<p>Robert,<br>
Though you've made your decision I would like to contribute an answer so that anyone else reading this in the future might have some additional insight.<br>
Let me start by saying I absolutely love the 6x7 format and am willing to sacrifice and endure some inconvenience or weight instead of compromising to digital or a smaller format.<br>
My first trip to Italy I took an RZ67 Pro II w/ 110 f/2.8 and the waist level finder. I have a handheld meter with a 5-degree spot meter attachment. With it I carried a Gitzo carbon fiber travel tripod with a ball head. The tripod is about 15" collapsed and only a couple feet tall when fully extended. All of that fit nicely in a standard backpack. Total weight with 30 rolls of 120 film was roughly 7-8 lbs if I remember correctly. Maybe 9lbs.<br>
Along with that backpack I had a soft carry-on bag with backpack straps for carrying my clothes, etc.. Total weight of everything was about 30lbs. Not too bad overall.<br>
As Gerry B speculated on the carry/deployment of an RB67, my RZ67 was carried in the backpack and only pulled out when I was ready to shoot. Slow to deploy, yes. Was it worth the weight or effort? You decide:</p>
<p><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-N-udf-JDyi8/U96WQZ3k4uI/AAAAAAAAFaI/-8JBOQzdsiQ/w1012-h815-no/img001.jpg" alt="" width="506" height="408" /></p>
<p>A few years later, when I returned to Europe, I carried a Mamiya 7II with the 43mm and 80mm lenses. Yes, it's significantly lighter and more compact. If you aren't into rangefinder cameras obviously this wouldn't be a good choice. I did feel the RZ was heavy and took the leap and bought the 7II rangefinder and lenses. On one hand, I didn't regret the decision because I didn't lose any image quality and I saved some weight/space. On the other hand I had to get used to shooting a rangefinder and missed the confidence an SLR brings in knowing exactly what is in the frame, depth-of-field, etc.<br>
So, a couple of thoughts that may be helpful to others.</p>
<ul>
<li>If you feel that your creative needs are going to be met by a particular format then I feel that the weight is worth it. You may never be able to make that trip again so are you willing to settle for a half-hearted " 'x' format will be good enough I guess?"</li>
<li>Do pack up everything you plan on taking and spend about an hour walking around town or at a park. If you feel the weight is an issue after an hour you need to rethink your packing. Remember too, that the terrain in your neighborhood isn't the same as where you're going so if you know your destination is hilly and you can't take that test walk in a hilly area you may be missing out on some of the complexity of travel with your gear. </li>
</ul>
<p>I still use both systems. The RZ is my all-time favorite camera yet I do enjoy the 7II a lot. When I travel I tend to bring the 7II more often than the RZ. At times I do wish I had the RZ with me instead because using a graduated neutral density filter is next to impossible with the 7II. I've yet to guess its placement successfully on the 7II so I no longer bring the filter with me. Guessing with a polarizer isn't as bad though it does take some concentrated effort (I don't have the special polarizer filter that Mamiya made).<br>
The image quality from either Mamiya system is breathtaking. Decide what your ultimate goal and shooting style is, pick a system and run with it. You'll be glad you did.</p>
