Use a Mamiya 7 like a Leica?

Turtle said:
I suppose the titling depends on what you are trying to achieve. Sometimes a reality is just as valid without a social or political angle in evidence? I perhaps would have gone for more neutral titles, but don't agree with the idea that a photographer has to choose titles to effect some sort of social change. Sometimes an untainted window is the most appropriate course.
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Sure but ultimately when any photographer chooses to show these type of images in the public domain especially something like the photo-share websites like flickr he or she should carry a degree of social responsibility with respect to his/her subjects and the right sort of captioning info is very important - at least that's my take on it.
 
jaffa_777 said:
Is anyone using a Mamiya 7 for street like you would a Leica. I know it is bigger and doesn't focus as close, but still want to give it a try. Can you point me to anyones work like this with the Mamiya, 6 or 7. Thanks.
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I don't think so considering its fastest lens is f/4.0. Very nice cam, I used to have one. :eek:
 
Most of my gallery here is with 645 RF cameras, with emphasis on environmental portraits, informal and hand-held, both on the street and office interiors. I like the quiet leaf shutters, and f/4 isn't much handicap really... I might wish for f/2.8 but that might well be cutting DoF too thin. I mostly use 220 film, with 32 exposures. So in my experience it's doable, though I have no personal experience with a Mamiya 7.
 
I haven't read all the replies, so forgive me if these suggestions have already been made.
Try to find some of the "earlier" work of German photographer Peter Bialobrzeski in India. I think he used a Mamiya 7 and I am sure it was 6x7.
Also look at the work of Dutch photographer Willem Wernsen. The later work on the street has been made with the Mamiya 6.
These two convince me it is actually possible.
I have a Fuji GW670III, but consider it a bit too big for this kind of work, also because it lacks a light meter (The Mamiya 7 has Aperture Priority!)

Hope this helps you.
 
Although not exactly "Street" phototgraphy, this guy andrewmiksys.com uses M67II for the majority of his work.
 
I use a Mamiya 7 in the street and think it is a fabulous street camera.
The weight isn't a problem for me, it's not that different than the weight of a Leica or an SLR.
The size is a little limiting in certain situations but most of the time it's more psychological than anything else I think.
For me the main difference and the biggest problem as compared to a 35mm RF is the more limited DOF, which makes quick shooting trickier.
 
jaffa_777 said:
Is anyone using a Mamiya 7 for street like you would a Leica. I know it is bigger and doesn't focus as close, but still want to give it a try. Can you point me to anyones work like this with the Mamiya, 6 or 7. Thanks.
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Here is a small portfolio of images I shot a few years back with a Mamiya 7 + 65mm lens while on a consulting project in Italy. My prefered film is Kodak Portra (both 160NC and 400NC). As the camera is so lightweight, it indeed can be used like a Leica (Note: my first camera was a Leica M4 -- you can't take the rangefinder out of me!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mjsfoto1956/sets/423354/

Please feel free to pmail me at editor "at" magnachrom "dot" com if you wish to ask any questions about my experience with the Mamiya 7 series of cameras and accessories. Without a doubt, one of my favortie cameras of all time

SHAMELESS PLUG: the current issue of MAGNAchrom has an article about doing macro with the Mamiya 7.
 
Thanks for your replies everyone. I ended up buying a Mamiya 6. I have fallen in love with the square. Once I get a scanner I will be able to show you some work.
 
using a medium format rangefinder as a Leica substitute is a very reasonable thing to do.

My Bronica stops me wanting Leicas.
 
shutterflower said:
My Bronica stops me wanting Leicas.
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George,

Right, my pair of 6x9 Fuji RF has stopped me wanting Leicas. But since I got them, I have acquired 1 Moskva 5 (modified model with combined view/range-finder), 4 Zeiss Super Ikonta (524/16 with Tessar, 531/2 with Novar, 531/2 with uncoated Tessar, 531/2 with coated Opton Tessar), 1 Mamiya 6 with 3.5/75mm Zuiko lens, 1 Mamiya C330s with 3 lenses (65, 105DS, 180 Super), 1 4x5 Speed Graphic and 1 5x7 Linhof Technika with a bunch of lenses. And I feel like trying a MF SLR. A Rollei SL66 sounds nice. Or maybe a Pentax 67. And I also like the Bronica GS1. It sounds like I have to get them all three. And a few lenses.

I guess Leicas would have been cheaper afterall...

Cheers,

Abbazz
 
I've never tried the Mamiyas, although I've always wanted to.
I do the bulk of my street work with medium format cameras, though. In my case this means a Rolleiflex - and that is despite owning a very capable Leica clone (Hexax RF with great lenses).
The TLR allows a kind of intimacy that's hard to beat, because it looks so old-fashioned and therefore harmless, and because it performs a kind of misdirection on the subject whenever you look down into the ground glass.

The lenses are fabulous, or course on both the Mamiya and the Rolleiflex, and as previously mentioned, the negative will jump off the light table at you in ways that even a Leica neg can't.

Have a look:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aglimpseoftheworld/335724911/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aglimpseoftheworld/342500673/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aglimpseoftheworld/273971515/
 
Howard, just checking out your pics with the Rollei. Amazing. Apart from your excellent photography skills, if this is the quality I can expect from my Mamiya 6, I am very excited.
 
Jaffa, Optically the Mamiya 6 is easily the match of the Rolleiflex from what I've seen and read, and if you're comfortable working with this format, the results will put Leica negs in the shade. Howard
 
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