If you Google “best medium format film cameras”, every list gives you the same five or six cameras: Hasselblad 500CM, Mamiya RB67, Rolleiflex 2.8, Pentax 67, Mamiya 645. These are excellent cameras and they earn their reputations. They will also cost you £1,000 to £3,000 each.
There is a whole world of medium format film cameras that the top-ten lists do not mention. Many are cheap. Some are exceptional. Most are easy to find if you know what to search for, and almost impossible to discover if you do not.
This article is my map of the medium format world, drawn from cameras I own or have used. It is not a best-of list and it is not exhaustive. It is a guide to the categories that exist, the cameras in each category that are worth your attention, and the price ranges you should expect. The aim is to expand your search vocabulary so you can find your next camera, not to tell you which one to buy.
Use this to start your own journey. Add what you find to it. Drop me a comment if I have missed a category that you think matters.
How to use this guide
I have organised cameras by type, not by brand or price. The categories are:
- Viewfinder cameras: cheapest, simplest, often the entry point
- Pseudo TLRs: look like TLRs but functionally similar to viewfinder cameras
- Real TLRs: twin-lens reflex cameras with linked focusing
- Folders: my personal favourite for value, genuinely undervalued
- SLRs: the prestige category that includes most top-ten cameras
- Rangefinders: less common in medium format than 35mm, but real options exist
- Pinhole cameras: still being made, cheap entry point to medium format
Within each category I will introduce the cameras I have used, mention current market prices, and flag the gems worth chasing. Prices throughout are UK eBay typical-condition values at time of writing (late 2022). Adjust for inflation and condition.
Category 1: Viewfinder cameras
What they are: cameras with a simple optical viewfinder that has no relationship to the taking lens. You see what your framing approximately is, but the viewfinder does not help you focus. You rely on zone focus (setting “portrait” or “landscape” distance) rather than precise focus.
Why they are cheap: simple mechanisms, mass-produced, no clever optics in the viewfinder system.
Why some are still good: a good lens and a careful operator can produce excellent results despite the lack of focusing aid.
The Ilford Sporti from the 1950s is the classic example. Zone focus, simple shutter, basic exposure controls. There is a small cult following around the Sporti, but you can still find them for £5-10 on eBay today.
The Braun Paxina and Balda Baldixette sit in the same category and price range. The Baldixette has a slightly more interesting front element where you twist the lens cone to adjust focus.
The Lomography cameras are the modern entry in this category. The Holga 120N I have reviewed separately, and the Diana F+ is similar in concept (zone focus, single shutter speed, a couple of aperture options). The Holga is still being made and you can get one new for about £30. The Diana F+ is in the same range.
My take: viewfinder cameras are interesting curiosities. The Holga taught me something about being present rather than perfect (and is genuinely worth £30 of anyone’s money as an experiment). Most of the others are cheap enough to try without commitment but unlikely to become your main camera.
Price range: £5 to £40
![PLACEHOLDER: a selection of viewfinder cameras laid out, including the Ilford Sporti and the Holga]
Category 2: Pseudo TLRs
What they are: cameras that look like twin lens reflex (TLR) cameras but where the viewing lens is not connected to the taking lens. The top lens shows you framing only. There is no way to confirm focus through the viewfinder.
Why they exist: cheaper to make than a real TLR while looking serious. They were the budget option in their era.
The Voigtländer Brilliant is one example. Zone focus from one metre to infinity over about a 90 degree throw of the focus ring. £5-15 on eBay.
The Ensign Ful-Vue is similar. Single action cock-and-fire shutter, basic exposure controls, no focusing assistance from the viewfinder.
My take: pseudo TLRs are essentially viewfinder cameras with delusions of grandeur. The form factor is fun but you do not get any of the advantages of a real TLR. Skip these in favour of either cheap viewfinder cameras or real TLRs.
Price range: £5 to £20
Category 3: Real TLRs
What they are: twin-lens reflex cameras where both lenses are rigidly linked so that when you focus the viewing lens, the taking lens focuses to the same distance. You compose and focus through a waist-level finder looking down at a focusing screen.
Why they matter: the TLR form factor produces a different shooting experience from any other camera type. You hold the camera at chest level, look down, compose carefully, and shoot deliberately. Many photographers find this changes how they see the world. The Rolleiflex 2.8 is the legendary version.
The Lubitels (the 2 and the 166B) are often the first medium format camera for many people. Soviet-era, cheap (£30-40 on eBay), full range of shutter speeds and apertures, and they do focus properly. My honest opinion: the focusing screen is notoriously dim, and beginners often find them dispiriting rather than encouraging. The Lubitel is cheap because it is hard to use well, not because it is a steal.
The Yashica TLRs are a much better entry point. The Yashica 635 was my first medium format camera and remains a favourite. The Yashica A is simpler and cheaper. The Yashica D sits in between. Expect to pay £80-100 for a working example. Excellent cameras, easy to focus, sharp lenses.
The Minolta Autocord is a step up from Yashica. The Autocord CDS has a built-in meter (uncoupled, but accurate). Expect to pay £200-300 for a working CDS. Without the meter, around £100. Worth it if you want the upmarket TLR experience.
The Rolleiflex 2.8 is the prestige TLR. £1,500+ for a clean copy. Worth it if you want the prestige. Other Rolleiflex models (the 3.5) are cheaper and almost as good.
The Rolleicord is what I call “the cheat man’s Rolleiflex”. Same maker, similar build quality, simpler shutter and lens, much lower price. £200-400 typically. Genuinely good cameras.
The Mamiya C220, C330, and similar are the modern TLR option, with interchangeable lenses (rare for a TLR). I have had a C330 on this channel before. Cracking cameras, but I personally went off the TLR form factor before I really gave them their due. £300-500 typically.
My take: TLRs are a wonderful way into medium format if the form factor suits you. Try a Yashica 635 first to see if you like the chest-level waist-level approach before spending serious money on a Rolleiflex.
Price range: £30 (Lubitel) to £1,500+ (Rolleiflex 2.8)
![PLACEHOLDER: a selection of TLRs laid out, including the Yashica 635, the Lubitel, and the Minolta Autocord]
Category 4: Folders (the gold mine)
What they are: cameras with a bellows that folds flat when not in use, making them remarkably compact for their format. Open the front, the lens pulls out on bellows, you focus and shoot, fold it back up.
Why they are not on top-ten lists: folders peaked in the 1940s and 1950s and were eclipsed by SLRs in the 1970s. The internet’s conception of “classic medium format” mostly excludes them. This is your opportunity.
This is the category where the genuine bargains live. I have over a dozen folders in my collection, and some of my best medium format images have come from cameras that cost me less than the film I put through them.
The Agfa folders
The Agfa Isolette is a 6x6 folder from the 1940s and 1950s. There are something like seven or eight versions of the Isolette family (I, II, III, plus variants with different shutters and lenses). All are good. £20-60 typically.
The Agfa Jsolette (Isolette II) and Jsolette III add features incrementally. The III has a built-in light meter (often dead now, but works as a manual camera regardless).
The Zeiss Ikon Nettars
The Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515 (6x4.5 frames, 16 per roll) is my favourite folder. A 75mm f/6.3 Nettar lens, razor sharp, in a body the size of a small paperback. I took mine to Africa as my walk-around medium format camera. £10-20 for a working copy on eBay.
The Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 is the same family but shoots 6x9. Bigger negatives, same compact format. £15-30.
The Zeiss Ikon Ikonta family is a step up from the Nettar with better lenses and shutters. £40-100 typically.
The Nettars and Ikontas were made by the millions. Quality varies. Look for clean bellows (more on this below), clean glass, working shutter at multiple speeds.
The other folders worth knowing
The Balda Baldix with the f/2.9 lens is a stunner. £50-100 for a clean copy. Mine takes consistently excellent photographs.
The Voigtländer Perkeo I is small, light, and produces excellent results with the Vaskar 75mm f/4.5 lens. £50-100.
The Nixon Nixette I have reviewed on the channel before. Cheap, simple, surprisingly capable. £20-40.
The Kershaw 110 is single-action cock-and-fire with a focus-free lens. £10-20. Limited but charming.
The Franka Solida family includes some lovely cameras. The Solida I I have used and got beautiful images from. £30-60.
The Adox Golf is another underrated little camera. £30-50.
The Mamiya 6 (the original folder from the 1950s, not the modern Mamiya 6 rangefinder which costs ten times as much) is probably the most famous folder. £200-300 for the folder. £3,000+ for the modern rangefinder Mamiya 6. Make sure you know which one you are buying.
The bellows myth
A note that comes up a lot. The myth is that all folders have bellows problems. They do not.
I have 14 folders in active use. Not one of them has bellows problems. Yes, bellows can fail. Yes, they are difficult to fix when they do. But the failure rate is far lower than internet folklore suggests, particularly on Agfa and Zeiss Ikon folders which were built to last.
When buying, hold the bellows up to a strong light from inside and look for pinholes. If there are no pinholes, the bellows are fine. Most cameras advertised as having “bellows problems” actually have working bellows but cosmetic damage or stiff folds.
The lens-choice note
Many of these cameras came with multiple lens and shutter options across their production runs. The Nettars alone had perhaps a dozen variations. The faster lenses (f/3.5 to f/4.5) carry premium prices but you rarely need them. For most folder work, the f/6.3 or f/4.5 lens at smaller apertures gives you everything you actually need.
My take: folders are the most undervalued category in medium format. For £20-100, you can have a beautifully made camera with a lens that performs above its price point and a form factor that fits in your jacket pocket. If you are starting in medium format on a budget, start here.
Price range: £10 to £300 (excluding the modern Mamiya 6 rangefinder, which is in its own category)
![PLACEHOLDER: a selection of folders, with the Nettar 515 and the Balda Baldix prominent]
Category 5: SLRs (the prestige category)
What they are: single lens reflex cameras with a mirror system, so you see through the actual taking lens. This is the category that most top-ten lists focus on.
Why they cost more: more complex mechanically, often with interchangeable lenses, backs, and viewfinders. The medium format SLR is the closest equivalent to a “professional” 35mm SLR.
The waist-level square SLRs
The Bronica S2A is my pride and joy. 6x6 frames, focal plane shutter, mechanical complexity that is almost impossible to comprehend, theatrical mirror slap. £400-500 with a 75mm Nikkor lens. Often called “the poor man’s Hasselblad” by people who have not used one. Genuinely its own thing.
The Bronica SQA is the next generation Bronica 6x6, introduced in 1982 and made through to the mid 90s. Leaf shutter in the lens, electronic timing, more reliable. £300-500. Solid camera.
The Hasselblad 500CM is the most famous medium format SLR ever made. £2,000-3,000 for a clean copy. Worth it if you want the prestige and the lens ecosystem. The £400 Bronica S2A is the same form factor.
The 645 SLRs
The Bronica ETRS is my current 645 mainstay. Smaller and lighter than the 6x6 SLRs. £300-500 with a lens.
The Mamiya 645J is the budget Mamiya 645. £200-300. I have reviewed this in depth.
The full Mamiya 645 family includes the original Mamiya 645 (1975), 645 1000s (1976), 645J (1979), 645 Super (1985), 645 Pro (1993), Pro TL (1997), 645E (2000), and the AFD autofocus series from 1999 onwards. Prices vary wildly by model and condition. £200-1,000+ depending on what you choose.
The big format SLRs
The Mamiya RB67 is the legendary 6x7 SLR. Built like a tank, heavy as a tank, takes images of astonishing quality. £800-1,200 for a working RB67 with a lens. Cheap RB67s exist but usually need work.
The Pentax 67 is the other 6x7 SLR option, in a form factor closer to a giant 35mm SLR. £1,000+ typically.
The 35mm-shaped medium format SLRs
The Pentacon Six TL is a 6x6 SLR in roughly the shape of a 35mm SLR but bigger. £150-300. Some reliability problems but capable cameras.
The Kiev 60 is often called a Russian copy of the Pentacon Six but is actually a meaningfully different design. Same lens mount as the Pentacon, which is useful. £150-250. Bigger and heavier than a Pentacon Six but more reliable.
The Kiev 88 is similar in form to the Bronica S2A and is sometimes called a Russian Hasselblad copy. £200-300. Reliability problems are common; some examples are excellent, others are paperweights.
The Rolleiflex SLX
The Rolleiflex SLX is the one electronic 6x6 SLR I keep coming back to. Motor-driven, electronically controlled, automatic exposure available. £300-500 for a working body. Lenses are expensive (the 50mm wide can fetch £400+).
I have it on this channel before and remain a fan.
My take: SLRs are the right choice if you want the modern medium format experience with through-the-lens viewing and full creative control. Buy a Bronica S2A first (or an ETRS if you want 645), shoot it for six months, then decide if you need a Hasselblad. You probably will not.
Price range: £150 (Pentacon Six) to £3,000+ (Hasselblad)
![PLACEHOLDER: a selection of medium format SLRs across the various form factors]
Category 6: Rangefinders
What they are: cameras with a rangefinder mechanism that helps you focus precisely without going through the taking lens. Two images in the viewfinder align when correct focus is achieved.
Why they are less common in medium format: rangefinders work best on smaller cameras where the rangefinder base length is constrained by camera size. Medium format rangefinders are bigger and more complex than 35mm rangefinders. There are still some excellent options.
Press cameras
The Speed Graphic 3x4 (and the more common 4x5) is technically a press camera but has a rangefinder and is much easier to use as a rangefinder than as a view camera with a 120 back. £300-400 for a 3x4 with a 120 back. Cracking lens, pen sharp.
The Mamiya Super 23 is a proper medium format press camera. I used mine for the Jolies Fleurs local businesses shoot. £200-300 typically. Solid camera, easy to use.
The Mamiya Press family includes the Mamiya 23, Super 23, Universal, and others. All are good options for medium format rangefinder work.
The Koni Omega and Omega Rapid are similar press camera options. £200-300.
These press cameras are an underrated entry point to medium format. They are easier to use than a TLR, more affordable than an SLR, and produce cinematic-looking images on big negatives.
The Texas Leicas
The Fuji GW690 and GSW690 are nicknamed the “Texas Leica” because they are rangefinder cameras in the form factor of a Leica but enormous. 6x9 frames on 120 film. I have had one of these on the channel before and they are excellent. £600-800 typically.
These produce some of the best medium format images you can make with a handheld camera. Worth the money if you want big-negative rangefinder shooting.
My take: rangefinders are less popular in medium format than 35mm but the options that exist are genuinely good. Try a Mamiya Super 23 first if you are curious about the form factor.
Price range: £200 (Mamiya Super 23) to £800 (Fuji GW690)
Category 7: Pinhole cameras
What they are: cameras with no lens. Just a pinhole through which light enters. Long exposures, soft images, distinctive aesthetic.
Why they are still being made: pinhole cameras are the only camera type that does not require specialised shutters or lenses (the two hardest things to make from scratch). Anyone with a 3D printer can make one, and several small makers do.
The Chroma Cube 66 is mostly 3D printed. 6x6 frames on 120 film. £50-60 brand new.
I have used one on the channel and got results from it. Pinhole photography is its own discipline but the cameras are cheap enough to try without commitment.
My take: pinhole is a different kind of photography that some people love and others find frustrating. Cheap entry, distinctive results, worth experimenting with if the aesthetic appeals.
Price range: £50 to £100
What I have not covered
Categories I have skipped or undercovered:
- Panoramic medium format cameras (Horizon, Widelux, the various 6x12 and 6x17 options)
- Twin lens reflexes from less famous makers (Ricohflex, Walz, Yashica D variants)
- Soviet TLRs other than the Lubitel (Komsomolets, etc.)
- East German and other Eastern European medium format cameras (Werra, Practisix, etc.)
- Press cameras from American makers (Graflex variations beyond the Speed Graphic)
- Polaroid medium format (the various pack film cameras)
If you want comprehensive coverage of these, camera-wiki.org is genuinely excellent and has the same vibe I am trying to create here (broad, knowledgeable, not just the famous ones).
What to do with this guide
A practical workflow for finding your next medium format camera.
1. Decide what you want from medium format.
- Big negatives for resolution? Go 6x7 or 6x9.
- Square format for composition? Go 6x6.
- 35mm-like rectangular frames? Go 6x4.5.
- Portability above all? Folders.
2. Decide your budget honestly.
- Under £50: viewfinder cameras, small folders, the Holga.
- £50-150: better folders, Yashica TLRs, Lubitels.
- £150-300: Pentacon Six, Mamiya 645, press cameras.
- £300-500: Bronica S2A or ETRS, Rolleiflex SLX, RB67 (lower end).
- £500-1,500: better RB67s, Pentax 67, premium TLRs, Fuji GW690.
- £1,500+: Hasselblad, Rolleiflex 2.8.
3. Search for specific models on the second-hand market.
- eBay (UK and international)
- Camera-specific Facebook groups
- KEH, Mpb, and similar dealers
- Local camera shops if you have any nearby
- Photography forums and classifieds
4. Buy condition, not just names. A clean working £40 Nettar will outperform a knackered £400 Hasselblad. Look for cosmetic condition, clean optics, working shutter at multiple speeds, intact bellows (where applicable), and ideally a recent service.
5. Use it for at least three rolls before deciding. First-roll syndrome is real. You learn a camera over multiple shoots, not in one outing.
My personal recommendations
If forced to recommend specific cameras at specific price points:
- Under £30: a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515 in working condition. Best value medium format camera ever made.
- Under £100: a Yashica 635 TLR. Easy to use, sharp lens, satisfying form factor.
- Under £200: a Pentacon Six TL with the 80mm Biometar lens. Big negatives, character.
- Under £500: a Bronica S2A with the 75mm Nikkor. Cracking camera, builds toward a serious kit.
- Under £1,000: a Bronica ETRS with several lenses. Best medium format SLR system for the money.
- Over £1,000: Hasselblad 500CM if you want the prestige, Pentax 67 if you want big negatives, Rolleiflex 2.8 if you want the TLR experience.
Final thoughts
Medium format film photography is more accessible than the top-ten lists suggest. You can be shooting 120 film tomorrow for less than the cost of a takeaway. You can build a serious kit for less than the price of a low-end digital camera. You can have lifelong enjoyment from a £30 folder if you choose the right one and learn its quirks.
The internet’s conception of “medium format” is narrower than the reality. This article exists to widen that conception, to add models to your mental map, to make sure you do not assume that “medium format” means “Hasselblad 500CM and nothing else.”
Use this map. Add to it. Tell me what I have missed in the comments. And go shoot some film.
If you want camera-specific deep dives, most of the cameras mentioned above have their own articles on this site (use search or work backwards through the guides index). More are being added regularly. The map gets denser the longer this channel runs.