New to medium format

How about the Mamiyas and Pentax??

No one use these before??

Thanks

"Taisun" <achung.DeleteThis@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
news:3f1feb7d$0$23596$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au...
 > Hi,
 >
 > I'm looking to enter the world of medium format. There are several systems
 > i'm interested in:
 > - hasselblad 501 or 503
 > - mamiya 645 Pro TL or 7II
 > - pentax 645NII or 67II
 > - contax 645
 >
 > Can someone please tell me the benefits and drawbacks of each system?
 > I do both landscapes and portraits (including studio). So i guess i would
 > need a all-rounder type of system.
 >
 > My main concern is image (and lens) quality.
 >
 > Thanks
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

 > How about the Mamiyas and Pentax??

I used both an RB & Pentax 6x7 for a number of years.

RB67 - weld it to a tripod and don't even think of doing handheld
work. Buy a couple of extra backs because they're made cheap and mess
up from time to time. A great studio camera.

Pentax 6x7 - didn't like it for weddings and studio work but it was
great on location. A bit of a handfull, but good lenses although I've
seen guys rip out the shutter button by getting a cable release caught.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

I've used the 67II, but not any of the others on your list, so I'm not
technically qualified to answer your question.

That said, I've found the 67II to be a very nice piece of equipment - the
ergonomics make you want to hand hold the camera, even when you perhaps
shouldn't. Others have remarked about mirror vibrations, but I haven't
noticed it to be an issue at all - most of the noise & commotion from
firing the shutter comes after the shutter is closed. The shutter is
rather loud, so you won't be doing any stealthy shooting. Finally, I
can't figure out why Pentax decided to put the cable release in the
middle of the shutter release button - you're always at risk of damaging
that part of the camera because it makes the release stick out at an
odd angle. At least on my other cameras, they made the release socket
separate from the button and relocated it so you weren't likely to hit
something with it.

--drsmith

In article <3f212ed4$0$23592$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au>,
Taisun <achung.DeleteThis@iinet.net.au> wrote:
 >How about the Mamiyas and Pentax??
 >
 >No one use these before??
 >
 >Thanks
 >
 >"Taisun" <achung.DeleteThis@iinet.net.au> wrote in message
 >news:3f1feb7d$0$23596$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au...
  >> Hi,
  >>
  >> I'm looking to enter the world of medium format. There are several systems
  >> i'm interested in:
  >> - hasselblad 501 or 503
  >> - mamiya 645 Pro TL or 7II
  >> - pentax 645NII or 67II
  >> - contax 645
  >>
  >> Can someone please tell me the benefits and drawbacks of each system?
  >> I do both landscapes and portraits (including studio). So i guess i would
  >> need a all-rounder type of system.
  >>
  >> My main concern is image (and lens) quality.
  >>
  >> Thanks
  >>
  >>
 >
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

The only system you listed that I have any experience with is the Mamiya
7II. I don't care for square negatives so I wouldn't get the Hasselblads, I
don't shoot 645 and since I have several Mamiya (2 RZs, the 7II and a 6MF)
there has been no desire to look at the Pentax 67II (plus looking at the
Pentax would require several hundred dollars and a commercial flight to some
city that actually sells them). So I'm not sure that I feel qualified to
actually answer your question.

Having said all that, my gut reaction was that the Mamiya 7II would be just
about perfect for the uses you listed. It's a rangefinder so it's not really
suitable for macro photography but you didn't list that as one of your
requirements. It has a somewhat limited lens (though they are excellent
lenses) selection that is mostly wide angle. The longest lens that it has
(that couples with the rangefinder) is 150mm then they offer an 80mm, 65mm,
50mm and 43mm (I own the 150, 80 and 65mm lenses). They also offer a 210mm
lens but it's minimum focus distance is about 27 feet and you have to
guestimate the range.

I've used this camera for portraits and landscape photography with excellent
results. Since buying the camera it has become my favorite camera to carry
around and use for general purpose photography. It is physically slightly
smaller than the Nikon F5 and with the 80mm lens attached and ready to shoot
it weighs exactly the same (according to the manuals) as the F5 body without
lens or batteries. The viewfinder is bright, easy to focus and the built in
meter is accurate so the auto exposure modes work quite well.

Jeffery S. Harrison
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

"Taisun" <achung.DeleteThis@iinet.net.au> wrote in message news:<3f1feb7d$0$23596$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au>...
 > Hi,
 >
 > I'm looking to enter the world of medium format. There are several systems
 > i'm interested in:
 > - hasselblad 501 or 503
 > - mamiya 645 Pro TL or 7II
 > - pentax 645NII or 67II
 > - contax 645
 >
 > Can someone please tell me the benefits and drawbacks of each system?
 > I do both landscapes and portraits (including studio). So i guess i would
 > need a all-rounder type of system.
 >
 > My main concern is image (and lens) quality.
 >
 > Thanks


Hasselblad of course.

You won't be able to shoot close ups with Mamiya7.
you can always crop 6x6 to 645.
Do need any autofocus, or TTL feaures? are you planning to shoot fast
moving objects?
Pentax optics are not that impressive.

Xosni<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

 >
 >
 > Hasselblad of course.
 >
 > You won't be able to shoot close ups with Mamiya7.
 > you can always crop 6x6 to 645.
 > Do need any autofocus, or TTL feaures? are you planning to shoot fast
 > moving objects?
 > Pentax optics are not that impressive.
 >
 > Xosni

This isn't exactly true. The minimum focal distance for the most of the
Mamiya 7 lenses is 1 meter which does rule out close ups. To focus closer
and do some macro work you need to get the adapter kit (NK701) they make for
the purpose. It consists of a screw on lens and a frame mounted on a bracket
that attaches to the camera body. The frame is used to hold the camera at
the correct distance and frames the subject so you know where the camera is
really pointed since it is a rangefinder.

Jeffery S. Harrison<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

"Taisun" <achung.DeleteThis@iinet.net.au> wrote in message news:3f1feb7d$0$23596$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au...
 > Hi,
 >
 > I'm looking to enter the world of medium format. There are several systems
 > i'm interested in:
 > - hasselblad 501 or 503
 > - mamiya 645 Pro TL or 7II
 > - pentax 645NII or 67II
 > - contax 645
 >
 > Can someone please tell me the benefits and drawbacks of each system?
 > I do both landscapes and portraits (including studio). So i guess i would
 > need a all-rounder type of system.
 >
 > My main concern is image (and lens) quality.
 >
For a lower budget and unimpeachable lens/image quality the Mamiya C*** range of TLRs are still worth considering a late C330F or
C330S and 3 lenses is a lightweight (relatively) outfit that will give you a taste of MF very cheaply - if you don't like it sell on
ebay and the experience will have cost you very little.

Rod<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

"Jeffery S. Harrison" <karaya RemoveThis @kpunet.net> wrote in message news:<bfuqc8$hpi$1@quark.scn.rain.com>...
  > >
  > >
  > >
 > This isn't exactly true. The minimum focal distance for the most of the
 > Mamiya 7 lenses is 1 meter which does rule out close ups. To focus closer
 > and do some macro work you need to get the adapter kit (NK701) they make for
 > the purpose. It consists of a screw on lens and a frame mounted on a bracket
 > that attaches to the camera body. The frame is used to hold the camera at
 > the correct distance and frames the subject so you know where the camera is
 > really pointed since it is a rangefinder.
 >
 > Jeffery S. Harrison

didn't know about that<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

 >
 > didn't know about that

They don't market it very aggressively. I've seen them mention the panoramic
adapter (uses 35mm film cartridge) much more, aside from the manual I've
never seen them push the close-up adapter.

Jeffery S. Harrison<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

"Jeffery S. Harrison" <karaya.DeleteThis@kpunet.net> wrote in message
news:bfuqc8$hpi$1@quark.scn.rain.com...
  > >
  > >
  > > Hasselblad of course.
  > >
  > > You won't be able to shoot close ups with Mamiya7.
  > > you can always crop 6x6 to 645.
  > > Do need any autofocus, or TTL feaures? are you planning to shoot fast
  > > moving objects?
  > > Pentax optics are not that impressive.
  > >
  > > Xosni
 >
 > This isn't exactly true. The minimum focal distance for the most of the
 > Mamiya 7 lenses is 1 meter which does rule out close ups. To focus closer
 > and do some macro work you need to get the adapter kit (NK701) they make
for
 > the purpose. It consists of a screw on lens and a frame mounted on a
bracket
 > that attaches to the camera body. The frame is used to hold the camera at
 > the correct distance and frames the subject so you know where the camera
is
 > really pointed since it is a rangefinder.
 >
 > Jeffery S. Harrison

Jeffery,
A setup like this is at least partly responsible for me getting interested
in photography but the system wasn't a match for a Mamiya 7II. My school
library had a couple of "closeup cameras" that could be checked out. They
were Kodak Instamatics using 126 (?) cartridge film. They were a little
more "upscale" than most Instamatics in that they had a tripod socket and a
couple other features.

They had a closeup lens that was mounted in a frame that screwed to the
tripod socket. One framed and "focused" by using the frame and placing it
on the same plane as the object to be photographed. It worked surprisingly
well though of course one couldn't use any distance except that fixed by the
frame.

I got what I thought at the time were very cool close-ups of mushrooms and
flowers. As I remember there was a deflector to direct the light from a
flashcube (remember those?) to the framed area.

Sherman
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.dunnamphoto.com" target="_blank">http://www.dunnamphoto.com</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

Taisun wrote:
 > Hi,
 >
 > I'm looking to enter the world of medium format. There are several
 > systems i'm interested in:
 > - hasselblad 501 or 503
 > - mamiya 645 Pro TL or 7II
 > - pentax 645NII or 67II
 > - contax 645
 >
 > Can someone please tell me the benefits and drawbacks of each system?
 > I do both landscapes and portraits (including studio). So i guess i
 > would need a all-rounder type of system.
 >
 > My main concern is image (and lens) quality.
 >
 > Thanks

My favorite MF apect ratio is 6x7, esp. for portraits, but I ended up with a
Hassy 500CM (6x6) which I did my first MF with. It's very much like the 501.
Major difference is a redesign of the gliding mirror for the 501, IIRC. On
the 500 you could have some vignetting on the focussing screen (not on the
negative!). 500 should be a bit cheaper than 501 or 503.
Excellent Zeiss lens.
6x6 may not prove ideal for landscape though.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: New to medium format 

ON Sat, 26 Jul 2003 18:38:05 +0100, "Rod" <rodcraddock DeleteThis @lineone.net>
WROTE:

 >
 >"Taisun" <achung DeleteThis @iinet.net.au> wrote in message news:3f1feb7d$0$23596$5a62ac22@freenews.iinet.net.au...
  >> Hi,
  >>
  >> I'm looking to enter the world of medium format. There are several systems
  >> i'm interested in:
  >> - hasselblad 501 or 503
  >> - mamiya 645 Pro TL or 7II
  >> - pentax 645NII or 67II
  >> - contax 645
  >>
  >> Can someone please tell me the benefits and drawbacks of each system?
  >> I do both landscapes and portraits (including studio). So i guess i would
  >> need a all-rounder type of system.
  >>
  >> My main concern is image (and lens) quality.
  >>
 >For a lower budget and unimpeachable lens/image quality the Mamiya C*** range of TLRs are still worth considering a late C330F or
 >C330S and 3 lenses is a lightweight (relatively) outfit that will give you a taste of MF very cheaply - if you don't like it sell on
 >ebay and the experience will have cost you very little.
 >
 >Rod

Essentially the same can be said for the Kowa SLRs. With magazine
back, 85mm 2.8 and WLF, the Kowa Super 66 seems to sell at about the
same range as the C330 with "normal" lens. Other lenses sell in
similar ranges (except the extremes of the range - 19mm, 40mm and
500mm). Superb optics, mirror is noisier than the Hassy and not as
robust if handled hastily/roughly- a "cost" I can bear given the $
difference. Just my $0.02.

But of course the original poster didn't appear to have minimal budget
in mind as a top priority.



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