Leica M6 vs Mamiya 7

[seakayaker1]

How do you people carry your Mamiyas? I don't have one but it certainly looks like a cumbersome form to pack compared to Leica or any 35mm rangefinder. For everyday carry, collapsible lenses like those on Fuji GA645 series, Plaubel Makina or Bessa III would be much more practical, no?

I will now stuff my crappy little toy format camera into a bag and walk down the street to buy lunch. Maybe I'll even make a crappy little toy photograph on the way 🙂. But that's just me.

I use a Artisan & Artist 7100 camera bag to carry my Mamiya 7 II and a Leica M, both with a lens attached, lots of room in the bag for a light meter, small cleaning kit, spare battery, and film. If I am going to carry one or more extra lens I usually put them in my jacket pocket or in a Op/Tech Soft Pouch - Zippeez that attaches to my belt on warmer days. Although I do find most of time I am happy with the one bag and two cameras with the one lens on each.

 

[traveler_101]

How do you people carry your Mamiyas? I don't have one but it certainly looks like a cumbersome form to pack compared to Leica or any 35mm rangefinder. For everyday carry, collapsible lenses like those on Fuji GA645 series, Plaubel Makina or Bessa III would be much more practical, no?

I will now stuff my crappy little toy format camera into a bag and walk down the street to buy lunch. Maybe I'll even make a crappy little toy photograph on the way 🙂. But that's just me.

Yep, that's the other side of the coin--mobility, flexibility, improvisation. No wonder 95% of us are using the "crappy little toys." 😱

 

[mathomas]

I vote Mamiya 7 (or get a Fuji GA645Zi + a Leica M2, as an alternative). I don't have a Mamiya, but I have a few good medium format cameras, and they blow 35mm away in image quality. And IMO you can totally see the difference even in small web scans. There's just a feel about medium format -- a kind of "you are there" look to it.

Problem is, once you shoot medium format you won't want to shoot 35mm (all that much) any more. 🙂

But as someone said, we don't know what type of shooting you intend to do. 35mm is sooo convenient!

 

[RObert Budding]

How do you people carry your Mamiyas? I don't have one but it certainly looks like a cumbersome form to pack compared to Leica or any 35mm rangefinder. For everyday carry, collapsible lenses like those on Fuji GA645 series, Plaubel Makina or Bessa III would be much more practical, no?

I will now stuff my crappy little toy format camera into a bag and walk down the street to buy lunch. Maybe I'll even make a crappy little toy photograph on the way 🙂. But that's just me.

I bought a bag that's a bit larger than what I'd use for a 35mm rangefinder - and much smaller than I'd require for a 67 SLR. It ain't rocket science!

 

[SakamakuAme]

I have Mamiya 7 ii, and I used to own M6 + Cron 35.

I grew up in digital age and M6 was my first film camera. My first impression with the images from M6 was very positive. It has that classic LEICA look that I always wanted. But after a while, I rented Hasselblad 500 and I was really shocked the difference in picture quality between M6 and 500, I didn't even print the images, I was checking the images on the computer screen. To make long story short, I ended up selling my Leica set and bought Mamiya 7ii. I still missed the portability of 135, so I also bought a 135 P&S, Yashica T5. I think I'll get another Mamiya 7 body soon so that I can use different films at once.

M6 is a beautiful piece of art, but IMO, the image quality is somewhat questionable in this ultra high resolution digital age. 135 film starts showing its limitation. The only reason I still shoot 135 film is I love its hipster lo-fi texture. I believe that only larger than 6x6 film cameras can compete with todays digital fidelity, still having the film look which everyone loves.

I actually lost my interest to mimic me-too classic Leica look after some real Leica experience, although it was really fun. If you never used Leica, I would recommend to try Leica at least once. Extremely well build camera and really fun to use. And you probably won't loose much money even if you decide to sell it later.

 

[gavinlg]

Medium format spanks 35mm in every possibly way except convenience and economic (shots per roll) considerations.

 

[thejameskendall]

I ummed and ahhed between an M6 and a Mamiya 7 for a long while and even though the Mamiya 7 is my favourite camera ever I decided it was too cumbersome for an everyday camera, which is what I wanted.

The M6 is more solid so I sling it over my shoulder without a case every time I leave the house. I'd love to get a Mamiya 7 for when I know I'm going to be taking photos - the results are stunning - but it's what I want, not what I need.

 

[maddoc]

I had borrowed an M7 II but ended up getting an XPAN, for me the ideal compromise between the availability of film and quality.

 

[chrishayton]

I have an M4-P and a Mamiya 7II. The mamiya is a better technical camera, output is better, Great meter etc but the Leica is a nicer thing to own and its more tactile, the rangefinder is better and there of course a near infinite choice of lenses. I love big format picture quality, the DOF and tonality that you don't get with 35mm and if I had to choose Id keep the Mamiya.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Medium format spanks 35mm in every possibly way except convenience and economic (shots per roll) considerations.

"Convenience" including low light (fast lenses & film speed), weight, bulk, ergonomics...

Once you quit small cameras such as 35mm or FF digi, what's wrong with a proper camera like a Linhof Tech 70? Or an Alpa 12 S/WA? Or a Linhof Technikardan...?

Cheers,

R.

 

[chrishayton]

"Convenience" including low light (fast lenses & film speed), weight, bulk, ergonomics...

Once you quit small cameras such as 35mm or FF digi, what's wrong with a proper camera like a Linhof Tech 70? Or an Alpa 12 S/WA? Or a Linhof Technikardan...?

Cheers,

R.

All the camera you quote are slow to use, The Mamiya is as quick to use as a Leica and not that much bigger. ( yes the Alpa is small its still scale focus using external finders or ground glass and tripod and only really for wide-angle use.)

 

[SakamakuAme]

Medium format spanks 35mm in every possibly way except convenience and economic (shots per roll) considerations.

The difference between MF and 35mm in terms of convenience and economic factor is far small compare to the difference between 35mm film and and digital.

 

[leicapixie]

i think one should first try out the best medium format camera, a Rolleiflex.120 film, square format, no choice of additional lenses. The negative can be cropped. The Mamiya is a very large bulky monster that looks like an M body mutant. A Rollei is a system that fits on one hand!
A hood, some rolls of film and you are set.
i used 120 as a pro and slowly went to 35mm for convenience, great lenses(without distortion) and size. My 67 got the chop. i learnt to hate the rectangular format,difficulty of contact-sheet on a single 8"x10" paper.
The so called superiority is not that easily discerned. Saw recently an exhibition of scanned negatives printed 2' x 3'. Rivaled larger formats..
35mm is able to catch different moments, where larger cameras users tend to shoot way less.
In an age of Digital, some smaller digital systems will by pass a film camera..
I love film, i use it and treasure it. i also can appreciate the leap forward. It has problems,dynamic range for one. Film has a constant rising cost factor, the absolute need to do it self all the way.
The Mamiya lenses are great. I used them. They are far behind the Zeiss on a Hasselblad V-series in my opinion.

 

[Michel154]

two different formats, personally i would go for the M6
i have both the M7 and the Mamiya 7II
as much as i love the Mamiya it has some limitations
max shutter speed is 500 and the fastest lens is 3.5 " i think",
it is "compact" with the 80mm as much as a medium format can be
so bulk in not that big of a deal ,but compared to a leica it is a giant
so it all depends on your style of photography
the leica's shutter is not that much faster 1000 but with your summicron you gain some light

 

[PatrickCheung]

Ever consder a Bronica RF645? I recieved one recently, brought it with me on a trip to NYC. It stayed in my bag, next to my M5, M8, and Contax T2, all my notebooks, and a scarf. My bag isn't small (15" x 12" x 5"), but wasn't too big to carry either.

It was a pleasure to use, (relatively) light and easy to carry, and built like a brick. Lens selection is rather limited though, so you have to be sure that the available lenses are the ones you want.

Not sure how the image quality compares to the Mamiya 7 and it's lenses, but people say they're close if not on par. I'm going to develop my first roll tomorrow!

 

[Turtle]

I have and use both.

The Leicas I cannot live without, but the Mamiya 7 is a luxury when things slow down, where I need a bigger neg, but want to work handheld.

For street and documentary, the Leica is king, but for environmental work, the Mamiya comes into its own. It might be an RF and easily hand held, but don;t go thinking it has anywhere near the speed or handling of the smaller 35mm RF when you need to work quickly. There is not contest.

 

[Godfrey]

Choose on the basis of what your photographic vision needs.

A 35mm camera will always have more DoF and work faster than a 6x7 film camera. A 6x7cm camera will always have a bigger negative (more potential detailing), more tonal differentiation to work with, etc etc. Same goes for the 645 camera (although it's closer ... and yes, I've fantasized having one of those Bronica RF645s too ... 🙂

I've been swapping back and forth between the M9, CL and Bessa III lately. They're really very different cameras in use, even if I choose lenses that present the same FoV and speed on all three. Each has its advantage for various kinds of picture making needs.

 

[cosmonaut]

I prefer the image quality of the Mamiya lenses and the big negatives but in the long run I kept the M6 as medium format was getting to expensive. Color film and processing.

 

[k__43]

I've just came back from a trip to china with a Mamiya7 (65mm & 43mm) I also carried a Leica CL+40mm. I have not found it too heavy or too bulky. I used to travel with a Pentacon Six & 35mm camera(s), so I already lost weight and gained quality.
The Mamiya7 lenses are magical.
I think this was the best travel setup I had (I haven't used that 43mm so much really but there are shots where it is just really great).