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Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on May 11, 2022 9:30:50 GMT
Posted: May 11, 2022 9:30:50 GMT
Hi ridgeblue99 Now that's what I call a classic! It's certainly worth the effort and cost of a full CLA. And you are absolutely right in seeking to build a kit around it; M645 lenses can be had cheaply (though not all of them!) and there are innumerable accessories available at sensible prices. The sheer range of lenses makes it one of the most versatile medium format systems out there. An excellent choice... Thanks, Graham. The M645 is a gearhead's dream with all the accessories that are available, making it a versatile system. I've been able to arrange it so my deteriorating right wrist is of little issue while handling the camera by use of the Deluxe Left Hand Grip, and the Focus Lever attached to the lenses.
PF
I'm really sorry to hear that you have problems with your wrist. But you have absolutely chosen one of the best systems to allow you to overcome any limitations. Please keep us informed as you add to it! I wonder which lenses are you hoping to add to your burgeoning system and will you go for the superb Auto Bellows N with its swing/tilt/shift? So many options...it's going to be fun!
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Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
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on May 13, 2022 3:45:14 GMT
Posted: May 13, 2022 3:45:14 GMT
Given it's heritage I'll assume that most Yashica/Tomioka users are familiar with the lens, but maybe not the body that carried them. A trio of Sears T-L-S cameras, with the Auto Sears 55mm f/1.4. All are fully working and there's a set of other Sears lenses getting a cleaning too. These are listed in the 1967 Sears Spring/Summer catalog - as, "Sears Best" for $197.00 USD.
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Group: Administrator
Post: 1,371 (303 liked)
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Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
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on May 15, 2022 5:42:38 GMT
Posted: May 15, 2022 5:42:38 GMT
After quite some time and a great deal of patience to find reasonably priced but mint gear, I've managed to complete a small but special collection. For extra measure, I've also expanded the reach and usefulness of the lenses with a set of adapters for digital gear in Sony E, M4/3 and Fuji X mounts. Adaptation wasn't a primary concern, but legacy glass is my preference on digital anyway, and I might as well use some of the best.
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,042 (563 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on May 17, 2022 11:03:01 GMT
Posted: May 17, 2022 11:03:01 GMT
Hi lumiworx I love those three Sears cameras with their delightful lenses - very nice indeed and even better, and rarer, all in top working condition! Superb. Nice piccie too... And Randy, I'm very pleased to see you dipping your toes into the Contax G-series and its exemplary glass. The 90mm Sonnar really works a treat on the m4/3 system!
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on May 17, 2022 12:37:55 GMT
Posted: May 17, 2022 12:37:55 GMT
After quite some time and a great deal of patience to find reasonably priced but mint gear, I've managed to complete a small but special collection. For extra measure, I've also expanded the reach and usefulness of the lenses with a set of adapters for digital gear in Sony E, M4/3 and Fuji X mounts. Adaptation wasn't a primary concern, but legacy glass is my preference on digital anyway, and I might as well use some of the best. That's a nice set. I built a similar set over a couple of years. Ending with a 21mm last year, which was a major part of the plan. Sadly, while it's a beautiful camera, ultimately I just didn't enjoy using it enough and can't justify the space so sent it on it's way recently.
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,042 (563 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on May 19, 2022 17:38:29 GMT
Posted: May 19, 2022 17:38:29 GMT
Now the weather is a little warmer and brighter, it's time to get out the larger cameras; this is my favourite 6x9, the Fujica G690BL (Breech Lock) but here we see its new, wide-angle lens, the Fujinon SW S 65mm f5.6. Fujica G690BL 60mm f5.6This is an improvement on the old Fujinon 65mm f8 which featured 6 elements in 4 groups; this lens has 8 elements in 4 groups and most importantly, the faster aperture. Although the camera dates from 1969, this faster version of the 65mm wide-angle was only introduced in 1974. Sadly, it has become increasingly difficult to find the lens complete with its dedicated Finder, seen here attached via the cold shoe. My only wish was that Fuji had provided a lock for the Finder as the spring in its base is fine in a studio environment but when carrying the camera outdoors, it feels all too vulnerable to the risk of detachment when moving about. Despite the size of the camera and its combined weight of just over 2kg (4.5lbs) it balances nicely and is a pleasure to use. As with most of the medium format cameras, it makes you slow down when shooting and really contemplate the light and composition. This is purely a mechanical camera and it has no electrical components (except when using the AE 100 f3.5 lens) so a light-meter is a desirable addition to the kit-bag.
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on May 19, 2022 19:17:34 GMT
Posted: May 19, 2022 19:17:34 GMT
Despite the size of the camera and its combined weight of just over 2kg (4.5lbs) ................ Needs a caravan in the shot to give it scale
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,042 (563 liked)
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Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on May 20, 2022 8:37:48 GMT
Posted: May 20, 2022 8:37:48 GMT
Despite the size of the camera and its combined weight of just over 2kg (4.5lbs) ................ Needs a caravan in the shot to give it scale Tricky to do though. If you park the caravan behind the camera, you'll never see it....
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on May 22, 2022 17:48:31 GMT
Posted: May 22, 2022 17:48:31 GMT
Speaking about tanks, here is my KIEV 60 with its original Arsat C 80mm f/2.8 lens, the prism finder with integrated light-meter, and the cold-shoe accessory: And here with the Carl Zeiss Jena 120mm f/2.8: Both lenses are great, especially the CZJ that is very sharp, and I have used the Arsat on some Yashica 35mm bodies, and also resulted in very nice and sharp pictures.
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Group: Moderator
Post: 2,042 (563 liked)
Join date: April 2014
Status: Long, long time Contax and Yashica user; glad to be here and hope to contribute.
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on May 22, 2022 19:00:49 GMT
Posted: May 22, 2022 19:00:49 GMT
Hi Ariel Thanks for sharing these photos; that Kiev-60 looks to be in great condition! I haven't used the Arsat C 80mm f2.8 but the Arsat 30mm f3.5 lens has been an old favourite and is capable of rendering some very fine images. That CZJ 120mm Biometar has a very good reputation for great centre sharpness. Thankfully Araxfoto continues to produce enhanced Kiev-60 cameras (plus an upgraded Kiev-88 CM) and various lenses although, being based in Ukraine, they are understandably closed for business right now. Let us hope that circumstances change there soon and they can all get back to a safe and normal life again.
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on May 29, 2022 8:07:24 GMT
Posted: May 29, 2022 8:07:24 GMT
Thanks, I have 2 KIEV-60 bodies, the one in the pictures works okay, sometimes the space between frames is not always the same, but never getting too close or overlapping. The second body has an issue with the second curtain, sometimes leaves open a 1mm gap or less, but enough to darken the side of the picture. A workaround is to immediately advance the film to the next frame, the loading action solves the issue, even moving the crank a little bit achieves to make the curtain to close. At some point I will have to service that one.
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on Jun 8, 2022 0:47:24 GMT
Posted: Jun 8, 2022 0:47:24 GMT
Given it's heritage I'll assume that most Yashica/Tomioka users are familiar with the lens, but maybe not the body that carried them. A trio of Sears T-L-S cameras, with the Auto Sears 55mm f/1.4. All are fully working and there's a set of other Sears lenses getting a cleaning too. These are listed in the 1967 Sears Spring/Summer catalog - as, "Sears Best" for $197.00 USD. My first SLR was a Sears TLS, like the two black ones above. I traded it in on a Nikkormat when I decided that a bayonet lens mount was the way to go. Some years later I replicated my original kit and went on a photo shoot 40 years after the original. flic.kr/s/aHsjwsBQAjMy kit consisted of: T·L·S camera body 55mm f1.4 28mm f2.8 90-230mm f4.5 300mm f5.6 2x and 3x Teleconverters Three tube extension set Three lens close-up set Flash unit Flash bracket grip with coiled PC cord Folks would see me around town with that rig and think I was a professional photographer. I was 17 years old at the time. Bought it all brand new from Sears with the money I made working for the schools in the summer and fall of my senior year in high school. PF
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Status: Failed treatment for L.B.A. and G.A.S,
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on Jun 8, 2022 15:55:05 GMT
Posted: Jun 8, 2022 15:55:05 GMT
PF, your experience somewhat mirrors my own, with a Mamiya 1000 DTL as the body, and the Auto Sears 1.4, a Mamiya Auto 35mm 2.8, and a 135mm Pentax M42 model that I barely remember. The body and (slowly acquired) lenses were all well-used, but they worked well and consistently while I learned. Going from having just the 55mm to a second lens cemented the same idea, that changing lenses could be painfully slow and shots were likely to be missed.
That's not to say that I disliked using any of that gear for one second, and was happy to snap away while becoming a better shooter. That was the goal over the long term, and it had little to do with the gear I was using to get there. I just wished the brand spanking new FR-I kit that replaced it all would have had the DTL's built-in spot and averaging meter functions.
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on Jun 8, 2022 18:31:40 GMT
Posted: Jun 8, 2022 18:31:40 GMT
PF, your experience somewhat mirrors my own, with a Mamiya 1000 DTL as the body, and the Auto Sears 1.4, a Mamiya Auto 35mm 2.8, and a 135mm Pentax M42 model that I barely remember. The body and (slowly acquired) lenses were all well-used, but they worked well and consistently while I learned. Going from having just the 55mm to a second lens cemented the same idea, that changing lenses could be painfully slow and shots were likely to be missed. That's not to say that I disliked using any of that gear for one second, and was happy to snap away while becoming a better shooter. That was the goal over the long term, and it had little to do with the gear I was using to get there. I just wished the brand spanking new FR-I kit that replaced it all would have had the DTL's built-in spot and averaging meter functions. I had two reasons for getting rid of the TLS kit. One, the meter quit working and even though I did a pretty good job of estimating exposures, my slides were suffering from it. Secondly, I was looking ahead to where I might be after my required time in the Navy and did some research on the different cameras that were out at the time. It made more sense to me to get into a system like Nikon where I could expand it as I went along on my photographic journey. Things never worked out close to what I had planned, but I still treat most of my photo excursions as a professional would. It's good to keep in practice even if only for my own satisfaction. PF
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on Jul 4, 2022 19:49:30 GMT
Posted: Jul 4, 2022 19:49:30 GMT
Here is my KIEV-4M from 1977, with its Jupiter 8 lens mounted and yellow filter: A Jupiter 11 lens on the left, a Jupiter 12 and a Helios 103 on the right. I like the results with the Helios 103 better than with the Jupiter 8, at least with the ones I have.
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