Mamiya 7 II shooting portraits

I just bought a Mamiya 7 II. I usually shoot people with my 4x5, but I have

problems with composition sometimes and my models either moving from there

position or suffering and never wanting to model again. Everything I ever

heard or read about the Mamiya 7 was positive. However, now that I have it, I

have a great feeling it is not going to solve any of my problems. I was not

familiar with anything about a rangefinder. I thought it was going to be like

any other camera. Oh how wonderful it would be to have a perfect camera. My

biggest problem with the 4x5 is that I can't see through the camera when I am

taking an image. But now that I have searched negative things about the Mamiya

7 I have read the negative things. Can anyone offer encouragement to me that

it is going to be alright? I shoot all of my portraits mainly with the

person's whole body in the frame. But I am really worried about the focusing

with the Mamiya 7 II. Since I am going to have to move it towards their eye

and then back down (while on a tripod) it will be just as slow as the 4x5. I

like a lot of depth of field and I shoot at sunset so I have to use a tripod

and my models have to stay real still. Does anyone know how realistic it is

going to be composition wise with an 80mm lens? My pain and suffering...how is

my composition going to get better if I don't know what I'm going to get.

my experience here is, well, limited. i just bought one myself and i ran a few rolls through it over the weekend but i haven't been in the darkroom yet. that said...

 

all of the lenses for this camera are relatively slow - so i'm guessing that should help with focusing to some degree, right (because there's some latitude)? esp if you're going for lots of depth of field, as you say, then i would say that focusing won't be a problem at all.

 

my advice is to run a bunch of rolls through it and get used to the focusing. it's my first rangefinder and it seems pretty easy to get used to (of course i should develop my film before saying that). it's soooo hand-holdable - and the shutter is sooo quiet and smooth.

 

the only negative things i've seen about the 7II are that the minimum focus distance is fairly large (but if you're doing full-body shots, that won't be an issue), slow lenses, pricey. but you can easily find that many issues with any camera.

 

best of luck to you.

chris

I love the Mamiya 7II. It's one of the best cameras I have ever used.

 

It's speed and ease of use will surely improve as you get used it. If you've stopped the

aperture down enough, you don't even have to use your model's face to focus critically

since the depth of field should be more than enough for a rough focus to achieve sharp

images. Also, you may notice that there is a depth of field scale on the lens, you may be

able to estimate the focus based on the scale alone.

 

Just note on framing - the viewfinder covers 100% at 1m, but this decreases to 83% at

infinity, so you will be getting slightly more in your frame the further the subject is from

your camera.

If you shoot primarily stopped down to f/8 or smaller, you use a tripod, and your models

stay very still, then focus with the Mamiya 7 should not be hard at all. What type of tripod

head do you use? If you are using a ballhead it should only take an instant to focus on

their eye and then recompose. Certainly much quicker than with a 4x5 camera. The

mamiya 7II is a great camera, but it seems like you dove in without really understanding

what it was. It can certainly do portraiture, but it is geared towards more environmental,

reportage and handheld portraiture than highly structured work. It can do it of course, but

it is not where it excels. <P>Nevertheless, I think most of your problems will be solved

just by becoming familiar with the camera. Why not take it out and use it on other things

before you do shoots with models. You will learn how to use it much more quickly and in a

more stress-free way if you just load up some film and go take a walk, shooting the street,

the land, the buildings or whatever else you see. That will allow you to become familiar

with how to focus it quickly and easily. You will also learn to see how the framelines

compare to the image you get on film. It will take some practice to learn exactly what to

expect. In any case, there is no perfect camera, you really just need to find what works for

you and go from there.

Other than parallax, slow operation, single-point focusing and a rather long distance of closest focus, what is there not to like about a Mamiya 7 in the studio? Actually, this is a camera designed to be portable, and used for subjects in which close range and precise composition within the edges of the frame is of little consequence. It's hard to imagine a worse choice for your application.

 

There are a couple of solutions to your present problems. Sinar (and possibly others) make reflex housings with loupe magnification which would greatly speed up your use of a 4x5 view camera. A 4x5 (or larger) is still the preferred camera for elegant portraits capable of great enlargement.

 

If you want to really speed up the process (and not go digital), I suggest a Mamiya RZ67 reflex. You can keep the subject in the viewfinder up to the instant of exposure, and rewind for the next shot in a single, short stroke. If you can settle for a little less real estate on the image plane, perhaps an Hasselblad would do - especially one with an electric winder to let you concentrate on the subject.

You say you shoot at sunset. If you don't need the sun as your backdrop what you can do is shoot at closer to mid day and have the lens stopped down to get the sunset effect. Of course, you will need a flash on the model to compensate for the underexposure.

I agree that this isn't an ideal camera for your application. To me one of the biggest issues with a rangefinder is that you can't see/check depth of field ttl. In combination with relatively close focussing and grossly optimistic lens barrel markings, this is a significant weakness for you.

"Just note on framing - the viewfinder covers 100% at 1m, but this decreases to 83% at infinity, so you will be getting slightly more in your frame the further the subject is from your camera."

 

I find composition with the mamiya 7 really hard due to the framing issue mentioned above. I would be more concerned about this than having to move the camera up a few degrees to focus which will be very quick comnpared with setting up the tripod, metering etc.

 

Full length shots sould be fine with the 80mm. Just about any MF camera will be much quicker than 4x5. If you need to work on a tripod I'd use an RB or RZ - they are excellent portrait cameras.

 

As much as it pains me to say it, if you have the money take a look at DSLRs. Their excellent performance at high iso and greater DOF due to small sensors will mean you could probably handhold much of the time. The 40D comes to mind as a good candidate.

I've never found DOF to be difficult to manage, even without DOF preview. This may help:

 

http://www.dofmaster.com/doftable.html

1. As has been noted, the parallax-correcting viewfinder is reasonably-accurate for composition. However, if the precision of the finder becomes an issue, back up a bit, leave a little more room around your subject and crop later.

 

 

2. If you're shooting whole-body portraits (probably from 10 feet or so), focus accuracy with the camera viewfinder's rangefinder should not be an issue.

 

 

3. As to depth of field, the markings on the 80mm lens are quite optimistic and inaccurate- off by two f/stops. Look at Ken Rockwell's write-up on the lens and note in the photo how he's used markings on medical tape adhered to the lens to correct the DOF scale:

 

 

http://www.kenrockwell.com/mamiya/80.htm

Tara, the Mamiya 7 is a wonderful camera. But, it's not the appropriate camera for your

needs. I would suggest you sell it ? if you bought it 'used,' you should be able to sell it

for what you paid. And, move on. An RZ67 seems ideal for what you describe. Focus on

any part of the screen. Rotating film magazines for horizontal or vertical orientation. The

same 6x7 negative size. Fantastic lenses.

 

But, whatever you decide to get, please ? do a lot more research before you buy!

 

[There are NO perfect cameras, unfortunately. I've tried just about all of them.]

I have a good friend with a couple of Mamiya 7s. Twice I have been so impressed with his

image quality that I have borrowed one to use and see if I could get used to it. Both times

I came to the conclusion that there is no way I could use that camera. It is very hard to

focus with just a little spot and the matchup image system is very difficult if there are lots

of verticle lines. The close up attachment is a joke. It is a great camera for shooting at

some distance. You can get near 4x5 quality shooting landscape. But as a portrait camera

it doesn't work for me.

 

If you are happy with using an 80mm lens you might think instead of the Rolleiflex which

gives you viewing screen focus like a view camera and non mirror slapping shutter like the

Mamiya 7 and has a faster lens with a better close up attachment. I can't think of a well

known studio portrait photographer using Mamiya7 but I can give you a whole list of

famous studio photographers that used a Rolleiflex. And the Rollei lenses are as good as

the Mamiya 7 80mm lens

Hi Tara,

 

I would like you to have a look at some photos I took with my Mamiya7. I recently posted

them here: http://www.mamiya7.com

 

You will find 4 lith prints of ladies wearing a hat. They are currently still on the top row of

the most recent images. I hope this encourages you to go on with (imho) one of the finest

cameras ever made. You'll have to get used to the concept of a range finder. It took me

about 2 years. But once you're there, you'll never go back!

 

Take care,

 

Gunter.

I love my Mamiya 7. It's the camera I use the most of any system I own. But, it almost never sees a tripod. It's made for shooting hand held in my view.

 

I'm sorry to have to agree with those who say the Mamiya 7 is not the best choice for the type of shooting you do. It's a great camera, maybe just not for you.

I have both, a 4x5 and Mamiya 7. Now, Mamiya 7 is not exactly an action camera, but when people talk of it being slow, they are not really considering the snail paced 4x5 shooting. I think your worries are misplaced. One can shoot 2 rolls by the time you have just set up a 4x5 view camera on the stand. So that means you can try to take two shots (or more) with a slightly different focus, if you really need to! But the viewfinder is quite accurate. I have never had this problem. And I have taken my Mamiya 7 to many places..; Shot lot of informal portraits.

 

Just try it out..; Rangefinders take a little practice. But they are fun. The most important thing to remember is: do not shoot with the lens cap on! The best thing is, you are comparing it to a 4x5! Had you come from the 35mm slr world, it would have been harder to adjust :-) But additionally, Mamiya 7 gives you hand-hold-ability. I have shot as slow as 1/30 or 1/15 with decent results.

 

I do not know what kind of aperture you shoot the 4x5 at, but my guess is, you will have a 2 stop advantage over it. If e.g. you are shooting 4x5 at f/32, you can take the same shot at f/16 or thereabouts with the Mamiya.

You might consider going to the 65mm or even the 50 mm lens to get more depth of field. Focus should not be a problem with any of the lenses.

With the Mamiya (or any MF camera) you'll have wider depth of field at larger apertures (so

with higher shutter speeds) than you're accustomed to with 4x5. In my opinion, DOF

preview is overrated, providing only an impression of the focus. Use the lens DOF scale,

but select the lines for two stops narrower than the set aperture. At your distance,

parallax should be accurate enough (it is simple to displace the camera slightly if it isn't,

and the all-is-in-focus finder helps you quickly notice when it will matter).

 

With your wide DOF style, don't sweat the precise focus point so strongly. If you can't

overcome this tendency, use a ball head, loosen it to focus, and quickly reframe and shoot.

You may be surprised at how rapidly that can be done---remember, your vantage point

isn't changing at all, and the framing will allow for small errors to be cropped away.

 

Rangefinders can seem sloppy, slow and old-fashioned at first glance. It turns out that

for many they are anything but. Try it a few times before you give up on it. Trust your

first instincts. The Mamiya 7 may be the answer to your prayers.

Tara,

 

I suspect you are worried over nothing. The Mamiya 7 is capable of producing the images

you want. You need to use it to determine whether it truly fits your work. It will never be

as slow as a 4x5. I've used it extensively for portraits and when fixed to a tripod.

 

If you stop down you will be able to focus on a point near to your critical point, or you will

be able to focus and recompose in a very short time indeed.

 

If you can't focus and recompose and can't approximate, then indeed a ground glass

screen is the prime option, but they are not 100% either in all situations. For example, I

like to use the split rangefinder on a ground glass, but that usually mens focus and

recompose anyway.

 

Give it a try and you may well be delighted with it. Let us know the outcome.

 

Gary<div></div>

Looking at the technical specs on the M7 lenses here is an interesting fact. The 80mm and 150 have at closest focus the same magnification. Since the 150 requires 1.8 meters and the 80 minimum focus is 1 meter the magnification is the same. Since the VF is probably optimum for the 80mm the framing should be accurate with this lens.

 

"I shoot all of my portraits mainly with the person's whole body in the frame".

 

I think that the camera should be able to meet your needs, the problem some have is that the 150mm cannot focus close enough to do head shots. That for you seems not to be a concern. Everyone agrees the images are stunning and the Camera is quiet and compact for this large a format.