Mamiya 7ii and Pentax 67...

[TJV]

Hello all.
I've been lucky enough to have on loan a Pentax 67 to shoot alongside my Mamiya7ii. I'm undecided on what I think. I love the 7ii but more and more I want to tightly compose using a tripod and medium/long lens and obviously the rangefinder is not built for this task. On the other hand, the Pentax is a bit of a dog for general shooting in the style I usually shoot. It's heavy, noisy, has a slllllllow flash sync speed etc. I have no idea if the model I have has got Mirror Lock Up, which I definatly need (how do I know if it has it by the way? And how do I get it to work in MLU mode? Anyone?) and this is where the Mamiya is such a joy. It's quiet and almost handholdable three stops slower than the Pentax!

Different strokes for different folkes but the prices for these 67 Pentax's are really getting quite low now, aren't they? It's almost worth getting one just to shoot when a thru the lens view is really necessary.

Anyone else use a Pentax kit alongside their Mamiya RF?

 

[boilerdoc2]

I had a 67 with MLU. Loved it but was very bulky but the quality of the images!Whooo! I now hae the M7 and am in love with that camera! Dead nuts quiet and syncs at any speed! Different purposes for each. Like comparing apples and oranges. Get both! Ha! Only money!
Steve

 

[Bob Michaels]

No need to sell you on the Mamiya 7 obviously. It's my primary camera.

My only SLR is a Bronica SQA. It serves exactly the purpose you are considering the Pentax 67 for. I don't use it often, but there are situations where a rangefinder just won't do. Oh, the Bronica has a leaf shutter so no issues with sync speed.

Yes, you need both.

 

[Jim Watts]

There is a 90mm & 165mm Leaf Shutter lens for the Pentax that solves the sync problem. Both are also now quite low in price secondhand.

Mirror Lock versions have a sliding switch on the left side (viewed from front) of the body mirror box by the lens mount, but the mirror lock can't be used with leaf shutter lenses.
Focus, compose, slide lever upward to lock. The mirror will return automatically after you release the shutter.

 

[bensyverson]

Why not keep the 7 for your general stuff, and pick up a Speed/Crown/Super Graphic 4x5 for more "composed" stuff? An old Graphic is cheaper than a Pentax 67, and will give you a bigger image. Plus, they're probably about the same weight and size. 🙂

 

[rpsawin]

No need to sell you on the Mamiya 7 obviously. It's my primary camera.

My only SLR is a Bronica SQA. It serves exactly the purpose you are considering the Pentax 67 for. I don't use it often, but there are situations where a rangefinder just won't do. Oh, the Bronica has a leaf shutter so no issues with sync speed.

Yes, you need both.

I have the same cameras for my mf work and second Bob's recommendation to use both. Each has distinct strengths and weaknesses. Capitalize on the strong points and mitigate the weak ones.

Bob

 

[dahlen59]

67 and mamiya

67 and mamiya

I have both mamiya 6 and P67 also rolleiflex. Mamiya limited to more standard photo tasks. P67 I use for close ups and landscape with long tele etc. Even a standard portrait is impossible with M6. The boquet is far better with 67 (for example 105/2,4 wide open) and you can controll it in the finder. The mamiya is incredibly fast and I can enlarge glassless. D´nt think thats possible with 6x7. I like 6x7 format better so if it were not for the enlarging thing I would prefer the mamiya 7. Both P and M have excellent lightmeters. I exposed 5 rolls of fuji provia with M on a trip to Turkey this summer and all was perfect. Even the P67 is ok handheld with short lenses. You can use MLU also handheld (not for moving objects though) but even without it I have taken sharp pics on 1/60 and even 1/30 (by holding it tight to to head and shoulder).

If you are able to make correct distance reading in the viewfinder then I had preferred the rollie before the M6. The tessar lens is the best (p67 with 105 not far behind). Sharp but low contrast for beautiful prints.
The Mamiya is kind of industrial sharp contrasty and quite harsh out of focus. In soft light its very good.

They are all good. Far better than any 35 mm or digital I have tried.

 

[TJV]

Thanks for the MLU info...

I've fast become really taken by the P67. The M7 is obviously better for more informal fast shots but the Pentax is great for everything else, it seems. The 55mm f4 Pentax-SMC I've been using looks to be a GREAT little lens. The 105 f2.4 I haven't really tried yet.

The larger Pentax with 55mm and 105mm and the Mamiya 7ii and 65mm seems like a good all purpose, practical combo in my eyes.

I was thinking on my way home just before how much I enjoy shooting these days. My go everywhere kit, and I mean everywhere, is two Leica bodies and a few lenses. They're small, quiet and easy to carry around. But there's something about MF work, other than the extra detail, that's really grabbing me at the moment. I thought for a moment that it may be I'm not used to looking through lenses to frame things up anymore, that this 'other' more considered work I'm doing lately not only calls for an SLR but screams out for one. DOF preview, real focus checking etc, although never needed or wanted by me upto this point has opened up a few doors. In short, I was thinking how lucky we are there are so many different tools out there tailored for every different job.

Variety is the spice of life!

 

[RObert Budding]

The Bronica GS-1 is a very nice 67 system, too. And all of the lenses have leaf shutters.

 

[Jim Watts]

..........I thought for a moment that it may be I'm not used to looking through lenses to frame things up anymore, that this 'other' more considered work I'm doing lately not only calls for an SLR but screams out for one. DOF preview, real focus checking etc, although never needed or wanted by me upto this point has opened up a few doors. In short, I was thinking how lucky we are there are so many different tools out there tailored for every different job.

Variety is the spice of life!

Well for carefully considered shooting on a tripod IMHO you still can't beat large format. Viewing under a dark cloth with image reversed and upside down on the screen. Movements to control just about every aspect of the picture. Higher film costs 😉 . Its time consuming but really makes you think about the pictures you are making.

I always regret not giving my Linhof Tec. MKIV enough exercise!

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I have also fallen prey to the logic of using the biggest negative that I can get away with. The advantage of medium format is the ability to use it handheld or with a light tripod, without all the extra gear that a 4x5 (or larger) camera requires. I used a Pentax 67 handheld for years with the 90/2.8 lens and don't put it on a tripod unless shutter speeds of lower than 1/125 are absolutely required. I have a Mamiya 7 too these days and its 80/4 lens is marvelous, but the camera would have been such a killer if it focused to 1 meter or allowed the user to fill the frame with a subject's head. Same limitations, BTW with the Fuji fixed-lens cameras.

Ben

 

[TJV]

Got a few rolls back from the pentax and the trannies are pretty stunning. Also ran a rew rolls through a friends Mamiya RB67 and they looked to be even better. Beautiful results all around so it seems we're all spoilt for choice in the medium format area. Still think the Mamiya 7 is the best for me but will invest in an SLR design soon.

 

[kuzano]

There is a totally manual -no electronics.... of the Bronica SQ series. It's a B rather than an A. It's much lighter than the A and the A is lighter than the Pentax 67. It's also less expensive when you find it, than the A. Uses the same superb Bronica lenses as the A (leaf shutter on all Bronica lenses). But... you're back to manual metering. I've had A and B models and they are equal if not superior to the Pentax, have no synch shortcoming (synch at all speeds), and are lighter. A bit boxier however.

 

[StuartR]

I think it is pretty hard to beat the Rollei 6000 series for handholdable MF SLR's. At least in 6x6 or above. I know they aren't particularly popular, but I would consider them very analogous to Leica R. The optics are pretty much the best around, they have a bunch of great features, but they are fairly esoteric and expensive. That makes them unpopular. Both systems are really lovely to shoot and have great results however...and they are surprisingly complete. The Leica R will take you from 15mm to 800mm along with some very amazing macro lenses (beyond even the 100mm...I am talking about the photar lenses). Rollei has from a 30mm fisheye to a 500mm lens with a big bunch of accessories. Anyway, take a look at the Rollei 6000 series if you are considering an MF slr. It is definitely worth at least a look. The Hy6 too, for that matter.