Hike on Film: Kowa Six + Kodak Portra 400

[@ellizaethe9249]

This was great. I just bought my Kowa Six. I haven't shot with it yet; need to make repairs to the foam seal, but seeing this video made me excited and confident about my purchase.

[@innstikk]

Spectacular images with the Kowa Six

[@vyrnmn]

Cornwall is my favourite part of the country. Cool to see you visited!

[@Kokosbjorne]

Really looking forward for more videos!

[@tomwhelan]

Thanks Brian I really enjoyed that, you got some beautiful images there. It’s sounds like you had a great time here, it’s a shame the weather was bad for you. Keep up the great work and I look forward to see where you go next. All the best Tom

[@BrianCWeed]

Thanks, Tom! Your videos are a real inspiration!

[@falalafel8142]

Hey Brian, loving the format! Your videos have such an immersive quality to them. Looking forward to the next one! Greetings from Germany

[@BrianCWeed]

Thanks so much! I appreciate you taking the time to watch.

[@ser_delpino]

Great video!

[@BrianCWeed]

Thanks!

[@brianentz2785]

Very cool camera. Never heard of it. Fun video to watch

[@BrianCWeed]

Thank you!

[@shootretro8121]

5:58 is wonderful. Those colors and lighting look incredible!

[@BrianCWeed]

Thank you!

[@kevlarnegative]

I've just ordered a Kowa super 66 from a camera repair shop in a minty condition and fully serviced. Saying I'm hyped is an understatement 🤠 I have a Fuji GW680III but want to try a different format. Good work and lovely pictures.

[@BrianCWeed]

I love those Fuji’s! Shot on a GW690II and a GW670III for years. The Kowa is a great change up from the big rangefinder format and a good way to help you see things differently. Congrats on the Super 66 - that’s the Kowa Cadillac!

[@kevlarnegative]

@@BrianCWeed Thanks! I hope to se more Kowa content ☺️

[@randallstewart1224]

Watched this one a second time. What a wonderful location for seascape photos. I have a long history with B&W, so I'd approach the heavy overcast weather with B&W rather than color, but tastes vary. Love to take a crack at that old stone church and graveyard as well. For my purpose, the overcast would work out better than one of those bright, blue sky days.

[@BrianCWeed]

I do agree that black and white would have been a better choice given the weather conditions. Unfortunately, the Portra is all I had packed with me! @TomWhelan has an excellent video he came out with about a month ago where he takes some black and white photos at some of the same spots that I did. Check him out, his videos are great! kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYHZoHxud5J5mdU

[@ralphstark9961]

Kowa's can be fickle beasts. The lenes are great I have used and own the 55, 150, and 250. They holds up well with some care. I would aways store the Kowa with the mirror up and no tension on the cocking springs. Kowa's are know for jamming if you leave the mirror down when stored for a long time. Also brace yourself when shooting, the mirror slap is strong.

[@BrianCWeed]

Good advice, Ralph, and it echoes much of what I’ve read about the Kowa. I do make sure and store with the mirror up, and in fact, as you might notice in the video, I don’t usually wind the shutter until I’m ready to take a photo. Also, I’ve heard the shutter lever can be a weak spot, and it’s safer to wind using the round knob. The mirror slap is a kicker, but I’ve had plenty of training keeping things steady with my Pentax 67!

[@StevennAlexanderr]

What phone meter do you use?

[@randallstewart175]

There was a time when you could buy into the Kowa 6 line for around $150. Similarly, the very nice range of accessories and lenses used to be fairly available. The bodies were always somewhat problematic, and with lack of repair parts, I suspect that a lot of them have gone away. In an environment of consumer rather than professional use, and assuming reasonable CLA, I'd have no trouble buying into the system, even today, at the right prices. $400 - 500 would not be a right price for me, but opinions will vary. The succession of models reflected Kowa's effort to improve the body mechanisms as much as anything, so seeking the late model Super 66 versions would be the better buying strategy. One of the few MF cameras I wanted but never went for.

[@BrianCWeed]

Yeah, I’ve heard that about the bodies. I’m fortunate to have one that works well (for now). They’re all really quite old at this point, even the newer Super 66 models are going on nearly 50 years now! With careful use and a good CLA every now and again, I hope to keep mine going for several years to come. I personally would rather have a solid working original Six rather than one of the later models with more features (and parts) crammed in that might fail - and possibly harder to repair since the later models seem even more rare. The prices are what they are, which is more than not long ago and I’d much rather they were cheaper, but I can say that about most medium format cameras!

[@gackal1982]

the super 66's are know to be problematic due to their complexity

[@russellyoung2852]

Nope, sure doesn't look like Santa Fe! You made some fine images. I'm a Kowa Six fan as well (that would be a 150 lens, I think, not 135). I've shot a Pentax 6x7 (purchased from The Darkroom when Grant owned it) for right at 40 years and the lenses are fabulous and cheap now. But as you say, space matters when traveling.

[@HarveyWallbanger-ho2cq]

Great film choice, if you can afford it

[@Hector_Malot]

It's always surprising to know that this camera is almost sixty years old and we really end up wondering what digital technology has given us, and if photography, like other fields, has finally regressed instead of moving forward. Personally my opinion has been made for a long time. It was like the transition from Vinyl to CD: a big scam.

[@acecreates]

Great video mate. The Cornish coast is definitely on my bucket list. If you'll indulge me- there's a photographer called Tom Whelan who shoots and videos that patch of coast and does an amazing job. Go check him out! Love the captures, love the footage! Many regards for 2023 mate. Can't wait to see your journey this year!

[@BrianCWeed]

I've watched quite a few of his videos - he really is very good!

[@acecreates]

@@BrianCWeed oh I'm pleased to hear that. A top bloke too!

[@haimtoeg]

Very nice video, and apparently you acclimated to England very quickly, starting your video complaining about the weather.

[@BrianCWeed]

Ha! My ancestors are English, so it was pretty easy to get back to my roots!