just another Mamiya 7 vs. Hasselblad (round 3)

[newsgrunt]

Had a 7II and it paired well with the 43 but never fell in love with the 6x7 format. Now using a Mamiya 6 with a 50that's pretty well glued on 😉 Miss the wide of the 43 but the compactness of the folder is valuable for travel.

 

[jan normandale]

Apples and oranges, one is not the other but both are good at what they do. I have both and use both for different types of photography. If you like Rangefinder focusing and you like the Mamiya 7II then I would choose that one, save a few bucks more and get the Hassy at a later date. It's always more fun with more cameras 😉

Todd

he's right

 

[Calzone]

Had a 7II and it paired well with the 43 but never fell in love with the 6x7 format. Now using a Mamiya 6 with a 50that's pretty well glued on 😉 Miss the wide of the 43 but the compactness of the folder is valuable for travel.

Another Mamiya 6 owner here. I only own the 50/4.0 wide, but it is permanently mounted so no other lenses are needed. Very easy to shoot a lot of film with this camera.

I paid a premium prices at KEH: the lens is in LN condition; and the body was E+. I wanted a fresh one that saw little use.

I often pair the Mamiya 6 with a Rollei 3.5F as a wide/normal pair that fits in a thin Domke sachel. An easy all day carry.

Cal

 

[thegman]

I sold my Mamiya 7 for a Hasselblad, only rarely regret it. The Mamiya is of course more portable, and far nicer to use handheld. For tripod use, I think the SLR beats range finder, and the Hasselblad wins there.

If you're not planning on using a tripod much, Mamiya every time, if this camera will live on a tripod, Hasselblad every time.

I like the 'blad, interchangeable backs etc. but if asked for a recommendation, I tend to say Mamiya simply because you can carry it about like it's a 35mm camera.

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

I have a Hassy and the Mamiya 6. Except for portraits ans close up I alwaus take the Mamiya. Lenses are very good and it handles so much better.
But my favourite MF is the Contax 645. Just a bit too heavy with 3 lenses. The Mamiya 6 with 3 lenses is a very small package.

Cheers,
Michiel Fokkema

 

[david rowland]

I also have a Mamiya 6 out fit and a hasselblad outfit and find the 2 complement each other one excels where the other is at its weakest ie portability and quick handling for street is the mamiya's forte but it's not so good for close ups, studio work, if you shoot tranny film then you need grad filters which is difficult on a rangefinder I have a phase one back that goes on the blad as well. but having 2 systems the same format that work differently I think great.

have a look at this guys work he shot the cowboy project on blads and mamiya 6's http://www.adamjahiel.com/

Dave

 

[Turtle]

I only shoot hand-held so its a simple decision. I also do not find the Mamiya 7 competes with a Leica really. I shoot both and tend to use one or the other with somewhat different images resulting.

The Mamiya 7 comes nowhere near the Leica for low light performance and portability. it's still light years ahead of a Hassy in that regard.

If using a tripod or doing studio, I'd get the Hassy, but for portable field/handheld, I would get the Mamiya every time.

 

[fuji645]

One vote for the Fuji GS645 Folder. Great lens quality & character. Compact (but I wouldn't call it a pocket camera unless your suit size is a 46L). The bellows might need to be replaced (most of these are over 25 years old) but the body is pretty sturdy.

 

[nighstar]

i really don't understand why so many people say/imply that Hasselblads should live on tripods and aren't preferable for handheld photography. i use my Hasselblad handheld 85% of the time and love doing so. would i use it for street or action photography? no. but there is plenty of other subject matter that can be and often is shot handheld.

don't get me wrong, i would love to have a Mamiya 6 myself, but would it replace my Hasselblad completely for handheld photography? hell no!

 

[hatidua]

About 26 years ago when I started in this occupation, a Hassy 500/CM was my first 120 camera. I purchased it as I had bought into the conventional wisdom. I sold it about nine months later. I then moved on to Rollieflex 6006's, which are essentially an overly electronic Hassy, that lasted about a year. I then moved to Pentax 67/67II's, which are great, if you like your images blurred even with MLU. For a while the only 120 I shot was 6x12 Horseman/Cambowide imagery, everything else was 35mm or 4x5. In the past 24 months I've reentered the 120 scene and am VERY happy with both RZ/7ii systems in which I own multiple bodies and every lens for each.

Hassy? -been there, done it, ain't going back. I'm happy for those that like them but they are not for everyone.

 

[Riccis]

I love using my Hasselblad SWC and actually shoot it just like my Leica Ms. You guys should give it a try, highly recommended.

Cheers!

 

[EdSawyer]

gear

gear

"with both RZ/7ii systems in which I own multiple bodies and every lens for each"

Wow, I thought I was the only gear slut that had almost all the lenses for the RZ...I think I only have about 14 or 15, which isn't all of them but is a lot. I do have all the Mamiya 7 lenses too. Those are all great.

;-)

-Ed

 

[Roger Hicks]

Stop messing around with cheap little cameras and buy a Linhof Technika 70...

(I don't do smilies, but imagine one if you will)

Cheers,

R.