Go Shoot! Koni Omega Rapid
I’d never heard of the Koni Omega Rapid series of cameras until someone offhandedly mentioned it in a Bronica Users Group. I found one for not much money, complete with lens and 120 film back, and then quickly jumped on a 220 film back even before the camera arrived. It was a good move! The Koni Omega is a 6×7 medium format rangefinder. It comes standard with a Hexanon 90mm f/3.5 lens, which is really sharp! And the rangefinder is really very accurate, at least on the version I have. So it’s possible to shoot portraits wide open and have nice bokeh (out of focus background) and yet keep the subject very sharp. All without using a reflex mirror to see what I’m doing!
The 220 back turned out to have light leaks, so I need to work on that a bit. But I’m very excited about this camera. It has a leaf shutter, so the flash syncs at all shutter speeds (up to 1/500). This is useful when lighting outdoors, and so this will likely become my main outdoor-portrait camera. It’s not a ‘fast’ camera, in that focusing takes a moment. So I can’t practically run after kids, firing away. And with only 10 or 20 shots per roll (120 or 220), it’s not that sort of camera anyway. But for giant portraits of a more sedate nature, it’s perfect! Oh one other thing, the minimum focus distance is about 3 ft, so it’s not a close-up camera. But rangefinders aren’t ideal for that anyway.
All images shot on a 220 roll of Fuji Pro 400H, exposed at ISO 250.
Lead image: my dining room ceiling fan. Camera was placed on the table, and centered carefully. I pre-focused as best I could, but couldn’t really be sure since it had to sit on the table. f/5.6 and shutter speed of 1/15th.
Posters at the Majestic Ventura Theater, Ventura California.
Old church building, Ventura.
Another old church, this one painted pink and converted into a bed and breakfast!
This is Luis, who I met outside a barber shop. The shop hadn’t opened yet, and he feared the barber might have closed up permanently. He thought I was waiting for a haircut as well, so we started chatting. He agreed to pose for a quick portrait.
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Also one of the ugliest/awesomest looking cameras ever. I love that advancing the film feels like playing pinball.
Yes or like cocking a rifle! And the shutter makes this little “phht” sound…almost a let down after the macho film advance. Ugly, beefy and cool, all at once.
Wow, I’m so glad I stumbled on this, I love your pics. Thanks for posting, I’ll check back often….
Love the final photo of Luis outside the Barber Shop!
Thanks!
I missed using film cameras. I have a classic Fuji camera and it still works. I used to brag it with my friends
That is one ugly camera haha!
Great blog btw
Just visiting for the first time, I really like your blog! I can’t believe how long it has been since I have used film, it makes me want to go use a film camera again and play around with it. Great work!
Thanks! Film is as easy and fun as you remember it to be. You should give it another go.