Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/12/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I had a chance to check out the new Bronica 645 RF offering over the weekend, and was duly impressed. It's quite compact--roughly the same size as the Fuji Whatever (their autofocus MF rangefinder)--but it manually focuses, and quite nicely, too. Big square rangefinder patch in the middle of the finder, which has frames for the 65 (filling nearly the entire frame) and a portrait orientation--which is a boon, I suppose, for wedding and other portrait photogs (I find it disorienting). The body + 65/4 lens runs $1800 US. They also have a wider lens (40? can't remember) that requires a separate finder, and plans for a 135/4.5 (the viewfinder framelines will adjust). $3000 gets you the kit with all 3 lenses. The lenses are leaf shutter and will synch up to 1/750. I think anyone about to buy a Fuji or Mamiya RF may do well to check out this Bronica first. True, it's a 645 rather than a 6 square or 6x7, but it is not much bigger than a 35 RF, solidly built, very quiet and unobtrusive. Dan