The Pentax 6x7

Recently I added another medium format camera to my collection -- a new (to me) Pentax 6x7. Now this isn't the first time I've owned this model of camera. I actually owned one several years ago but sold it because I needed the money.  Since I've been building out my collection, I've had a hankering to get this camera back. What do I like about this camera that made me get it twice? The first time I owned this camera I was a photography student and wanted to have experience with medium format. There were so many options that looked very similar. If you look at medium format cameras, they all look, behave, and feel similar. Bronicas, Hasselblad, and Mamiya are all basically shaped the same. They all start out with a mirror box body, the film backs are similar in function and form, the shutter is in the same place, and they all start with waist level finders. Folks who own Hasselblads will probably recoil in horror that I lumped that brand of camera with Mamiya and Bronica, but in terms of basic form, they are comparable, but the comparisons will end there without further discussion.  What is obvious about the Pentax 6x7 (and the newer 67 model) is that looks like no other medium format camera. It is an overgrown 35mm SLR camera. The closest competitor is probably the Mamiya 7 line of cameras, though the Mamiya model is a rangefinder rather than using a pentaprism for image framing. I figured, at that time, was that the transition from 35mm to medium format would be eased because of how similarly the Pentax 6x7 looks and handles like a 35mm SLR camera.  Whether I was right or not is debatable, but the camera handling is so effortless that the transition was smooth.  What the Pentax gains in ease and familiarity of use, there are certainly trade-offs: This is a HEAVY camera. It weighs about 6 lbs with the camera body, prism, and lens. Imagine, if you can, hanging this camera around your neck (which i do not recommend). this also means that this camera is built like a tank. If there's any plastic in this camera, you'd be hard-pressed to find it.  This is a LOUD camera. The sound of the huge mirror slapping and returning will awaken the dead. Because of this, camera shake due to mirror vibration is a possibility, which is why Pentax came out with mirror lockup functionality after the initial release of the camera.  Similar to the Pentax 645, there is no interchangeable film back for the 6x7, so unless you absolutely love changing films mid-roll, you're stuck shooting the entire roll of film. The great thing about the 6x7 is that it can accommodate 120 or 220 film sizes without any adapters. You merely need to slide the pressure plate on the camera back to the film size you're shooting.  Lastly, this camera is SLOW. the maximum flash sync speed is 1/30th of a second, due to its massive shutter curtain. No, unlike the Hasselblads, the Mamiyas, and the Bronicas, save for a few lenses, the 6x7 lenses do not have leaf shutters built into them. This doesn't make it ideal for studio work, but then I've never had to use a flash with it.  So I mentioned that I sold this camera, and then I went and reacquired it (not the exact same one, but similar). I had acquired other medium format cameras like the Mamiya RB67 and a Fuji GX680, which were box-type medium format cameras, but I had missed my Pentax 6x7. It was so much easier to handle. The RB67 and the GX680 are the heaviest medium format cameras ever produced, and I'm sure the 6x7 is close to their weight class, but the 6x7 is much easier to handle.  Once i had my heart set on acquiring one, i sold off some of my lesser-used cameras in my collection, like my Nikon S2 and my Bronica ETRSi. I still love the ETRSi with its light camera body weight and ease of handling, but I loved the 6x7 format so much.  I found an awesome Pentax 6x7 up for auction on eBay that had a TTL-metered prism, and it was also modified to let you shoot multiple exposures. The seller even threw in 80 rolls of Velvia slide film! So this beautiful Pentax 6x7 sits on the same shelf as the RB67 and the GX680 and is probably the heaviest camera shelf known to mankind, currently dubbed "The Heavyweight Class". 

Does that manual come with a manual?

I've rounded out my medium format collection after acquiring a Mamiya RB67 Pro S through eBay. It was a pretty good steal for a total of under $300. I had to win 2 auctions - one auction was for the entire kit consisting of body, 90mm lens and film magazine, and the other auction was for the waist level finder.

In case anyone cares, it's a completely manual camera. No batteries required. So why the heck would you want a completely manual and mechanical camera? No batteries required, fewer electrical components...BUT, more mechanical parts that will eventually wear down.

I've also got a Hasselblad 500CM that's also completely manual but it's sans lens...plus I need to get a decent film magazine because the one I originally bought is a pain in da butt to wind with.

But back to the RB67...it's a frickin' beast...like big and heavy. I think the box it was delivered in said it was about 8 lbs...but that also means it's built like a rock. There's a lot to be said about all manual cameras. They never require batteries, which these days are pretty expensive. Back in the day, they weren't cheap, but they didn't cost $40+ but nor were they rechargeable like they are now. Those familiar with SLRs will remember the Nikon FM2 which was probably the most resilient all-manual camera that could shoot at 1/250th of a second, or even the venerable Pentax K1000 which was the students' choice for a beginner-level SLR.

I just love reminiscing. Of course my daughter will grow not knowing what the heck 35mm film is.