Need opinions on purchasing a 6x7 MF system

finkster · 28th April 2004

I'm planning to go into MF, and more specifically, one which can do 6x7 at least. Don't really know much about MF, so I hope some users can provide some insight into the various systems. The models in consideration are :

1) Mamiya RB67
2) Mamiya RZ67
3) Bronica GS-1
4) Pentax 67

Some questions :
Firstly, in terms of features, what are the disadvantages of each body compared to one another?

Secondly, what are the differences in the cost of lenses and accessories for each system? Recommendations for which lens and accessory to purchase would be appreciated too. The subject would be copywork for art and paintings, as well as for portraiture. Basically, lenses with minimal distortion characteristics and sharp.

I need to make enlargements of around A1 to A0 size, and the color accuracy needs to be maintained. Which slide film would be recommended for this application? High sharpness and very fine grain would be important I guess.

Lastly, does anyone have such a MF system to sell?

Thanks!

kex · 29th April 2004

u won't go wrong with any choice of camera,every system are capable of producing wad u need.
As for feature wise,i think mamiya has the slight edges becoz of the leaf shutter lens.
MF prices are at their lowest now becoz of digital,good time to get them.
As for slides,u might wanna try Kodak 100G reputed for their fine grain or 100GX for a warmer tone.

RemAcuTetigisti · 29th April 2004

Well there are a number of places where your questions are discussed to death. check for example,
http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a....ormat%20Digest
http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tu...u-medium.shtml
http://www.dantestella.com/technical.html (monitor this when he is going to add an article)
http://www.macuserforums.com

Well, do a Google search and you will be overwhelmend with information.

Med Fmt systems are, as kex put it, are almost at rock bottom in pricing. The choice of accrssories, lenses etc are pretty extensive and you can find affordable systems on online auctions, especially, e-bay. The pricing at local 2'nd hand dealers is pretty steep compared to online prices.

The choice of a system will be eventually motivated by the application. If you need to hand hold, forget Mamiya. I bet Pentax with its 35mm like styling, is easier to hand hold.

If you are going to use exclusively on a tripod, then any of the option should be good.

Do your research, there is a lot of info out there...

yellowfinsg · 29th April 2004

Originally Posted by kex

u won't go wrong with any choice of camera,every system are capable of producing wad u need.
As for feature wise,i think mamiya has the slight edges becoz of the leaf shutter lens.
MF prices are at their lowest now becoz of digital,good time to get them.
As for slides,u might wanna try Kodak 100G reputed for their fine grain or 100GX for a warmer tone.

All you have to do is to speak to our medium format salesman (Kex)

That's how I was hooked to MF.

Anyway I using a Mamiya 7II which is a 6x7. So far I'm very happy with the results.

fantom · 29th April 2004

Medium Format salesman going to be promoted to Large Format Executive soon

Well yellowfinsg....you have certainly embraced this religion with boundless enthusiasm and fervor....and have improved by leaps and bounds

With the gurus you have ...you should improve!

happy shooting.....and buying

kex · 29th April 2004

*Shee Shee Shee*
Wa si lin lao peh~!

kcky · 29th April 2004

Welcome to MF, finkster! You'll not regret it!!

finkster · 29th April 2004

Thanks for the info guys... think I'm more or less settled on the RZ or RB.

What are the things to look out for when buying a used RZ or RB? Besides the usual stuff which applies to all camera gear, anything specific to these bodies?

RemAcuTetigisti · 30th April 2004

Since you plan to buy used, I'd go for a RB. I am of the opinion that it is difficult to be ripped off when things are mechanical. If you have the opportunity to see / feel the system you before you buy, download a manual from http://www.macuserforums.com and make sure all the functions work.

1. Look from behind and ensure that the light baffle is not damaged.
2. Throw in a test roll and ensure that the 120 back that you purchase works without a hitch.
3. Also check that the shutter is not stuck or slow. Typically slow speeds (1/2, 1 second) tend to be stuck and will cause over exposure. Shoot a roll to make sure that speeds are ok.
4. See if the bulb mode works in the lens.
5. Ensure that the bellows are light tight and/or without any damage.
6. More importantly, see if the light seals at all the joints are ok. very old and badly maintained systems tend to have enormous light leaks. This can be fixed but ensure that it is fine anyway.
7. See if the Rotating adaptor is not leaking any light too and that the mechanism works with the adaptor in both orientations.
8. Don't be scared by the mirror slap noise

Id' go for th Pro-S or the ProSD version if it is the RB just for the convenience. If you are looking at RZ, I guess both the models are equally ok. By the way, if you intend to use the Tilt-Shift adaptor, both the RB-Pro and RB-ProS will not be compatible.

If you have a bit more money to spare, Get a new system from Cathay Photo. New RB-SD system costs a stinking 2300 bucks... damn.

Cheers and welcome to the new world

kex · 30th April 2004

mamiya lens dun have B on the shutter speed,the have T instead..
at least for my lens..not sure about newer lens though.

RemAcuTetigisti · 30th April 2004

Yep that is correct. T = Time. Even the new KL series lenses say T. But it does not make any differece does it. Time / Bulb mean the same.

RemAcuTetigisti · 30th April 2004

By the way, I forgot to add on. When you buy a older system, ensure that the lens at lease has a Green 'C' written on it. This is an indication that it is a coated lens. It need not necessarily be coated but the Non-C lenses are definitely not coated and according to reports I read, they tend to attract flare.

The Ideal situation is to get a KL- Series lens which is touted to be the best in line.

Incidentally, I use a 127mm C lens and a 180mm Non-C lens but both of them are excellent. Just throw in a Hood and a bit of sense and these lenses are top performers...

finkster · 30th April 2004

Considering Jovedaddy's RZ67 sale/rental set.
http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthrea...ht=mamiya+rz67

What's the diff between the RZ67 Pro and RZ67 Pro II? From what I found out, the Pro II can take digital backs(not in the near future for me though), and has more plastic components.

About the 180mm, there are various models for the RZ. What are the price differences between each one? Think I saw two at TCW, both 180mm's, but the price varies by quite a lot. Still looking for a seller for the RZ 180mm lens.

Thanks for all the info again guys. Still sieving thru the info available online...

kex · 30th April 2004

get the 180mm dat is within ur budget lor.
seriously,i dun think u can find any diff in the photo.
my 90mm is ard 30yrs old liao,still produce wonderful results.

finkster · 30th April 2004

Hmmm.... yeah.

Reading the manuals now....

28th April 2004	#1
finkster Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: LAS Posts: 648	Need opinions on purchasing a 6x7 MF system I'm planning to go into MF, and more specifically, one which can do 6x7 at least. Don't really know much about MF, so I hope some users can provide some insight into the various systems. The models in consideration are : 1) Mamiya RB67 2) Mamiya RZ67 3) Bronica GS-1 4) Pentax 67 Some questions : Firstly, in terms of features, what are the disadvantages of each body compared to one another? Secondly, what are the differences in the cost of lenses and accessories for each system? Recommendations for which lens and accessory to purchase would be appreciated too. The subject would be copywork for art and paintings, as well as for portraiture. Basically, lenses with minimal distortion characteristics and sharp. I need to make enlargements of around A1 to A0 size, and the color accuracy needs to be maintained. Which slide film would be recommended for this application? High sharpness and very fine grain would be important I guess. Lastly, does anyone have such a MF system to sell? Thanks!

29th April 2004	#2
kex Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: beebox Posts: 2,101	u won't go wrong with any choice of camera,every system are capable of producing wad u need. As for feature wise,i think mamiya has the slight edges becoz of the leaf shutter lens. MF prices are at their lowest now becoz of digital,good time to get them. As for slides,u might wanna try Kodak 100G reputed for their fine grain or 100GX for a warmer tone.

29th April 2004	#3
RemAcuTetigisti Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 189	Well there are a number of places where your questions are discussed to death. check for example, http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a....ormat%20Digest http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/ http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tu...u-medium.shtml http://www.dantestella.com/technical.html (monitor this when he is going to add an article) http://www.macuserforums.com Well, do a Google search and you will be overwhelmend with information. Med Fmt systems are, as kex put it, are almost at rock bottom in pricing. The choice of accrssories, lenses etc are pretty extensive and you can find affordable systems on online auctions, especially, e-bay. The pricing at local 2'nd hand dealers is pretty steep compared to online prices. The choice of a system will be eventually motivated by the application. If you need to hand hold, forget Mamiya. I bet Pentax with its 35mm like styling, is easier to hand hold. If you are going to use exclusively on a tripod, then any of the option should be good. Do your research, there is a lot of info out there...

29th April 2004	#5
fantom Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: USA FarEast Posts: 213	Medium Format salesman going to be promoted to Large Format Executive soon Well yellowfinsg....you have certainly embraced this religion with boundless enthusiasm and fervor....and have improved by leaps and bounds With the gurus you have ...you should improve! happy shooting.....and buying

29th April 2004	#7
kcky Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Sembawang Posts: 73	Welcome to MF, finkster! You'll not regret it!!

30th April 2004	#9
RemAcuTetigisti Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 189	Since you plan to buy used, I'd go for a RB. I am of the opinion that it is difficult to be ripped off when things are mechanical. If you have the opportunity to see / feel the system you before you buy, download a manual from http://www.macuserforums.com and make sure all the functions work. 1. Look from behind and ensure that the light baffle is not damaged. 2. Throw in a test roll and ensure that the 120 back that you purchase works without a hitch. 3. Also check that the shutter is not stuck or slow. Typically slow speeds (1/2, 1 second) tend to be stuck and will cause over exposure. Shoot a roll to make sure that speeds are ok. 4. See if the bulb mode works in the lens. 5. Ensure that the bellows are light tight and/or without any damage. 6. More importantly, see if the light seals at all the joints are ok. very old and badly maintained systems tend to have enormous light leaks. This can be fixed but ensure that it is fine anyway. 7. See if the Rotating adaptor is not leaking any light too and that the mechanism works with the adaptor in both orientations. 8. Don't be scared by the mirror slap noise Id' go for th Pro-S or the ProSD version if it is the RB just for the convenience. If you are looking at RZ, I guess both the models are equally ok. By the way, if you intend to use the Tilt-Shift adaptor, both the RB-Pro and RB-ProS will not be compatible. If you have a bit more money to spare, Get a new system from Cathay Photo. New RB-SD system costs a stinking 2300 bucks... damn. Cheers and welcome to the new world