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Hey all!

 

I just picked up a Mamiya 645 Pro TL. Really enjoying it so far. My kit came with:

 

645 Pro TL body + back

80mm 1.9

AE prism finder FE401

WG402 winder grip

 

As well as:

Waist level finder

Manual winder knob

 

I had a few questions I was hoping you all might help answer:

1. LENSES

What other lenses would you recommend getting? I've been thinking about the 35/3.5, and either the 150/2.8 or the 210/4 but open to others.

 

2. FINDER MAGNIFICATION

I find the AE prism to have relatively low magnification. Are there any "elegant" magnifiers for this finder or just the FD701? Does the sport prism finder have a higher magnification?

 

Thanks so much for all of your help folks!

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Hi Andrew,

 

You may find finder info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamiya_645#Viewfinder_Accessories_—_Second_Generation.

 

I'm partial to the 55 2.8 lens myself. I also like the 35 despite its flaws and the 150 2.8 or 200 2.8. People raved in the past for the 110 2.8 also but I haven't used it. The 120 macro is an amazing lens if you don't mind the weight and relatively slow f-stop. I also still use the 300 2.8, you can find samples here: APO Lenses for both the 300 and the 200 (and a few withe the 300 4.5 AF)

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Thanks for the quick reply Giovanni!

 

I've read a lot of good things about the 110 and have been pretty tempted. Do you think it would feel a bit redundant with the 80/1.9? I've read pretty mixed reviews of the 150/3.5 but also considering that as it's cheaper and smaller than the 150/2.8 or 210/4. I have heard the tele's are great but longer than 210 doesn't super interest me. I've never really owned anything longer than 135 on 35mm (never felt the urge) and I did in part choose the 645 for it's relatively compact size.

 

All the best,

Andrew

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Hey all!

 

I just picked up a Mamiya 645 Pro TL. Really enjoying it so far.

Have you seen any results from the camera yet Andrew?

 

In not, then I'd hang fire on buying more lenses.

 

My experience with the plastic-clad M645s (2x Super and a ProTL) has not been good. All of them have needed repair, and sometimes several times over. A common fault is a focus issue because the mirror-rest cracks. I've also had a shutter release issue; where the shutter just won't fire.

 

So before you throw more money at the system, make sure it's fully functioning, and stays that way for at least a few weeks.

 

Incidentally, I've been a long time user of the older, metal-bodied M645s - all of which are still working fine. I just regret having 'upgraded' (not!) to those newer bodies.

 

All the M645 lenses are good to excellent BTW. With the possible exception of the 1st version of 45mm f/2.8 and the 35mm f/3.5, which is just very fuzzy at the edges unless stopped well down.

Edited by rodeo_joe|1
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[uSER=2403817]@rodeo_joe|1[/uSER] Thanks for the info! Yea my example is working really nicely. Having shot a couple rolls at 1.9 I can say that the focus is on point.

 

I have read about the mirror-rests. If I should have that issue or others in the future... who in the US works on these guys?

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If I should have that issue or others in the future... who in the US works on these guys?

I have no idea since I don't live in the US.

 

The mirror rest part is no longer available from Mamiya, and stock of it is all sold out.

 

There's a 3D printer script available for download on Thingiverse, but I'm not sure how durable it would be. I had a couple made and they look very flimsy.

 

Quite frankly, if your ProTL fails, my advice would be to shrug and move on. A metal-bodied 1000S can be bought for less than a professional repairer just looking at your fragile ProTL, and you'd still be able to use all the lenses.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
Enjoy your camera, Andrew. I bought mine (645 Pro) new in Gothenburg in 1994 and used it until 2012 without any problems whatsoever. Maybe I have been lucky. Maybe it’s because I’m just an amateur photographer. Anyway, the camera is still working as it should...happy bunny. Very good lenses too.
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