Thanks to Art Curts, an Kowa Super 66
manual in now available at this site online. Several Kowa ads are also
available (ad#1 and ad#2). The Kowa
System Chart gives a good overview of Kowa accessories available too!| Kowa 6/6MM/Super 66 Medium Format
Camera FAQ by Robert Monaghan version 1.2 8/9/98 |
Where can I see the latest version of this Kowa Med. Fmt. Camera FAQ? Home Pages?
Kowa Med. Fmt. Camera FAQ - See http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/kowafaq.html
Kowa 6/6MM Camera Home Page - See http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/kowa6.html
Kowa Super 66 Home Page - see http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/kowa66.html
See also
Danny
Gonzalez's Medium Format Review pages and notes on the Kowa
6/66
Thanks to Bill Barton, we have a
number of Kowa
Super 66 publications available online:
Kowa Tech Data Pages (JPEGs)
Provided Courtesy of Duncan Ross -
Thanks!!!
Robert Axford's Kowa
150mm Lens Repair Page
Robert Axford's Kowa
55mm Lens Repair Page
Kowa Reversing Ring (pdf courtesy of Struan Gray)
| Historical Medium Format SLRs |
|---|
|
Among those makers who have gone before (or who are at least
resting), there are kowa, corfield, agi, pilot, primarflex and others.
Kowas were made into the 1970s and perhaps beyond; they are surprisingly
good cuboid 6x6cm SLRs with good lenses but non interchangeable backs,
and if they break, they may well be irrepairable. All obsolete medium
format SLRs, except Kowa, are primarily of interest to collectors rather
than users. [photo of kowa six] -
Kowa/six. This camera belonged to Frances' late father, and remains a
surprisingly usable camera to this day, with switchable 120/220 pressure
plate and a range of good lenses.
Roger Hicks and Frances Schultz in Medium and Large Format Handbook, p. 59 |
Which camera models are considered to be classic Kowa medium format cameras?
The Kowa medium format cameras included the Kowa
6, the Kowa 6
MM,
and the Kowa
Super 66 models. These models share lenses and many accessories such
as screens, viewfinders, filters, and accessories.
The key difference
between the original Kowa 6 and later Kowa 6MM model is the provision of
a mirror-lockup and double exposure options on the 6MM models. The Kowa
Super 66 model featured L-shaped
interchangeable backs (16/32, 12/24, and Polaroid) which are unique to
that model only. The Kowa Super 66 also had a different L-shaped grip and
some minor changes in screens per email from users.
Why are these Kowa cameras considered to be classic medium format cameras?
The Kowa medium format cameras were produced in the 1970s, making them eligible for classic camera status after a quarter century of distinguished photographic service!
The Kowa camera lenses featured a Seiko leaf shutter in each lens,
thereby providing full flash synchronization at any speed.
The available Kowa lenses were exceptional in both quality and range of
choices. The Kowa parent optical company was a reknowned optical designer
and lens manufacturer.
Some Kowa lenses such as the 19mm f/4.5 fisheye are still unique (and
rare) optics in any medium format system.
A surprising variety of waist level viewfinders, chimney magnifiers, 45 and 90 degree glass prisms, 45 and 90 degree TTL metering prism/finders, and even open-frame sportfinders are available for special needs. Six focusing screens also provide many professionally useful options.
In short, the Kowa lineage of medium format SLRs offer a number of unique optical and quality design features that well justify calling them "classics".
Why are these Kowa medium format cameras called system cameras?
The Kowa medium format cameras featured interchangeable:
The Kowa 6 and 6MM medium format SLR cameras were semi-system cameras,
featuring interchangeable lenses, viewfinders, and viewing screens, but
lacking easy interchangeable film backs or magazines.
The later Kowa
Super 66 model was a full system camera, thanks to its unique, L-shaped
interchangeable
back design with 12/24, 16/32, and Polaroid back options.
Except for these interchangeable backs and a few related accessories, the
Kowa 6, 6MM, and Super 66 cameras can share a wide range of
interchangeable lenses, bellows, extension tubes, 2X teleconverter,
viewing screens, and a surprising number of interchangeable viewfinders.
NOTE: The Kowa 6/6MM can remove their hinged backs to use a Polaroid back for those cameras (not the same as for the Super 66!), but such backs are very rare.
Why are these Kowa medium format cameras called the "poor man's Hasselblad"?
These Kowa medium format cameras provided high quality optics with leaf
shutter lenses with a rugged and reliable camera body. The costs are significantly
less than for a similar Hasselblad system, especially if multiple lenses
are purchased.
Today, you can buy a high quality Kowa medium format camera
with leaf shutter for a small fraction of the cost of a similarly aged
and used Hasselblad system. Many Kowa 6 systems with 85mm leaf shutter
lens sell for $400 US and under. Some used Kowa lenses are still selling
for 10-20% of the price of similar new leaf shutter Zeiss lenses for
Hasselblad or Rolleiflex systems.
What lenses are available for these Kowa medium format cameras?
Kowa prime lenses include:
Prices in parentheses above are list prices for lenses in mid-1974, but as noted below, these price points also serve as a good estimator for current prices for these lenses on the used market too!
From p. 11, Camera Buyer's Guide - 1970 in Life Library of Photography, we get Kowa Six plus 85mm f/2.8 lens for $349.50 and prices shown above for lenses in brackets [$...].
Thanks to a post by Chauncey L. Walden at Medium Format Digest Kowa Thread, we have the following tests from Modern Photography:
| Nov-68 | ||||
| 85mm | ||||
| aperture | center | center lpm | edge | edge lpm |
| f/2.8 | acceptable | 40 | acceptable | 25 |
| f/4 | good | 65+ | acceptable | 35 |
| f/5.6 | very good | 80 | acceptable | 35 |
| f/8 | very good | 80 | acceptable | 35 |
| f/11 | excellent | 85 | very good | 40+ |
| f/16 | excellent | 85 | very good | 40+ |
| f/22 | good | 65 | acceptable | 35 |
| Sep-71 | ||||
| 250mm | ||||
| f/5.6 | excellent | 85 | good | 65 |
| f/8 | excellent | 85 | acceptable | 35 |
| f/11 | excellent | 85 | acceptable | 35 |
| f/16 | excellent | 85 | acceptable | 35 |
| f/22 | very good | 65+ | acceptable | 35 |
| f/32 | good | 40+ | good | 40+ |
The obvious point is that these lenses are very good overall, and
virtually diffraction limited by f/5.6 through f/16. Since individual
lenses may vary, I strongly recommend that you test your lenses to learn their optimal
performance points.
Should you upgrade from Kowa 6/66 lenses to more modern optics? See our
Kowa versus Bronica and Hasselblad pages
before you "upgrade" to something else!
Why are Kowa 6/66 owners relatively content with this limited Kowa lens lineup?
The key reason that there doesn't seem to be a lot more "lens hacking" for Kowa 6/66, besides the need to provide an integral leaf shutter mechanism, is the relatively low cost and clever design of the available Kowa lens line.
The wide angle lenses include not just a 55mm and 40mm, but also a superwide 35mm and unique (and rare) 19mm fisheye! Besides a relatively fast 85mm f/2.8 normal lens, there is also a 110mm macro lens. The macro lens can also be used on a bellows in full automatic mode, as well as with the 2X teleconverter and three automatic extension tubes.
The telephoto lineup is equally dense as the wide angle lineup, with a fast 150mm f/3.5 portrait lens and both 200mm and 250mm lenses and super-long 500mm lenses. A pricey 2X teleconverter provides high quality, hole-filling 300mm (using 150mm and 2X), 400mm (using 200mm and 2X) and 1,000mm (using 500mm and 2X) options. The 2X teleconverter is optimized for 1,000 mm use with the 500mm lens.
Except for Bronica and Hasselblad,
most classic medium format SLRs did not feature or offer such an extensive
leaf shutter lens lineup as the Kowa 6/66 SLRs, so Kowa 6/66 owners
have a lot of lenses to choose from.
What are the advantages of leaf shutter lenses as on the Kowa 6/66?
A leaf shutter lens can synchronize with an electronic flash at any speed, from 1/500th second on down. By comparison, most focal plane shutter cameras in medium format have maximum flash synch (X-synch) speeds in the 1/30th to 1/60th of a second range.
Thanks to this range, the photographer can select shutter speeds and
flash settings that will balance ambient light with some flash lighting
(typically a stop below ambient), producing a pleasing flash fill
lighting effect.
With a focal plane shutter that flash synchs at 1/30th or 1/60th of a
second, you can't use the full range of fast shutter speeds (above 1/30th
or 1/60th through 1/500th of a second). Yet when you expose a flash shot
at 1/30th in bright ambient lighting, you may get two exposures - one
from the flash and the other from ambient lighting (daylight). The
ambient light image will often be blurry due to subject movement during
the 1/30th second exposure in bright lighting conditions.
Most focal plane shutter cameras such as the Bronica S2a have at least one leaf shutter
lens in their lens lineup to provide such capabilities to their owners.
There are lots of areas of photography where the slow flash synch speed
is not important. But leaf shutter lenses do offer this extra flexibility
which makes them very useful for some types of photography such as
outdoor portraiture.
What are the disadvantages of leaf shutter lenses?
Kowa lenses have their own leaf shutter in each lens. That design
means shutter speeds may vary somewhat between lenses. On a focal plane
shutter camera, you have only one shutter in the camera body, not in each
lens, so speeds don't vary if you change lenses.
So on a leaf shutter lens camera, one leaf shutter may run slow at the 1
second setting, while another might run quite a bit faster. Such
differences may be important in some situations, such as working with
slide film of limited latitude.
Finally, the most obvious disadvantage is cost. Each lens has to have its
own shutter, so you pay for a leaf shutter with each lens. That shutter
adds hundreds of dollars to the original and subsequently used lens costs.
Moreover, these leaf shutters in each lens need periodic servicing,
adding to your long-term ownership and repair and maintenance costs.
What is the V, X, and M markings on my Kowa Lenses?
This lever on the lens should be set on X for flash (strobe)
synchronization. The V setting is the self-timer, providing a delay
(from a few on up
to 10 and even 14 or so seconds) which
lets you get into the picture. When you use the self-timer option, the
mirror moves out of the way, the timer runs for the time set (up to 10-14
seconds), and then the exposure is taken.
The Kowa 6 model lacks a mirror
lockup lever found on the later Kowa 6mm cameras. So this self-timer
trick lets you have the benefit of mirror lockup with macro and other
shots when using the Kowa 6 (and Kowa 66) models.
This time delay between the mirror going up and the shutter being tripped
helps the camera minimize the vibration from the large moving mirror
during some exposures (e.g., on microscope or bellows macro-shots, long
telephoto lenses).
Finally, the M setting is for flash bulbs of type M (hence the "M" setting). If your flash shots turn out under-exposed, this lever being mis-set to M is the likely culprit! Many folks jam something like a bit of matchstick (ahem) in the MVX slot so the camera stays on the X setting to prevent flash photo disasters.
How loud is the Kowa shutter? What does it sound like?
One of my Kowa 6 bodies sounds like this (.wav file). Compare to the loud Bronica S2a sounds. While the Kowa 6 is a lot quieter, the large moving mirror is still moderately noisy. If quiet operation is a must, either use a mirror lockup operation on your Kowa 6MM or switch to a mamiya TLR or similar quieter design camera (e.g., Fuji rangefinder).
What is a non-instant return mirror? blackout?
Like the Hasselblad 500C, the Kowa cameras used a non-instant return mirror. When you make your exposure, the mirror pops up and the leaf shutter makes the exposure. That's it. To see the scene again, you have to turn the film advance crank that moves the mirror into place and recocks the shutter and opens the lens up automatically. Since you can't see anything while the mirror is up, you have a black-out situation.
Instant return mirror designs (such as the contemporary Bronica S2A) made the point that you could see
the scene again quickly without blackouts. They claimed you could see if
somebody grimaced or otherwise ruined a shot during an exposure, thanks to
the instant return mirror. Maybe some users can do this reliably, but
I am one Bronica/Kowa/Hassy owner who can't. Shooting more film is
more reliable and cheap insurance for such rapidly changing
situations.
The real black-out champs are twin lens
reflex cameras such as my Rolleiflex 3.5f TLR. TLRs don't have any
blackouts, obviously, as they don't have any swinging mirrors. You can
also use sport finder accessories with the regular SLRs, such as Kowa's
sport finder, to permit reasonably accurate framing without blackout.
How can I achieve Mirror Lockup benefits on my Kowa 6? (vs. Kowa 6MM)
The Kowa 6MM had a manual mirror lockup control added to that later
model, making it ideal for macrophotography and telephotography where
mirror lockup is most useful. But what if you have the earlier
Kowa 6 model (or Kowa 66)? You may be able to
achieve the same benefits of mirror lockup
by simply using the self-timer in each Kowa lens (the V in MVX
setting). Up to a ten+ second delay can be enabled, but the lens synch is
still X-synch (for strobe electronic flash). Since most mirror lockup uses
in macro and long lens use is on a tripod or macro-stage, the slight delay
lets vibrations die down with the mirror up, then the exposure is
tripped.
What size filters do I need for Kowa lenses?
The majority of Kowa lenses use 67mm filter threads. Note that 67mm threads correspond to Series VIII filter accessories such as fisheye adapters and so on. Some of the earlier 55mm and 150mm lenses may not have 67mm filter threads (early 55 mm lens used 86mm filters, 150mm lens used 77mm filters). Besides this standard size, the 500mm lens uses a 95mm filter size. The 35mm and 40mm lenses have rear gelatin filter holders of 33mm size, while the rare 19mm fisheye lens uses 37.5 mm rear filter mounts. See Filters Page for more information and ideas!
Are Kowa lenses multi-coated? single coated? uncoated?
Kowa lenses are single coated optics. As older lenses from the mid-70s, they do not feature the same degree of multi-coating that we take for granted today. This feature won't be a problem for most users and most situations, unless you are shooting into the sun or other bright light source. However, most single coated lenses will benefit from use of a lens hood to control off-axis flare.
Kowa prime lenses have relatively fewer elements and groups (5-8 typically) than the usual 35mm zoom lens, where multi-coating is mandatory. An uncoated normal lens might pass 65% of incident light, a single coated lens might pass 95%, while a multi-coated lens might reach 97-98%. So the biggest benefit is from coated versus uncoated lenses. In fact, Nikon's new Series E lenses feature single coating as an economy measure with minimal impact on flare results or sharpness.
Older single coated optics have a major advantage over multi-coated optics. Many uncoated and single coated lenses can be used for ultraviolet photography, unlike their multi-coated brethren (see UV Q/A herein).
Why do you strongly recommend a lens hood?
Simply stated, a lens hood is a doubly great investment. First, it will help protect your lens from flare which can reduce contrast and color saturation in your photographs. Second, when (not if) you drop a lens, the lens hood will often absorb the blow and protect the lens and lens threads much better than a filter.
I like the compendium lens hoods (such as Ambico+ low cost model), which
act like an accordion and expand or reduce to match different lenses
optimally. You can use various masks and standard resin or gel filters. The
professional series filters by Cokin/Minolta, Ambico, Lee, and others also
have filter holders which can stack mount lens hood modules as
needed.
Are black lenses better than chrome lenses?
The original Kowa 6 lenses were chrome finish, while the later Kowa Super 66 lenses were black satin finish. Some buyers make a big deal over which is better. The observed price differences slightly favor the black satin finish lenses over the chrome versions. Obviously, the later black lenses won't color coordinate with your chrome Kowa 6 body, but they will fit and work fine, and vice versa.
Reportedly, only the early chrome 55mm and 150mm lenses were different
optically. They can be identified by having a larger filter size than
the standard 67mm filter size seen
in the later chrome and black finish lenses. The early 55mm lenses had
86mm filter sizes, while the 150mm lens had 77mm filter threads. The rest of
the Kowa prime lenses are identical
formulas and designs, with just the outer barrel finish being different.
Keep this in mind when you see the large price differences between the chrome and black finish lenses which are optically identical and mount on all Kowa cameras too. The chrome lenses are often an excellent bargain, being functionally identical to their more sought after black finish brethren.
While later designs are usually better, the big benefit from the
later formula 55/150mm lenses would seem to be in the
use of the standard 67mm filter size. The earlier 55/150mm chrome lenses may
have had fewer
optical design trade-offs, being larger, compared to the later redesign
to reduce the optic sizes. However, hard comparative test data is lacking.
You
probably will be happy with either new or old 55mm and 150mm lens designs.
However, if you use a lot of filters, it may be economical to look into
standardizing on a single (largest) size and using step-up rings for the
smaller sized lenses [e.g., 67mm to 77mm step-up ring and 77mm filters].
Where can I find current Kowa 6/66 price information? Online?
See our Kowa Price Guide for some recent price points from dealers and EBAY auctions. You can also check the dealer links if looking for a particular Kowa item. Some items like 19mm lens are so rarely sold that there isn't really a set market price.
Current pricing information can also be gleaned from the chapter on Kowa 6/66 cameras in McBroom's Camera Bluebook Pricing Guide. Visit Mr. McBroom's home page for a 30% discount for online buyers of his book! A new edition is due out too [04/00 site is off-line except for entry page? - try McBroom's Book at Barnes and Nobles].
There is a shareware online price guide (see link at top of camera library page). You can also check recent sales prices for online auctions by using the search engine at EBAY online auction (http://www.ebay.com). Dejanews can provide searches for Kowa 6/66 items on USENET, including recent ads and prices. Both the rec.photo.marketplace and rec.photo.equipment.medium-format groups are good places to find Kowa related items.
Finally, you can check online dealer ads at Jeff Albro's IMPACT Used Gear pages. There are also useful guides to store ratings, and how to avoid online scams linked here too!
Where can I find used gear dealers who handle Kowa items online?
Thanks to Duncan Ross, you can use his list of hot Kowa used gear sites. You can also search for individual seller ads in the classified ads links at Jeff Albro's IMPACT used photo gear pages.
Where can I find a price guide to Kowa 6/66 cameras, lenses, and other accessories?
See Kowa Price Guide for sample prices, list of dealers with links, and comparison prices (from 1/22/00) at EBAY auction.
What does a startup Kowa 6/66 classic camera system cost? Accessories? Lenses?
You can usually find a Kowa 6/66 camera with waist level finder and standard 85mm f/2.8 lens for $375-450 US, depending on condition. At this price, the Kowa 6/66 is the lowest price medium format 6x6 SLR with leaf shutter lens system and such high quality optics.
Other Kowa 6/66 system items are similarly inexpensive by modern medium format standards. While a standard Kowa Super 66 12/24 back might be $125 (8+), the Polaroid back is a more hefty $350 (9). A Kowa prism is only $175, while a later black 150mm f/3.5 lens (9) runs circa $325 US [prices 8/98 Midwest Photo]. A Kowa 55mm lens is only $250, a chrome 150mm only $275, and so on [prices 8/98 KEH].
In short, you can build a nice three leaf shutter lens Kowa 6/66 outfit, with 55mm f/3.5, 85mm f/2.8, and 150mm f/3.5 lenses, and both waist level and an eye level prism finder, for roughly $1,100 US.
Why do you claim Kowa 6/66 prices are caught in a time-warp from the 1970s?
Today's used Kowa prices are similar to the Kowa list prices
from the mid-1970s. But you are paying in today's dollarettes, which are
worth less than a third as much in constant dollar terms (see Deja-Vu on
prices). In other words, a 150mm f/3.5 Kowa lens listed for $462 in the
mid-1970s, sold at discount for $350 (1976 Pop. Photo Ad), but can be
bought today for about the same $350, albeit used! A similar new lens
today would cost over three times as much in inflation adjusted dollars,
or well over $1,000 US.
By contrast, Hasselblad used lenses have
gone way up in dollar terms to match the huge, much faster than inflation
rise in Zeiss lens costs. In the 1970s, Hasselblad lenses used to cost 50%
or so more than equivalent Kowa lenses. To match that same ratio today,
Hasselblad used lenses would need to cost under $500, while they are
usually more like 3 to 5+ times the Kowa lenses prices depending on focal
lengths. Taken together, Kowa prime lenses seem like huge bargains
featuring prices from the 1970s compared to new or used Hasselblad,
Bronica, and other lenses which sell for three to ten times as much or
more!
More important is the system cost of your final setup. I found that
while I could afford a Hasselblad body with zeiss lens, the cost of more
lenses (at average prices over $1K US and up used) was prohibitive. With a
Kowa system, you can build a typical 3 lens (55/85/150) system with a
Kowa Super 66 body and metering prism for less than the price of a single
older Hasselblad lens used! Similar arguments would apply, if less
steeply, with other leaf shutter cameras such as the Bronica ETR/SQ/GS or
Mamiya RB/RZ.
Where can I put or find ads for Kowa 6/66 related items I want to sell or buy?
Many folks advertise for free on rec.photo.marketplace, one of the USENET groups. You will find Kowa 6/66 items sold here periodically, usually averaging about an ad or two every week or so. Another source of Kowa 6/66 items is the online EBAY auction (http://www.ebay.com). While it costs a nominal sum to list items for sale here, you can set a minimum price and hope for higher bids in the last-minute feeding frenzies! Phil Greenspun's PhotoNet classifieds are also free, and a good source to buy and sell between individuals. This site and others are listed in Jeff Albro's IMPACT Used Gear pages. Be sure to read up on cautions for online buying on the latter pages!
What is my Kowa 6/66 camera or lens worth?
Most dealers will only offer a fraction (circa 35-50%) of the expected selling price to you if you sell to them. They have to pay ad costs, overhead, salaries and so on, after all. Don't expect to get the same price as a dealer for your item, since you aren't offering credit (MC/Visa) or guarantees to the buyers like a dealer would.
Usually, most individual to individual sales split the difference, with the buyer paying 75-80% of the expected cost for a similar condition item. The seller gains not the 50% or so the dealer would have offered, but the 75% from splitting the difference. Still, I have seen some items fetch more than dealer prices on EBAY, so this may vary with condition, market demand, and timing.
What should I look out for in buying a used Kowa 6/66 medium format camera?
Some vintage cameras get reputations for problems, both deserved and not. While only a small fraction of users may experience these ''common'' problems, you don't want to be one of them. If your camera does not have these problems when you buy it, you may experience years of trouble-free happy ownership with minimal camera care.
The Kowa 6/6MM cameras have a modest reputation for having soft gears in the film advance mechanism (similar to problems with the Bronica S/C series cameras). Look for wear in this area in particular. Some folks have removed the fold-out rapid winding crank to reduce gear wear and abuse. Another suggested check is to have a roll of film processed and returned in sleeves, so you can check for overlap or uneven spacing between frames.
I have seen reports of problems with the replaceable backs on the Super 66 models. Here again, close inspection for heavy professional use or abuse could save future problems.
For other camera and lens checks, see our camera
and lens testing page!
What is the main disadvantage of buying a Kowa 6/66 system?
The key issue is the availability of quality repair work and service. After all, Kowa 6/66 systems are classic cameras in the sense of being a quarter century old. Parts have to come from defunct donor cameras, which not all repair facilities will have available. Not all repair persons will be able to repair a classic mechanical medium format SLR like these Kowa 6/66 cameras.
A related disadvantage is that some of the accessories and lenses are relatively rare. As you might expect, the higher cost items like the 19mm fisheye lens, the 35mm, 40mm, and 500mm lenses are also rare and hard to find. A few accessories such as the Kowa Super 66 Polaroid backs and microscope adapter are not quite rare, but still take a bit of searching.
Is there a source for shutter repair parts?
Yes, the same Copal #0 shutters used in the Kowa 6/66 lenses are also still being used by Mamiya in some of their current medium format camera lenses (TLR series..). So chances are good that if your repairperson needs shutter parts to repair a lens, they will be available for some time to come. Since lenses are a major investment cost, that's good news. And since leaf shutter lenses need periodic maintenance, that's also good news since lots of repairpersons have experience with the more recent Mamiya medium format leaf shutter camera lenses. So they will be equipped and have access to shutter parts to work on this critical element of your Kowa 6/66 system.
What is the best solution to these Kowa 6/66 disadvantages?
Backups are the easy answer to improving reliability and availability of any system. Consider buying extra bodies and backs (for Kowa Super 66 users).
Ideally, you should have at least 3 camera bodies for professional work. One body can be in repair (possibly waiting for parts) while you still have a working camera and backup. Fortunately, the cost of Kowa bodies is quite reasonable, often from $250 US and up. A spare 85mm f/2.8 lens may only cost $100 US.
Amateur photographers may prefer to retain or purchase a low-cost leaf-shutter Twin Lens Reflex camera such as the Rolleicord, Minoltacords, Ricohflexes, or Yashicamats. [See Camera Library TLR listings].
What is the rarest Kowa item?
This photo of the Kowa 19mm f/4.5 lens is probably the rarest Kowa item, understandable given its $2,700 price when that sum (in 1970s) would have bought a nice new car.
How long has the parent Kowa Optical company been out of business?
Surprise! Kowa Optical Industries continues in business today, but mainly
as a specialty optical house rather than as a mass-market camera or lens
manufacturer. Unfortunately, they don't fix or support these older Kowa
medium format cameras, nor the 35mm and other consumer cameras they made.
Kowa also made a SET/R series of 35mm cameras, with shutter in body design, which were
very problem-prone and costly to repair. So while the optics were good, the 35mm bodies
got a really bad reputation (deservedly so, many would say). If you see some great bargains
in Kowa lenses on Ebay, you have to double check to be sure they fit the Kowa 6/66 series
cameras, and not the 35mm or large format Kowa made optics.
Why didn't these Kowa medium format cameras succeed in the marketplace?
Let me offer my own opinion here. The Kowa 6 was less than a full-system camera, due to the lack of interchangeable backs. The Kowa leaf shutter lenses cost more than focal plane camera lenses from competitors such as Bronica at the low cost end. At the high end, the Hasselblad cameras of the 1970s were fully developed and flexible system cameras well liked and trusted by many pro photographers. The Zeiss lenses were superb too.
Hasselblad initially started with a focal plane camera series, the 1600f and later 1000f models. These models were copied by the classic Bronica 6x6 cameras such as the Z, D, S, S2, C, S2A, and EC models, as well as the Kiev-88 models.
The Hasselblad 500C model marked a switch to a leaf shutter lens camera, with the prime optics being provided by Zeiss, albeit at a high price. The Hasselblad 500C was the only leaf-shutter lensed SLR medium format system camera of the 1960s. The Hasselblad 500C's flash synch at any speed simply clobbered its focal plane camera competitors with their slow (1/30th typical) flash synch speeds. The Hasselblad system also offered many interchangeable backs, including 120, 220, 16/32, superslide, and several Polaroid backs among others. By the 1970s, Hasselblad was established as the pre-eminent professional photographer's medium format 6x6 camera of choice.
The Kowa 6 camera was designed to compete against the Hasselblad 500C and 500C/M cameras and Zeiss optics by providing the finest Japanese optics on a lower cost medium format system camera design. But knocking off an established competitor with a near monopoly is hard to pull off!
Some early problems with film advance gearing soured some professional users spoiled by the high reliability achieved by Hasselblad cameras (after decades of development efforts and fine tuning under the hood). Another important issue was the relatively high cost of Kowa lenses with their leaf shutters versus lower cost rivals such as Bronica. See Deja Vu on Kowa versus Hasselblad pricing for this 1970s period.
Unfortunately, the original Kowa 6 camera did not feature easy interchangeability of film backs as with the Hasselblad 500C and C/M models. This oversight was not made up until the later Kowa Super 66 model cameras, but by then it was too late. Professional photographers had decided to stick with their investments in Hasselblad cameras, lenses, and accessories rather than switch to the new Kowa camera models and leaf shutter lenses.
Can other manufacturer's lenses be used or mounted on the Kowa 6 series cameras?
Generally, you will find most Kowa SLR users stick with the original
Kowa prime lenses. Since the Kowa medium format cameras used leaf shutter
lenses, a similar
leaf shutter mechanism would have had to be provided for using other manufacturer's
lenses.
Kowa 6 and Super 66 lenses use a breech lock mechanism with film registration distance of 79.00 mm (see W.J. Markerink's Lens Registration Table). The Hasselblad leaf shutter mount is less, only 74.90mm, so you could not use these lenses on the Kowa 6/66 mount without an optical adapter.
In any case, the Kowa 6/66 lenses are generally the lowest cost leaf shutter lenses for 6x6 medium format cameras. The low cost Kiev-88 optics (82.10mm) and Bronica S2a optics (101.70mm) have the needed longer lens registration distances to make adaptation easier, but don't have the integral leaf shutters we need.
However, there is a Kowa Microscope adapter with integral leaf shutter
(Cat. No. 663-359 - $199 in 1974). Such an adapter could be used to mount
certain optics to the Kowa 6/66 lens mount, with full shutter features
and automation. While aimed at mounting telescopes and microscopes, many
optics might be candidates if the price is right. Lacking such a microscope
adapter (rare), an experienced optical technician might be able to remove
the glass from an existing Kowa 85mm or other lens with required leaf shutter
elements and create a mount adapter. For more related information, see Home Brew Lenses
and Lens
Hacking articles.
The Kowa 6/66 SLR users have a choice of:
The Kowa automatic bellows fits all Kowa models (Kowa 6, 6MM, Super
66). Being automatic, these bellows make it easy to do macro-work. A dual
cable release provides several operating modes, including one in which the
mirror is locked up prior to exposure.
Independent front and rear focusing controls make it easy to work closeup. The bellows has various magnification ratios and other information for four Kowa lenses engraved on the railings. Used with TTL meter/finders, you can read and set exposure directly.
An interesting feature of the Kowa bellows is a tilt/shift option that proves 20 degrees of front/back vertical tilt, with a 15mm rise or fall capability. This makes it easier to control the plane of the depth of focus on the macro-object, similar to using the bellows as a mini-view camera with perspective controls. The Kowa bellows does not provide infinity focusing, so these tilts and shifts are limited to closeup photography perspective controls.
The 85mm lens provides life-size (1X) to 3X continuously variable
magnification on the bellows.
For more information, see Kowa
66 Bellows technical information bulletin.
Why is the M/X/V flash synch at any speed such a big deal?
On most focal plane medium format cameras, you are limited to a top flash synch speed of 1/30th or 1/45th second. With a leaf shutter Kowa lens, you can have flash synch at any speed, from 1 second to 1/500th. This trick makes it possible to control fill-in flash over a more flexible range, as one often-cited benefit of leaf shutter lenses.
You can also use a variety of flash bulb types with your Kowa camera. Flashbulbs provide a lot of light in a compact package, sometimes an ideal solution for really big lighting jobs.
How can I decide between square (6x6cm) or rectangular (6x4.5cm)
formats?
With the Kowa Super 66, you don't have too. Just buy a 16/32 back and you can have 16 (on 120 film) or 32 (on 220 film) exposures in a 6x4.5cm format.
On the Kowa 6/6MM, you can simply compose a 6x4.5cm vertical or horizontal rectangle on your regular 6x6 viewscreen. I find a thin clear plastic sheet, inscribed with these markings (and 1 5/8x1 5/8 superslide square) is a handy and cheap aid to composing these shots. Later, I can simply cut out the desired composition using a low cost film cutter ($29 at KEH) and mount the superslide.
You can also add rule of thirds or other composition aids on a similar plastic sheet, and place under your waist level finder or prism.
Can I shoot superslides with the 6x6 backs? 6x4.5 backs?
You can shoot 4x4cm super-slides using any film back. Superslides big advantage is that they fit into regular 35mm projectors. The superslide mounts are also 2'' x 2'' in size (as are 35mm slides), so you have to compose and crop your images with this purpose in mind (or dupe 6x6 slides down to this format). The superslide is intermediate between the full 6x6 slide and 35mm slides. Superslides have about twice the useful film area and impact of 35mm slides. Since you are just cropping the larger negative, you can get this extra ''free'' format from either the regular Kowa 6 6x6 image or Super 66 16/32 back using 6x4.5cm format.
See Medium format slide projectors
for new and used options. This page also covers larger than 6x6 projectors
that can be used for 6x6 too. See also Asian
discount prices for lower cost new slide projectors (such as Mamiya's
cabin series) at savings of 40% to 60%!
What about making double or multiple exposures?
Double exposure capability was one of the features missing in the original Kowa 6, but added along with mirror lockup on the Kowa 6MM model. The Kowa Super 66 also has easy double and multiple exposure.
What about mirror lockup on my Kowa camera?
The Kowa 6MM added a mirror lockup control to the Kowa 6 (retained in the Kowa Super 66 too). The Kowa 6 would lock up the mirror when the integral ten second self-timer was used to make the exposure. The Kowa Super 66 also has a mirror lockup feature.
How can I switch from 120 to 220 film on my Kowa 6/6MM? Kowa Super 66?
The Kowa 6/66 feature easy provisions to accept either 120 or 220 film for 12 or 24 exposures respectively. You move a pressure plate to either the #12 or #24 position, and set the film counter knob to match.
Why won't this Kowa lens go back on the camera?
The camera may have been triggered with the lens off the camera, so
the mirror is out of position, or the lens shutter may have been
triggered off the camera. They need to match states to line up and
remount the lens. See Kowa 6 or your manual for
more information.
Why is the L-shaped back of the Kowa Super 66 an advantage?
The L-shaped back of the Kowa Super 66 provides a non-curling film path. Film left in conventional backs (such as Hasselblad, Bronica) tend to curl or buckle, providing less than optimal flatness. The Kowa Super 66 addressed this issue with a unique L-shaped back and straight film path that eliminated this buckling tendency. Kowa Super 66 cameras therefore have one of the flattest film holder designs in medium format photography, which helps improve image sharpness.
Another feature worth noting is the unique design of these Kowa Super 66 interchangeable backs with regard to dark slides. They don't have any! An integral light shield slides out of place to take the exposure, but snaps back to ensure the light tightness integrity of the back when removed and off camera. No more losing those hard to find dark slides!
What about Polaroid backs for the Super 66? Kowa 6/6MM?
A Polaroid back is available for the Super 66. The Polaroid magazine accepts standard Polaroid type 105 (black and white print/negative) or 108 (color print) film packs, each yielding 8 2 1/4'' x 2 1/4'' exposures. Each Polaroid film type is rated at ASA 75.
There is also a (very rare) Polaroid back for Kowa 6/6MM mounting. The Kowa 6/6MM camera's hinged back is removed by opening and pushing on the serrated button on the top left hand side of the back hinge, allowing the back to lift off and away. The Polaroid back is then swung into place and used, then the film back is remounted. But my main interest in this Kowa factoid is more in line with the idea of building a home-brew 70mm film back.
If you need a Polaroid back, select a Kowa Super 66 model and expect to pay $350 US or so for a used Polaroid back.
Where can I get my Kowa repaired? Buy a Kowa Repair Manual?
One name that comes up repeatedly is Ross Yerkes Camera Repair, in Los
Angeles (CA.) - 323-256-1018. Mike Jenkins
also solicits Kowa repairs - (503) 236-6109. See Repair
Site Pages for contact information of repair persons known to work
on classic cameras. Shutterbug Ads
also has ads from camera repair persons.
Roughly 98% of all camera repairs do not require replacement
parts, simply a clean-lube-adjust. You should seek out repair-persons who
have experience with vintage cameras, and Kowa medium format in particular.
Ed Romney has an 80 page reprint of the Kowa Super 66 repair manual available for $25.
Are Diopter lenses available for prisms? Waist Level Finder?
Yes, Kowa diopter lenses in strengths from -4 to +3 are available, and fit both prisms and waist level viewfinder's pop-up magnifier.
What focusing screens are available?
Focusing screens which fit both Kowa 6/6MM and Super 66 include:
Why is the Kowa flash bracket mount so sturdy and handy?
The Kowa flash bracket is a two point system, using both the tripod socket and accessory side shoe mount to provide a really rigid mounting. The Kowa flash terminal also uses a locking PC terminal, so fewer glitches will be experienced from loose cords falling out. There is also an old style Graflex twin blade (power-cord style) plug option.
What is the trick with Kowa 66 and Tripods?
As an aside, I have noticed in several places on the web a mention of the fact that the Kowa 66 needs a tripod "spacer" to allow changing backs (or opening the back) while mounted on a tripod (or even when a tripod "quick change" adapter plate is mounted on the body). I have never seen one of the original Kowa adapters for sale (although I have seen a custom made adapter for sale). It may be worth a mention in your discussion of the Super66 that the Kowa side grip (not the pistol grip) incorporates a tripod spacer and an offset tripod mount which allows the film back to opened or changed while mounted on the grip and while mounted on a tripod. Thanks to Art Curths [email protected] for this tip!
What is the 80% solution in Medium Format Photography?
The Curing Lens
Envy home page describes how most contest winning photographs were
taken with the normal lens (circa 80%). In short,
you can probably get 80% of those contest winning style photographs
simply by using your camera's normal lens (and maybe a bit of walking).
That's good news, because there aren't any Kowa medium format zoom lenses.
Most photographers add a wide angle (55mm) and portrait telephoto (150mm)
to the Kowa 85mm lens for their standard kit. Closeup lenses are also
relatively cheap. An enlarger or zoom
slide duplicator can provide some zoom-like telephoto effects in many
applications, but wide angle or fisheye shots are harder to fake in the
darkroom.
Using a variety of low cost front of the normal lens adapters can provide
fisheye, superwide, and even telephoto effects at low cost. So please
don't despair that you can't take fisheye or superwide photos with your
Kowa 6/66 without spending a fortune. You can, at low cost, as we'll show
below.
How can I get low-cost fisheye effects using my Kowa medium format SLR camera?
Some 180 degree fisheye adapters can be mounted on the front of the Kowa normal 85mm lens, using the 67mm filter ring, to provide fisheye effects at relatively low cost ($50US-$100US+). Prime Kowa fisheye lenses would have better contrast, light falloff, and flare resistance than these adapters. Few such prime lenses are available and they are quite expensive when found. You can have a lot of fun with fisheye and ultra-wide effects by using these adapters for very little money.
See fisheye adapters
for sample photos, review, and related postings on using
fisheye adapters. The Kowa 67mm filter ring thread also fits most Series
VII fisheye adapters by using a Series VII-->VIII adapter ring.
How can I get moderate telephoto or wide angle effects while I am looking and saving for prime lenses?
Again, some wide angle and telephoto adapters are available that mount
on the 67mm (Series VIII) filter ring of your Kowa normal 85mm lens to
provide wide angle and telephoto
effects. All such converters are lower
quality and more flare-prone than prime lenses, but the costs for these
adapters are much less (e.g., $25US-$50US+). See auxiliary
wide/tele adapters.
One advantage of these adapters is that they
don't reduce the speed of the prime lens (e.g., Kowa 85mm f/2.8) they
are used on. Unfortunately, you will probably have to stop down to f/11
or f1/16 to get optimal sharpness from most low cost lens adapters.
The .75X wide angle adapter is the more useful, since it provides
an intermediate step (around 65mm) between the available Kowa 85mm and
55mm prime lenses.
The mild 1.25X telephoto adapter converts the 85mm to
circa 115mm (i.e., similar to the Kowa 110mm macro lens, but lower
quality and softer images). However, some photographers really like
the softer telephoto adapter images for short telephoto portrait
work, using it nearly wide open.
There are also super-wide
angle adapters (called
.42X ''Mutars'') which convert your Kowa 85mm lens to a 35mm superwide
semi-fisheye lens. Cost is low ($35-75 US), although you will probably
need a series VII-->VIII adapter ring too ($10 US). The corners of your
photos may slightly vignette (mine does). See Greg Erker's Mutar
page for some fun comparisons!
Finally, remember that the pricey Kowa 2x Telephoto
converter can provide additional telephoto factors for your prime lenses
with some losses in light (e.g., 2 stops) and contrast. As noted
elsewhere, this teleconverter can fill in some holes in the Kowa lens
lineup.
How can I use my Kowa SLR camera for astrophotography? photomicrography?
Kowa medium format SLR cameras can be used with both telescopes and microscopes. A standard microscope adapter accessory (list $199 in 1974) provides an integral Seiko leaf shutter.
Lacking this accessory, you may be able to use eyepiece projection, in which the image is formed using the Kowa camera lens and body in place of the lens of the eye and retina. Set your lens on infinity, and adjust lens position and telescope focusing so you get the sharpest and largest image.
Can I use my Kowa medium format SLR camera for infra-red photography?
The Kowa 6/6MM and Super 66 camera lenses all work well in infrared
photography applications. The Kowa lenses have an infrared focusing mark
needed for easy off-set focusing for infrared film.
Can I use my Kowa medium format SLR camera for ultraviolet light photography?
Ultraviolet light photography may be possible thanks to Kowa's single lens coating. A simple Wratten #18A or Hoya U-360 filter passes only ultraviolet light in the 280nm to 450nm range. Conventional films such as Tmax or other black and white films are very sensitive to UV, as are some Fuji tungsten lighting color films among others. For more details, see About UV Photography.
Why does medium format depth of field seem to be less than 35mm?
Technically, you can argue that depth of field is the same for the same image height between formats. But in practice, most medium format users find they have less depth of field to work with. After all, your Kowa normal lens is an 85mm lens, which is a moderate tele-lens on a 35mm camera and considered to have less DOF than the usual 50mm normal lens on 35mm cameras.. This DOF issue puts a premium on careful focusing and attention to DOF effects. See DOF Page for more details.
How can I calculate depth of field for Kowa medium format lenses? Field of view?
See Michael Gilletts Depth of Field Calculator .
See Field of View
calculation using Rui Salgueiro's Field of View Calculator
See Links Page for related DOF calculators and
resource links.
How can the close focusing distance of medium format lenses be improved?
Many photographers are dismayed to discover that close focusing distance
on most medium format telephoto lenses is significantly less than 35mm
lenses with
similar angular coverage. You can either use a 67mm thread fractional
diopter lens [e.g., +1/3 diopter]
to make it possible to focus more closely, or use a Kowa extension tube
(T1, T2, or T3) or bellows to provide closer focusing.
The Kowa lenses are relatively close focusing, except for the 250mm and 500mm telephotos. See Kowa 66 Lens Tables for specific distances. Note also that the Kowa teleconverter doubles the effective focal length, but the lens retains its original close focusing limits.
The Medium Format Digest has a thread on Kowa Medium Format Cameras with some related postings.
Sadly, there are no books devoted completely to the Kowa 6/66 cameras that I am aware of, although most camera collector books covering the 1970s period have a few pages devoted to these interesting Kowa 6/66 camera models and lenses. Shutterbug has featured an article on the Kowa 6 (abstract) camera by Jeffrey Steele in the October 1991 issue (pp. 130-2).
How can I locate Kowa 6/66 related manuals, brochures? product information?
See Kowa 6 and Kowa 66 pages for various brochures and materials. Bill Barton has been very helpful in supplying Kowa Super 66 brochures and price lists, which have served to provide much of the resources now available online at this site on these camera models.
Thanks to Art Curts, an Kowa Super 66
manual in now available at this site online. Several Kowa ads are also
available (ad#1 and ad#2). The Kowa
System Chart gives a good overview of Kowa accessories available too!
Naturally, I welcome and solicit any materials that you have on these classic Kowa 6/66 cameras that you don't see posted here! I would especially welcome manuals for the Kowa 6, 6MM, and Super 66 cameras, as well as any accessories such as Polaroid or other backs, lenses, and so on.
Please contact me at [email protected] if you have any information item not posted on the Kowa 6/66 camera sites. I am happy to pay for photocopying and mailing costs. Thank you!
Sources for camera manuals can be found at Jeff
Albro's IMPACT Used Gear pages too.
Are there any Internet news groups that discuss Kowa 6/66 SLR cameras?
Two groups specifically deal with Kowa 6x6cm SLRs:
See related medium format mailing lists pages for other groups.
Are there any Internet resources that discuss Kowa 6/66 SLR cameras?
Yes. See USENET news group rec.photo.equipment.medium-format for miscellaneous information related to medium format in general, with periodic items directly related to Kowa medium format cameras. Similarly, see the Medium Format Digest for a modest amount of Kowa 6/66 related information, and more medium format materials as well. Note that you can get an Email version of Medium Format Digest if desired.
Another good resource for recent commentary is via searches on Dejanews - a USENET news search service that goes back a month or so on postings by keyword search in thousands of groups (including the rec.photo hierarchy). See http://www.dejanews.com to use this search tool online.
See also the major new Medium Format Photography Site (local):
Camera
Library Pages Medium
Format Photography Articles
Links
Pages
: While we have made every effort to ensure accuracy of the above information, we cannot guarantee complete accuracy in either our sundry sources or transcription. So please double check any critical items before buying or risking any time and money. Thanks! Bobm.
Related Postings:
[Ed. note: contrarian view?...]
Date: 08 Feb 2000
From: [email protected] (RWatson767)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Kowa Super 66/Kowa Six?
Chris
>: Kowa Super 66/Kowa Six?
You should have stopped at the RB67.
I had KOWA for a while. Several years in fact. I do camera repair so
that was no problem. It had great lenses and of course does both 120 and
220 with the same back. Big advantage. But the winding was the weak point.
And the 66 backs are even weaker. Stick with the KOWA 6. Plain and simple.
If you go with the KOWA 6 get two bodies. You will be glad you did. Find a
repairman who will work on them right away.
I now have BR67 ProS's. Great system. Parts available from MAmiya and
they ship right away. Few if any parts available for the KOWA.
Bob AZ
From Koni Omega Mailing List:
Date: Sun, 14 May 2000
From: "R. J. Bender" [email protected]
Subject: Re: [KOML] Koni-Omega/Kowa
[email protected] wrote:
> Is it true that some Kowa lenses share the same PC-locking connector as the > Koni-Omega lenses?
Hi,
Here's the # 6 Koni-Omega cord from Paramount:
http://paramountcords.com/koni-ome.htm
Paramount's #6 cord is shown as a "Koni-Omega Kowa" cord on this page:
http://paramountcords.com/synccords.htm
--
R. J. Bender (A Nikon, Mamiya and Rollei user)
mailto:[email protected]
http://homepages.go.com/~rjbender/home.htm
From Kowa6x6slr mailing list:
Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2000
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: [Kowa6x6slr] Re: DYI repair of magazine light seals (reprint from
usenet)
Be careful to avoid getting acetone on ANYTHING plastic or anything you
want to stay glued. Ross Yerkes uses black wool yarn for the mirror
cusion, which I find holds up better. I did a 2 day shot a few years ago
and my mirror was leaking light. showed up big time in all the mirror up
shots (50% of the shots). Since the shoot was fall foliage, I had to wait
a year to get some of the shots again (and even then it wasn't the same!)
You can get light seal material from http://www.micro-tools.com.
--- In [email protected], graphic@d... wrote:
> From: graphic@d... > Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format > Subject: Re: Kowa 66 > Date: Mon, 29 Nov 99 > > "David M." dmcs@c... writes: > > >$500 is a reasonable price if its in excellent condition. It may need > >servicing, however, and new light seals which can get expensive. > I redid the light seals in one of the 2 magazines that came with the > used Kowa 66. The cost was about 2 bucks....and I have enough > material left over for the second mag. Go to Walmart or any fabric > shop and buy 2 strips of hook-and-loop (Velcro tm) material. Mine was > about 2 inches wide. Scrap the old foam light seals off with a dull > knife or popsicle stick. Clean off the goo with some of the wife's > nail polish remover (acetone) on q-tips. simple cut the "fluffy" part > of the velcro to size, peel the tape off the self adhesive backing to > apply it. Very easy and quick to do especially if you remove the mag > door from the mag body. It's made to detach and couldn't be easier.
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: "Mike" [email protected]
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 2000
Subject: Re: kowa bargains Re: Kowa 66
I am sorry Bob.... most of the Kowa shutter parts will fit the Mamiya TLR
shutters but not the RB. Thankfully I have a lot of parts for both.
Mike
www.mfcrepair.com
"Robert Monaghan" [email protected] wrote
SNIP
> in general Kowa optics are huge bargains, same leaf shutter as mamiya RBs > so shutter parts no problem, used working bodies are cheaper than CLA > repairs too.
Date: Sat, 07 Oct 2000
From: Duncan Ross [email protected]
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Kowa Six vs. Other Options (Mamiya TLR, Rolleiflex 3.5F,
Hasselblad 500CM)
I would put the Kowa lenses up against any other lenses - they are
outstanding. The system's durability should be fine for what you describe
your needs to be. I use my Kowa primarily for portrait and landscape, but
also use a Mamiya 7 system for landscape (which is my primary business).
I started out with only Kowa. The Kowa cameras function well hot temps as
well as in sub zero temps with a freezing mist falling (I live in Niagara
Falls). They are built like tanks with stainless steel bodies. The only
weak point is the wind mechanism, but I have only had one break and I
consider that my fault ($120 repair in 1 week). You can see my site for
info on the system:
http://duncanrossphoto.com/Biography/Photographic_resources/photographic_resources.html
[Ed. note: new Kowa Portal link at Kowa
Portal [2/2001]
Take a look at this page on my site for portraits taken with a Kowa 66:
http://duncanrossphoto.com/People__Etc_/people__etc_.html
Everything on this page was shot with a Kowa 66, 85mm, 110mm, or 150mm
lens except the B+W picture of the girl (Canon EOS) and the girl in the
field (Moscow 5). Most used flash, all were hand held
You can also find lot's of great info at Bob M's site -
http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/cameras.html
Having said all that, you should consider using your Rollei or Mamiya.
These are both fine systems. I find that I shoot most (90%) of portraits
with flash, which negates any need for a metered prism. The WL finder is
"cool enough" and I am comfortable with it unless I am in bright light. I
would invest the money in a good flash system, like the quantum Q flash,
and a decent flash bracket. Get the flash as far off the lens as possible.
Hope that helps!
.....
Date: Sun, 8 Oct 2000
From: [email protected] (Derek Green)
Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
Subject: Re: Kowa Six vs. Other Options (Mamiya TLR, Rolleiflex 3.5F,
Hassel...
Hi! While I have no experience with Mamiya, Rolleiflex, etc., I've been
using a Kowa system for a while now, and I'm very happy with it. I
played around with the metered prism, but decided that a hand-held meter
was a better investment. While the metered prism certainly works, it's
nothing special as far as metering systems go, and it also requires the
use of 625 mercury cells (or some equivalent) that may or may not be
available in your area. Good luck with your purchase! DG
Bob,
I almost forgot. There have been references to a Kowa
II which had interchangeable backs and was the basis of
the Super 66. Here's a link- it doesn't say or show
much about the Kowa II but mentions it in passing:
http://www.mediakyoto.com/camerashopper/cla_came_e/KowaSUPER66_e/index_e.html
Also I came accross a price guide in German that lists
the Kowa II. It was probably a short production run.
You'll have to go down almost two-thirds on the page to
see it:
http://photographica-world.de/seite6.htm
Dan
...
From Contax Mailing List:
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000
From: Bob Shell [email protected]
Subject: Re: AW: [CONTAX] [OT] Leaf shutter
The Kowa cameras were always pretty darned good optically but
mediocre mechanically. This applies to their medium format
as well as their 35mm. When they work they can take really
great photos, but they just are not reliable.
Kowa, BTW, is still in business. I just saw them at photokina.
Nowadays they make telescopes and spotting scopes primarily. Their
decision to stick to optics was a wise one!!
Bob
...
From Kowa 6x6 FAQ:
Date: Sun, 10 Dec 2000
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Kowa6x6slr] Kowa repairs
Hi Bill,
The two places I know of are:
Ross Yerkes Camera Repair - (323 256-1018
Mike Jenkins Medium Format Camera Repair - (360) 738-2751
http://www.mfcrepair.com/
Seth Friedman
From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001
From: Richard Urmonas [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Rollei] OT - Kowa syper 66
> The big thing to check is film winding gears, which can be worn by over > enthusiastic handling and abuse;
Actually the gears inside the Kowas are all hardened steel gears and
should be very resistant to wear. The problem you mention is I believe
caused by a damaged clutch. This clutch disengages the drive to the
shutter cocking / mirror setting mechanism, leaving the knob free to
advance the film the required amount. The damage is caused when the film
wind knob is turned to quickly as it does not allow the clutch to fully
disengage before the gearing moves to the next tooth. This of course is
easily done as the resistance on the knob reduces when the clutch
disengages. A damaged clutch gives a "gear jumping" or a "gear grinding"
noise (depending on amount of damage) which could easily be confused for
"damaged gears"
The wear on the clutch can be minimised by advancing the film sedately.
Be especially careful when the clutch disengages, though do not stop at
this point as the clutch needs the forward movement to fully disengage.
Richard.
Richard Urmonas
[email protected]
From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001
From: Richard Urmonas [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Rollei] OT - Kowa syper 66
> Does anyone have nay experience with this camera? How would you rate it?
I havn't used a Super66. I own a Six and a SixMM. They all use the same
lenses although the 250mm lens has a baffle which I beleive is oriented
differently for the Super66 (as the lenses mount in a different position).
The lenses are of high quality with very good resolution. Kowa targeted
the professional market so construction and finish are to a high standard.
The models are:
Six:
The first model. There was also a Six MKII which can be considered
the same. These are fixed back, knob+lever wind, only needs a single
forward turn
to cock shutter / wind film. The mirror is a non-return type (i.e. wind
the
film to see again).
SixMM:
Very similar to the Six but has additional multiexposure
capability and
mirror lock-up.
Super66:
This has interchangable backs. The backs have an automatic
"darkslide" so there is no darkslide to lose / forget to fit etc. This
model lost the mirror lock-up capability, but still has multiexposure.
The ground glass in the Super66 is larger and so shows >= 96% of what is
on the film vs about 93% for the six/sixMM.
I found the prices for spare backs to be quite high. So for the price of
a Super66 + 2 backs I was able to get the Six, and SixMM. This gives me a
spare body, and weight only a little more.
Problems with the Kowas:
1) There is no B setting. This is due to the
shutter release coupling between body and lens. Instead they provide a
"T" which is not a true T as the shutter release opens the shutter which
must then be closed using the shutter speed ring. In use I cover the lens
front with a dark cloth and then turn the speed ring to stop vibration
spoiling the image.
2) The Super66 backs cannot be changed easily while on a standard tripod
QR plate. Kowa made a special spacer, or a small tripod head will clear
the back.
3) Make sure and backs have the plastic dust cover. This not only stops
dust getting in but stops the gears being accidentally turned (so stopping
back swapping problems / film advance problems).
4) There is a clutch with disengages the "shutter cock / mirror drive".
With rough handling this can become damaged. Check for this before buying
(see below). Always advance the film sedately. The clutch is damaged
when forcing the advance or when winding too quickly (it does not have
time to fully disengage before the gears turn another tooth).
Good points:
1) Leaf shutters. Nice and vibration free. If you are super
critical about sharpness then either get a SixMM with the mirror lock-up
or use the self timer which trips the mirror immediately then fires the
shutter after the delay. This was one of my main reasons to go with Kowa.
2) Excellent mirror dampening. Shooting handheld or without mirror lockup
showed far less vibration than other old 6x6 SLRs I tried.
3) Low cost. I have a Six and SixMM body, 55mm, 85mm, 110mm macro, 150mm,
250mm, closeup tubes, 90degree prism. All in well used but fully
functional condition. Total cost less than a Rolleiflex 2,8F. (There some
rollei content).
Special checks when buying:
Apart from the usual camera checks also look at:
1) Operate the camera with lens on. Preferably run a test film. Look
for two problems here. One is any "gear grinding noises " when advancing
the film, especially just as the mirror hits the stop. The second is any
mis-operation of the mirror. If someone tried to force the lens off with
the shutter not cocked the mirror can be forced past the end of the cam.
This will be very obvious when you try to advanvce the film as the knob
will either not turn far enough or will be really hard to get to the end.
2) Fire the shutter with the lens off (and no film). Make sure the film
shutter flap has gone fully up (it should be above the lens hole). This
is unlikely to occur, but if an amateur repairer has been inside they
could have got the sequencing out. When firing the shutter without lens
be sure to keep you fingers out of the camera, and away from the shutter
cocking ring.
3) Film does not stop advancing. Yes you do need film to test this.
If you have any additional questions feel free to contact me directly.
Richard.
Richard Urmonas
[email protected]
From Rollei Mailing List:
Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001
From: IMRE KARAFIATH [email protected]
Subject: Re: [Rollei] OT - Kowa syper 66
I can't comment on the supper 66, but I have used the
Six and Six MM. I can offer the following advice:
[1] Check the mechanical operation of the lenses very carefully. Like any
leaf shutter SLR, the shutter blades have to close first before the rear
baffle starts to open. It's possible that the blades won't close
completely before the exposure is initiated. (I've had this problem on two
lenses.)
[2] The lenses have to be charged before they can be installed on the
camera. On the back of the lens, you can see two pins that move in
arc-shaped slots. The pins should be moved counter-clockwise until they
click into place. You can then mount the lens on a body IF the film has
been advanced, i.e., the mirror is down. There's a third pin that will
trigger the blades if you press it. (If you do this, don't forget to
charge the lens before attempting to mount it on the body!) The blades
should close completely and rapidly. If they're sluggish you might
encounter problem 1 above.
[3] Rollei content: with respect to sharpness and contrast, I couldn't
tell the difference between the 85mm Kowa and my Rollei 2.8E3 planar.
[4] I don't know if this applies to the Super, but on the Six and MM the
back latches on the bottom of the camera. I purchased a Six and
immediately shot a test roll. Looked great! Then I went on vacation and
every roll showed a light leak. For my test roll, the tripod plate had
covered the gap.
Hope this helps.
rec.photo.equipment.medium-format
From: [email protected] (Derek Green)
[1] Re: Need Help with Kowa6
Date: Wed Feb 21 13:27:40 CST 2001
Hi,
regrettably Kowa's approach to long exposures was perhaps a bit
primitive. With your shutter speed set to T the shutter opens, and
_stays_ open, until you manually change the shutter setting to another
speed, say 1 second. In the interest of avoiding fumbling (and
vibrations) I usually pop the lens cap back on, and then close the
shutter.
Cheers, DG
from hasselblad mailing list;
Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2001
From: Eduard Crombie [email protected]
Subject: RE: Kowa 66
> From: [email protected] > > I was looking to buy my Hassy 500 and the salesperson said > that I should > buy a Kowa 66 instead to save money. What the hell is a Kowa 66?
Yes, Dan is right. These things are getting very old. Just like me :-)
The Kowa Company of Nagoya, Japan produced several MF cameras in the
1970-80 period.
Two spring to mind, because I owned them, used them, got fed by them.
The Kowa/Six 66, slr. Lenses: 55mm/3.5, 85mm/2.8, 150mm/3.5. Nice grip.
The Kowa Super 66, slr with interchangeable magazines (automatic, no
slide, ...the weak point). Additional lenses: 19mm/4.5 Fish, 35mm/4.5
swa, 40mm/4 swa, 110mm/5.6 macro, 200mm/4.5, 250mm/5.6, 500mm/8.
Interchangeable finders, screens. Teleconverters, extension tubes. In
fact a complete system.
Not of Hasselblad quality, but in use by several professional colleagues
in that period. I sold them off, but forgot to give the manuals, which I
still have as a 'souvenir'.
There are a bunch of photos taken with these cameras on my website:
http://users.skynet.be/crombie
Look in the "Circumstantial information..." page to find some and use
the hyperlinks.
Cheers,
Eduard.
From Medium Format Mailing List:
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2001
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Any Kowa Super 66 experiences?
I've previously had a Kowa Six and more recently a Kowa Super 66. In fact,
I'm currently selling the Super 66. (Email me for details.) I got into
these primarily as a result of Robert Monaghan's site that's already been
referenced. I'd sugest that they have their pros and cons, (like anything
else). Here's a very short synopsis of the Super 66:
PROS:
Often considerably cheaper than comparable Hassleblads and Rolleis.
Arguably better built than comparable older Bronicas.
Best built of the whole Kowa line.
Stainless steel, very robust, durable construction.
Amazingly bright, clear waist level finder compared to other cameras of
this vintage.
Interchangeable Leaf shutter lenses.
In it's day, this model was considered a pro-level piece of equipment, and
doesn't have the cost-cutting production methods evidenced by so many of
today's lesser MF cameras. Super 66 was part of a whole systems approach,
that featured (at the time) a wide range of pro level accessories and
lenses. Most accessories seem to be of very high quality.
CONS:
Hard to find. Accessories can be very hard to find, as can lenses other
than the basic 3 (55mm, 85mm and 150mm).
Available only from long discontinued used stock.
Kowa Super 66 is VERY heavy and bulky. (This is the main reason that I'm
selling mine, but would likely not be an issue for someone wanting one
primarily for formal photography.)
Kowa Super 66 has interchangeable back, but this adds bulk, weight and
possibility of mechanical failure. Spare backs in top working order are
hard to find.
Virtually all used Kowas need complete CLA of both body and any additional
lenses. (The leaf shutter lenses are particularly prone to need cleaning.)
Factor in this cost when looking at "bargains". It's not cheap if done
professionally.
Relatively few places service Kowas. (However this may be overstating this
oft-remarked issue, since I've had no trouble finding both local and
mail-in camera service with years of experience in these cameras.)
SUMMARY:
For the budding portrait or wedding photographer, the Kowa Super 66 may
well make a lot of sense. For somewhere in the $1000-$1200 range, (all
told) one could wind up with a serious pro-level camera with 2 or 3 of the
most commonly used lenses. Finding lenses other than these can be both
quite difficult and moderately expensive. Note: I think that the cost of
Kowa ownership is often severely understated by a small handful of folks
that got amazing deals on whole systems. Piecing together a system can be
time consuming and expensive, (but no more so than systems in a comparable
quality range.)
I met a professional freelance journalist who uses a Kowa Super 66 as her
primary system, but she's surely the oddity amongst other increasingly
digitally inclined pros that I've met. I've also spoken with a wedding and
prom photographer that used to use a Kowa Super 66 exclusively, before
switching to the hiddeously expensive Rollei 6000 series. He seemed to
think that the Kowas were a heck of a lot of camera for the money. He
commented that had replacement and polaroid backs for the Kowa been more
widely available, he might well have stuck with that system. (That's
something to think about if the removeable back is the primary reason for
wanting the Super 66.)
The real question for the prospective Kowa owner might well be just how
important a limited selection of interchangeable lenses and leaf shutters
really are. If those issues are paramount, then the Kowa Super 66 may well
be the best bargain out there. For my own totally casual interest in MF, I
found both of those features to be somewhat over-emphasized. I think what
it boils down to, is I'm just a very casual user, and the Super 66 is more
camera than I need.
Hope some of that helped.
Mike Swaim
From Medium Format Mailing List;
Date: Sun, 01 Jul 2001
From: Duncan Ross [email protected]
Subject: Re: [medium-format] Well, ...
The 6mm has mirror lock up. To do lock up on the 66 and 6 you can use the
self timer, which worked well for me in landscapes.
The "T" setting will allow long exposures, but you must close the shutter
by advancing the film, which is darned inconvenient if you do a lot of
that. An alternate is to cover the lens with a cap at the end of the
exposure. This is a function on the lens, rather than the body so it is
the same on all Kowa cameras.
Hope this helps,
Duncan
you wrote:
>I've just learned that there isn't a bulb setting for the Kowa Super 66. To >some that's no big deal, but I do long exposures (past 3 seconds and onto 3 >hours on a regular basis). Also, it has no mirror lock up like I'd want. Just >those two things together are enough to keep me from buying that camera over >and above any read bad experiences. Anyone have any other ideas? I'm still >searching for an ideal SLR for around 500. >Thanks, Jeff.
From Medium Format Mailing List:
Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2001
From: Duncan Ross [email protected]
Subject: Re: Kowa optics
I'll second Bob's comments - the optics are great, especially the 85, 150
and 250. The 110 macro is one of the finest lenses I have ever
used. Here is a reprint of a 1976 pop photo review of the 66:
http://DuncanRossPhoto.com/Manuals/Kowa66Review.pdf
There is some other info here - the price guide can be used as a rough
estimate of system cost.
http://duncanrossphoto.com/Biography/Photographic_resources/Kowa_Camera_Information_Portal/kowa_camera_information_portal.html
Duncan
From Medium Format Mailing List;
Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2001
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [medium-format] Real Difference between Kowa 6 and 6mm?
The Kowa 6MM - Mirror lock up, slightly smaller, simpler
film transport which will not need new rubber like the
66.
Kowa 66 - interchangeable backs - fast film changing
for reloads and film type. Mirror lock up can be done
via the self timer for static subjects.
Both are great systems.
--
Duncan Ross
From: "Joe Martin Cantrell" [email protected]> Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format Subject: Kowa 6 strap and wind Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2001 I just recently added a Kowa 6 to my array of old (cheap) cameras, and so far love it. It has great feel and presence, and I expect to do good things with it. Browsing the web for Kowa information, I've noted problems locating neck straps for the lugs. A local camera store, Citizens Photo, had an Optech strap which fit perfectly, after a few strokes on one eyelet with a jewelers file. I neglected to write down the model number, but it is Regarding the advice to use the wind knob instead of the crank, my guess is that gentle pressure in a continuous push on the crank is better than winding in a series of turns on the knob. Loading and unloading the gear teeth with the knob will tend to wear the mechanism more than keeping a steady gentle pressure, in my intuitive notion. Joe
To: [email protected] From: [email protected] Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 Subject: [Kowa6x6slr] Re: Request help w/Kowa 66 Oh Mike, Poor Mike 1. To unjam a Super 66, I point you to the fellow on eBay who sells an 'unjam manual'. It's $20 for about 6 sheets of information, but it already saved me a trip to the repair shop when mine jammed (and older mechanical things will). 2. I fear your sad results with Kowas have turned you forever. I know I would feel the same if I'd bought and suffered. But -- and it's a big but -- one must follow the money. I would never ever be playing with 6x6 if not for the Kowa. Who can justify spending thousands to see if I will use it, of have it sit on a shelf. So, for the price of a low end, highly limited Mamiya 645 E, I've got a festival of Kowa equipment. (Much thanks to Bob M's great site. (And I would not dare take them out in certain conditions if they cost thousands of dollars.) So I can play with various lenses, prisms, backs, and assorted toys. I can delve in and explore 6x6 to my heart's content. All for a grand or so, which I'll get back when I sell it. Of course older cameras break. And many can be a pain. Same thing for old cars, old refridgerators, etc. If I was of humble bank account, I would get whatever high lens quality set up I could afford -- AND a back up camera. That the Kowa lets me do. I found all sorts of stuff on eBay, everything, really, within a 2 month period. What could be easier? Gotta compare apples to apples. A new Hassy is much prettier. But to own two bodies, a WL a meter prism, a 55, 80, 150 and 250 -- that gets quite expensive any other way than the Kowa. As for weight, well, I know of no lightweight MF. I'll look to plastic 35mms for helium-like weight. Enjoy the Kowas for what they are -- a wonderful mechanical system, with adventures and pleasures BECAUSE of their age. It's like owning a classic car, and enjoying it's challenges instead of wishing for a new Buick. (But I would be really ticked off if I had paid for repair and found it not working, like you did, a few months later!) -- Ken
To: [email protected] From: Frank Weir [email protected]> Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 Subject: Re: [Kowa6x6slr] Digest Number 33 > Oh Mike, Poor Mike Ken... Thanks for a sensible response in this consumer crazed world we seemed to have stumbled into. Seems like the images hardly matter anymore...it's what brand of gear is in your hand... Is it the latest? The gimmicky-est? The coolest brand name? I have a Kowa straight 6 without changeable backs that I picked up for a song on Ebay. For years I have heard of camera salesmen claiming the Kowa is a total loser, unreliable, can't be repaired, no parts, yada, yada...avoid, avoid. I love mine. I had it overhauled for a pittance (in my opinion given today's autofocus and digital prices!) by Ross Yerkes in LA, Mr. Kowa repair. Did a gorgeous job and I have to believe the camera should last for a long, long time after his ministrations.... You neglected to mention how much FUN this camera is to use Ken! It's a hoot...I don't even have a prism but have managed to get some great soccer shots of my son with it! I ALSO love the Koni Omega, a 6 x 7 range finder beast that takes images soo sharp they make you cry...My God, I bought that on Ebay for $175 bucks...camera, lens, back! That'll get ya, what, a toy digital cam with 1 megapixel resolution if that?? What's the comparative resolution of a 6 x 7 negative using a fine glass lens?? 15 megapixels? 20? And I picked up a 180mm telephoto for the Koni for a couple hundred. The wide angle is about the same or a little more. So for under $700 bucks you get a 6 x 7 camera system that I guarantee will INSTANTLY improve your images beyond what you could imagine... And this whole plastic 35mm camera with autofocuse is kind of a scam...I work for a small newspaper and autofocus is often a pain...when I think of the time I have spent diddling with it, missing shots, with the camera and lens racking out and in trying to focus in dim light....and talk about repair! wait till your auto focus camera bodies and lenses start to crap out....! Happens far more quickly than the old mechanical MF....and you end up with a paper weight...often not worth repairing! Plus...its just plain more FUN to shoot with mechanicals be they MF or classic 35mm...the EXPERIENCE is all together different...and shouldn't that count for something??? Let's face it folks... the majority of us are NOT going to become famous photographers or even make 10 bucks off this....we're largely doing this for ourselves...we better enjoy the experience of it and have fun or what's the proverbial point?? Sorry Ken...you got me going because I am so much in agreement.... frank weir
Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2001 From: Robert Monaghan [email protected]> Subject: do kowas fail value/weight/acquirability test? ;-) why prices are dropping on med fmt used gear etc. To: [email protected] Mike suggests the Kowas fail a value/weight acquirability test ;-) Let's see: Weight: Just measured my Kowa 6 body/wlf/lens; it doesn't seem far from competitors: 6x6 SLR bodies with WLF, normal lens (75-85mm) rollei 6008i " 51 oz bronica sqA " 52 oz hassy 501cm " 53 oz kowa 6/85mm/wlf 60 oz* rollei SL66 SE" 67 oz hassy 553 ELX " 75 oz re: value? I have previously checked ebay and posted some example final sold-at prices: Kowa 66 body/back/wlf/lens for $300, normal 85mm lens for $46 and $42, kowa 6MM (mirror lockup body) with 85mm and grip for $390, a 150mm lens for $183.50 with case and caps kowa 6 with 85mm for $205 a (dented filter ring) 150mm for $150 kowa 6 with 85mm for $249 kowa 6 with 55mm wide angle for $280 kowa 6 with 85mm, 55mm, 150mm, grips cases 45 degree prism $611 kowa super 66 with 150mm lens $415 kowa 110mm ("rare") macro lens $305 kowa 55mm wide angle $185 kowa prism $99.99 Availability: some of the Kowa accessories and lenses are rare. But then, so are some of the other brands out there ;-) from mf/mffaq.html there were only 50 of the 24mm hassy fisheyes made (closest to kowa 19mm, also very rare). Less than 1% of the hassy C lenses sold were 500mm. Only 3% were 120 macros. only 2% were 40mm. If you think hassy lenses like these are rare, try Rollei SLX/SL66/600x lenses for rarity and prices. You can't even rent them in most regions of the USA! re: ownership of lenses Kowa vs. Blads Circa 2/3rds of the hasselblad 500 series owners only have the 80mm lens. A survey of 40 hasselblad 500 series owners showed only 55 lenses other than the 80mm (among 45 bodies owned), or just 1.375 accessory lenses per owner. Over 85% of the hassy lenses sold were 50/80/150 trio, rest under 15%! This same trio on Kowa can be had for $600 or so ($611 on ebay with grips and prism plus kowa 6 and 55/85/150). Compared to bronica SQ or hassy 500c/cm this would seem to be rather good value for the money IMHO see mf/lenssold.html pages re: rarity "warnings" On the Kowa price guide pages (mf/kowapg.html) I suggest a number of low cost workarounds for some of the rarer and pricier items in about 8 pages of suggestions. I do feel that I have provided considerable "warnings" about which items are rare and pricey (IMHO). from the mf/kowafaq.html I noted under main disadvantages of kowas: quote: A related disadvantage is that some of the accessories and lenses are relatively rare. As you might expect, the higher cost items like the 19mm fisheye lens, the 35mm, 40mm, and 500mm lenses are also rare and hard to find. A few accessories such as the Kowa Super 66 Polaroid backs and microscope adapter are not quite rare, but still take a bit of searching. endquote: In my mf/value.html pages, I describe how I "mix and match" bronica S2/EC (long telephotos, cheap macro with focal plane shutter, cheap tilt/shift bellows and tubes) with kowa 6 (lots of short telephotos for fillin flash, low cost lenses against leaf shutter competitors like blads). I think this overlapping system strengths to avoid system weaknesses is a good approach if you are in macro or long telephoto, where leaf shutter advantages are not so compelling and costs are higher. re: parts/repairs My mf/nofix.html pages now notes that you can't get many parts for older bodies and lens shutters from hasselblad, nor lens elements (if scratched) from zeiss, nor for older bronica ETR or mamiya 645 etc., nor for many other rigs more than 10 or so years old. So don't feel so bad about the Kowa repair situation, you and I have lots of company forced to use donor body parts and independent repairers now too. The real "problem" with kowa gear is that the lenses and body are so cheap, it is hard to justify repairing them. But there are worse problems out there ;-)... re: dropping prices on med fmt gear Pros are switching to digital, having to buy digicams, computers, printers, scanners, software, courses/training, and storage etc. Avg cost $8,800 to go digital (mf/semipro.html). To raise that money, they are dumping their old medium format backup gear. People with gear in their closets have discovered EBAY too, and not just in the USA. Supply goes up, demand is dropping, and so prices are dropping too... In japan in 1999, medium format market collapsed, sales of new gear dropped 36% (25,000 to 16,000 units made in japan, LF/MF) (see third/economics.html). As USA goes digital, expect lower MF sales. But even I was surprised to see hasselblad drop $2,500 on its 20x series bodies (45% price cut) in USA recently. Wow! They also cleaned out stock and moved it to raise cash etc. Sam Sherman has called this the "golden age" of medium format used gear buying, between ebay & flood of cameras from overseas (strong dollar, weak local currencies from New Zealand to Russia). Not so good, if like Mike, you are trying to sell kits of older gear in the face of 45% price cuts for newest gear and dealers dumping old shelf stock to raise cash in face of dropping sales ;-( conclusions: I think the Kowas are not much heavier than other 6x6 competitors, perform as well optically, and are a bargain _if_ you stick to the standard lens kits which are common and cheap (55/85/150). Since this covers 85% of hassy lens kit owners, including many pros, it should be a capable kit for typical semipro and amateur users shooting moderate amounts of film. For the majority of users, the Kowas would seem to pass the value, weight, availability tests when compared to the leaf shutter alternatives out there. Actually, you would be hard pressed to buy a bronica S2 with 3 lenses and prism for $611, or even a kiev 3 lens kit for much less.... regards bobm
From: Oscar [email protected] Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format Subject: Re: Advice on Kowa 66 Date: Sat, 02 Mar 2002 Re: Ross Yerkes: He has mad a niche for himself repairing Kowas, old Mamiyas, and Noritas. He works out of his home with the living room a virtual repair shop. He mills Kowas parts that are unobtainable. I bought my Kowa from him though his prices are a "tad" higher than midwest photo exchange, KEH, or Adorama. However, the work he does is top notch. BTW, he's in the Highland Park area of L.A. not Pasadena, though Pasadena is about 6 miles away. Ph: 323-256-1018 Good luck
From: Stephe [email protected] Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format Subject: Re: Hassy Acute-matte focus screen hack to a Kowa Super66 or a Kiev 60 Date: Tue, 23 Apr 2002 Graphic wrote: > I've read that a do-it-yourself type can install a Hassy Acute-Matte > screen (does it make a difference about which hassy camera model) to a > Kiev 60. > > I'd like to have a focus screen # 42215 (split image plus microprism donut > surround). > > Does anyone have info on where to find directions/cautions? http://www.geocities.com/kievgurl/screen.html I installed a plain (central cross hairs) acutemat-d screen in my k-60 and it was a MAJOR improvement. Why the split image? With a bright screen it's SO much easier to focus, focus aides are just irritating. The -D models are the latest, brightest-highest contrast and the most expencive. Another option I'm going to try on my second body is a maxwell optics screen. I put one of these in an old rolleicord V and again the difference was amazing. The stock kiev screen "appears" to be fairly bright but it's just the central focus aides that are bright, the ground glass part is so dim it's almost useless for focusing. Like I said I think with a bright screen, you won't need or want focusing aides. -- stephe http://www.geocities.com/kievgurl/
From: "W. Catalano" [email protected] Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format Subject: Re: Focusing screen triple play: Hassy to Kiev to Kowa or???? Date: Tue, 30 Apr 2002 I finally had a few minutes to look at the ground glass focus screen mounting systems in my 2 6x6 cm SLR camera systems:: Kowa Super66 & Kiev 60 The *opening* at the base of the pentaprism for the screen in the Kowa is a nominal 55mm and the Kiev's is about 53.5mm. It is known from Stephe's work with modifying the Hassy plastic screens that they require some sanding to fit the smaller (than Hassy) Kiev opening. If no one else has done a Kowa conversion and I get brave enough, I'll report the actual Kowa/Hassy sizes. Now for the weird part: Even though I've always "felt" that the Kowa gave extremely sharp on film results, as I did with my Nikon F's 30 years ago, both the Kowa and the F's have loosely fitted groundglass screens re: clamping to the top of the mirror boxes. If you turn them upside down with the prisms off and shake them, you can hear the screens rattle! In the Kowa's case, you can prove that it is the screen and not the mirror flopping around by placing a clean finger on the top of the screen and then shaking...the rattle is now gone. I haven't dug out an old "F" to try holding it's screen. I did this rattle trick one time in college to a real pain in the buttft's Nikon F when he made a comment about the flimsy build of my Miranda G (which didn't rattle). Anyway, you'll also see a difference in the shape of the Super 66's screen which has a deeply barreled top compared to the much flatter Kiev's screen. The point being, that the Super 66's frame surround would only contact the top of a flat ground glass on a much smaller surface area due to the curving. The thinness of the frame would make unobtrusive shimming more difficult. Maybe applying multiple layers of "ChartPak" 1.5 mm layout tape to the very edges of the Hassy screen could be used to build-up thickness as needed to stop the rattle.. I'm assuming shimming would be necessary due to the apparent relative thickness of the Kowa's screen. The rattle, probably is due to the Kowa's engineers leaving room for variations in the thickness of OEM supplied focus screen-styles. I guess if you don't shake your camera on purpose while focusing, gravity is enough to maintain optimum focus capability in the Kowa and the Nikon F's...who'd of thought...sloppy, loose tolerances are not important at all in some precision instruments. Hopefully more details later. Wayne Catalano [email protected] "Graphic" [email protected] wrote > I am in the process of having shipped a used Acute-Matte/D Hassy screen with > split-image focus spot. > > I am in possession of Steph's homepage with details of how to work the > screen into my Kiev 60. > > HOWEVER: I really want to put a brighter, central split image screen into > my Kowa Super66. > > Can anyone provide a point in the right direction to find out if the Hassy > to Kowa screen switch is: > > 1. do-able by a do-it-yourself type > > 2. a job only for a competent repairman > > 3. out of the question....better take the Hassy screen and graft it onto the > Kiev 60.... > ... which leaves a leftover Ukranian screen with central split image. > Then........... > > ...........Are options 1 or 2 above available on the the Kiev to Kowa > switch??????? > > Any 1st-hand or research info about screen switching in the Kowa Super 66 is > *greatly* appreciated. > > > NOTE: The screen is totally different in the Super 66 than the ones in the > Kowa 6 or the Kowa6 MM, or so I've read > > Wayne C. > [email protected]
[Ed. note: Many thanks to Struan Gray for providing this Kowa Reversing Ring pdf file!] Date: Fri, 22 Mar 2002 From: Struan Gray [email protected] To: Robert Monaghan [email protected] Subject: Re: PDF file was Kowa Macro (was Re: Kowa 250/5.6 vignetting) Bob, Here's the drawing. Note that the dimensions are as-measured and are untested in reality. I really want to make up a prototype and check that it fits without strain, but I know you're a big boy and won't come crying if it doesn't work first time. The inner thread is so that you can mount a 67 mm filter inside the reversing ring. That seemed to be a quick and dirty way of avoiding mounting the lens via a mounted filter, while still allowing the easy use of filters. The front mounting thread is rather longer than any photographic filter because I like the idea of using the same ring to attach other homebrew items like an adaptor to mount the Kowa on my antique Ziess refractor scope, or on a monorail view camera I have the use of. You could shorten it if you are only going to be using it as a reverse adaptor. Playing around with the lenses I have shows that reversing the 55 and 85 lenses works pretty well, and combined with my T2 tube will give me a nice range of magnifications for in-field macro without having to carry tons of kit. The 150 won't focus when just reversed (the nodal point ends up behind the film) but will work on tubes if you want more working distance. As an aside: the retrofocus design of the 55 gives you more working distance than you'd expect, so for easy 1:1-ish work, just carrying the ring will do. You trip the shutter by manually rotating the pins on the rear of the lens. Pushing the release pin and moving the rotating pins to halfway along their travel closes down the shutter. Then you trip the body release. Then move the pins all the way to trip the actual exposure. I've done it while holding the lens onto the front of the camera with my hand, and it does work. I've not read usenet yet (I'm at home looking after my kids), so I'll comment on your comment later. Feel free to put the pdf online. It might be worth noting that it is untested though. I don't know when I will be able to make one locally (it's beyond my workshop skills) Here in Sweden it is *very* expensive to get something like this made up in a commercial machine shop, so I rely on the goodwill of my group's technician to get these sorts of things made. If there is any interest it might be worth seeing if we can pool an order and get someone like Steve Grimes to make up a batch. Hard-anodising seems cheap everywhere Interested? Struan ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Struan M. Gray http://www.sljus.lu.se/People/Struan/ Dept. of Synchrotron Radiation Research Tel: + 46 46 222 3425/3478 Inst. of Physics, Lund University Fax: + 46 46 222 4221 Box 118, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden. email: [email protected] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2001 From: Duncan Ross [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [medium-format] Kowa optics I'll second Bob's comments - the optics are great, especially the 85, 150 and 250. The 110 macro is one of the finest lenses I have ever used. Here is a reprint of a 1976 pop photo review of the 66: http://DuncanRossPhoto.com/Manuals/Kowa66Review.pdf There is some other info here - the price guide can be used as a rough estimate of system cost. http://duncanrossphoto.com/Biography/Photographic_resources/Kowa_Camera_Informat ion_Portal/kowa_camera_information_portal.html Duncan [email protected] wrote: >Still throwing the idea around of grabbing the nicest quality Kowa I can get >my hands on. The first and only MF I've owned was a Kiev 88CM so those are >the optics that I'm used to. How credible are the optics of later Kowa's?
From: [email protected] (Willem-Jan Markerink) Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format Subject: Re: Why has no one improved on the Blad? Date: Sat, 06 Jul 02 [email protected] (ArtKramr) wrote: >Just as no one has improved on the M Leica, no one has improved on the Blad >designs. The original Blad has inspired dozens of designs all based on that 6x6 >SLR that was fully modular. But when we look, at them all; the Bronica, the >Rollei 6x6 SLR's and a dozen others, none have been able to outpace the Blad >in quality or performance and very few are the blads equal, even those that >also use Carl Zeiss lenses. Is the world waiting for a new brilliant designer >to move the ball foward, or are we at the end of the line in MF SLR's? > >Arthur Kramer >Visit my WW II B-26 website at: >http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer The most brilliant design died in the 70's, with the automatic darkslide-design of the Kowa 66. Not even the manual rollo-design of the Rollei 6008 can rival. And I won't even mention the 19mm and 35mm lenses for it....non-rivalled within the league of 6x6 as well....;)) -- Bye, Willem-Jan Markerink [email protected] [note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]
From: John Garand [email protected] Newsgroups: rec.photo.equipment.medium-format Subject: Re: Best Option for Entry-level Medium Format Date: Thu, 24 Oct 2002 [email protected] (Philippe Tempel) WROTE: > I wouldn't go with a Kiev or Kowa if I could help it. I'm unsure what problem you have with the Kowa (specifically the Super 66 system) cameras that causes you to lump them into the same category as the Kiev 80/88. Is it the potential lack of parts for repairs? With a repairman as knowledgeable as Ross Yerkes, specific parts are not always needed (he repaired a back for me which the seller gave me as an extra freebie without the use of any original parts), and he also snags a fair number of used cameras for parts. I'm sure you have no problem with the Kowa optics, and wind reliability problems seem overstated, if not "urban legend" (again, at least with the Super 66). Of course that assumes a situation absent "The Incredible Hulk" as operator, or operating the winding crank with the same applied strength as you use to operate the winch on a boat trailer . If a person abuses his equipment, it will fail, regardless of make. The stainless steel body of the Super 66 is heavy and the camera's mirror noise is allegedly louder than the Hassy. How much that matters is up to the individual (I have impaired hearing and I don't find the mirror noise to be a problem - :-) ). It the Kowa Super 66 a Hassy? No, but at the time I bought my used Super 66, the price comparison with the used Hassy certainly showed why the Super 66 was known as the poor man's Hassy. My investment for the body with 85mm, 55mm, 150mm, 250mm, WLF and 90 degree prism finder did not exceed the (then) selling price of a used 500C body, WLF, 80mm and A-12 back. Admittedly the 500C bodies are selling for less today then they did then,and I might be mistaken - but didn't I read somewhere that Hassy would no longer support the 500 series bodies with repairs and spare parts are gone when they are gone? As for Kiev, I would only recommend them if bought from a reputable seller and you are an inveterate tinkerer (I am). I have a Pentacon 6 and Kiev 60. Not my "first line" cameras, but there are some outstanding deals in optics if you find good ones (couldn't afford the Kowa 19mm fisheye - IF I could find one, but the P-6 mount 30mm at about $200 is a bargain). But in a situation where better equipment might be in danger, I'd grab the Pentacon/Kiev stuff as I can more readily afford to replace it.
[Ed. note: it can be handy to be on the Kowa mailing list:...] Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2003 From: "kowachris [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: [Kowa6x6slr] Kowa 35mm lens nearly new for sale Hi evrybody out there. One of the latest news reminded me, that there must be a 35 mm lens somewhere in my boxes. I made just 2 or 3 rolls since new. I think, someone would be interested in it. For replys of your highest offer please use the mailadress [email protected]. Lens comes in original kowa leather