Mamiya 7 II question

[.JL.]

I am deciding whether or not to buy this used Mamiya 7 II I tried out today. It is in exc physical condition, with a 43mm ultra wide lens.

I was surprised and puzzled by a few things, so here are my few questions:

- The shutter is so quiet that I am not sure if it's functional. The noise level is at a fraction of my Leica M's; is this normal?

- The shutter will not fire when there is no film in the camera, nor will it fire when I reached the end of the 120 roll film. Is this normal?

- Is it normal that it takes a little effort to advance the film? It does not feel nearly as smooth as 35mm cameras.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Doug]

Sounds all completely normal to me! Leaf shutters are quietest. Roll film cameras are different in the handling of film... typically you crank crank crank and when it stops you're ready for exposure #1, and the camera KNOWS how many shots on a roll, so when that number is reached it's again crank crank crank until the paper trailer is around the takeup spool to protect the film from light. No rewinding, y'know. Big film traveling a long distance takes some effort, it's natural. You're advancing 70mm wide film about 70mm to put it in position for the next shot.

 

[Niko]

I am deciding whether or not to buy this used Mamiya 7 II I tried out today. It is in exc physical condition, with a 43mm ultra wide lens.

I was surprised and puzzled by a few things, so here are my few questions:

- The shutter is so quiet that I am not sure if it's functional. The noise level is at a fraction of my Leica M's; is this normal?

- The shutter will not fire when there is no film in the camera, nor will it fire when I reached the end of the 120 roll film. Is this normal?

- Is it normal that it takes a little effort to advance the film? It does not feel nearly as smooth as 35mm cameras.

Thanks for the help.

Question number 1: Yes, it´s normal
Question number 2: Yes, it´s normal (but you can fire the shutter without a film in the camera, if the "multi" -switch is set on)
Question number 3: Yes, it´s normal

Cheers,
Niko

 

[.JL.]

Thanks guys.

One more question:

Is there a resource to find out whether a specific Mamiya equipment is stolen gear/hot?

 

[Revolucion Artistico]

you can also fire the shutter if the back of the camera is open.

 

[charlesfoto]

It's also suggested in the manual to advance the film slowly and evenly to keep the film flat.

 

[boilerdoc2]

No, it's not normal. Don't buy it! Who has this 7II for sale? Kidding!
The 7II is a phenomemal camera. Get it, and a couple other lenses!
Steve

 

[rpsawin]

Yes x3...all normal. BTW, the shutter release is very sensitive and one can burn several frames getting used to it. It is a great system and wait till you see the negs. My first shots were with Velvia and when I put them on a light table I was hooked..wow!

Enjoy,

Bob

 

[effeleven]

I love my 7-II a lot. I find that I dont like shooting 35mm film with it though. Its enough trouble loading the film, but framing the image is not even close to fun with the outline in the viewfinder. And its nearly impossible for me with the 150mm lense.

I rant cause I think it was more than $100 flushed! My $0.02 cents.

 

[mervynyan]

I am already to part my set to partly finance Nikon D3, hopefully this year.

Anyway, M7ii is an excellent system, optics are as good as you can get. The 43mm wide angle has some slight curve problem, perhaps it is the flatness of the film or maybe the lens. I am often forced to crop the sides. But 80 and 150 is as good as you can buy. It is so cheap these days, you must have a MF. Also the meter is very accurate on the first run. It is sometimes easier than the meter reading, so you maybe able to skip bracketing for "not so important" shots.

I also use Hasselblad 501CM w/ 80 CF lens. I like the Hasselblad just a little better because it is so simple to operate. But under 10x magnifier you will find Mamiya lenses' color are more vivid.

Two things I dislike, one is the fixed focus ratio, more a rangefinder issue, I can hardly see small subjects so I almost always put infinity for landscape. Another is the crank lever feels flimsy, I am very afraid to break it.

Well, I thought just my Leica set would be enough for rangefinder camera. These days everything is moving to digital, D3 spec is very impressive. Let me see some real world samples then I will decide whether I have to sell some film cameras. M7II would be the the first to go (if...).

cheers,