choosing between the 6 and the 7. and the wide lens issue...

[Pablito]

The choice btw the 6 and the 7 is simple. If you want square negs, get the 6. I love the 6 - I have two of them and I don' crop. I hate the 6x7 format - basically I find it useless. So I'd never go for the 7. This is just my preference

 

[gdi]

The choice btw the 6 and the 7 is simple. If you want square negs, get the 6. I love the 6 - I have two of them and I don' crop. I hate the 6x7 format - basically I find it useless. So I'd never go for the 7. This is just my preference

Ah the beauty of personal preference, there's usually no accounting for it!

I have to admit if the 6 had been a more recent model, without the worries of terminal malfunction, I would have liked to try the square format. It also would have been more palatable had the 7 been a progression of the 6 system - requiring only a body upgrade rather than a total system switch in the event of a desire to upgrade to the newer model.

As for the format of 6x7 - I am finding it near perfect for me. I enjoy panos and this camera gives you a nice crop for it (or use the adapter) - matching the Xpan. Then there is the pure size of the negative (about 25% larger than the 6x6), which is an advantage to me -if I do want square I can just cut it down to the smaller format.

But I can't collapse the lens mount without a hammer, so I have to live with more bulk!

 

[Revolucion Artistico]

I am going to get that m7 as soon as get back from the business trip I'm on. Since it's in user condition can you all please give me pointers on what to look for that can be problamatic with the 7's. Thanks.

 

[john_s]

i was confused by the metering of the 7-II until i read a review which explained that the metering spot is located a bit below the rangefinder patch.

Actually it's located at a different spot on each camera, although it shouldn't be. It can be a little left or right. A bit of experimenting in a dark room with a single bulb light will help you locate it on your particular one.

 

[jaffa_777]

It depends how you see. I love the square and am very happy with my 6. I am so happy I am looking for another body. It's my artisitic licence not to crop and print square. It cost more on paper for printing but I don't care. I love the square!

The 50mm is very wide for me. I think the 43mm is specialized and wouldn't be an every day use lens. But it would be great for landscapes with interesting foreground detail. Good use of a lens like this makes you feel like you can step into the picture. Bad use of this lens, (which is very easy) will just make your pic look distorted.

As for the other lenses, I think there all pretty sharp and contrasty. I have never heard of a bad lens on the mamiya 6 or 7 range. It all comes down to if you like shooting square or rectangle I think.