MP vs Bessa III

The Mamiya 7II is incredible, but a lot bulkier than a M. One cannot replace the other, but with 400 speed film like Neopan 400 or D400 it surprising how good even very large prints look. Still, sometimes I like to work light and unencumbered and as good as the Mamiya 7 65mm combo is, you still only get 10 frames per roll, loading is relatively slow (as are lens changes) and the camera will not slide under a loose coat.
 
Everyone always stresses about how big you can print a 35mm negative forgetting that you don't have your nose up to a 16 x 20 print.

I just printed a show with 35 negatives scanned on a (gasp!) Epson 4990 flatbed and the prints were 17 x 22 and of all the comments I heard from my artist and graphic designer friends, most of them were what printer did you use, these look amazing.

Yes, medium format will look sharper and provide a richer tonality, but depending on your subject matter, this might not be much of a factor. For hand held street photos probably not, for landscapes, maybe yes.

I sold my Mamiya 6 to get the money to buy an M4P because the Mamiya was a little too bulky and slow to use for quick street grabs. When I look at some of the landscape photos I took with it, I get a bit sad but when I look at all the street photos I've taken since, I get happy.

Sounds like all your bases are all ready covered and you're just looking for something new to play with, so go with what makes you happy.
 
Now that you have the M6, you could always buy an Agfa Isolette for $7.50 like I did. 6x6, quiet shutter, very compact. Mine is f4.5 and it isn't a rangefinder (the focus is set by your estimated distance to the subject), but it's hard to beat the price.

If you find that you like the Isolette handling, then you can get the B-III. That's what I am trying to figure out. So far, I do like the MF compact concept -- though I do still love my Leicas too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom