Bronica RF645 Film Camera

I've only owned my RF645 for a couple of months, but I have thoroughly enjoying shooting with it. Like nearly all 6x4.5 cameras, native composition is portrait mode vice landscape, and I was hesitant at first to buy the camera because of that, wasn't sure I would take to it after so many years of 35mm film. However, I've since found that it's no big deal. In fact, as most of us know, many compositions work far better with portrait framing, but with most cameras you have to turn the camera 90° to go vertical, and many (most!) cameras' controls are poorly designed and clumsy when vertically handheld. What I most like is the way the RF645 "feels" in my hands--much like a heavier version of my Nikon F100, and the payback for humping the extra weight is a negative that's nearly three times the size of 35mm. Although not light camera by any means, the RF645 is far lighter and more compact than my SQ-Am, and to my surprise I found I can comfortably carry it all day on a neck strap. Try that with most modern MF's! As a result, this camera goes with me many more times to many more places than my large and very heavy SQ-Am did. Most MF's take wonderful photos, but not if they're sitting at home in the case. I also love my old Zeiss 6x6 folder, but I dislike not having built-in accurate metering, it's viewfinder and rangefinder is cramped and slower to focus with than the 645, and it is limited to 11 shots per roll compared to the Bronica's 16 (or 32 if you want to shoot 220). The RF645's viewfinder display is large and extremely bright (the brightest I've seen on a rangefinder camera), and provides all the important exposure info I need at a glance, along with parallax-adjusted bright frame lines. Focusing is easy and the rangefinder patch is both large and bright. Build quality is solid as a brick. There is a lot of plastic on this camera, but it doesn't feel "plasticy" in the hands. It feels every bit as stout and solid as my D200. Thumbs up to Bronica's engineers.

The center-weighted metering seems to be very accurate.The three operating modes available (Programmed, Aperture Priority, and Manual) are perfect for my vacation/landscape/street shooting needs. I pay attention most often to depth of field, and as a result I use the Aperture Priority mode most often.

Best of all, compared to many other MF cameras, the control layout is just about perfect. It's simple, uncluttered, and everything you need (and nothing you don't) is exactly where your fingers expect to find it: Exposure Compensation, Auto-exposure lock, film speed, etc. After only a couple of outings I was very comfortable with the controls, which are well marked and sensibly placed. The leaf shuttter is very quiet, and is automatically (electronically) re-cocked after every exposure. In the Auto modes the camera's brain controls exposure in 1/12 stop (!) increments, allowing very precise control for color slides. The quiet shutter, combined with a silent lever-type film advance, make for very unobtrusive street shooting, something not all that easy to do with most MF cameras.

I have only the 65mm "general purpose" lens for mine, but after shooting with it a while now I don't foresee a need to for the 45mm or 100mm lenses. The 65mm lens is very sharp with outstanding color and contrast.

If you like shooting medium format film but don't want to give up modern operating and metering features, and you don't like lugging around a large, heavy beast, this is your camera!