Trenton Davis Trenton Davis

Pentax 6x7 MLU

The Pentax 6x7 is a completely manual medium format film camera. The experience shooting this camera is nothing short of a rush.

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Pentax 6x7 MLU

 
 

HISTORY:

The Pentax 67 in its time was very popular amongst top editorial and fashion photographers such as Bruce Weber, Terence Donovan, and many many more. It’s picked up popularity again in recent years due to the low cost to jump into the medium format film system. Not only can older 6x7 bodies be found for inexpensive prices but so can the wide range of legendary lenses.

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THE EXPERIENCE:

The Pentax 6x7 is a completely manual medium format film camera. The experience shooting this camera is nothing short of a rush. I’ve been shooting on mine since 2013 and I still can’t help but grin every time I hear the shutter clack down followed by the feel of advancing into the next frame. It’s magic, and I’ve never experienced anything else like it in a medium format camera .

The Pentax 6x7 is very reminiscent of a regular 35mm SLR. It even behaves just like a 35mm SLR with it’s TTL viewfinder (optional metered version available), shutter speed dial, manual frame advance lever and the location of the shutter release. It’s similarities are immediately obvious when you first hold one in your hands

The body is made of a strong and durable metal, and it’s clear that it’s able to withstand tough working conditions. Loading film into the body is straight forward and very simple to do but it does take some time to roll the film into the roller. Once you’ve done it a few times, you’ll easily have a body reloaded in under a minute.

LENSES:

The Pentax 6x7 had some of the best lenses developed for it. They are tack sharp, render wonderful color and detail, but even better, they can be purchased on the used market for next to nothing. Keep in mind that multiple versions of the same lenses were released over the years. The most notable changes between these versions are build quality, material, and coating on the lens glass.


PORTRAIT LENSES:

105mm F2.4: It’s no secret that the favorite lens to pair with the Pentax 6x7 is the 105mm F2.4 prime lens. This lens is one of the best I’ve used in film photography. It’s the perfect focal length for portraiture as it best resembles the look of a 50mm on a 35mm body. The color it renders is on par with the legendary Zeiss T* coated line. It’s amazingly sharp and they can be found on the used market for just a couple hundred dollars. If you’re considering picking up a Pentax 6x7, then this lens is a must have in your bag. 
PRICE: $250 - $350


WIDE ANGLE LENSES:

55mm F4: As for wide angle lenses, you have some options here. There is a 45mm F3.5 and a 55mm F4 that most shooters will choose from. I ended up going with the 55mm F4 as I heard it performed better than the 45mm in terms of barrel distortion, hazing and artifacts. But mileage may vary for each user. I’ve been extremely happy with my 55mm and don’t plan on using anything else any time soon. It reminds me of the first time that I shot full-frame where the subjects in the photograph just seemed to pop out of the frame. Almost in a 3 dimensional way. 
PRICE: $150 - $250


TELEPHOTO LENSES:

200mm F4: For those who shoot a lot of landscape work, consider the 200mm F4. I’ve used this lens extensively when I want tighter framing of a mountain range. Color and sharpness is just as fantastic as the 55mm and 105mm.
PRICE: $50 - $100.

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FILM:

The Pentax 6x7 shoots 120/220 format film and limits you to either 10 or 20 shots. That hasn’t been any issue for me as I cherish and plan for each shot I execute. Trust me, you’ll love all the detail that each shot captures. It’s fantastic.


ACCESSORIES:

  • Waist-level viewfinder: for landscape photography and semi-discrete street shooting, and it’s nice to have an idea of what the final frame will look like as if you were looking at a print just feet away from your face.

  • Shutter release cable: for slower shutter speeds and best camera stabilization.

  • Wooden handle: For better grip and handling, but I feel it just gets in the way. It’s eye-catching out in public though.

  • Tube extension set #1, #2, #3, & #4: for closer portraits and macro photography.


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FINAL THOUGHTS

I’ve yet to experiment with any other 6x7 system, but I haven’t really felt the need to. The Pentax 6x7 system has satisfied the majority of my medium format itches. If there was another system that I’d consider looking into, it would be the Plaubel Makina 67 — but the prices for that camera are way more than I’d like to pay for in 2019. The Pentax 6x7 is a fantastic medium format camera with a wide range of beautiful lenses, simple and straightforward operation, easy loading and unloading of film, and just feels empowering to shoot with. It’s lifespan over the decades has proved that it is durable and will stand the test of time with very little maintenance needed. The only real con to shooting the Pentax 6x7 is that it’s bulky and heavy so be prepared to carry its weight around on that mountain hike or city walk you plan for…but the resulting images are always going to be worth it. Enjoy a few more shots below!

Pentax 6x7 MLU 55mm F4 @5.6 Kodak Portra 400

Pentax 6x7 MLU
55mm F4 @5.6
Kodak Portra 400

Pentax 6x7 MLU 200mm F4 @ 8 Kodak Portra 400

Pentax 6x7 MLU
200mm F4 @ 8
Kodak Portra 400

Pentax 6x7 MLU 200mm F4 @ 8 Kodak Portra 400

Pentax 6x7 MLU
200mm F4 @ 8
Kodak Portra 400

Pentax 6x7 MLU 105mm F2.4 @ 5.6 Kodak Portra 400

Pentax 6x7 MLU
105mm F2.4 @ 5.6
Kodak Portra 400

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Hexar AF - Review

The Hexar AF is an interest-piquing rangefinder that seems to make waves in the film shooter community from time to time. I first learned about this camera in mid 2017 as I stumbled across a few frames posted online and Instagram. The image that the 35mm F/2.0 lens renders seemed to deliver solid sharpness, smooth contrast, and plenty of room for light to shine through.

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Konica Hexar AF

Hexar AF Review

The Hexar AF is an interest-piquing rangefinder that seems to make waves in the film shooter community from time to time. I first learned about this camera in mid 2017 as I stumbled across a few frames posted online and Instagram. The image that the 35mm F/2.0 lens renders seemed to deliver solid sharpness, smooth contrast, and plenty of room for light to shine through. Through my browsing of forums, Flickr, and film blogs, some had mentioned that it was just as good, if not better, than the Contax G series and it's range of Zeiss glass. In a couple of other blogs, it was mentioned that it even rivaled Leica's 35mm F/2 Summicron lens. Full disclosure: I have not shot with either the Contax G series or Leica rangefinders so I cannot directly compare for myself. My next biggest attraction to it was it's price point, coming in at a fraction of the cost of the Contax G2 and Leica rangefinders, so I had to hunt one down to try out.

GEAR:
Hexar AF (Black)
35mm F/2.0
Kodak Pro Image 100
Fuji Frontier SP3000 Scanner

 

EXPERIENCE:
The camera has a standard rangefinder shape to it; grip-able, boxy, and easy to hold. At first glance, it definitely doesn't seem like it offers much more than it's "Hexa" or six total features (shooting modes, aperture, shutter speed, self-timer, exposure compensation, and manual focus), but the more that I looked into it I was surprised to find out that it delivers a list of features beyond the six standard. Besides the 35mm F2 lens, the most impressive feature to me was its silent shutter, or "stealth" mode – a feature that the original and black Hexar AF came with. However, due to some sort of patent or copyright infringement, this feature was removed... or was it? Come to find out, Konica's engineers implemented the "stealth" mode even into the the later versions. This mode couldn't easily be accessed though. The later versions of the Hexar AF required a specific order of buttons to be pressed before silent mode could be activated (read here). A strange drawback of this camera, however, is its very limiting 1/250 shutter speed limit. So be sure to consider using lower speed films if shooting in bright day light. If you're a studio shooter using PocketWizards this limitation won't be an issue for you. As for some of the other features, I'll break out a few of those below.


FEATURES:

STEALTH MODE: With the original and Black Hexar AF, press and hold the MF button and turn on the camera to any of the P, A, or M modes. Wait for the "L" to appear on the small LCD screen. "Shhhhhh." Stealth mode is now engaged. It remains in this mode until the camera is powered off, then you'll want to repeat the process again if you need to reengage this mode. For later models of the Hexar AF (Rhodium Edition, The Gold Edition, The Titanium Edition, and The Silver Edition), follow the instructions found on this page to enable "stealth" mode. It's so silent that I often find myself second-guessing whether the shutter was fired or not. For street photography this seals the deal for some of you. 

MANUAL FILM SPEED CONTROL: The Hexar AF must be in A mode for this feature to work. Hold down the select button until the ISO range number appears. Using the + and - buttons, set your preferred ISO speed against the stock you've actually got loaded. A handy feature in any film camera is the ability to control the ISO setting at which the meter bases it's exposure. For example, if you prefer to err to the side of overexposure with ISO 400 film like Kodak Portra 400, you will want to set the camera's ISO setting to 200. This tells the meter that there is actually a lower speed or "darker" film loaded so it will need to compensate 1 stop overall, hence overexposing the ISO 400 film by one stop. This concept took me a while to grasp but it makes complete sense when you draw it out on paper.

4 OR 15 DEGREE SPOT METER: In "M" mode, the Hexar AF meter will utilize a 4 degree center-weighted area. In "P" and "A" modes, the Hexar AF will use a 15 degree center-weighted area. Especially useful if you're shooting with tricky lighting and require more manual control with exposure.

MANUAL FOCUS (SORT OF): The Hexar AF features a way to set your focus manually but it is sluggish and requires time to achieve. Half-way press down the shutter button to find the focus distance between the lens and subject, then press the MF button to lock focus to that distance. The LCD screen will display the distance that the lens is set to. To release the lens from manual focus, simply press the MF button again.


CONCLUSION: While I am still putting the Hexar AF through various scenarios, I can say that I am impressed. It's a solid camera for the shooter who simply likes to go out and make beautiful images. However, part of me has been struggling to truly enjoy shooting with it, but the other part of me feels like it has some sort of great potential that I haven't been able to fully find out. I will certainly update this posting as my time with the Hexar AF moves forward. It's a great camera with some handy features and a unique look to the images that it creates. I feel that it's worth getting your hands on one to try out at least once.



Check out this frame by @justcallmeloz. A good portion of his IG has been shot with a Hexar AF.
Also, see this frame and this frame by @Steve Broadbank, another talented film shooter.
 

Sources:
https://www.filmshooterscollective.com/analog-film-photography-blog/konica-hexar-a-stealth-camera-for-special-ops-alexander-m-sandy-noble-10-17
https://www.cameraquest.com/konhex.htm
https://www.johanniels.com/index.php/camera-gear-articles/27-konica-hexar-af-the-ultimate-compact-camera
https://www.japancamerahunter.com/2011/09/the-konica-hexar-af-the-quietest-camera-in-the-world/
 

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