Is this the right move?

[Asim]

Hello everyone... this is my first question on this site:

I've been living in Dubai for the past year now... and there are no camera stores here that have medium format equipment available so all my research has been on the internet.

During this past year I've been trying to figure out which medium format camera would suit my needs best.

At first I was inclined towards a Hasselblad 501CM with a couple of lenses. But when I recently tried out my father's 1969 Rolleicord, I realized that I can't shoot very comfortably looking down at a ground glass. Also, though I love the square format, I don't see it to be suitable for every shot. (of course I can crop to 645).

I travel a lot. And about 90% of my photography is taken while I'm on the move. I need a light and compact camera. The Hasselblad is compact but with just two lenses its weight seems to be a bit too much.

I thought about a 645 system but realized that if I'm going medium format then I might as well go bigger. Also, if I do want a square photo, cropping it from a 645 makes it not much bigger than small format. So this led me to 6x7 format.

What I did keep in mind is selection of focal length. With my 35mm system, I shoot only 50 and 100 ISO slide film with my Pentax Limited lenses (31,43,77mm) and a 20-35mm. I most use and enjoy shooting with a short tele (77mm) a slightly wide standard (43mm) and a very wide (approx 24mm). All three of these focal lengths are equally used and so I can't part with any of them. I rarely shoot very wide open and most of my shots are at f/8. f/4 is perhaps the widest that I'll often use and thats because of less available light.

Oh, and surprisingly, I don't burn through too many rolls. A roll of 36 exposures usually lasts me about two months off the road and about 5-10 days while traveling.

During my travels I mostly shoot 'people-in-their-natural-environment' shots. I guess you could call it street photography, but I don't sneak up on anyone and I look for interesting composition. Also I shoot the type of photos you may find on travel calendars or postcards.

Sooooooo... the system that I THINK I've decided on is a Mamiya 7II with the 50mm, 80mm, and 150mm. Here are the reasons:

1. Big negative that can be cropped to 6x6, 645 or even smaller
2. The right focal lengths for my needs (short-tele, wide-standard, very wide)
3. Light and quite compact body
4. Light and compact lenses
5. Outstanding optical quality
6. The name 'Mamiya' sounds so cute

I understand that the limitations I will have to live with are that it doesn't focus very close. I think I can live with this since the closest I'll need to get is for environmental portraits. And I'd be carrying a 35mm camera alongside the Mamiya anyway. Another limitation would be having to deal with whole stops on the lens aperture settings. I use a handheld light meter but I understand that I can still set half stops even though there are no indents.

I'm going to the US and Canada in a couple of months where I'll be able to check it out hands-on and maybe even be able to rent it.
So what do you think? Should I go for it? Is there anything that I may be overlooking?

 

[Krzys]

That kit is probably the best setup in the world. I would do anything for it.

 

[oftheherd]

I think I would agree that is an excellent choice. I also like 6x7 format. I have the Mamiya Super Press 23. It is a fine camera system, but not as compact to carry as the Mamiya 7II. I do like Mamiya lenses, as I don't think they take a back seat to anyone. The only other thing you might want to consider is the Fujica interchangeable MF system. You can search the forums for more informationn on both, or wait for those who use either to come up and comment on them.

 

[degruyl]

Sooooooo... the system that I THINK I've decided on is a Mamiya 7II with the 50mm, 80mm, and 150mm. Here are the reasons:

Personally, I have the Mamiya 7 with 65, 80, and 150. I almost always use the 65. Sometimes I use the 150. I rarely use the 80.

One thing to think about, though, is whether you want the 43 instead of the 50.

All the lenses are fantastic, though. I love this camera, and it is my go-to camera for general purpose / travel photography. In fact, it makes my 35mm equipment sit on the shelf.

 

[EdSawyer]

I think you have it figured out - the Mamiya 7 is definitely a great system and the lens lineup outlined is a good choice too. I have a mamiya 7 with all those lenses mentioned (and more) and find it's basically the camera I use for everything now. The image quality can't be beat!

 

[monochromejrnl]

Great kit, I'd recommend getting a second back up body. Since you're on the road 90% of the time, repairs may not be readily accessible so a back up body could be invaluable.

 

[feenej]

Mamiya 645 for weddings, Mamiya RB 67 for studio portraiture, Mamiya 7 for portable fun hobby photography. That's my advice.

 

[Jamie123]

That kit is probably the best setup in the world. I would do anything for it.

Anything? I hope not!

 

[drewbarb]

Reading your post, it looks like you've covered all your bases in terms of considering the issues. I've worked with most cameras out there, and I think you've hit the right solution. Get the Mamiya 7- you won't regret it. If you buy used and then decide in fact it's not the right camera for you, you should be able to sell it and get back most- if not all- of your investment.

One word of caution- there's a weird phenomenon I've noticed with optics; you may love a given focal length or field of view in one format, but be left uninspired by it's closest equivalent in another format. It could be the lens and the way it renders or handles, or it could be the change in shape, or some other factor. So don't be too rigid with your lens choices. The Mamiya 7 has few choices for normal and telephoto, but offers several wide angle lenses- all of which are pretty good, optically. Since you mention that you're in a place where it may not be possible to play around with a couple of options before you buy, I'd suggest at least doing thorough searches on flickr and elsewhere to see how the various lenses behave.

Anyway, my point is that I think you have picked the right camera; now take your time and choose the right lenses to go with it. Enjoy!

Oh- and one more thing- the issue of the lenses only having indents for whole stops is utterly a non-issue. It's easy to see where half or third stops lie with the aperture ring. Setting your aperture to the approximate third of a stop or so is absolutely a piece of cake. You have to be incredibly anal-retentive, shoot only chromes, and hate bracketing to be bothered by this at all. Don't give it another thought.

 

[mfogiel]

I would say the following: before you plunge into a MF system just for shooting colour film, consider going digital. In colour, the film has little advantage, if any, and you will need a quality scanner (at least Nikon CS 9000) to do justice to these slides. Unless you really want to print big, even the M8 will cover the job very well, and it will be much lighter to carry around. M9 would be the best compact solution, but the price is still a bit steep. In my mind, the only reason that justifies shooting film these days, is to get state of the art B&W output.

 

[morback]

Why not Mamiya 6? Fits your needs perfectly and prevents you from GAS since you only have 3 lenses for it. The ones you want anyways. Also, it gets smaller than the 7 due to the lens mount retraction.

Had one, loved it.

 

[Monz]

Either the Mamiya 7 or Mamiya 6. I have the latter... great for travel because of thr retracting lens.

 

[archeophoto]

I have a Hasselblad 500cm with a 80 and a 50mm lens. I travel a lot with it and find it compact and easy to handle. Don't dismiss the groundglass shooters like the 'Blad or the Rolleiflexes! You need to get used to them, but once you shoot with them for a while, you will really appreciate them. If somebody would tell me that I can only take one camera with one lens on a trip, it would be a Rolleicord or a Rolleiflex. They are awesome for candid photography, and their "old time looks" are keeping people friendly. In my experience most travel shots with MF are done with 50 and 80mm lenses. I wouldn't bother with a 150mm. You can crop, if you really need it.