[OT] Best MF from Lens Perspective

john_van_v

john_van_v

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Hi all,

I am getting closer and closer to having a darkroom, and I think I may go hook-line-and-sinker with 120 film, and then onto larger formats.

Part of the reason I want to go this route is that I now seem to know what pictures I want to take well in advance, such as landscapes, and I am making good personal connections with my subjects (ie models), assuring a higher rate of successful shots. Another reason is that rolls of 35mm film seem to linger in my RFs and OM-1 (my honorary RF) for months.

My qestion is this: What MF camera, or mount perhaps, is the best from the perspective of available lenses.

I am assuming that the economic law of supply and demand will imply that more available lenses means less expensive and better quality lenses, though Leica and Nikon seem to break the first part of this rule.

I did a search for Mamiya on ebay and found lots of available lenses, implying Mamiya rates high by this reasoning, but it seems the lenses were only for specfic models (???)

To give you an idea of the lenses that work for me:

On 35mm RF, I stick to the 24, 35, 50, 135 array, skipping the 80-100 portrait lenses (I like the whole body 😀); I have them all of for my Bessas R and L.

I also have a 200mm for my OM-1, an f1.2 Nikkor that goes with an FM for night prowling, and a 28mm m42 Rexagon for my EOS -- it's digital but keep that quiet.

Just as an aside, I might mention that the m42 adapter works best with the EOS, with the Olympus Zuiko a close second. Way behind is the Nikon adapter, which feels like it is going to break when I try to use it -- I guess the f1.2 is staying on the FM. I got them all from KAWA on ebay.
 
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How about a Speed Graphic, so you can play with shutterless lenses? If you are thinking of larger format in the future anyway, the Graflok backs on the Graphics accommodate 4x5 sheet film holders as well as120/220 roll film backs.
 
As far as Med. format Rangefinders go the Mamiyas are excellent. The Mamiya 7II is great for portraits, although you cannot get as close in distance from your subjects as 35mm allows (read no head and shoulder portraits). The lenses available cover the spectrum from 43mm to 210 I think, this camera produces a 6x7 format. 10 shots on a roll of 120.

The Mamiya 645 series are SLR's and again are great for portraits, the 80mm focusing to 2.25 feet works great. lenses available from 45mm up to 500mm with a couple zooms as well. I picked up a 645E for around $300.00, better deals can be found. 15 shots on a roll of 120.

Todd
 
It's a 'baby' view camera, like a 4x5 inch but smaller, where the lenses are mounted on flat panels. On those, you can place ('panel') almost anything from current aspherics to lenses that are pre-1900. On the back, you fit 6x6, 6x7 or 6x9cm roll-film holders.

The great advantage over using roll-film backs on a 4x5 inch is that the bellows are smaller and collapse further, allowing wider-angle lenses (I had a 47/5.6 Super Angulon on mine, in a focusing mount because it had to go on the rear rails) and movements with e.g. 65mm lenses.

Does this help?

But if you didn't understand the jargon, for which I apologize, the advice is likely to prove of limited usefulness to you anyway.

Cheers,

R.
 
For starting, you could do a lot worse than finding a (refurbished) Pentacon Six. If you want to use a digital back with the same lenses at some point, then you can hire the new Mamiya which will take them as one of the options.

There is some considerable sense to the idea of a large format camera with a focal-plane shutter, as mentioned above, but it is a bit more studio-like in nature compared to the P.6 which is an slr. Depends what you want to do exactly, as ever !

Alternatively, go directly to 4x5 sheet - and notice a large difference to 35mm in many areas - weight, portability, cost etc and also 'quality' of results too...
 
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The lens boards don't have shutters, the lenses do (unless you have what is called a lens 'in barrel.' The lenses are mounted on the lens board (panel) with a retaining ring. The lenses have threads on the rear to accept them. Then the board fits by some means (depending on the camera) to the front of the camera. If you can, I suggest you go to a good used book store and look for books on MF and LF (large format) photography. Or, go to the large format site (google is your friend).

As to a camera meeting you specs above on lens availability, you have gotten good advice above. The reason you are seeing more than on mount for Mamiya is that the lenses for their Mamiya 6 and 7 line, and the Press line, and the TLR line, all have different lens mounts. I would suggest you look at the Mamiya Universal or Mamiya Super Press 23. They have the lenses you want, extension tubes, interchangable backs, and in the case of the Universal, even Polaroid, although that is so near a dead animal as probably not to be worth the cost or effort to find the back and film supplies.

Hope if helps.
 
There are indeed many Mamiya MF slr's, or several anyway. They made/make models from 6x4,5 to 6x7, mechanical or electronic and all with different lens-mounts. I recall that the Mamiya site has useful information and, more generally, you could have a read through Apug too.
🙂
 
john_van_v said:
There also seems to be a Mamiya SLR that is like the Hasselblad.
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You are correct as the next post after yours points out. I was in a great hurry at work to try and give you some of what you asked for. Their great SLR's just slipped my mind. There are many loyal followers of their 645 line. I am not a fan of 645 myself. I used to lust after their 6x7. I think it was a heavy beast though. So are their Press cameras, but I think not as heavy. Certainly having used their RF Press line, I can tell you they are surprisingly 35mm RF like in they way they are used. They just happen to have a line of lenses that 35mm equivalent that come close to what you want. I think the only one off might be the 65mm. I think in 6x7, that might be closer to 35mm that 28mm. Somebody correct me if I am wrong.
 
Well, if you can be happy with a 6x6, I believe the best choice is a Hasselblad. The quality of the lenses is legendary, and just like the ZM line, they are very consistent in their characteristics across the range, and always balanced between sharpness, OOF and 3D rendering. I would go for a 501CM with a 50/4 FLE, 100/3,5 and 180/4 plus a 1.4x if you need something longer at times. A great mini kit would be the 60/3.5 and 120/4 MP, or a clever alternative would be a SWC/M for landscape plus an ELM with a 150/4 for portaits.
 
I think the Bronica GS-1 with Zenza lenses are best 😀 Of course, that has *nothing* to do with the fact that I would like to sell mine! <shameless plug> :angel:

Seriously though, it's a system I've been very pleased with. It seems like the black sheep of 6x7 SLR's because the RB/RZ system always seems the frontrunner. I like that I don't have to have Popeye-like forearms to handhold the thing 🙂
 
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shadowfox said:
A Mamiya C330 with its complete set of lens is also a good route.
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I just discovered this !! It seems to be a solid camera, with the only drawback being its weight. One of only two TLRs with interchangeable lenses, according to some sources.

Thanks again everybody for all the advice.

I think that the people of the world are starting to grok that we photogs are not "image predators," or at least not most of the time, and that it's the digital people they need to look out for !! A TLR should reinforce that perception :angel:
 
john_van_v said:
A little, now I am curious about how the lenses fit onto the panel -- with adapters? What kind of lenses are available?
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There are pictures of various lenses in shutters here:

http://www.rogerandfrances.com/photoschool/ps how re-shutter.html

The panels come in 'families' that fit a range of cameras: two different 'baby' Linhof panels, for example. But because they're basically flat metal sheets (or wood, or even plastic composite), they're easy to improvise and you can always enlarge the 'ole to fit a bigger shutter, or, with slightly more difficulty, rivet or screw a new, smaller plate if you want to fit a smaller shutter.

Separate shutters have been made for larger formats but they're so big that they'd rarely be suitable for smaller cameras.

Cheers,

R.
 
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