Pentax 6x7
Encyclopedia
The original Asahi Pentax 6×7 of 1969, as well as the later Pentax 67 models, are SLR
medium format system cameras for 120 film. It resembles a traditional 35mm SLR camera
with interchangeable viewfinder
and lens, but is considerably bigger and heavier, weighing 2.3 kilograms (5.1 lb) with plain prism and standard lens; perhaps inspired by the 1957 East German 6×6 KW Praktisix and its successor, the Pentacon Six
, although the horizontal SLR concept can be traced back to the 1933 Ihagee VP Exakta
. The Pentax 6×7 has its own dual bayonet lens mount, and a wide range of interchangeable Takumar
lenses exist. More than forty years after the original camera introduction a wide selection of lenses was still available, together with the latest Pentax 67II.
The camera is completely battery dependent. It does not work without film, unless the film counter dial is rotated away from the empty position and closing the back while still holding the dial. The frame counter is incremented only with film in the camera. The camera locks when the counter dial has reached the last frame. The automatic frame counter resets only if the shutter is released before opening the back. If the shutter is released without a functioning battery, the camera halts after the mirror is raised. Depressing a small flush button on the right-hand camera front, just below the shutter-release button, helps reactivate the mirror/shutter cycle. It must be depressed using a blunt instrument like a pencil. Depressing the shutter release once more completes the cycle.
The camera back latch is situated at the lower left-hand corner and is operated by pushing it down using a fingernail. The film is loaded in the left film chamber by lowering the centre-pin by operating the left key at the camera base. To secure the take-up spool a similar devise is at the right-hand side. Check that the frame counter is reset. The film-pressure plate is slid either way as indicated to select 120 or 220 film, and the automatic frame counter advance stop selector is also set accordingly.
A wide range of optics makes up the lenses available for this camera including a range of leaf shuttered ones, allowing flash sync at all speeds, thereby solving many mirror and shutter vibration problems. The camera vibration problem was lessened in 1976 by the introduction of a mirror lock-up feature. Sliding a switch on the right hand side of the mirror housing upwards pre-releases the mirror.
A metered pentaprism finder is also available, enabling TTL exposure reading coupled to the lens aperture ring and the shutter speed dial.
The left-hand accessory grip attaches to the two posts at the left-hand camera front. It is secured by tightening a finger-operated bolt. The grip is removed by sliding it off downward once the bolt is slackened and lifted a bit.
Wide-angle
Standard
Telephoto
Special Purpose
Zoom Lenses
Tele Converters
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
medium format system cameras for 120 film. It resembles a traditional 35mm SLR camera
Single-lens reflex camera
A single-lens reflex camera is a camera that typically uses a semi-automatic moving mirror system that permits the photographer to see exactly what will be captured by the film or digital imaging system, as opposed to pre-SLR cameras where the view through the viewfinder could be significantly...
with interchangeable viewfinder
Viewfinder
In photography, a viewfinder is what the photographer looks through to compose, and in many cases to focus, the picture. Most viewfinders are separate, and suffer parallax, while the single-lens reflex camera lets the viewfinder use the main optical system. Viewfinders are used in many cameras of...
and lens, but is considerably bigger and heavier, weighing 2.3 kilograms (5.1 lb) with plain prism and standard lens; perhaps inspired by the 1957 East German 6×6 KW Praktisix and its successor, the Pentacon Six
Pentacon Six
The Pentacon Six is an single-lens reflex medium format camera system made by Pentacon from 1956 to 1992. The Six accepts lenses with the Pentacon Six mount, a breech-lock bayonet mount.- Praktisix :...
, although the horizontal SLR concept can be traced back to the 1933 Ihagee VP Exakta
Exakta
The Exakta is a pioneer brand camera produced by the Ihagee Kamerawerk in Dresden, Germany, founded as the Industrie und Handels-Gesellschaft mbH, in 1912.- Characteristics :Highlights of Exakta cameras include:...
. The Pentax 6×7 has its own dual bayonet lens mount, and a wide range of interchangeable Takumar
Takumar
Takumar is the name that Asahi Optical gave to its lenses, notably but not exclusively those for its own SLR cameras. Named after the Japanese-American portrait painter, , whose brother Kumao Kajiware founded Asahi Optical, the name adorned its lenses until 1975, when Asahi switched from the M42...
lenses exist. More than forty years after the original camera introduction a wide selection of lenses was still available, together with the latest Pentax 67II.
The Pentax 6×7 medium format camera range
- Asahi Pentax 6×7 is the original model that was introduced in 1969
- Asahi Pentax 6×7 (MU) with a mirror-up mechanism came in 1976
- Pentax 67 is an improved version launched in 1990
- Pentax 67II is the current model as of 2010, on sale since 1999:
Pentax 6×7 function
The Pentax 6×7 is operated quite similarly to a regular 35mm SLR camera. It is loaded with either 120 or 220 roll film, which produces ten or twenty 6×7 format exposures respectively of 56×70mm area. The film type is set correspondingly using a small knob on the right-hand side of the camera and by sliding the film pressure plate inside as indicated on the back. The standard equipment includes the Super-Multi-Coated TAKUMAR/6×7 1:2.4 f=105 lens and the removable pentaprism finder that shows exactly the exposed image. A very useful addition is the separately available left-hand grip with accessory shoe.The camera is completely battery dependent. It does not work without film, unless the film counter dial is rotated away from the empty position and closing the back while still holding the dial. The frame counter is incremented only with film in the camera. The camera locks when the counter dial has reached the last frame. The automatic frame counter resets only if the shutter is released before opening the back. If the shutter is released without a functioning battery, the camera halts after the mirror is raised. Depressing a small flush button on the right-hand camera front, just below the shutter-release button, helps reactivate the mirror/shutter cycle. It must be depressed using a blunt instrument like a pencil. Depressing the shutter release once more completes the cycle.
The camera back latch is situated at the lower left-hand corner and is operated by pushing it down using a fingernail. The film is loaded in the left film chamber by lowering the centre-pin by operating the left key at the camera base. To secure the take-up spool a similar devise is at the right-hand side. Check that the frame counter is reset. The film-pressure plate is slid either way as indicated to select 120 or 220 film, and the automatic frame counter advance stop selector is also set accordingly.
A wide range of optics makes up the lenses available for this camera including a range of leaf shuttered ones, allowing flash sync at all speeds, thereby solving many mirror and shutter vibration problems. The camera vibration problem was lessened in 1976 by the introduction of a mirror lock-up feature. Sliding a switch on the right hand side of the mirror housing upwards pre-releases the mirror.
A metered pentaprism finder is also available, enabling TTL exposure reading coupled to the lens aperture ring and the shutter speed dial.
The left-hand accessory grip attaches to the two posts at the left-hand camera front. It is secured by tightening a finger-operated bolt. The grip is removed by sliding it off downward once the bolt is slackened and lifted a bit.
Lenses
Current lenses for the cameras as of November 2011:Wide-angle
- smc PENTAX 67 45mm f4
- smc PENTAX 67 55mm f4
- smc PENTAX 67 75mm f2.8 AL
- smc PENTAX 67 75mm f4.5
Standard
- smc PENTAX 67 90mm f2.8
- smc PENTAX 67 105mm f2.4
Telephoto
- smc PENTAX 67 165mm f2.8
- smc PENTAX 67 200mm f4
- smc PENTAX 67 300mm f4
- smc PENTAX 67 300mm f4 ED IF M*
- smc PENTAX 67 400mm f4 ED IF
- smc PENTAX 67 500mm f5.6
- smc PENTAX 67 800mm f6.7 ED IF
Special Purpose
- smc PENTAX 67 Fish-Eye 35mm f4.5
- smc PENTAX 67 Macro 100mm f4
- smc PENTAX 67 Macro 135mm f5.6
- smc PENTAX 67 LS 165mm f4
Zoom Lenses
- smc PENTAX 67 55mm - 100mm f4.5
- smc PENTAX 67 90mm - 180mm f5.6
Tele Converters
- smc PENTAX 67 Rear Converter 1.4×
- smc PENTAX 67 Rear Converter 2×
- smc PENTAX 67 Rear Converter T5-1.4×