Salut-S, Meopta Flexaret, Brownie Hawkeye Flash Model,
Agfa Isolette II

Medium format is slower to use than 35mm but the plus side is a much larger negative which means better prints. I began shooting medium format in the 1970s with a 6x7cm (2 1/4 x 2 3/4) Koni-Omegaflex. I got back into medium format in 1992 with a 6x9cm (2 1/4 x 3 1/4) Mamiya Universal. I played around a little with 6x6cm (2 1/4 square) at that time but I always saw it as a format to crop. Then not too long ago I had an epiphany and realized that square is hip.

This is my Hasselbladski — a 1970s vintage Salut-S from the former Soviet Union (Ukraine). It's a copy of an early Hasselblad with a focal plane shutter. It doesn't have the quality of the Hasseblad but it is inexpensive. You can get good ones between $100 and $200. It's a full system camera with interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, and backs. This has the Vega 12 90mm/2.8 (57mm equivalent) and a waist level finder. Lenses and accessories are inexpensive.

This is the Mir-38 65/3.5 (41mm equivalent). This is my standard lens. Paid $78. The prism finder was $45. I love shooting with this camera. Ken Smith turned me on to this. They can be a little fickle but Gevorg is the man to fix them. $37 for a CLA.

19mm and 48mm macro extension tubes.

This is the stealth street shooter. Quite and people don't realize you are taking their picture. It's a Meopta Flexaret Va with an 85/3.5 lens. Another commie camera from 1950s Czheckoslovakia. These go for around $70. A great Tessar lens. It was a TLR that got me into square.

A medium format camera that you can put into your pants pocket, an Agfa Isolette II from the 1950s. I had to do a lot of cleaning and repair on this one but I only paid $15. I recovered it in leather and freed up the stuck lens but screwed up the shutter. Andrew Yue heard of my plight and sent me a shutter that works. I think it's working fine, now. No rangefinder. You have to estimate the distance which isn't as a big a problem as some would think. Good discipline.

And no kit is complete without a box camera. This is a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash Model (flash not shown). Much more capable than one would think from a box point and shoot camera.

Additions needed:

For the Salut-S there are 45mm (28mm equivalent) and 30mm (18mm equivalent) wide angle lenses that would be nice, particularly the 30mm. And a 120mm (76mm equivalent) and 250mm (156mm equivalent) on the long side. It will be some time before those happen. Certainly some more backs. They can be had for as little as $25. The Agfa Isolette would look nice in red leather bellows.