C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Bronica RF645 Panoramic (2002) is a factory variant of the RF645 rangefinder that adds a switchable panoramic masking system to the standard 6x4.5 body. By engaging an in-camera mask the image area is reduced to approximately 6x3 cm, producing a letterbox frame on the 120 roll. The lens, shutter, and metering systems are identical to the standard RF645: a fixed Zenzanon RF 65mm f/4 leaf-shutter optic with coupled rangefinder and aperture-priority automation. The panoramic mode changes the recorded frame geometry rather than the optical system.
Reference
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C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
View profile →C41
Kodak Portra 160 is a professional C-41 color negative film with fine grain, soft contrast, and natural color.
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Kodak Ektar 100 is a fine-grain C-41 color negative film with saturated color and high sharpness.
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About this camera
The RF645's switchable panoramic mask - 6x4.5 compressed to a 6x3 letterbox on 120 film.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 120; 6x4.5 cm standard / ~6x3 cm panoramic mask |
| Lens | Zenzanon RF 65mm f/4 (fixed) |
| Years | ~2002 - ~2004 |
| Shutter | 4s - 1/500s, Seiko electronic leaf |
| Flash sync | All speeds up to 1/500s |
| Meter | Center-weighted, aperture-priority AE |
| Modes | Aperture-priority, program, manual |
| Focus | Coupled rangefinder, manual |
| Battery | 1x CR2 |
| Panoramic mask | Switchable in-camera, ~6x3 cm |
The Bronica RF645 launched in 2000 as Bronica's first medium-format rangefinder in decades, designed to compete with the Mamiya 6 and Mamiya 7 in the compact, carry-everywhere 120 segment. The standard RF645 produced 6x4.5 frames; subsequent variants added the wide-angle W model (with a 45mm lens) and this Panoramic configuration. The Panoramic model appears to have been introduced around 2002 as the RF645 line matured.
Tamron, which had acquired Bronica's parent Zenza, discontinued the entire Bronica line in 2004. The RF645 Panoramic had one of the shortest production windows of any RF645 variant, appearing late in the product cycle.
Medium-format panoramic photography in the early 2000s was typically achieved via dedicated cameras (Fuji GX617, Linhof 617, Noblex) or via post-crop from a wider frame. The RF645 Panoramic offered a different approach: a compact, handheld, rangefinder-focused body that could switch between standard 6x4.5 and a 6x3-ish panoramic format in the field without a lens or back change.
The practical resolution of a 6x3 crop from 120 film remains substantially higher than 35mm, and the fixed 65mm f/4 lens (equivalent to roughly 40mm on the 6x4.5 frame) renders a wider relative field of view on the masked frame. For travel and documentary photographers who wanted panoramic capability without carrying a dedicated panoramic body, the RF645 Panoramic addressed a real gap. Its rarity today makes it primarily a collector's item, though functionally it remains capable.
BW
Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Bronica RF645 Panoramic
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