The Asahi Pentax 6x7 - the SUPER SLR!

#pentax67 #pentax #filmcamera #filmphotography #photography #mediumformat #fujifilm #oldcarcity
PLEASE READ - VERY IMPORTANT: It has been brought to my attention (thankfully) that the sequence of the removal of the prism shown in this video ONLY applies to the non-TTL prism. If you have a TTL prism, you will likely break the linkage chain if you attempt to mount the TTL prism WITHOUT removing the lens first. ALWAYS remove the lens when mounting the TTL prism. Once it is in place, you can re-attach the lens.
Today we're doing a deep dive into the awesome Pentax 6x7. A monster of a medium format SLR, this series was produced for 40 years beginning in 1969. This camera is simply awesome. Come along as I take it out to Old Car City, in White, Georgia with a few rolls of Fujifilm Pro 400H.
High-res gallery of the photo shoot:
jastesaphoto.s...
The 1972 ad for the camera I mention in the video can be found at:
vintagecameradi...
And if you'd like to take a look at a mid-70s sales brochure for the Pentax 6x7 system, you can find it on this page:
vintagecameradi...

[@thomebau895]

Do not - I repeat - Do not remove and replace the ttl prism with the lens mounted like shown in this video. It will destroy your camera! The slider in the prism needs to interface with the end of the chain that couples with the aperture in the lens. Else it will snap inside the camera when changing the aperture.

[@vintagecameradigest]

Yes, this is absolutely the case with the TTL prism - as a few others have pointed out. I have no experience with the TTL prism, but yes, the sequence of lens removal / prism removal is quite strict for a reason. I will pin your comment to the top of the list so that it doesn’t get buried. It’s important info. Since the manual I got with mine only included info on the standard prism, I was unaware. But looking up the manual on the TTL prism itself includes this info. Many thanks!

[@ErikFritz]

@@vintagecameradigest I’ve got the same model as you, but with the metered prism (still gives accurate readings!) and I literally gasped when you removed the prism. It took me several seconds to remember it’s not an issue with the non-metered prism! 😂

[@vintagecameradigest]

@@ErikFritz I think there were a multitude of gasps from all over, lol. I’ve never touched one of these that has the meter prism, but I do barely recall reading something about that chain in a forum years ago before I even had mine. The manual didn’t give any instructions whatsoever for the meter prism, so I was horrified to think I’d be the cause of a rash of P67 repairs. Thank goodness for the comments section!

[@wilbmoore]

You are the coolest photog on KZbin. Love your straight forward approach to photography. Cool hat and great video. Mine come in literally today. Thanks for the information.

[@vintagecameradigest]

Well, you just made my day :-)) I think you’ll love the camera. Happy shooting!

[@albertjimenez7896]

Another wonderful video, as usual. In addition, I appreciate your clear and detailed explanation of metering and different angles. This is fantastic since it allows me to observe other photographers' creative processes and perspectives.

[@vintagecameradigest]

Glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for watching!

[@maxbembel2962]

I really like the content in regards to vinatage cameras and you single handedly brought me back to shooting film. Even more however I like the way you actually shoot and I learned a ton about composing and the right exposure from your vids. Thanks a bunch! :-)

[@vintagecameradigest]

I really appreciate that. Glad this has served as a bit of inspiration and that the format works well. Thanks so much for watching!

[@tonym9635]

As always great video, those shots were killer!! also nice hat! Thanks for sharing you time and knowledge.

[@vintagecameradigest]

Thanks so much! And thanks for your continued support!

[@iainmc9859]

I've been following you for a couple of months now. Love the shots. We're obviously attracted to the same sort of compositions. Mosquitoes - I wish. You should try August in the Highlands. Midges act like a fuzzy moving medium grad filter in front of your face; vicious vampiric nano-bots. They single-handedly turned back the might of the Roman Empire !

[@vintagecameradigest]

Yeah….you can keep those midges, lol! Sounds like no fun at all. Thanks for following!

[@dmccourt]

Great video Steven! I’m going to have to add this camera to the bucket list

[@vintagecameradigest]

Thanks! I don’t think you’d be disappointed. And I wish I’d picked this one up many years ago.

[@jonathanoldbuck3246]

I've had my Pentax for either 40 or 41 years and yet I learned something about the camera. And that hat, oh that hat!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Glad you found it useful! And thanks for watching!🤠

[@Van_Nostrand]

Enjoyed your video! Went to see Old Car City last month. Amazing place!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Thanks so much! Yes, it’s a really neat place. I find something a little different each time.

[@CMCSenior]

Interesting video… I’ve never ventured into medium format, but your video kept me interested long enough to view the entire thing. I like your concept and look forward to more content. Keep on keeping on!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Glad you enjoyed it! And many thanks for watching!

[@ArtMeripol]

Wish I’d kept mine. I used them from late 1980’s to end of the 90’s for interior work at a large regional Southern magazine. With the shift lens it was a beast but gave me such beautiful chromes. Made the production folks very happy. And yes that mirror was locked up on long exposures. That thing slapped hard. Sold mine years ago for a song and now they’re pricy. Oh well. Great video and tip on the shutter when there isn’t film loaded. That was new to me.

[@vintagecameradigest]

You don’t know how long I wanted one of these. I remember the first one I saw in person - at the Wolf Camera main store in Atlanta. I was gobsmacked at how big it was. I was finally able to pick this one up about 4 years ago, and it has not disappointed. I’ve not shot any color transparencies with it…yet. But they’d have to be amazing. Thanks for watching!

[@kremensky]

absolutely love your channel very detailed work thank you

[@vintagecameradigest]

Thank you very much! And thanks for watching!

[@carbonejack]

What a great place to photograph. I enjoyed your description of the 67.

[@vintagecameradigest]

Many thanks!

[@dtlaking333]

My dream camera! Hopefully will get one in the next month or two.

[@vintagecameradigest]

I wanted one for years before I finally picked this one up a few years ago. I don’t think you’d be disappointed in owning one!

[@Jennifer_Prentice]

I was cringing seeing the bugs eating you up lol. That camera ... I have always wanted one .. Never could justify the price.. But then again the amount I have into the two Bronica systems I own and the lenses I could have gotten one of these that needed some tender loving care and fixed it up :).. And yes totally love the color for that shoot. The film really brought out the colors in those old cars.. The rust even the paint on some of them the film just brought out something special about the mix of colors. . Just loved the over all results you got. Great photos.

[@vintagecameradigest]

Thanks! I had only walked about 100 ft into the place when I was bombed by more mosquitos than I could count. And I almost doubted if I’d be able to pull this shoot off. The first time I visited this place about 7 years ago, they had insect repellent at the front desk that you could use. None this time, though! I’m thankful I didn’t see any snakes, but I guarantee you they’re there! Color was the perfect choice for this, no doubt. Like you said, the rust and old paint made it look like I was catching all the cars’ transformation back to nature.

[@rockhills]

Man this place seems like a photographers dream! I was checking out the high-res photo's from this video. Some of the pics look "bloomy" at the top and edges is this a scanner issue, or the actual lens you used? Especially noticeable in the 1st picture with the light leak. I almost thought you'd used a pro-mist filter, but the effect isn't on the whole shot.

[@vintagecameradigest]

I noticed the same thing, and I haven’t gotten to the bottom of it yet. The first and last shot on each roll have the light leak. And the blooming seems to occur with the 55mm. I’ll be trying to track that down.

[@Sanbenitor]

I like the tripod you use. Looks light and durable for that camera weight. What model is this?

[@vintagecameradigest]

It’s an Oben with a PD-117 head. I forgot the exact model of the legs, and the name badge is rubbed completely off now. It is pretty light. I’d say it’s a mid-tier model. Not a Manfrotto by any means, but it does the job. I’ve used it for 4x5 LF as well and no issues.

[@TomNorthenscold]

What a terrific location!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Not bad….except for the bees, mosquitos, and unbearable humidity. Next time I go will be in December, lol.

[@TomNorthenscold]

@@vintagecameradigest The mosquitoes have been epic this year up in Minnesota. After a dry winter we’ve been making up for it with a super wet spring. We needed the rain desperately, but I could do without the swarms of mosquitoes.

[@GirdHerd]

Great review of the Pentax 6x7. I have two 6x7s with the 55mm, 75mm, 105mm, 135mm, 150mm, 200mm and 300mm lenses. Both bodies are the non-MLU since I bought them prior to the release of the MLU body in 1972 and 1973. The older one came with the non-metered prism but I later bought the TTL pentaprism for it as I purchased the second body with TTL pentaprism. I love shooting (mainly B&W) with them. I'd like to suggest you buy a 35mm panoramic conversion kit to shoot panoramic images. The kit that I have has 2 sets of cassette adapters so you don't have to unload the film in a darkroom or changing bag. One adapter goes on the new unexposed film cassette and the other adapter goes on an empty 35mm cassette on the take-up spool. By using a take-up cassette you can unload and reload in daylight but you do lose a frame or two when you open the back to remove the film. I hope you'll give it a try. I think you'll like it.

[@vintagecameradigest]

That absolutely sounds like something I’d like to try out. Thanks for the tip! I’ll be looking this up momentarily.

[@rlaclaos0619]

Finally the monstrous one!

[@vintagecameradigest]

About time, right??

[@escher2112]

New subscriber here - loving the content! What handheld spotmeter are you using? Thanks!!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Thanks for the sub! The meter I’m using is a Minolta Spotmeter F. Cheers!

[@---us7qf]

It's big, it's very BIG!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Indeed!😆

[@mhc2b]

Always enjoy your videos! I look forward to each one more than any other on You Tube. Being from Nashville, I use to go down to OCC a couple of times a year, but haven't been back in the last few years. I do, however, have a "boatload" of junk car pictures! For another, unrelated odd reason, Pentax cameras have always eluded me. I admire them, and have nothing against them at all. But for some reason have never owned one. That said, I do own a Pentax 1 degree spot meter. It's usually my "first line" of metering! Only downside, compared to your Minolta and my Sekonic, is that when I'm averaging a high light & shadow, I have to do it in my head!! Thanks for all your postings. I do not exaggerate when I say I look forward to your Vintage Camera Digest videos more than any other!!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate that. I wouldn’t say Pentax is my favorite camera maker. Although I do appreciate their many contributions to the industry. I probably favor their lenses over their cameras. That being said, the P67 is one fine camera, and I like it head and shoulders above any of their 35mm bodies. I also think their P645 (any of the versions) is an excellent one - although it’s been 20 yrs since I’ve shot with one. And even though I do love my Minolta spotmeter, I often think one of those old Pentax models would just be simpler to use, lol.

[@mhc2b]

@@vintagecameradigest The Pentax (IMHO) is the most ergonomically designed meter on the market. It fits the hand more comfortably than any other hand meter. Again IMHO. And, one important factor to me is that it reads primarily in EV's, which is always my preferred choice of metering. FWIW - Back in the 1990's there was an elite company called Zone VI which made lots of high-end dark room stuff as well as elegant large format field cameras in your choice of woods. I bought one in light Cherry. It was such an aesthetically beautiful camera that I kept it out on a tripod in my living room! And when I sold photographs at Art & Craft shows, I kept it out on a tripod. I could not have asked for a better conversation starter!! Back to the Pentax Spot meter - Zone VI also offered to "modify" the Pentax Spot meter with a new & improved upgraded transistor of some sort. It cost $175. I had it done. They sent me back the original transistor that they replaced. In all candor, I cannot say I see any difference in its performance, since I sent it to Zone VI immediately after I purchased it. So, I have nothing to compare it to. But to this day, mine has a sticker on the side which states "Modified by Zone VI." And, I trust it thoroughly. If nothing else, on Ebay they seem to be more valuable & in-demand with the sticker.

[@vintagecameradigest]

Yes I remember Zone VI and Fred Picker and how they did offer that modification on the meter. I looked at a lot of them on ebay before I decided on the Minolta - mainly due to the price (as you stated). From my rather foggy memory, it seems that the modification was also quite helpful when using the Zone System, since the design could show all the zones at once? Or something like that?

[@mhc2b]

@@vintagecameradigest Yes. When "modified," Zone VI wrapped a white sticker around the top of the lens indicating a range of Zones from 2-8, with Zone 5 being dead center on top of the lens. It was very useful in visualizing a variety of Zones at a glance of the eye. PS - I "love" your Minolta. Particularly since it can do all the computations and averaging for you. I do also own a Sekonic L-758DR which can do incident & spot readings, and compute averages. It's an excellent meter, but for some reason I just don't feel a "kindred" connection to it.

[@vintagecameradigest]

The Minolta is nice, and I do rely on it quite a bit for the averaging. But it’s not really doing anything that you couldn’t do in your head. I wish it performed like a multi-spot metering system that actually averages a bunch of readings. But it only allows 2 readings to be stored in memory, then only indicates the median f/stop between the two. It does display it on a scale that sort of helps visualize the entire range of tones. But the computations don’t get any fancier than that. I’d really love to have a meter with the same multi-spot capabilities as the Canon T90 or the Olympus OM-4.

[@ruudmaas2480]

Beautiful work !! I did not know that Fuji film was still available. Is the fuji film expired?

[@vintagecameradigest]

Unfortunately, it is indeed out of production. And the rolls that I have expired Sept 2023. See, this is what I get by staying in black & white mode 90% of the time - ignorance of the color film market. That being said, I have a relatively local mom and pop shop that acquired a bunch of it before it was discontinued in 2021. And he’s had it in the freezer ever since. And to his credit, he’s only charging a fair price for it. I guess I should now try to convince myself that I don’t like the Fuji. That will be much less painful when it is gone for good. Sad times…

[@GOLDDYNACO]

Nice video! I would think the Pentax6X7MLU is one of the very few medium format cameras that can withstand a fall straight to the ground once in a while. Hope it went well with you and your equipment!

[@vintagecameradigest]

It held up very well, thankfully! Let that be a testament to ruggedness. I will tread carefully around the yellow and red truck next time I’m there.

[@raulcstetson]

What meter are you using? I have my pentax 67 with a few lenses. I want to get better at metering. I'd love some tips!

[@vintagecameradigest]

I’m using a Minolta Spotmeter F for most of my metering these days. I’m also currently writing the next episode which will be totally about metering methods. So stay tuned!

[@lupindeweir]

My grandmother would have. lol

[@andrewmorrison-blake9167]

Why have you not got more subscribers?? Still...it's their loss , they are missing one of the most wonderful channels on here.I really enjoyed seeing you shoot in colour for a change as well.

[@vintagecameradigest]

Many, many thanks! The channel has only been live since last September, so I still have a long way to go! Thank you for your continued support!

[@joefaracevideos]

Great video. Like the hat, love those color shots, they are really great! PS. Do you process your own color?

[@vintagecameradigest]

Thank you! No, I’ve found that NOT doing my own color processing leads to much more consistent results😁. Plus, there’s a lab about 30 miles from me that will dev and do a med-res scan of the negs for the ridiculously low price of $10 per roll.

[@nvrumi]

I hate mosquitoes. Permethrin on your clothes will help a lot. It works on ticks, too. I have a Pentax 645 Nii that I like quite a lot. I find that it handles fine with the built-in grip. Switching between portrait and landscape is no problem. The lenses are very good as well. I believe that Pentax made an adapter that would permit shooting P67 glass on the P645. I have not gone down that rabbit hole. How does the Fuji film compare to Kodak Gold 200? I've been shooting some of that recently and need to have a handful of rolls processed. What developer are you using for your B&W processing? I'm trying to decide what to buy or formulate. I used D-76 for ages, but that was ages ago. I'm seeing good results with Rodinal and HC-110 by others. I thought I'd ask what your experiments have determined. Thanks for the video!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Permethrin: duly noted. With the P645, I think Pentax got it right from the start. Their decision to build-in the grip made it a non-issue. Unlike the original Mamiya M645 and 1000S that is a complete pain to manage without a right-hand grip, and only slightly less so with it - since the only right-hand grip included a heavy motor drive. I have also recently seen P67 adapters for other mounts, too. But I think the 645 lenses would be just as fine as the P67’s. As for my impression of the Fuji v Gold 200, I do like the Fuji more. But is it worth 2x the price of the Gold? Not sure. This is the first of the 400H I’ve shot. And sadly, I discover that it’s no longer being made. Missing important news like this is what happens when you spend too much time with black and white. But even if it weren’t discontinued I feel I’d be using more of the Gold simply due to price. I have shot very little of it either, so far. But I’m sure I’ll be adding it in more now since I’m beginning to appreciate color film a little more. As for B&W developers, my tried and true is simply D-76, usually a 1:1 dilution. Although I have used Ilfosol 3 when processing the Kentmere films. Only con with the Ilfosol is incredibly short dev times. So it’s always best to use at lower temps.

[@nvrumi]

@@vintagecameradigest That was a lot of good information. I picked up a Harris changing tent from fleaBay a couple months ago so I can load developing tanks. I found a website where the author did a lot of testing of Tri-X and FP4 (maybe HP5 too) for pushed ISO and extended developing times. The results were very interesting. If you're interested, I'll dig out the URLs and send them to you. They are good reads.

[@vintagecameradigest]

Yes! I’d definitely love to look at those.

[@ytSouljah]

I got 3 of these 1 is boxed unused Best camera ever

[@vintagecameradigest]

Indeed one of the greats. I wanted one for many, many years. Finally picked this one up about 3 years ago. It’s everything I thought it would be.

[@LTHanlon]

Great video! I love my Pentax 6x7 but live in terror of damaging the chain by forgetting the sequence if you remove the lens, as well. Basically, I never remove the prism and switch lenses in the same sitting. 😵‍💫

[@vintagecameradigest]

Yes, that would make me nervous wreck. Thankfully for me, I have the non-metered prism. But that is sort of a weak link (no pun intended) of the overall system. Because I’m absolutely certain that I’d forget the sequence during a stressful moment and it’d be all over.

[@geofff6671]

Cool spot for photography!

[@vintagecameradigest]

No doubt! I find something new every time I go for a visit.

[@kenschwarz8057]

I rented this camera and it was fantastic.

[@vintagecameradigest]

One of the best!

[@35matinee]

MANY of these cameras for sale today have a sluggish SUPPLY side reel (left side). It makes film travel difficult to say the least.

[@vintagecameradigest]

I can vouch for that - at least until the back is closed and I’ve reached frame #1. After that it’s smooth sailing. Not surprised that’s a thing, though. Thanks for that info!

[@asadavis9532]

Does the step down metering lever on the lens do anything at all if the prism is a non metering model?

[@vintagecameradigest]

Absolutely. It will function as your depth-of-field preview.

[@guillermoperezsantos]

The absolut best lenses for your money, by far

[@vintagecameradigest]

I agree. When compared to other 6x7 systems, these lenses usually have more speed and quite affordable.

[@jharrelphoto]

awesome work! just sub'd. I need to learn hot to meter like that. I use a 67ii and always hust rely on the cameras meter and sometimes will just point the camera down and let it meter for the shadows then recompose or just leave it as is. great shots by the way!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Many thanks! If I had the 67II I'd probably trust that meter more than the spotmeter, lol. But, I do think I've been paying much more attention to the range of tones since I've been using that meter.

[@TheDamnGarage]

Bonus feature: if you throw it at bees the camera will survive. Another great video! Thank you for the insight.

[@vintagecameradigest]

For real! My first reaction was to drop the camera, lol. A lesser camera wouldn’t survive that. Thanks for watching!

[@MichaelZweifel]

I love my 6x7 too.

[@vintagecameradigest]

👍 It’s one I probably won’t part with, either.

[@johnsomers8269]

I'm not sure your new hat is flattering! Loved the old Borgward, and was that a Fiat next to it? I hope a bug repellent is on your "to get" list!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Yes, that was a Fiat. Good eye!

[@johnsomers8269]

Groovy hat! The Pentax 67 is nice, but the RB 67 was nice because of film backs as opposed to the Pentax, where you would need more bodies!

[@vintagecameradigest]

Yep, there is a lot to be said for a system that uses backs like the RB. Definitely more flexible. If they actually thought of the P67 as a scaled-up 35mm, though, the lack of backs probably wasn’t much of an issue.

[@SteveMillerhuntingforfood]

I keep expecting to see a copperhead crawl by.

[@vintagecameradigest]

I was definitely on the lookout for one. I should’ve been looking for yellow jackets, too.

[@tysonhaggerty8475]

@vintagecameradigest what light meter were you using

[@vintagecameradigest]

Hey there! I was using a Minolta Spotmeter F. It’s my go-to these days.

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

The Borgward at 18:00 is pretty rare. Not many imported to the US.

[@vintagecameradigest]

That’s what I’ve learned. I’ve seen two of them at this place. There’s one in a section that was reserved for German vehicles (most VWs) and then this one that’s parked by the Fiat. Wouldn’t be surprised if there were more out there.

[@GirdHerd]

I bought a 3D printed right hand grip for each body to make it feel more like a modern DSLR (like my Nikon D850). Personally, I think a right hand grip is more practical than the original left hand grip because I focus and adjust the aperture and shutter speed (using the TTL meter) with my left hand.

[@vintagecameradigest]

I’ve always thought the same thing. A left-hand grip seems like it would just get in my way. I’ve seen some really nice wooden right-hand grips, and it’s good to know that there are 3D printed options, too.

[@aiofilms]

Why didn't you trust the built-in meter in the Pentax camera? Does this particular model not have one?

[@vintagecameradigest]

Exactly. Mine only has the non-metered prism.

[@aiofilms]

@@vintagecameradigest Thanks.

[@tonyb2760]

I like the images but that place looks like a snake pit. I live in Metro Atlanta and have zero interest in that place because of the overall condition of "unkemptness"

[@vintagecameradigest]

I was surprised that I didn’t come across any snakes, myself. It’s not as bad as it looks. They have mowed the main access paths and keep them generally clear. And a lot of shooting can be done from there. But if you stray from the main paths…well it get’s a little “wild”.