Mamiya 6 vs Mamiya 7

[jnorman2]

those of you who are familiar with both these machines - could you

please outline the pros and cons of each model for me? i am mainly

interested in travel photography, portability, handholdability. i

sort of like the 6x7 format, just because most images will be

printed 11x14 or 16x20, and sometimes it messes me up to compose in

a square and then have to crop them later to rectangles, but i

imagine i can live with it. i understand some folks belive the 6 is

more reliable, sturdier, and more compact, which are advantages. do

they both have problems with rangefinder getting out of adjustment,

and/or film winding mechanism breaking? other issues or known

concerns with these cameras? thanks.

[robert_nancarrow]

Mamiya 6: Pros: Slightly better built, smaller and more portable especially with retractible lens mount, 3 fantastic lenses, averaging meter, less reports of rangefinder error, square image eliminates turning camera on side, 12 pics for 120 film, a legend.

Cons: some reports of winder breaking (rough use?), limited lens choice.

Mamiya 7: Pros: larger negative, 6 fantastic lenses, no winder issues.

Cons: need aux. finder for all but 3 lenses (including the commonly used 50mm), it's actually quite large, has a spot meter (con in my opinion), can have finicky rangefinder adjustment trouble.

 

I prefer the 6 but I like squares. You can't really go wrong with either one as long as it hasn't been abused. I will be selling my 6 set soon if I can get up the courage to, haven't used it in so long due to digital, both systems take beautiful, crisp pics. Flat film with no curl due to design, quiet in-lens electronic shutters, aperture priority meters, can't say enough about these cameras. Bob.

[david_henderson]

The Mamiya 6 hasn't been made for years now, whereas the 7ii is current. This is no reflection on the capabilities of the cameras, but if you get a 6 you should do so in the expectation that it will become harder to repair/get spare parts.

[stephen_w.]

Are the 6 and 7 lenses interchangable?

[hughes]

Stephen

sorry the lenses are not interchangeable.

I have owned both these cameras and prefer the 6, probably because I had the 50mm lens with it and it was a fantastic combo.

 

Steve

[paul.droluk]

I originally owned the 7, but wound up selling it and getting a 6. MUCH more compact... why

Mamiya didn't equip the 7 with a collapsable lens mount like the 6's is beyond me. For me

the 7 meter worked better than the 6's, and I do miss the extra 1cm of film. But carryablity

won out in the end.

[david_bennett5]

To follow up on David's point - it is unfortunately the case that Mamiya (at least in the USA) can no longer obtain replacement winders for the 6 and 6MF. I've already had a couple of problems with the winder that Mamiya (here in the UK) have been able to correct, but this is the Achilles Heel of the system, particularly if you're planning to shoot a lot of film, and if you're planning to travel to places where repair would be difficult...

 

It's such a perfect camera though, in all other regards, that I'm continuing to use it in a semi-professional capacity - just having to factor in having regular services and taking a spare body with me on important jobs.

 

One other possibility you might want to consider is the Bronica RF645 - this certainly fits your criteria of a highly portable MF system to produce high quality rectangular prints. It's also currently available at fantastic prices - Robert White in the UK currently have a deal on the body plus two lenses for the same or less than the price of a single Mamiya 7 lens.

[philip_glass]

The Mamiya 7II is a beautiful machine, but like a Ferrari, it is not very robust, nor suited for rough roads. You can't just throw it in a bag, like a 35mm SLR, you must treat it gingerly and it will produce stunning results. Because of the probability of repair, I would stay away from the 6, as parts are no longer made.

[robert_nancarrow]

In defense of the 6... I've had four of these cameras in the last 5 years, occasionally selling out and then returning to buy another, all used and bought off the auction site. Every one had a functioning winder and felt right, except one..it had a weak return spring and the winder had to be "coaxed" to return to it's resting position. After using it like that for a bit I decided to try to get it repaired, I sent it to Mamiya with a list of things I wanted done including some new body covering and a rangefinder adjustment(it was off a little in the vertical aspect which didn't affect focus accuracy). Well, they fixed everything and it came back like a new camera except for the slight cosmetic problems it had before. The viewfinder was crystal clear, rangefinder bright and right-on, body covering perfect, and the winder was like new, nice and snug and felt great. They even cleaned the dust off the inside of the lens for me and I believe they re-lubed it, the focus felt better. The price for all this was less than 400 dollars, so they made a pretty beat up old camera work and almost look like new for not a lot of money. This was this past spring, 2005. So what I'm saying is don't assume that there is no support for this great camera from Mamiya. I've read that there is a part or maybe the whole winder assembly that is no longer available but in this particular case, Mamiya replaced the spring and 2-3 other winder parts to make it right so there are some parts available. I've never broken or caused harm to any of the Mamiya 6 cameras I've owned so that is why I believe that some of the reports of winder breakage may be from hard use, these cameras were/are a favorite with wedding photographers(not that they shouldn't be able to take hard use, but you are moving a large piece of film). So don't be afraid to try one of these great cameras, they really are unique. Bob.

[jose_angel]

I`m also a satisfied user of Mamiya 6 cameras. In terms of reliability and sturdiness, I think the 6 is not better than the 7 model. Added to the topics above, I find two more considerations:

 

The collapsible issue is a very good characteristic, it implies the need of a flexible bellows. Cloth bellows doesn`t last forever. I never experienced winding problems but light leaks. Probably the newer Mamiya 7 model has been cost cutted and simplified on this complex mechanism. Of course, this model does not enjoy the compactness of the Mamiya 6, as well some problems related to it.

[kal_moranon1]

jnorman:Mamiya 6 is the way to go. I use it all the time for travel shots. It's the size of a 35mm when detracted it's smaller than most 35mm. I can fit all 3 lens and camera in a small lunch-bag size case.The 50mm is one of the best lens around. You can surely blow it up 16X20 with all the detail you want. No 35mm can compare. Flash synx at all speeds(I use flash fill alot with my street photography shot),it's super durable(I dropped mine and nothing). I do my own printing so the 6X6 crop is no problem,I like the tighter square shot anyway.You don't need a special viewer for the lens cropping,it's built-into the finder. I like the fact that I can use 220 film without having to buy extra attachments.If you are doing travel shots ,I guaratee you ,that you will love this camera for overall ease of use and the images it produces. You can handhold the 50mm at 1/15th with no problems.The shutter is super quiet and very smooth to work with,and the camera's meter is good for the overall reading I do for street photo.

I just picked up the Contax G rangefinder camera,the lens are the best I've seen on a 35mm ,small,auto-focus,great for travel also.Just a suggestion. I put all my Mamiya 6(3 lens) and my Contax G(2 bodies,4 lens) into a computer bag. The most compact top quality you can carry around for travel photography. I hope this helps.

[michael_j._kravit1]

Both are fine cameras.

 

There are many well know folks who use both. Mark Klett of Arizona State uses the 7 for many of his landscapes in addition to his 4x5 work.

 

I sold both my 6 & 7 because I could not live with the minimum focus distance and the fact that I use my 905SWC and Flexbody when travelling more than anything else. I found the Mamiya lenses to be edgy compared to the Zeiss glass.

 

Good luck.