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- Location
- Los Angeles
- Name
- John
I love those grips too. Even with smaller lenses. I had the OEM with the X-T1 and picked up a Meike for the X-T2. It's plastic vs. rubber but I think I actually like it better. Feels firmer.
I’m currently waiting for delivery of a MeFoto RoadTrip carbon. It will be my first departure from Manfrotto ever !
The MiNT InstantKon RF70 (a monstrous name, I'll call it the RF70 from now on) has arrived - including the all-important ND filter set (the film's 800 ISO ...).
View attachment 187237
I popped in a pack of Instant Wide Monochrome, attached the (dedicated!) ND4 filter on the front lens (the light was very bright) and went out to take a couple of first shots. These still wait to be scanned, but I managed six of seven successful attempts (I botched one by mishandling the camera!).
View attachment 187236
Manual exposure control works great, and what's more, it's fabulously versatile (with the ND filter, I managed two shots wide open at f/5.6 mid-afternoon). Even so, Auto mode (i.e. aperture priority!) works impressively well too - I got a much better exposed shot from a rather difficult lighting situation than I'd expected.
Wide open, the lens isn't the sharpest, but sharp enough, with a little loss of contrast and somewhat funky corners (soft and with some visible aberrations, like double outlines) - but it's absolutely usable if you keep its characteristics in mind. Stopped down, the lens is actually pretty sharp - the Lomo'Instant Wide doesn't even come close!
Rangefinder operation could be smoother, but works very well at acquiring focus - another very welcome fact.
The fly in the ointment is the price - even though the camera is more impressive (quite dense and heavy) than it looks in images, it's still plastic, and the finish honestly isn't that great. For instance, I'd expect the viewfinder (not the rangefinder - they're separate) to be more precise, but the frame lines are frankly much too conservative, i.e. you'll get a lot(!) more in the frame than you'd think. I can work around that, but it's a bit irritating at first. The rangefinder takes its time to react - which makes for some false starts when focusing. It's not too bad, just not ideal, either.
All in all, the camera largely works as advertised, but it's rough around the edges - a true first generation product. I'm fine with that because I thought it would be, but I'm sure not everyone will see it this way.
So, as it is, and for me personally, the RF70 is a great camera because it delivers where it counts (operation paradigm, technology, IQ); besides, I'm at home with classic medium format folders, so this camera feels really comfortable and familiar to work with. But I think some people will expect better build quality and smoother operation than this camera provides - at least at the current asking price. I, on the other hand, am quite happy: I had my doubts and reservations, but most of them can be safely discarded, and the issues I see aren't major ones. I'm looking forward to shooting the SiO (Single in October) challenge on this camera
M.
Totally agree with Miguel. That looks like fun. Thanks for sharing your first impressions + the photos.The MiNT InstantKon RF70 (a monstrous name, I'll call it the RF70 from now on) has arrived - including the all-important ND filter set (the film's 800 ISO ...).
View attachment 187237
I popped in a pack of Instant Wide Monochrome, attached the (dedicated!) ND4 filter on the front lens (the light was very bright) and went out to take a couple of first shots. These still wait to be scanned, but I managed six of seven successful attempts (I botched one by mishandling the camera!).
View attachment 187236
Manual exposure control works great, and what's more, it's fabulously versatile (with the ND filter, I managed two shots wide open at f/5.6 mid-afternoon). Even so, Auto mode (i.e. aperture priority!) works impressively well too - I got a much better exposed shot from a rather difficult lighting situation than I'd expected.
Wide open, the lens isn't the sharpest, but sharp enough, with a little loss of contrast and somewhat funky corners (soft and with some visible aberrations, like double outlines) - but it's absolutely usable if you keep its characteristics in mind. Stopped down, the lens is actually pretty sharp - the Lomo'Instant Wide doesn't even come close!
Rangefinder operation could be smoother, but works very well at acquiring focus - another very welcome fact.
The fly in the ointment is the price - even though the camera is more impressive (quite dense and heavy) than it looks in images, it's still plastic, and the finish honestly isn't that great. For instance, I'd expect the viewfinder (not the rangefinder - they're separate) to be more precise, but the frame lines are frankly much too conservative, i.e. you'll get a lot(!) more in the frame than you'd think. I can work around that, but it's a bit irritating at first. The rangefinder takes its time to react - which makes for some false starts when focusing. It's not too bad, just not ideal, either.
All in all, the camera largely works as advertised, but it's rough around the edges - a true first generation product. I'm fine with that because I thought it would be, but I'm sure not everyone will see it this way.
So, as it is, and for me personally, the RF70 is a great camera because it delivers where it counts (operation paradigm, technology, IQ); besides, I'm at home with classic medium format folders, so this camera feels really comfortable and familiar to work with. But I think some people will expect better build quality and smoother operation than this camera provides - at least at the current asking price. I, on the other hand, am quite happy: I had my doubts and reservations, but most of them can be safely discarded, and the issues I see aren't major ones. I'm looking forward to shooting the SiO (Single in October) challenge on this camera
M.
I'll scan the images soon, probably today - I'm finalising my gear choices for October right now, and I'll be testing a dedicated portable scanner as soon as possible. This'll provide an even better impression, I hope. I *am* very happy with the images "in the flesh", so to speak ...Thanks for sharing your first impressions + the photos.
Problem solved Found the IRIScan Book 5 WiFi portable scanner - scanning on the go up to a solid A4 format, saving to removable microSD, maximum 1200dpi, colour or grayscale (nice for b&w images), to JPEG or PDF. Works without any dedicated computer or software in a pinch, too (but comes with a download voucher for a full set of pro grade OCR and scanning software for Win and Mac and includes *all* needed accessories, including microSD and adapter - and a pouch). All this at less than 160g ...I'll scan the images soon, probably today - I'm finalising my gear choices for October right now, and I'll be testing a dedicated portable scanner as soon as possible. This'll provide an even better impression, I hope. I *am* very happy with the images "in the flesh", so to speak ...
Thank you Tim!Looks great. Enjoy.
My dream lens, David ... I'll add it at some point in time, but given the fact that I have already three 35mm lenses available (Voigtländer f/1.4 Nokton - you know that one, Voigtländer f/1.7 Ultron - great lens, Zeiss C Biogon 35mm f/2.8 - sharpest lens in my stable), it's not something I'll do all too soon. Congrats!I wanted a faster 50mm FoV - APS-C, (35mm) m-mount. Picked up a Zeiss Distagon 35mm, f.14 at KEH. Looks new. Very happy so far. It is a bit long in size but very easy to handle.
Shown on my CL in front of the R-D1s.
. . . David
View attachment 188198
Oh Yeah.....put one (a Meike) on my X-E3. Fits like a glove and the improved grip is amazing! I prefer the body alone with smaller lenses, but with my new 55-200, the grip is mandatory!