Camera review: The Pentax 67II

It's the biggest camera in my arsenal and it still hasn't been reviewed here. What? This is where we change that!

An F-84F preserved at the former Luftwaffe base in Memmingen. The original scan of this 6x7 negative has a 55.5 megapixel count! (since sized down for this blog)

The Pentax 6x7 generations

It all started with the mother of all medium format 67 cameras in 1966. In that year the prototype Pentax 220 was introduced at the Photokina event. This was developed into the first generation Asahi Pentax 6x7 (called Honeywell Pentax 6x7 for the US market) that was released in 1969. This was basically a blown-up version of the Pentax Electro Spotmatic (ES) series with an interchangeable view prism and shooting 120/220 film instead of 135. In 1976 a second generation model called the Pentax 6x7 (MLU) was released, this featured a mirror lock-up system. This was followed in 1990 by the third generation Pentax 67. This featured some cosmetic changes. The fourth and last version was released in 1999 and this is the Pentax 67II. This is a thoroughly modernised version with introduced a hand grip on the right side of the camera body, new digital displays on the outside and in the viewfinder and a departure from the fragile light-metering system of the previous generations. Also aperture priority exposure metering was possible for the first time with the Pentax 67II.

Photo: Joeri van Veen

Specifications

Camera:                Pentax 67II

Built:                    1999-2009

Mount:                  Pentax 67

Shutter speeds:     4 seconds - 1/1.000th of a second, B manual, 30 sec. - 1/1.000th of a second, auto

Self timer:            no

Size:                     Huge! Okay, 185,5 mm wide, 151 mm high and 106 mm deep

Light metering:     yes, TTL auto exposure control

Hot shoe:              no

Battery:                2x CR123A

Photo: Joeri van Veen

Using the Pentax 67II

The Pentax 67II feels like a giant film SLR and it pretty much functions as such. If you were ascending into the world of medium format and already familiar with classic pre-AF 135 cameras like the Pentax Spotmatic or K1000 you'd have no problem operating any Pentax 67 model camera. Yes, it is huge, the mirror slaps harder than your girlfriend when she's mad at you and said mirror is probably bigger than the one in your bathroom but it is such a joy to use. The shutter sound is not too loud and actually very pleasing. 

Photo: Joeri van Veen

All Pentax 67 cameras use 120 and 220 medium format film. These days you'll likely only use 120 film as 220 film has been discontinued but if you are that lucky son of a gun that has some expired 220 film in your freezer you're good to go shooting it with this camera. Due to the way it is built - like a giant SLR - there is no option to digitize the 67II body. Personally I don't mind. With the advent of digital medium format cameras we have those options elsewhere. Of course, you can always scan your negatives and quite frankly, using a 67II like a digital camera is not what it is about. 

 

Photo: Joeri van Veen

With the Pentax 67II you are slowing your photography. With only ten photos on a roll of 120 film you become selective, considerate, almost meditative when shooting. And each time that shutter slaps you just know that it is going to be good.

Photo: Joeri van veen

In the field

As part of our Atlantikwall series Joeri van Veen and I set out for those giant bunkers once again last weekend. This time I brought the Pentax 67II with me, together with the Super-Multi-Coated-Takumar 55mm f/3.5 wide angle lens and the Super-Multi-Coated-Takumar 105mm f/2.4 standard lens. Below you'll find some images of that photo shoot.

Click on the images to enlarge

Camera review: The Exa Ib

The camera

This review is about the Ihagee Exa Ib single lens reflex camera. The story of its development is pretty much the same as the Exa Ic which I reviewed here. The main difference of the Exa Ib and Exa Ic is that they have an M42 mount as opposed to all other Exakta and Exa camera which have the Exakta mount. This means that using lenses such as those wonderful Takumar and Carl Zeiss (both Oberkochen and Jena) lenses is possible on these cameras. 

Jaguar. Shot with my Exa Ib fitted with a Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens.

As I said in my Exa Ic review I obtained the Exa Ib and Ic together and they are pretty much the same camera. Sure there are differences, but mostly cosmetic. Most Exa Ib models were built by Ihagee apart from the very last series. These were built by VEB Certo-Kamerawerk Dresden under license from Ihagee. You can tell if it's a Ihahee or Certo built camera by checking the serial number. If the serial number is preceded by a C, you've got a copy built bij Certo. It is said the model name was changed from Ib to Ic to denote a Certo built camera but as I said the last Exa Ib models were also produced by Certo. Make of that what you will. ;-)

Exa Ib front view.

Exa Ib top view.

Exa Ib film counter.

Exa Ib with the back removed.

Exa Ib bottom view. Align the red dots to release the back.

Specifications

Camera:                Ihagee Exa Ib

Built:                    1977-1985

Mount:                  M42

Shutter speeds:     1/30th - 1/175th of a second, B

Self timer:            no

Size:                     130 mm wide, 97 mm high* and 46 mm deep

Light metering:     no

Hot shoe:              no

Battery:                none

* with the pentaprism viewfinder fitted

Shooting

I find the Exa Ib very intuitive to use, but there are a few things you need to know about this camera. To load the film in any of the I series Exa cameras you release the back of the camera. Once detached you load the film just like any other camera apart from the fact that there is no fixed take up spool in the camera body. The take up spool is a separate part. Now all Exa cameras had a take up spool supplied with the body but if you are buying one today, do check if it's still there. Once your film is loaded, you slide the camera back back onto the body again and you're ready to shoot. My copy of the Exa Ib was built from 1977 until 1983 and has a frame counter that needs to be reset manually. It counts down, so set it to 36 (or 24 if you're using 24 exposures film). I actually got 38 exposures out of a 36 exposures film with this camera. And then there is the shutter button on the left side of the camera that I already covered in my other reviews.

Exa Ib fitted with a Takumar 28mm f/2.8 lens.

Exa Ib fitted with a Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens.

I've loaded the Exa Ib with some Fomapan Profi Line Classic 100 and drove up to the fine people over at the Cool Classic Club. They just happened to have part of their classic automobile collection displayed outside. I've used a Takumar 28mm f/2.8 lens and a Takumar 135mm f/3.5 lens for this review. 

All in all I am very happy with the images I got from the Exa Ib. A keeper ;-)

Camera review: The Kiev 60

The camera

This review is about the КИЕВ 60 (Kiev 60) single lens reflex camera. Built by the Arsenal plant this Soviet (later Ukrainian) medium format single lens reflex camera was the successor to the КИЕВ 6C (Kiev 6S) camera model. The Kiev 6S was introduced in 1970 and was produced until 1986. The camera design was no doubt influenced by the 1956 East German Praktisix and copied its lens mount. Not only the Soviets were enamored by the 'big conventional SLR' design, the Japanese Asahi Optical Company released the Pentax 6x7 in 1969 that shares the same design philosophy. In fact, when I first laid hands on a Kiev 60 I was struck by how similar is was to the Pentax 6x7 - my first medium format camera. In 1984 the Kiev 6S was replaced with the Kiev 60 and this camera was built to at least 1999. It was sold by Arsenal for much longer though thanks to a formidable stockpile of Kiev 60s. In fact, one can still purchase new Kiev 60s, rebranded as ARAX 60s, today from ARAX which took over the Arsenal stock after Arsenal closed down.

My Kiev 60 as it was when I obtained it, fitted with an Arsat-C 80mm f/2.8

Specifications

Camera:                        КИЕВ 60 (Kiev 60)

Built:                            1984-1999

Mount:                          Pentacon 6

Shutter speeds:             2-1/1000 seconds, B

Self timer:                    yes

Mirror lock-up:            no

Film type:                    120 film

Weight:                        1,950 grams with lens

Light metering:            no, add-on TTL prism with light meters available

Battery:                        none for the camera, 3x LR44 for the TTL prism

Shooting

Like the Pentax 6x7, the Kiev 60 is a big son of a gun. There is nothing delicate about this camera, it was built like a T-55 tank and it will last a lifetime. It is a very straightforward camera, anyone with 35mm SLR camera experience will immediately know how to operate it. It shoots twelve of those big and gorgeous 6x6 negatives on 120 film. But the best thing of all: It uses the Pentacon 6 mount! Hello Carl Zeiss Jena lenses! So we've got a simple, usable design and those superb Carl Zeiss Jena lenses. Is all good? Well, there are issues reported with this camera. Some have overlapping frames and/or light leaks. Not so desirable. Also it has no mirror lock-up (MLU) which could be quite useful.

My Kiev 60 dates from 1994 and is thus an Ukrainian rather than a Soviet camera. It was originally bought by my uncle Wolfgang and he very kindly gave it to me. It hadn't been used for a while and when I ran a roll through it it had developed a light leak. I decided to have it refurbished by ARAX and MLU added. I also had it redone in a black finish and the mirror box flocked to reduce flaring.

My Kiev 60 after overhaul and modification

My Kiev 60 with a Carl Zeiss Jena MC Biometar 80mm f/2.8 fitted

Images

I took my Kiev 60 into the field today to see how it would perform after the overhaul and modification.

Kiev 60 with a Carl Zeiss Jena MC Biometar 80mm f/2.8

All in all my refurbished Kiev 60 really delivers. After the attention it got from ARAX this camera doesn't only look and feel like new, it works like new! No issues with film spacing, no issues with light leaks and a fully operational MLU. And using the Carl Zeiss Jena lenses without having to manually open up, focus and then stop down again is, well, a luxury.

I really like this camera. I realize that not everyone gets one as a present but these medium format cameras are still affordable. I would however recommend investing in having it refurbished if you're serious about shooting with it.