Processing Sheet Film in Trays, Part 5. Large Format Techniques. Toyo field camera walkthrough. Contax 645 - Medium Format camera review. Please note that I no longer own nor use this camera system and cannot answer questions as to current status of lenses, parts, etc. Introduction My first medium format camera was a Mamiya 7 II, purchased in July 1999. It's a nice camera but limited in what it can do, being a rangefinder…no long lenses, imprecise framing, difficulty using certain filters, and no closeup capability. It does, however, make very nice 6x7 images, and the results that it gave me were so far superior to 35mm that I knew that medium format was for me. After using the Mamiya for six months, I began the search for a medium format SLR which would replace 35mm as an all-purpose camera. I considered many brands and models: Pentax and Mamiya in particular, as well as Contax 645.
The Contax 645 is somewhat like a slightly overgrown 35mm model. Body The body is well constructed of black composite material containing carbon fibre. One of my favorite things about Contax bodies is the AE lock switch. Lenses Accessories.