Advice on Mamiya 645 or Mamiya 7

[yumepoi]

Guys,

I'm thinking of getting a MF system. First, i though of getting myself a Mamiy 7 II since it is quite compact and easy to carry around and the size of the negative is the largest (67), however, the price of both the brand new and used set is rather quite prohibitive for me . The lens are another big, rather bombastic, issue . On the technical issue, I have no experience handling a range finder before, not that confident at all with the focusing.

So I am considering the 645 pro tl. I saw in ebay that the second hand set is quite reasonable (for me), though still need to wait to save, and the price of the lens (used) is not that expensive. It is an SLR which i am quite familiar as well. however the size is rather bulky and the size of negative is rather small for an MF.

Any opinion on these 2 systems (quality of the lens/image, easy to use/handling, weight factor, cost factor, anything that you want to bring up, etc....) I also understand that every person will swear one system than the other. thats fine wif me, however, i welcome and value every opinion that might help me. i like to shoot landscape so my choice of lens leans towards the wide angle side.

thanks in advance guys!!

[sk.images]

Why are you looking at Medium Format, I mean what do you intend to shoot and what do you intend to do with the images afterwards?

[szekiat]

if you do your own developing and printing, then a quick look at a 6x6 or 6x7 neg will convince you of your need for a bigger format almost immediately. I recently did some 16x20 wet prints from both 35mm and 6x7. Both were shot on ilford delta 400. The grain on the 6x7 was near invisible compared to the obvious grain on the 35mm. If weight is not a concern, do look into the mamiya RB/RZ 67 as well....SLR 6x7 and quite cheap too.

[rueyloon]

if you think the price is too high, then just forget it and buy a 35mm camera, because for the Mamiya 7, it cost 1$ per exposure (for film and processing), before scanning or printing.

[Spectrum]

Originally Posted by szekiat if you do your own developing and printing, then a quick look at a 6x6 or 6x7 neg will convince you of your need for a bigger format almost immediately. I recently did some 16x20 wet prints from both 35mm and 6x7. Both were shot on ilford delta 400. The grain on the 6x7 was near invisible compared to the obvious grain on the 35mm. If weight is not a concern, do look into the mamiya RB/RZ 67 as well....SLR 6x7 and quite cheap too.

That's is logical bro. Nothing can beat the grain factor when you compare a medium format to a 135mm format. Grain remains the same but the frame is increase to a 5 or even 7 times compare to 24mm by 36mm frame size.

[szekiat]

True true, but i'm just looking at it from a final product point of view.

[Spectrum]

Originally Posted by szekiat True true, but i'm just looking at it from a final product point of view.

Oic.

[canturn]

Originally Posted by yumepoi Guys, I'm thinking of getting a MF system. First, i though of getting myself a Mamiy 7 II since it is quite compact and easy to carry around and the size of the negative is the largest (67), however, the price of both the brand new and used set is rather quite prohibitive for me . The lens are another big, rather bombastic, issue . On the technical issue, I have no experience handling a range finder before, not that confident at all with the focusing. So I am considering the 645 pro tl. I saw in ebay that the second hand set is quite reasonable (for me), though still need to wait to save, and the price of the lens (used) is not that expensive. It is an SLR which i am quite familiar as well. however the size is rather bulky and the size of negative is rather small for an MF. Any opinion on these 2 systems (quality of the lens/image, easy to use/handling, weight factor, cost factor, anything that you want to bring up, etc....) I also understand that every person will swear one system than the other. thats fine wif me, however, i welcome and value every opinion that might help me. i like to shoot landscape so my choice of lens leans towards the wide angle side. thanks in advance guys!!

In terms of handling, the Mamiya 7 system is really good - silent, very compact for a 6x7, optics are fantastic. The only downside is the limitation of rangefinder - you don't really get a WYSIWYG viewfinder, the min. focus distance doesn't allow u to go close unless you stop down.

But cost wise, unless you're paid to shoot, you'll have to consider carefully. Do you need to print exhibition size pictures? Are you selling the prints at >$300 for a 16x20?

[Keltzar]

I vote for the M7.
If you don't do a lot of macro, an RF makes a lot more sense i.e. yes, you lose the top speed of about 1/1000, but you can use flash at any speed, compared to the x-sync of the system FP camera like the M645. The camera /lens are a fraction the size and weight... great for travelling.

[gossipmonger]

mamiya 7 rf is brilliant! great optics, crisp slides/negatives and pretty easy to use once u get the hang of it.
having said that, focusing when the light is poor is cumbersome....it can get tiring for your eyes.
secondly, getting the horizon straight requires adequate skill. a spirit level would be a handsome accessory.
thirdly, use of a polariser needs lots of practise, unless u want to shell out $300+ for the dedicated mamiya polariser.

personally, the pros of this fine camera i.e image quality and superb optics outweigh the cons i.e the practicalities of using this cam.

[yumepoi]

Everybody seems to agree that Mamiya 7 is better than 645...
However the price is too expensive as rueyloon and canturn have suggested. i dont think i can afford it in the near future and not many 2nd hand around either. guess i just stick with my 35mm.
thanks for the contribution guys!

[sk.images]

You didn't answer my question, i.e. what do you intend to shoot with the camera - how do you intend to you it and what do you intend to with the prints, e.g. are you going to be doing travel photography, studio portaits or product shots, landscapes, etc???

Your answer will help to narrow your choices. The single biggest benefit you get with a larger negative is the ability to fdo bigger enlargments without noticable grain, compared to 35mm (there are also other benefits of shooting MF, but I won't go into these). SO this begs the question how big do you intend to print? If youi plan to print 20" x 30" then definitely go for the 6x7 negative size, but you only ever plan to print 11"x13" then 645 will be plenty (these are just examples and there are many variables.....).

Also how you plan to use the camera will affect your choice, e.g. if you plan to travel with it then certainly the 7 is very convenient, if you like to do product shots in the studio then the rangefinder will be difficult to use, if you plan to do portraits and not print too big, then the 645 will be plenty.

I too asked myself these questions recently and decided that the 645 will be adequate for me - I actually want the 6x6 format, but don't want to make the investment on the Hasselblad just yet and the RZor RB seem to unweildy as I do plan to use the camera outdoors as well - but not for travel....

[carbon14]

Hi, can anyone advice where to get the batteries for M7 in Singapore besides having to stack 5nos. of LR44 into the body?

[szekiat]

i think cathay does 4LR44 and u just get another one loh.

[canturn]

Originally Posted by carbon14 Hi, can anyone advice where to get the batteries for M7 in Singapore besides having to stack 5nos. of LR44 into the body?

Let me know if you need new M7 batt, I've some extras that you might want to buy over cheaply.

Cheers

Stephen

[carbon14]

Thanks guys!