Mamiya 6 or Bessa III 667 ? Please advise

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tomele

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Hi everyone,

Coming from Leica M (both film and digital), I would like to try a medium format RF. A compact size is critical to me, and I am considering a Mamiya 6 MF + 50mm and/or 75mm, or a Bessa III 667 (aka Fuji GF670). The pros and cons I currently perceive are the following :

Mamiya 6 pros
- Focal length versatility (using mostly 35mm on 24x36, and still wondering if the relevant 6x6 'equivalent' is 50mm or 75mm)
- Ability to shoot 24x52mm (never tried panoramic and not my primary goal but nice to try as well)

Mamiya 6 cons
- Older design and build, maybe harder to find in good shape and to get it fixed if it breaks

Bessa III 667 pros
- Format versatility (never tried square format and a bit initimidated so having the option to get back to 6x7 could be nice)
- Ability to get a new or recent second-hand

Bessa III 667 cons
- Weird (to me) folding design : probably unnecessarily attracting attention. Also looks fragile.
- Fixed lens (will it be wide enough for me ?)

Do I miss (or misunderstand) anything ? Thanks in advance for your comments.
 
I have owned and used Hasselblad, Mamiya 7II, and recently, the Fuji GF670. I returned the Fuji GF670 after the shutter broke after only four rolls of film. The Mamiya lenses are sharper, more contrasty, and the build of the camera, in my opinion is much superior. The price of the Fuji was a bit over $1600 new and the price of the new Mamiya 7II is $3600 (with 80mm). I recommend the Mamiya.
 
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Regarding lenses, if you take the horizontal field of view, the 50mm 6x6 is slightly wider than a 35mm on 24x36. The diagonal field of view is equivalent to a 28mm on 24x36.

The Mamiya 7II with 65mm can be had secondhand for less than the Fuji GF670. The 7II is less compact than the 6 as its lens mount is not collapsible, so will require a larger bag for transport.

There is also a Fuji GF670W with a 55mm f.4.5 lens, fixed mount, no bellows. Not sure if it's available to buy yet.
 
I've owned and used a Bessa III for more than a year and one thing it's definitely not lacking is sharpness and contrast. In fact, one of the reasons I sold it is that it was too sharp and contrasty for my taste. Also there was some barrel distortion at close range and the out of focus area didn't always look so good. These were all just minor flaws but I do lots of portrait photography and for that it just wasn't right.

The Bessa III is not badly built but it's definitely not rugged. You don't want to knock that camera around while it's unfolded. That means that you'll either walk around with it in your hand, ready to shoot, or you'll have it have it hanging from your neck folded. If speed is of the essence for you than that may become a problem as you'll always have to unfold it first.
Format versatility is a nice feature of the Bessa III but for me that turned out to be useful just in theory. I hardly ever switched to 6x6. If you're more comfortable with 6x7 you could go for the Mamiya 7II.
One thing the Bessa III definitely has working for it is that the shutter is REALLY quiet.

As for the focal length in my experience with 6x6 (Hasselblad) the FL closest to 35mm on 24x36 is a 60mm lens.
 
I used to have the Fuji 645 folder, but found it too limiting with one lens. And a pain to have to unfold.

Now I have a Mamiya 6 with all 3 lenses. If you're a serious photographer and not just an orthodontist with too much spending money burning a hole in your pocket, the Mamiya is the superior tool. Keh generally has a few in stock. There's a reason the 50 is so expensive: it's worth it. The Mamiya can be left unfolded and is still safe/easy to carry around without worry about damaging the bellows.

Just make sure you have a scanner to match its capabilities.
 
Thanks a lot for all your feedback, I think I definitely don't want the Bessa III 667 because of (i) the focal length which is probably a bit long for me and (ii) the belows.
Now I need to decide between purchasing a Mamiya 6 or waiting for the Bessa III 667W to get serious reviews...
 
Why not mamiya 7? Much newer than m6 and there is 43mm lens available.
If you need portability, m6 might be the only choice since 667w is not a folder.
 
The Mamiya 7ii is a good camera. I don't know about the 6, although I know a good shooter who swears by it but he's a square shooter. The Mamiya lenses are excellent, and the shutters are quieter than my Leicas. You can find a 7ii, 7 or 6 and either a 65mm (on 6x7) or 50 (on 6x6) cheaper than the Fuji.

If you want to ease into MF, you might look at one of the old 6x6 0r 6x9 folders. The aspect ratio for 6x9 is the same as 35mm (2x3). Check out certo6.com if you are interested in that route. These cameras are much slower than either the Mamiya or the Fuji, but they are cheap and the glass can be very good. Jurgen at certo6.com rebuilds these, so if you buy from him, you'll get a working camera.

Good luck.
 
Unless you really like a square frame the Mamiya 7 offers a bit more versatility for a little extra money. As someone mentioned the 50mm on 6x6 is only 28mm equivalent. Not that special. The 43mm is 21mm with the 7. I like the square and have been watching Mamiya 6 prices: they have gone up a lot lately! Get 'em while you can. They are still being serviced by Mamiya.

Both would be a lot cheaper than a brand new Fuji.
 
I am long time owner of Mamiya 6 and used it for many projects, commissions ,etc. I also had the opportunity to handle the Fuji folder at a conference recently. There is NO COMPARISON in the sturdiness and ease of use ,Mamiya wins hands down. The Fuji will no doubt make excellent images but you give up the film advance lever in favor of the wind knob. So it's slower. Fuji has better implementation of parallax compensation in the finder but the Mamiya sits in your hand comfortably and with the Fuji you have to worry about poking the bellows. I have no use for 6x7 so for me the Mamiya is perfect.
 
I had both Mamiya 6 and Mamiya 7II. Ended up selling the 7II since I was more of a sq shooter and although I made some really nice photographs with the 7, wasn't really feeling the love fo 6x7. If it was 6x9...

The 7 will offer more lens choices of which the 43 is my favorite. Unfortunately, the body doesn't collapse like the 6, a feature I very much appreciate. Like some might suggest, get the 7 and crop to sq if it needs it.
 
I would highly recommend the Mamiya 6. If you want square and a MF rangefinder it's a definite. It's certainly more versatile than the GF670 with only one lens. A new GF 670 is $1700 but if you shop around you could get a used Mamiya 6 with all three lenses for around $2000. And the 50/4 is a wonderful wide angle beauty.
 
I used to have a Mamiya 7, great results, but it's plastic build did not appeal. My brother has a GF670, and it's very nice indeed. The GF670 is about as portable as medium format gets I think, the Mamiya 7 lenses do stick out quite a lot.

The GF670 is a lot of green, but if you can get one from the states, it's not too bad compared to here in the UK.
 
As an alternative to the M7 and cropping to the square as needed, you could also get an M6 and crop to landscape or portrait format as needed, without excessive loss of negative area. Add the superior robustness and portability characteristics of the M6 and you can forget about the GF670, save $$$ too.
 
I put my hands on the Bessa and fell in love. My votes for the Bessa. Its a great design and one lens just keeps things simple. My second best (but option I could afford) is my GA645. Fuji makes lenses at least as good as the Mamiya options.

Also the Bessa is somewhat unique nowadays which gives it greater appeal for me.
 
I put my hands on the Bessa and fell in love. My votes for the Bessa. Its a great design and one lens just keeps things simple. My second best (but option I could afford) is my GA645. Fuji makes lenses at least as good as the Mamiya options.

Also the Bessa is somewhat unique nowadays which gives it greater appeal for me.

Oh, and pros for the Bessa: super quiet, like barely audible. And it is indeed well constructed. Its also better for packing when folded.
 
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