The most irrational camera I love
Reflecting on the Pentax 67 during the winter freeze
February 13, 2026
It's winter here, and my photography often slows to a crawl. Some years I manage to get out and have fun metering snow on black and white film and icicles. This year I've felt very uninspired. Instead I am thinking about fun times and better weather and I want to talk about one of my favorite stupid cameras, the Pentax 67. The Pentax 67 (6x7, 6x7MLU, 67ii inclusive) are dumb cameras. Where as most 6x6 and larger cameras use leaf shutters, the 67 family uses a massive focal plane shutter and mirror assembly. Let's start with some Portra 800:
This is a camera which really really punishes sloppy technique. The slightest movement during that massive mirror swing and shutter fire and you've got a blurred picture. You need incredibly steady hands and an incredibly robust tripod. Lighter tripods will shake with the mirror swing. The 67's little younger brother, the 645n has probably the most insane mirror dampening system in a medium format camera. It can be handheld well bellow what you'd expect from an SLR. Not the case for our friend the 67.
It's also massive, so that steady hand becomes even harder. Hold it too far away from your body and it'll amplify any wobble in your grip. The 67ii is a little lighter and a little easier to hold, but its only really incrementally improved. These are gigantic cameras, and only small when compared to something like an RZ67. The 6x7 MLU and later bodies added mirror lock up, but you still need a pretty steady tripod. Here is some Ektar 100:
And remember, it is a 6x7 camera. Depth of field is tiny. A slight bit out of focus and your photo is soft. On an RZ67 I'd never be tempted to run and gun, but the Pentax might lead you believe that is a good idea. It isn't. You need to go slow.
All of this sounds bad, but obviously I love the camera in all its stupidity, so why? Well, the lenses. Because its a focal plane camera, the lenses are mostly scaled up 35mm SLR designs, and this was the height of Pentax's incredible run of lenses. The Takumar and post Takumar lenses are genuinely wonders, sharp but without a clinically harsh rendering like truly modern lenses. The 105/2.2 is an absolute legend for a reason, but frankly the entire line up is solid. I find myself reaching for the 90/2.8 or 55/2.8 more often than not, incredibly compact for 6x7 optics and absurdly sharp.
Plus there is some fun in having to work for great photos. The journey makes the final result even sweeter. My Pentax 67 is a late production camera and was fully serviced so its focus and exposure are very accurate, good enough for Velvia and Provia with even just the in finder meter. The TTL meters add bulk, but it does give the camera a unique experience of slow demanding photography, but with Here is some Provia:
I don't find myself reaching for the 67 very often when going on a hike. Partly the size and weight, but also it does require so much effort and attention to get good results that I am more likely to grab a little Bronica SQ. Instead I like the 67 for very intentional photography, especially of people, something you can probably tell from these examples from last year. Somehow that is where I gravitate when I pick it up. Taking it out is an event, and I love every minute of it. And for all its flaws, its a camera I would never give up.
