Quick question on TLR

Hey guys, I'm considering on whether buying a Twin Lens Reflex camera (probably the Mamiya c220 or c330) sometime soon just to mess around with it. I'm buying the camera via Craigslist and I just want to know a few questions:

• What should I look for when I do the meetup? What flaws should I watch out for?
  
• Do local Rite Aid pharmacy develop 120 or 220 films? And do those pharmacies sell TLR compatible films?
  
• How do the focal lenghs work out for TLR's?
  

Wondertwins wrote in post #11580777
What should I look for when I do the meetup? What flaws should I watch out for?

Make sure the camera works, but there's no way to do that in a brief meeting. You'd need to take a roll's worth of pictures and get them processed, and that won't be fast.

Wondertwins wrote in post #11580777
Do local Rite Aid pharmacy develop 120 or 220 films? And do those pharmacies sell TLR compatible films?

U.S. pharmacies haven't sold roll film in generations, and the minilabs they use process only C-41 film. You'd have to find a professional service bureau to process or print the film, or get your own enlarger, paper and processing chemicals.

Wondertwins wrote in post #11580777
How do the focal lenghs work out for TLR's?

The larger the imaging surface, the wider the field of view with a lens of equivalent focal length that covers the entire imaging surface.

From the nature of your message, you are going to need to learn a lot about medium format film and film photography in a short amount of time. It may be too much to digest at once, because it's not the same as DSLR photography or handling 35mm film.

ah thanks a lot for the info. I guess i'll buy the films on amazon or something but I really don't know where to find a professional film developer in NYC... don't know where to begin looking for one.

also, how hard is it to develop your own film?

Wondertwins wrote in post #11581032
ah thanks a lot for the info. I guess i'll buy the films on amazon or something but I really don't know where to find a professional film developer in NYC... don't know where to begin looking for one.

also, how hard is it to develop your own film?

Black and white film is fairly easy to process at home, assuming you can still find the chemicals and other necessary hardware (film processing tanks, for example).

Color film was/is always harder to develop at home and required chemistry kits which I seriously doubt you'd find in retail stores today. I have not looked for any in years, though, so I don't know for sure.

I have a Mamiya C-33 camera with two lenses as well as an enlarger and all the trappings which I could be coaxed out of with the right deal. PM me if interested.

B&H and Adorama sell 120 film, both color and B&W. B&H sells all you need to develop at home. In NYC there should be at least a few labs left that can develop 120 film.

Checking the shutter is easy, just open the back and look through the lens to see if it fires, try all shutter speeds to make sure it's smooth through all speeds. You won't know if they are accurate but at least you know the shutter functions. The bad news is that there is no way to find out if the film advance is working properly unless you shoot a roll and have it processed.

thanks guys. Another quick question: Do local 1 hour photo shops develop these or do they not develop these kind of film like Rite Aid?

and you also have to manually find the correct exposure to different scenes like the old SLR's? Do you carry around exposure meters when you do this?

I would bet they don't, 120 is considered a pro film, you may find a lab in NY that will process a roll quickly. They might charge a premium price though.

Yes, they're fully manual. You could use a meter or use your 7D and transfer the settings to the film camera.

I haven't needed a darkroom to process my 35mm or 120 films. I use a changing bag to load the films into the developing tanks.

Fiddly but with practise easily done. Scanning is easy, sometimes 120 film scanner holders are hard to come by.

Wondertwins wrote in post #11582900
thanks guys. Another quick question: Do local 1 hour photo shops develop these or do they not develop these kind of film like Rite Aid?

I live in Fort Collins, Colorado and we have a lab that still processes C-41 120/220 film. In NYC you should have all kinds of options.

Visit here to learn about the cameras.

I began my photography in the mid 1960's - learnt to develop and print B&W and can tell you that, once you set out on that route, you'll need to give your hobby a great deal of commitment in terms of learning, as well as being prepared to spend quite a lot of money.

At one time, I owned a Mamiya C-330 plus a 180mm lens and can tell you it was quite bulky and a camera I never really took to. I'm not sure how much they sell for now but you might want to look at a used Hasselblad or Zenza Bronica SLR. I recall Pentax made a 6X7 cm SLR which was essentially an overgrown 35mm SLR.

If you do go along the medium format route, you'll learn a great deal about photography as long as you're prepared to apply the aforementioned commitment.

David

Wondertwins wrote in post #11580777
...

• How do the focal lenghs work out for TLR's?

Thanks in advance

Compared with 35mm they are nearly double for a similar field of view (though of course the image is square rather than 3:2 rectangular). A standard/normal lens is 80mm. Therefore compared with your 7D, focal lengths are almost treble for a similar field of view.

I agree with others, from the questions you're asking you've got a lot to learn before you get anywhere with a TLR. The Mamiya was very highly regarded in its day though, so it could repay some effort.

Madweasel wrote in post #11586955
The Mamiya was very highly regarded in its day though, so it could repay some effort.

Indeed it was but, having owned one, I suggest it's much more suited to use on a tripod than hand-held.

David

Yes David. To be honest, I agree with your earlier comment - the current prices of medium format SLRs like the Mamiya RB67 are incredibly low and make a TLR look like a bad move.

Madweasel wrote in post #11587611
the current prices of medium format SLRs like the Mamiya RB67 are incredibly low and make a TLR look like a bad move.

I'd forgotten about the RB67 Madweasel and have just had a look on eBay and am surprised by the low prices some of these fine cameras are fetching.

David

ugh you guys are discouraging me to get it... Anyone in NYC know a good film developer I can go to and it isn't super expensive? (only a high school student)

Woodworker wrote in post #11586879
I began my photography in the mid 1960's - learned to develop and print B&W and can tell you that, once you set out on that route, you'll need to give your hobby a great deal of commitment in terms of learning, as well as being prepared to spend quite a lot of money.

If you do go along the medium format route, you'll learn a great deal about photography as long as you're prepared to apply the aforementioned commitment.

What do you mean spending a lot of money? As in buying gears, developing, etc?