I already have the V700 in my B&H cart.

Well done! You are on a roll - keep giving yourself gifts.... It is Christmas after all.

I figured what the heck. I love photography and I have been wanting to try medium format since last year but I have been soooooooooo busy working for my newspaper it's been tough. No excuses now though!

Threads like this ALWAY become "Buy what I have, it's cool!"
Tree, there are sooo many options. You'll need to think about what you really want.
What will you be doing with the camera?
What format do you prefer?
etc.

Here are some guides and comparisons.

http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/go1.html
http://photo.net/equipment/medium-format/

You can window shop here: http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/BrandTableOfContent.aspx


FWIW, I've got a bag full of Bronica SQ goodies and can hopefully answer any Q's about their 6x6 systems.

-Moo

Medium format is fun stuff

http://certo6.com/



You might be able to find some good deals on used medium-format film scanners (i.e. not flat beds). However, I use an Epson V750 pro, and other than the film holders, I don't have any complaints with it. I've gotten very good scans from it as well as carppy ones, but I'm pretty sure the crappines was my fault

The Microtek M1 is also well-regarded so it might be worth a look, but the last I heard Microtek was backing out of direct involvement in the US market, so I don't know who's picking up the slack as far as service and such for their scanners in the US. From what I can tell, it's also an excellent scanner, but has nice film holders and has a way to let you scan with less glass in front of the film, making it potentially the better scanner, though as far as I can tell the margin isn't large.

Greg Campbell wrote:
Threads like this ALWAY become "Buy what I have, it's cool!"
Tree, there are sooo many options. You'll need to think about what you really want.
What will you be doing with the camera?
What format do you prefer?
etc.

Here are some guides and comparisons.

http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/go1.html
http://photo.net/equipment/medium-format/

You can window shop here: http://www.keh.com/OnLineStore/BrandTableOfContent.aspx


FWIW, I've got a bag full of Bronica SQ goodies and can hopefully answer any Q's about their 6x6 systems.

-Moo

You bring up some good points, which apparently I have overlooked in my new found enthusiasm. I want to do mostly stuff like landscapes, horses, things like that. I would also like to try some portraits, but I have alot to learn about that due to the slow flash sync speed and having no idea how the Mamiya Pro will work (if at all) with my AB800's. I have already bookmarked the photo.net site but I have not been to the other ones. Thanks again Moo.

Frankly, I don't find my Epson 4990 capable of turning out really great film scans, so 35mm and my Coolscan V beat 645 in final IQ... I'm not even sure my 6x9 negatives scanned on the Epson beat my 35's from the Nikon.

(If you look/google you may find some real tests besides the deceptive crane shots... even the V700 doesn't come close to a 4800dpi real film scanner).

Why do *I* bother shooting MF when I'm not getting all I can from the negatives... really just because I have some vintage MF and LF gear that I like to shoot...

dcmiller wrote:
Mamiya 7
A rangefinder with very sharp glass


Unfortunately, not for the $500 the OP says he has to spend.

Older Mamiya 645's might be a good choice, if 645 is sufficient for you. IMHO, if you looking for film in this digital era, I would rather look for a 6x7 or 6x9 to give you quality that your DSLR might not match. The Mamiya 7 is an excellent choice, but outside your budget. You might, look for a Fuji 6x7 or 6x9 rangefinder - also very good, but a fixed lens and you might find one in your budget. Another alternative is an inexpensive field/view/press camera with a roll film back. (you might just be able to score one in your price target -- certainly a Speed Graphic, maybe a more modern Horseman). An older 6x6, 6x7, 6x9 folder might fit your budget. The lenses may be a little soft by today's standards, but have a nice look to them.



treebeard wrote
Thanks for the advice. Any suggestions on a film scanner?


Nikon 8000 or 9000. Very close in quality, the 8000 is a little slower However, you can get an 8000 for a few hundred dollars cheaper.