Bronica RF645

Review Date
December 13, 2005

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Reviewed by
Bob_Budding , Expert

Price Paid
$550.00 at KEH

Photography Experience
21+ years , Fine Art

Summary
This is a stunningly good camera and an incredible value. I snagged a body with 65mm lens, new, from KEH for less than $1,000. THe $450 rebate brought the price to less than $550.

Strengths
Excellent lenses. Great build quality. Small and compact for medium format - great for travel or street shooting. Leaf shutter lenses are very quiet with flash sync at all speeds. Large negative is much better than 35mm.

Weaknesses
Discontinued. Faster lenses would be nice. Limited lens choices (45mm, 65mm, and 100mm). The 100mm lens is hard to find, but it is possible. Typical rangefinder limitations.

Similar Products Used
Contax IIIa.

Customer Service
Fast and excellent. Converted to 100mm framelines and adjusted rangefinder verticle alignment (all under warranty).

Review Date
February 19, 2005

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Reviewed by
Daniel Hershman , Expert

Price Paid
$1500.00 at RK Photo

Photography Experience
11-20 years , Outdoor

Summary
I purchased this camera with the 45, 65 and 100mm lenses for a bike trip through Europe in 2003. Its quick and easy to use, especially for people who are used to 35mm cameras. I lugged it in my panniers for six weeks and it worked well without a hitch. I dropped it in a hotel the last week and the focus went out, but was able to use the focusing scale on the lenses to make up for this. I take it skiing, and the one major problem I had was that the shutter advance mechanism died while loading film in 15 degree weather. (Coincidence?). Bronica repaired it no charge even though it as past the warranty date. I especially like the 45mm lens and I find that the extra viewfinder isn't really needed. The little moan the shutter makes is kind of endearing after awhile, much better than the slap of an slr.

Strengths
Tough, easy to use, great images on big film. Leaf shutter makes hand held images easier to pull off in low light.

Weaknesses
Its too easy to shoot film with the lens cap on.

Customer Service
Good fast work, repaired camera for free even after the warranty had recently expired.

Review Date
January 8, 2004

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
11-20 years

Visitors rate this review
1.50 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by
jpp , Professional

Price Paid
$1300.00 at Jacobs Photographic

Summary
I have owned my Bronica RF645 for some time now, and have put a lot of film through it. I LOVE this camera.

The build quality is excellent, and the control layout is superb.

I even forgive it for requiring a hot shoe mounted viewfinder for the 45mm lens. The 45mm lens is stunning and produces outstanding results.

The initial 135mm lens (withdrawn!) would have been a better portrait lens than the current 100mm lens. But all things considered, rangefinders are not really designed for head and shoulders portrait shots. I have however, taken very succesfull candid "action portrait" shots with the 100mm.

Portrait format is unusual and requires the camera to be turned on its side for landsacpe composition.

If you have an interest in candid street, or travel/documentary photography give this camera some serious consideration. It has been very under rated.

Price listed is in pounds sterling and was for camera body, 45mm, 65mm, and 100mm lenses, and for RF20 Flash unit.

Strengths
Very portable system.
Produces quality images.
Robust and excellent build quality.
Control layout is superb.

Weaknesses
45mm lens requires hot shoe mount viewfinder.
Limited product releases from Bronica since initial release.

Similar Products Used
Mamiya 645 Super
Bronica ETRSi
Bronica SQ-B
Canon 35mm

Customer Service
Not used.

Review Date
September 30, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by
bobinarabia , Professional , from Chicago

Price Paid
$929.00 at KEH

Photography Experience
21+ years , People

Summary
I just received and test this camera. The praise it has received from many of the other reviewers is correct. I was worried about shutter noise, but it is hardly noticeable. It accomplishes everything described in its feature set extremely well and it is a pleasure to use. This camera was a bargain. I was using 100 ISO film and several shots were at full aperture and 1/40th of a second in dim light. No problems. A joy to use. Get one while you can.

Strengths
Standard lens is outstanding for sharpness and bokeh. Focusing is deadly accurate. Easily handheld at slow shutter speeds. Since it has a leaf shutter one can use flash at any speed. Using it with a Sunpak 383 Super Flash is like having a portable studio. Than standard lens is excellent for environmental portrail, i.e., not a head shoulders only. The quality of the negatives and the scans I had made from them are outstanding.

Weaknesses
None. It does exactly what its specifications say it is going to do.

Similar Products Used
Sony DSC-707, Contax RTS II, Kiev 60, and many more.

Customer Service
Do not know.

Review Date
September 8, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.50 of 5, 8 votes

Reviewed by
Ben Schofield , Intermediate , from London

Price Paid
$800.00 at jessops

Photography Experience
6-10 years , Outdoor

Summary
I bought this camera to compliment my work writing and designing company annual reports and the like.

Then I took the RF 645 round India and sold so many images that a holiday paid for itself. Ergonomics are wonderful with everything in the right place. The bright lines are as accurate as you could expect and the lenses (I have the 45,65 and 135) are sharp and contrasty. The 65 mm lens is great for the street and for landscapes, I use it about 80% of the time. Metering is spot on.

The current price makes this a real bargain.

Most importantly, the results fantastic. It's like I went on holiday an amateur and came back semi-professional. The difference was this camera.

Strengths
Lenses
Ergonomics
Price

Weaknesses
No case
I'd love an ultra wide lens

Similar Products Used
Bronica Ertsi

Customer Service
The 135 brightframe jammed when I dropped the camera. The UK distributors Intro2020 had it fixed and returned in four days. It could have been quicker, I turned down their offer to take it Maidenhead to have it repaired whilst I waited.