katherine_perkins Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Just curious....for those who are familiar with these cameras, on your views on which to buy. I love medium format film and am primarily interested in the versatility of auto focus and in-camera metering, as I need to be able to do things like go off on the trail and shoot candids of children, as well have interchangeable lenses for work with various portrait styles -- documentary and formal. I am not that interested in hearing about all of my other camera options, unless I am overlooking a medium format, film camera with autofocus and in camera metering. Thanks so much for your input. Katherine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_notar1 Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 my vote is for the mamiya 645 afd2. nice thing about mamiya is that you can buy used equipment in LN condition for 1/3 of the new price, maybe 1/2 at most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham_mitchell Posted May 13, 2007 Share Posted May 13, 2007 Yes you missed the Rollei 6008AF. It has autofocus and several metering modes which work very well. You can choose between 6x6 and 645 film backs, and can rotate the back, not the whole camera, so that you can maintain the camera position AND use the waist level finder in both orientations. The lenses are the best in medium format. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolf_rainer_schmalfuss Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Don't forget the brand new Hy6 from Franke&Heidecke, with its perfect turnable 4,5x6 film magazine. You will never get a stiff neck anymore, because you can hold the camera in normal position. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vital1 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 h2 off course!!!!! you won't see top pros using mamiya 645 very much. I have hundreds of photoshots videos and 99.9% are using h1,h2, rz67, contax, p67s. just my $0.02 :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roland_haid Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Hi Katherine, the Rolleiflex 6008AF is heavy to carry around but at the end of production live cycle. The Mamiya 645AFd is still living but its future maybe somewhat uncertain. The Hasselblad H2 is in full production (H1 is not), but the system is expensive. All systems can provide extraordenary photos!!!!! If money is not a problem and you wish the manufacturers service in the long term, get a Hasselblad. For children the Rollei AF6008 is not the best, because the prism tends to enlarge a somewhat big camera. Mamiya would provide best money value, but if you often flash outside the studio, the shutter is limiting. The Contax is an option, but only available used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moseley Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Purely depends on what your usage is like. if Photography is your full time profession, and your making good money at it, a Hassie will always be best. However unless your shooting MF all the time, a Mamiya will do a great job at a fraction of the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_l3 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 all these comments about the blad how it's always the best and the top pros only use them are a load of bs. many of the top photographers on the planet use mamiya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vital1 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 you'll take a year to list 10 top using mamiya 645, and i'll give you thounsands on a sec :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_l3 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 Vital, I was talking about Mamiya in general, which includes the rb/rz cameras. the mamiya 645 line is fantastic, I recently got one myself. I suppose if you have to justify yourself as a photographer by using a certain brand of equipment then have fun. Then grow up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vital1 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 no offense taken :)i luv my rz67 :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vital1 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 BTW, it was about mamiya 645 VS h1 right? so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_l3 Posted May 14, 2007 Share Posted May 14, 2007 "BTW, it was about mamiya 645 VS h1 right?" yes, exactly. My statement implied that mamiya quality is high regardless of which camera is chosen. What it wasn't about was,"I want this or that camera depending on who is using it", which is just about the worst way to pick a camera. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_sayler Posted May 15, 2007 Share Posted May 15, 2007 I just bought a Mamiya 645 AFD on eBay with an 80mm lens for only 970 bucks. I know nothing about medium format, but I guess I'm about to learn! I got the 645 AFD for 3 reasons. 1) I can't afford Hasselblad. 2) I toured the Hallmark photography school (www.hallmark.edu) recently, and they require all incoming students to own the 645 AFD. I may attend the school, but I'm not sure. 3) Mamiya's website says they're coming out with a medium format digital camera soon, called the ZD, and it will use the same lenses as the 645 AFD series. So, if I buy an assortment of lenses, then one day I can buy the ZD camera and keep them. Of course, I hope the ZD will be a more economical choice than buying a digital back for the 645 AFD, but we'll have to see. By the way, I am not a pro or semi pro or anything of the kind, so I don't know what my advice is worth. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katherine_perkins Posted May 15, 2007 Author Share Posted May 15, 2007 Thanks so much for all the feedback. I ended up buying a Rollei 6008AF. The Hassie H1 seemed much more expensive, given the lenses I need, though also prettier and more ergonomical than the 6008. In the end, I think the biggest influence was seeing the Hy6 and thinking that, when the price comes down, that will be the camera to have -- so investing in Rollei lenses that will have Hy6 compatibility made the most sense. I read a lot of reviews of both H1 and 6008 and felt like the 6008 would be the best investment of my somewhat limited funds. For small, fast-moving children, I may still probably need to go with my Canon film or new 5d. But I am hopeful that the 6008 will work to some degree for them too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark_l3 Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 "they require all incoming students to own the 645 AFD" that's just plain bizarre, did they explain why they require a particular camera? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moseley Posted May 16, 2007 Share Posted May 16, 2007 Mark, in reference to my comment being a load of Bxxs, I am actually a proud owner of a Mamiya 645 system which I use professionally and am very happy with. However Hasselblad will always have the advantage of being more of a "mechanical" system than Mamiya with less reliance on electrical parts. I stayed with The Super as this can still fire at a 60th if need be. However (and please feel free to correct me if Im wrong, which Im sure you will) the rest of the Mamiya range does not carry this feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondebanks Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 Andrew, In the older M645/M645J/M645 1000s line, yes a battery is needed. But it is only to trip the shutter, and the remarkably efficient moving-coil shutter makes each battery last for many thousands of cycles. I have not changed mine in years. Everything else in the camera is mechanical. So I simply carry a tiny little spare battery. Since years can (and do) go by without needing to change the battery, or months in the case of professional use, a single fresh spare gives you all the confidence you need - just as much as having a 100% mechanical camera. Sure, you can add on a power drive and electronic meter prism, which are also electrically reliant - but ditto for the Hassy. Elsewhere in the Mamiya lineup, the RB67, TLRs, and Press/Universal cameras need no batteries at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondebanks Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 Brian, The Mamiya ZD has been out for well over a year. Mamiya's US website is sorely out of date. You can find ZD reviews and images in several places on the web. The results are fantastic, the price tag is scary, but not as scary as digital backs (with a similar area of silicon real estate) from other manufacturers. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leo_burgess Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 The Mamiya site appears to be up to date. The camera he is referring to is the ZD 645AFD II, not to be confused with the older ZD or the older 645 series - http://mamiya.com/cameras.asp?id=1&id2=2281 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_smith163 Posted June 22, 2007 Share Posted June 22, 2007 The ZD has been out for over a year in europe, however it has not been available until recently in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randy_little Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 OH OH Can I just name one that uses RZ67? Annie Liebowitz. I don't think you need any more after that do you? or Michell Tcherevkoff, Paul Aresue, The RZ 67 has probably shot more magazine covers in the past 20 years then all other medium format cameras combined. How about this. The most popular camera back maker in the world for digital back uses the mamiya 645 as their OEM camera http://www.phaseone.com/camera/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
graham_mitchell Posted July 8, 2008 Share Posted July 8, 2008 "The most popular camera back maker in the world for digital back uses the mamiya 645 as their OEM camera http://www.phaseone.com/camera/" Only because they had to. They were locked out of the new Hasselblad bodies, and the Hy6. They were in danger of having no platform for which to make backs. The only player left without a strategic partnership was Mamiya (arguable the poorest performer of the production platforms). "Can I just name one that uses RZ67? Annie Liebowitz." Funny but everyone seems to claim that she uses their camera. I don't know why they bother - I think her work is rubbish :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timothy_gray Posted July 26, 2009 Share Posted July 26, 2009 <p>Read her new book and you'll find she's used just about everything out there, including digital.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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