You are quite right about sand.
And Jürgen, I started 6x6 with the poor mens Rollei, the Rolleicord.
I still remember how surpised I was the pictures were so much better than the ones I made with my Leica M 4.
No doubt about it, size matters!
Paul
Paul,
My first medium format camera was a twin lens Yashicamat 124, bought at a K-Mart, in 1971 for $95 plus tax brand new. I was hooked with the first roll of Kodak Verichrome b&w film I processed. Anyone else remember that venerable old film? I cannot remember a better b&w film, bar none, although it was strictly an amateur film with an extremely wide latitude.
Anyway, I was so amazed as the initial 8x10's were pulled from the fix - they were so much better than anything I was getting from 35mm at the time. So much so, that I decided to save up and buy a Hasselblad 500C, which I had read about as being the finest camera available. In Feb, 1972, I sent a check for about $620 to a NY mail order house for a brand new 500CM "kit," with chrome 80mm lens and A12 back. Been shooting with a 500 series ever since.
Along the way, I've owned many Mamiya cameras, including a 6x9 press rangefinder, C330 twin lens, RB and RZ's. I've also owned two Fuji 6x9 rangefinders with 65 and 90 lenses, plus a very beautiful Zone VI 4x5 field camera made of natural cherry wood with gold plated hardware. I've enjoyed them all, but they've all parted ways with me at one time or another.
And while these, and many other "systems" have occupied space in my camera cabinets, there's always been a Hasselblad and a few Zeiss lenses on one of the shelves. Today, other than a few old Nikon bodies and lenses, plus one Fuji S2 Pro DSLR, Hasselblad is all that's left. And under excruciating circumstances, will be the last camera to ever leave.
How about anyone else - care to disclose your first medium format experiences?
