked for a studio that used the Pentax 67.
Then switched to the Rollei 6006.
Then bought my daughter a Rollei T and I loved it.
Then I sold the 6006 and bought a blad system because that was what the NBA wanted us to shoot with... had 3 cameras and too many lenses but never really loved the system. Sold the Rollei T and was sorry right way.... Sold the blad stuff when the NBA went digi... kept one body because it was so clean and the prices where dropping so low.
Bought a Rollei GX about six months ago. Use it for b&w portraits only. Love it. Editorial work only so I can shoot how I want.
Bought a AF Pentax 645 with a 200 mm Lens for b&w portraits... love the rollei but the Pentax is useful for some things because of the 200mm... although a 135 ish might be more useful. Doesn't see much work.
I could see myself shooting b&w portraits with the Rollei for the rest of my life..... but I don't find it that great for landscapes.... maybe landscapes have to be on 8x10 anyway.
So I haven't tried them all but I've tried more than my share..... I like the Rollei because it's simple... no system to build.... I can just take pictures and make it work.
-rob
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