Medium Format Rangefinders Shoot-Out So you wish that Leica made a medium format rangefinder..  ya, so do I.  But they don't, so here are some alternatives. Mamiya 7II - 6x7cm Format Rating - **** Evaluation: I have owned the complete system for a few years now.  The lenses are superb and the the system is quite capable of producing beautifully sharp and contrasty negatives.  In fact, the wide angkle lenses in particular are among the BEst medium format lenses ever made in my opinion.  The 43mm & 50mm lenses are knockouts!  It takes interchangeable leaf shutter lenses 43mm 50mm, 65mm, 80mm, 150mm & 210mm and syncs at all speeds.  It is easy to use.  The camera is well laid out and ergonomically designed.  It fits well in your hands.  The viewfinder image is very nice and the camera accept both 120 & 220 film sizes.  The self timer can be very useful.  It is relatively small and lightweight, perfect for travel.  My only gripe with this camera is the poor quality of the body material.  Although the build quality is satifactory, it is very plasticky.  The rangefinder has a propensity to get out of alignment.  When this happens, the sharpest lenses in the world will still give you unsharp photographs!  This camera is easy to break in a number of ways and is certainly not built like a Leica, but if you learn how to adjust the rangefinder and treat it properly, it will reward you with superb images better than others in this shootout.  The camera relies completely on battery power, so if the batteries fail, you are done for the day.  This is not a camera for harsh environments.  If Mamiya were to make some small improvements by redigning the Rangefinder system and making the Body out of a die Cast Magnesium I think we would have a world class camera that would last a lifetime.  I really like this camera system I find myself more and more coming back to it, even though I love my Plaubel Makina's. Evaluation: Plaubel Makina 67 and W67 - 6x7cm Format Rating - ****+ These are now my preferred medium format rangefinders.  One has a normal perspective 80mm Nikkor lens and the other has a Wide perspective 55mm Nikkor lens.  The shutter is a leaf shutter type capable of speeds up to 1/500th with flash sync at all speeds.  They are about the same size as the Mamiya 7II without a lens.  The Makina's employ a telescoping lens mechanism that retracts into the body when not in use.  This provides a very slim and portable camera.  They are heavier than the Mamiya 7 though, because they are made out of metal instead of plastic.  The viewfinder is great and the lenses seem very sharp and contrasty, but not quite on Par with Mamiya's 7II equivelant 50mm.  Most importantly, The rangefinder stays in alignment forever due to superb build quality and also partially because these are fixed lens cameras.  They are very Robust and completely mechanical.  They are perfect for harsh environments with extreme heat & cold.  They both have built in spotmeters that are activated by a small button on back of the camera body on the topplate.  This means that since the meter is only on very briefly at a given time, the batteries for the meter will last a long, long time.  The meter is also very accurate.  The camera operates smoothly and precisely as one would expect from a top notch camera.  The shutter is quiet, but does make an authoritative click when released (the Mamiya's shutter is virtually silent).  It accepts only 120 size film.  There is no self timer incorporated into the body, but a small mechanical timer will do nicely.  I found that after using the Fuji, Mamiya and now the Makina's, that I only really need two lenses.  A wide and a normal.  These two Makina's suit me nicely and I highly recommend them if you can find one.  My only gripe with the Makina's is the ergonomics are not as nice as the Mamiya's, but you get used to shooting with it fine if you use them frequently.   They are no longer available new, but can be found used on occasion.  They are rather pricey, but rightly so and still cheaper than a new Mamiya 7 outfit.  Nice! Evaluation: Fuji Rangefinders  - 6x45, 6x7 & 6x9 Format Rating - ***+ The 645 models are available in Wide, Normal and Zoom lens models and are electronically controlled.  They are very convenient and easy to use.  They have a slim profile.  The images are also superb.  You really can't fault these cameras, they are built well (early versions from metal and later versions from plastic - I prefer the early models) and very robust.  Even the plastic ones.  They are engineered well and always seem to work without problems.  I did not like the Zoom model much because of the viewfinder framelines changing when zooming and because of the slower variable speed lens that becomes a nuisance when trying to figure out an aperture.  The fixed lens models are easier to work with in my opinion.  They are leaf shutter lenses with sync at all speeds.  The lenses telescope and retract into the body on the 645 models and make for a nice package.  The autofocus models do an adequate job of focusing with few problems (although I prefer manual focusing, its faster and more accurate)  The 645 models also incorporate built in meters.  I keep one of these on hand for Occasions in which I want to take quality medium format negatives, but I am feeling not too serious about photography, like a Point and Shoot.  But I am always glad that I have had it and I am always surprised by the excellent results that these cameras provide. The 6x7 & 6x9 models are my favorites though.  I had a couple 6x9's, a model II Wide and a Model III Normal.  The model II had a nicely built metal body.  The model III was plastic, but had a nice built in bubble-level that was very useful.  I fully regret selling these cameras.  They were completely mechanical.  No meter.  Photography at its most basic uncluttered form.  They always worked and produced excellent images with nothing to distract you from the all too important composition.  These models are a little more bulky than the other cameras mentioned in this article, the lenses are of the rigid fixed variety.  They were always spot on and I never had focusing problems.  These cameras can be found used and they are relatively inexpensive.  I really enjoyed using these cameras, but I have the Makina's now which are a step up.  The Fuji 6x7 & 6x9 are my second choice and I Highly recommend them. TLR's - Twin Lens Reflex Cameras These cameras are usually 6x6 format, although Konica made a 6x7 TLR that I used for years called the Omegaflex.  Most of these cameras, especially the later model Rolleis are excellent but Bulky.  Reminds me of taking pictures with a brick, but as with anything else, you get used to it.  I'll tell you, that Omegaflex was built like a tank and never let me down.  It was un-godly heavy though.  The lenses were Ok but not All-That.  Konica also made a 6x7 rangefinder system similar to the Omegaflex called the Omega.  I will review this as soon as I get my hands on one.  Mamiya made the C220-C330 in many incarnations.  These were 6x6 with interchangeable lenses.  They were the standard in wedding photographers bags for years.  They are great to find on the used market, are robust with no major prblems and provide excellent image quality.  Theya re also very plentiful, making the prices very affordable.  if you want the BEST image quality from a TLR, get the Late model Rollei 3.5F (six Element) or Late Model Rollei 2.8F with the Zeiss Planar lenses.  These camera's still have a huge following for shooters and collectors alike.   They are a bit pricey, but worth every penny and will give Hasselblad a run for there money (actually the image quality is better in my opinion). Medium Format 6x9 Folders These cameras are numerous on the used market and also come in all the standard medium format sizes.  The Zeiss Super Ikontas are very nice and show Superb build quality with excellent imaging.  The Voigtlander Bessa II has a huge Cult following especially with the Super sharp Helair and even more so APO-Lanthar lens (good luck finding one of these!).  The sleeper of the bunch and one of my favorites is the Agfa Record III with the Solinar Lens.  The Solinar lens is the key point here, it is pinpoint sharp and nicely contrasty.  The camera is light and build quality is good though not up to the standards of the Bessa II.  The Rangefinders on the Agfa Record are usually not working when you find them, but are still repairable.  The camera is made of metal, lightweight and like I said, has A GREAT lens (Solinar).  The Agfa Record with the Apotar is Ok, but if you want a great shooter on par with modern cameras find one with the Solinar lens in good condition.  You will be very pleased with the results.   All evaluations are based on my personal use and shooting style.  I have used all of the cameras mentioned for quite some time as a Professional.   I provide this information to you not as a tester/user and as a Photographer - not a scientist.  Lets call them real world test results - Thank you for listening and patronizing our site.   Rating System: ***** - Superb in all respects (if Leica made a medium format rangefinder, this would be it) **** - Great, a nicely thought out camera and lens system capable of professional results and professional use *** - Excellent system and quite capable when used within specification ** - Not bad, If you don't have a lot of money, but if you are capable you can still produce quality photographs. * - A real turd.  If you like shitty cameras, this may be for you.