Mamyia 6 ? Should I?

totifoto

totifoto

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I have been shooting medium format for some time now and got into rangefinders about 6 months ago. I´ve always had the dream of getting a Leica M6 ever since I started shooting in 2001. I´m shooting Hasselblad for mf and my rangefinders are Zorki 4, Yashica Minister-D and GS Electro.
I love the medium format, very sharp and lilte grain even at ISO 1600. But carrying the Hasselblad around is a bit to mutch for a documentary and street photography.
So I started shooting rangefinder, I love using them, small and compact but I´m not so happy with the 35mm film. To mutch grain and I just have alot of problem figuring the 35mm format out when it comes to developing. I have been shootong mostly digital so maybe thats why I dont like all that grain in the 35mm film.

Now I´m beeing offered a great deal on Mamiya 6 with all the 3 lensen (50mm, 75mm and 150mm.) The price is about 2000 dollars for it all and it seems to be in a great shape, a pack of Tri-x films and a polarizer is also included.

What do you people say? Is this a package I should go for?
I´ve heard the lightmeter is not so reliable and the viewfinderlines are not so good for the 150mm.

I live in Iceland and there is no store here that sells any Mamiya stuff and dont know if anyone here can fix it if it breaks down.

Thanx for all the help you can give me.
 
Excellent price. You will easily get used to the lightmeter. The viewfinder lines for 150mm were adequate for me. You cannot do close-ups with the lenses, anyway, since it is a rangefinder.

Clarence
 
I have two Mamiya 6s - the 6 and 6MF. Great cameras. I always use a handheld meter, so the Mamiya meter is not an issue, but it has worked when I needed it.

I also have all three lenses. I do not use the 150mm that much, but it is nice to have.
 
For documentary and street, the Mamiya 6 and 7 (II) are The cameras to have in MF. Very portable and ergonomics are pretty good. The optics are truly excellent as you probably know by know. And its quite a fine camera for landscapes as well if you decide to go that way some day (even if you can't see through the lens).

I'd say go for it. The only thing I regret for owning a Mamiya 7 is that I'm presently not using it enough. But the camera is certainly not to blame here.
 
It's a great camera - I have one body and the 3 lenses. I actually use the 150mm quite alot. Here's a shot taken with that lens. I think that price is quite okay.
 

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I've been interested in the Mamiya 6 for a while, too, but the one thing that's keeping me from buying one is the fear that I couldn't have it repaired if it were to break... Is this a legitimate concern?

Vincent
 
vincentbenoit said:
I've been interested in the Mamiya 6 for a while, too, but the one thing that's keeping me from buying one is the fear that I couldn't have it repaired if it were to break... Is this a legitimate concern?

Vincent
Click to expand...

I haven't heard the Mamiyas, be it 6's or 7's, to fail any more frequently than any other electronically controlled cameras. In absolutely worst case you only end up replacing the failed lens or the body, which would of course be annoying but not the end of the world. Plenty of replacements still available. Maybe even the parts, too. Skilled camera repairers sometimes have surprisingly good sources for parts.
 
vincentbenoit said:
I've been interested in the Mamiya 6 for a while, too, but the one thing that's keeping me from buying one is the fear that I couldn't have it repaired if it were to break... Is this a legitimate concern?

Vincent
Click to expand...

I think there is someone in the US who has been noted elsewhere here at RFF as being on top of the Mamiya 6 if repair is required. As usual someone picks up the slack when the manufacturer discontinues a product and service.
 
Thanks Jan. That's good to know.

Vincent

jan normandale said:
I think there is someone in the US who has been noted elsewhere here at RFF as being on top of the Mamiya 6 if repair is required. As usual someone picks up the slack when the manufacturer discontinues a product and service.
Click to expand...
 
I think Johnsons-Photopia the Mamiya distributers will still repair them in the UK. I have only needed one repair from new in 17 years and thats when it was blown over while attached to a (heavy) tripod on top of the dam in Glen Affric durring a gale.

Sendean's in London were able to handle that repair. It was a few years ago, but Sendeans are still in buisiness.
 
I've not used Johnsons-Photopia for repair, BUT I DID send them my Mamiya 6 body and three lenses for focus adjustment. I bought all four items separately, and two of the lenses weren't focusing 100% properly with the body.

They DID A GREAT JOB of getting all the lenses to work with the body (both the two lenses and the body needed adjustment), and now everything is fine. This service did however cost over £100, but it was worth it.
 
i am lately wondering myself if i should just go the mamiya 6(7) way..
I am wasting a lot of $ and effort on 35mm shooting, while i clearly like the few 6x6 frames I have much more. But the ancient TLR i use is rather limiting, as well as the old super ikonta... I also have a kowa six 6x6 slr with two lenses, but it's the antiexample of portability. I could carry a view camera with the same hassle.

SO maybe i should just get rid of all the gear i accumulated here and get a mamiya with 3 lenses - and never look back.

If i were you i would get the set.
 
I'm thinking the same. I use the Rollei more than any other camera nowadays. I still like 35mm, but I suspect if I had a good compact MF rangefinder and a couple of lenses it would quickly become my primary camera. The Bronica RF645 is nice but I really have a yen for 6x6 or 6x7. The Fujis are good but enormous, the only thing holding me back on a Mamiya so far is price, and an inability to decide between a 6 or a 7...

Ian
 
Pherdinand, I've pretty much done what you describe above. I sold a bunch of stuff a couple of years ago and bought the Mamiya 6 and lenses, as well as a Pentax 6x7 and a couple of lenses (very cheap in comparison) to do the sort of close-ups and long-lens stuff that the Mamiya 6 can't do.

These two platforms are my "serious photography" setups, and fo more casual light-weight stuff I have an Epson RD-1, an M4-p, a Contax T, and a CLE with a few lenses. I use these as my carry everyday cameras, and the Mamiya 6 is my travel camera, and the Pentax 6x7 is pretty much at home for macro.
 
sleepyhead said:
I sold a bunch of stuff a couple of years ago [...] and fo more casual light-weight stuff I have an Epson RD-1, an M4-p, a Contax T, and a CLE with a few lenses. I use these as my carry everyday cameras, and the Mamiya 6 is my travel camera, and the Pentax 6x7 is pretty much at home for macro.
Click to expand...
:eek:
And you've sold a bunch of stuff??? And you still have all these???
i wonder how much stuff you had before:))
 
iml said:
.... and an inability to decide between a 6 or a 7...
Click to expand...

Now wouldn't that be nice if it was possible to use the 7 lenses on the 6 body?

I have the 7 with the 43, 65, 80 and 150 lenses, but sometimes it would be nice to have the 6 with the lenses as well. (Even if the 6x7 frames can always be cropped afterwards). Needless to say that would be an overkill.
 
I think the price for the complete set is worth it. I have been having the same thoughts about format, 35mm vs 6x6 and I just don't like the pronounced grain I get from 35mm negs. I have been using a Mamiya 6 for a few years and the only problem with the system is that I don't own the 50mm lens. Well, maybe that's not the system's fault. ;)
 
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