As a shooter of only medium-level skills but a darkroom whiz, I've always chosen to go with 35mm-it gives me the advantage where I most need it, and I enjoy (and am up to) the challenge of struggling with the small negatives in the darkroom. My philosophy has always been that the smaller the negative is, the easier the camera is to handle in the field the larger the negative is, the easier (or perhaps I should just say the more rewarding) it is to make the print in the darkroom. )Īs a black-and-white negative film shooter, I like everything about 645. (Wow-I've never actually been able to pigeonhole my style of photography so briefly before. Michael shoots landscape, while I'm more of a people-and-passing-scene type of photographer. I think our different reactions have to do with shooting style. I like them both-they're great cameras-but my own reactions tilted just as decisively, and just as quickly, towards the Bronica.
#BRONICA RF645 JOHNSTON FULL#
I wrote a full review of the Mamiya 6 for the old Camera & Darkroom, briefly owned a Mamiya 6, and am very familiar with the Mamiya 7. My friend Michael Reichmann posted a comparison of the Bronica RF645 and Mamiya 7 on his excellent website that tilted decisively towards the Mamiya. I left my Leica hanging hostage from the salesguy's neck and took their RF645 outdoors for a stroll. I only gave it a quick trial-they had one on display at Reimer's in Milwaukee. As I thought that this forum might be one of those, here it is.Ĭompletely on-topic for once, I'd like to post a brief report of the new Bronica RF645 compact rangefinder that I shot with yesterday. Mike Johnston posted a review of the Bronica RF645 to the rangefinder list (rflist at ), and he invited people to repost his "modest little report" to other interested forums.