Is the Mamiya 7 150mm really THAT hard to focus properly?

[agoglanian]

I've been interested in picking up one of these for a little while. I currently shoot with the 65mm on a 7II body and I love the combo. I debated in the beginning between getting the 65 or the 80mm but I like the wider presence of the 65 and on small format I am a HUGE fan of 35mm lenses (I can do almost everything with that one focal length).

For a short time I also owned the 43mm which was equally impressive (I mean really impressive) but I may revisit that lens in the future.

As such, there's been more than a handful of occasions where I wish I had a tighter lens on the Mamiya, and simply moving closer (as I would normally do) was not sufficient enough. There in lies my desire for the 150mm.

However it seems all I ever read about this lens is how difficult it is to focus and how people that buy it wind up never using it. Is it really that difficult? I understand the focal length is about 75mm on small format which is perfect for what I'm looking for, as my favorite pairing is 35mm/85mm (closely followed by 28mm/50mm).

I realize as well that the VF frame will be considerably smaller than the nearly encompassing 65mm frame. My intent for the lens would be for static detail shots whilst exploring, and also portraits, not fleeting, candid shots but purposeful and deliberate ones. The more responsive image-making I will leave to the 65mm.

So thoughts? Why is it so difficult? Is there anyone near orange county that has one that I can borrow for a day to see how I get on with it? (I don't think any of my local rental houses have this kit anymore but I will ask).

Thanks guys!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

It is hard to focus because the Mamiya rangers have a short-base rangefinder that is not accurate enough for such a long lens. I have a Mamiya 6 and the 150mm lens made for it. Works about the same as the Mamiya 7. Relativelay large focus ring movements make very small changes in the focusing patch in the viewfinder, so you never are really sure if you're EXACTLY in focus; it just doesn't snap into focus like the other lenses do on that system.

Used on a tripod for medium to long distances to the subject, its usable. Up close (for portraits, for example) at wider apertures, I find it impossible to nail focus.

 

[agoglanian]

Hrm... That's mildly discouraging, I must admit. So it's really only ideal for distant landscapes? I mean I know up-close focusing has never been the forte of rangefinder cameras, but I figured it couldn't be that difficult heh.

Is it just wide open that it's troublesome, and is easier by f/5.6-8?

 

[kuzano]

Similar problem to that on 35mm RF w/90mm lenses

Similar problem to that on 35mm RF w/90mm lenses

The shorter the base leg dimension of the RF triangle, the harder to focus longer focal length lenses. The original Contax rangefinders had the longest base line of most 35mm rangefinders. Hence they could focus a 90mm lens faster and better than a similar RF camera where the distance between the RF windows was more iike half the length of the body.

I offer for scrutiny, the front view of my Kiev Arsenal Contax. After WWII, Russia shipped the complete Contax factory from Germany and renamed the Contax camera's to Kiev.

If you note how much of the body was used to create a long base leg, it will help to understand why the base leg, when shortened interferes with longer lens focus.

Such is likely the case for the Mamiya MF rangefinder... base leg to short for long lenses=difficulty in focus. Great lens I am sure, poor rangefinder specs.



Shown are two cameras.. my Big Fuji "Texas Leica" and my Kiev.

Notice how the base leg on the 35mm Kiev uses the dimension of the whole body between the range finder windows. On the bigger Fuji MF 120 roll, the dimension for the base leg is about half the camera length, (and that for a bigger format compounding the problem). I had the 150 lens for the Fuji, but encountered the similar "too long for the base leg" problem on longer lenses. Imagine if I had the 180 or 250mm lens for the Fuji.

The Kiev (Contax) focus's a 90 mm lens faster and better than most other 35mm rangefinders.

 

[Matus]

I have Mamiya 6 and the 150 lens is a sleeper one (lovely OOF and very sharp). Yes - focusing takes some getting used to. But it can be done. If you are careful (and your subject stationary) and your RF is working properly, then you will get very most of you photographs in focus. Give it a try, I think it is worth it (if you like longer lenses).

 

[NaChase]

I have 20/10 vision and the SOB still gives me headaches. It's not so bad once you get used to it though (as others have said).

Fall by N.Chase, on Flickr


On a Walk by N.Chase, on Flickr

 

[2WK]

Mine is hit or miss. I have tried many stationary portraits and when it's on, it looks fantastic but it is not reliable. I wish this lens could be adapted to a mirrorless body like an A7 or something so I could get more use out of it because it is a beautiful piece of glass. Sadly mine is mostly reserved for landscapes now as I find the 80mm so much more accurate for portraits.

 

[agoglanian]

So would it be beneficial then, if I were to buy the 150mm to have it calibrated to my specific camera's rangefinder?

I've heard that as well about people just using the 80mm over the 150mm, but I can't help but feel that the 80mm is just too darn close in focal length to the 65mm which I don't intend to get rid of as I quite like how it behaves on this camera.

*Sigh* I either need to bite the bullet and try for myself or find someway to rent one I suppose 😉.

Any of you gents willing to loan yours out? Haha!

 

[Katie]

I personally didn't find it any harder to focus that any other lens with relatively shallow depth of field. I even used it on a tripod with a self timer and got myself in focus!

 

[thegman]

Put the details into

http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

And you'll see what you're dealing with, 10 feet away, looks like at even f/16, you've got to be careful, 30 feet away, you're getting into the territory of being able to guess focus, and not even need an RF at all.

I had a Mamiya 7 with the 65mm, and would not have considered the 80mm, focal length is practically the same if you can move closer or further from your subject. I think a 65mm and 150mm seems like a nice set up, no overlap at all.

 

[Moto-Uno]

I have the 150 for my Mamiya 7 and on the few times I've used it,I'm quite pleased with the results. I've just put the 80 & 150 on the body and did some quick focusing tests, both focusing patches cover a very similar area, but the 150 simply doesn't seem to snap into focus like the 80, it's almost as though the 150 is focusing on something much further away and you simply can't see it sharply. Not sure if this makes sense, but it's my best attempt at describing what I notice. Postage and insurance both ways is costly even with us both on the west coast ( near Vancouver,B.C)
Regards,Peter

 

[sevres_babylone]

I admit to not using it much, but I can't say I've found mine difficult to focus. (And by mine, I mean both the original one I had, the the one I bought after I regretted selling the first one.)

 

[pmu]

If you are going to photograph subjects that are within few meters away from your camera, please note that the minimum focus distance for 150mm lens is 1,8 meters. Because of that, I almost never used those longer lenses on Mamiya 6/7. It was way easier to just use shorter lens and take a few steps closer to the subject. For portraits, one could not get any tighter crop with 150mm (than with normal lens) because of the focus distance.

 

[__jc]

I have the 150mm and, to be frank, wouldn't have even considered it being somehow problematic to focus had it not been for all the chatter on the internet. As has been pointed out above, rangefinders are generally natively far happier with normal to slightly wide angle lenses. That aside, they will do wider angle lenses and shortish telephotos as long as a bit more care is used with focussing. The Mamiya 7 is not unique in this regard, nor is its 150mm lens somehow demonic. The combination represents the perfect solution to the question you've posed - forget the urban internet myths and go ahead and use it.

 

[Jack Sparrow]

If you can shoot a RF, you can shoot the 150mm. It's a very nice lens. Alas, I just don't use mine that often - preferring the 80, 65 or 50.

 

[Doug]

I have the 150 for my Mamiya 7 and on the few times I've used it,I'm quite pleased with the results. I've just put the 80 & 150 on the body and did some quick focusing tests, both focusing patches cover a very similar area, but the 150 simply doesn't seem to snap into focus like the 80, it's almost as though the 150 is focusing on something much further away and you simply can't see it sharply. ...

Is there a viewfinder magnifier that would work on this camera and aid focusing accuracy with the 150mm?

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I don't think Mamiya made one, and I haven't heard of a 3rd party magnifier. If one exists, i'd buy one for my Mamiya 6!

 

[agoglanian]

Well thanks for the info gents (and Katie!). As always it's nice to get some truth out of all the chatter. I knew it couldn't be as bad as the internet seems to claim 😉

 

[agoglanian]

Well I tracked one down and it's on its way, so we'll see how "demonic" it really is 😉
(nicely put Mr. Scarecrow)

 

[Bobfrance]

I've never had much of a problem with mine and I tend to use my Mamiya for reportage.