I am late to this topic but after reading all the responses I feel I need to add to this conversation. I own Rolleiflexs since the late ‘70s with both Mutars and had a tele-Rolleiflex. I have owned a Mamiya C330 with 4 lenses, including the 135 and Bronica.
to the posts:
-The best 135 in this group is the Tele-Rolleiflex. Sharp, contrasty and resolution to spare. But limited focusing and very expensive. Also a pain to carry in addition to another Rolleiflex.
-The Mamiya is bigger, heavier, cumbersome and while the lenses are very good, are just is not as sharp as Zeiss. The Mamiya 135 is good and stopped down will be hard to differentiate from the Tele-Rollie, but ultimately the Zeiss is still sharper. The Mamiya only makes sense in the field with one lens and a few lenses. It makes no sense to carry in addition to a Rolleiflex. The Mamiya is best in a studio and optically a notch below Rolleiflex. (And many Mamiya Seiko shutters are in bad shape after 40+ years)
-I am always curious how people who never used a product pass judgement on it. People who used crappy aux lenses on a Yashica-mat with poor results assume Mutars are the same. Mutars are 5 and 6 elements, meticulously designed by Rollei and Zeiss to work on Rolleis. At wider apertures they are soft at the edges so I can see where a Mamiya 55, 105 or 135 can be sharper, but stopped down (per Mutar instructions) to f8, I have gotten very good results that yielded really good 16x20, 20x20 prints that looked the same as Mamiya results. As good as the Tele/wide-Rollei? No, but then a Mutar is not $2-4,000. As good as a Mamiya 55 or 135? Pretty much, without having to buy another TLR system or carrying a different TLR to achieve the same result.
So after trail and error, a balance has to be found, a compromise struck. If you want a versatile TLR system, the Mamiya does it with good results (though the 55 is not great). Want the best wide or tele results?, mortgage your kids to get tele/wide Rollies. Occasionally need a bit of tele reach or wider view that will take up little room in a field bag? Mutars were my best solution even when I stopped down to f8.
