Re: [Rollei] 6008i exposure accuracy

["Kevin Ramsey" <kramsey]

Hi Ken:
Yes, Samy's in LA has given up their Rollei rental business and I was given 
the impression when I was there in March that they were going to sell the 
new equipment they had on hand and not restock. Gasser in San Francisco 
does, however, still rent some 600x equipment (alas, not the expensive 
Schneider f2.0 and f2.8 lenses).

The 6008i center-weighted metering system is not nearly as complex or 
flexible as my Canon EOS-1N, but should have produced better exposures than 
you experienced. Not having used a Pentax 645N I can't compare the two. 
However, I have found the 6008i exposure meter to function like my old 
Nikon F3 and Leica M6, which is to say that as long as you understand that 
the subject in the center of the frame is going to have the greatest impact 
on the exposure value and you compensate accordingly, then you will be 
fine. I have found the exposure correction dial to be very easy to use when 
adjusting exposure "on the fly" as I notice subjects in the center of the 
frame that are too bright or dark. The 6008i meter may not be the most 
flexible one in the medium format world (my experience renting a Contax 645 
proved that), but it is certainly capable of producing accurate readings.

I selected the 6008 as my first medium format camera after renting 
Hasselblad, Mamiya, and Contax over the course of four years. I found that 
for the kind of work I do (documentary-style of people for corporate 
communications) it best served my needs. Other than the somewhat antiquated 
TTL system and lack of easily accessible rental equipment (none in New 
York) the camera has met or exceeded my expectations.

Best of luck with your decision,
Kevin

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