Wide angle medium format:strange idea

[zane_yau]

Hi guys

 

I have owned and used both the Mamiya 6 rangefinder and the Hasselblad 500CM, both with 50mm lens as the

widest.

 

I have always wanted for a wide angle lens, but the only way I can achieve that is to get a Hasselblad SWC or a

Mamiya 7. Both don't suit me because of cost mainly.

 

Recently I have been looking into whether I can screw a wide angle adaptor onto the mamiya 50mm lens. I am doing

this to Mamiya only because the front filter diameter is only 58mm. I am aware of limitations like a poor quality

adaptor (there should be some good ones made by Nikon and Olympus) and inaccurate framing.

 

Anyone has tried this? Does it work? I am afraid there will be vignetting. Corner sharpness is not my major concern.

 

thanks for any input

 

Zane

[zane_yau]

With wide angle adaptor, I mean the one used on digital compact cameras...

[thomas_wilson1]

Zane, save your money... and much of frustration. I will be the first to promote "Off-label" use of equipment, but only when the objective(s) are achievable and or desirable. Before you spend any money on a wide angle adapter lens, consider the sensor size of the camera for which they were designed, 1/2 an inch square perhaps, and the 2 1/4" square size of the Hasselblad.

[zane_yau]

haha thanks Thomas, that makes sense

[mike_earussi1]

If you are really desperate for wide angle in MF then buy a Pentax 67 and a 45mm lens. Excellent lens and much cheaper than a Mamiya 7.

[ulrik]

And what about a 40 mm C-lens for your Hasselblad? Much cheaper than a Hasselblad SWC (factor 2-3) on the secondhand market).

 

Ulrik

[aplumpton]

I sold my 50mm Mamiya lens for the 6, as I had a fixed lens MF camera of similar lens field coverage (Fuji GSW III). Not

the best decision I have made. When I bought my Mamiya I also purchased the B. Shell Mamiya system book in which it

was stated that a wider angle lens for the 6 was in the works at Mamiya. Now we know that Mamiya was instead thinking

of going to the 7. Like you, the step up to the 7 and a 43mm lens is a bit beyond my means. In any case, I prefer the

smaller fingerprint of the 6.

[maris_rusis]

Sure, I do this all the time. I use a Marexar Ultrawider on the front of my Mamiya Rb 67 lenses.

 

With the Mamiya 127mm (long normal) lens I get a full frame fish-eye effect that covers about 140 degrees with all the wild barrel distortion and blurry edges you would expect. Shooting at f 32 sharpens the image quite a bit.

 

The mamiya 50 mm lens plus the Ultrawider gives me a circular fish-eye image that's nearly 180 degrees wide. Keeping feet or tripod legs out of the frame can be a challenge. Again f 32 gives sharpest results.

 

The final gelatin-silver photographs are masked to round (rather than rectangular) to acknowledge and celebrate the crazy fish-eye perspective.

[zane_yau]

Thanks for the responses people. I will take a look at the 40mm and other options suggested. Apart from cost, weight is also an issue. Adding a Pentax 67 is like adding another system to the camera bag and I also prefer the square format if possible

 

Maris... you got any photos with that setup?

 

thanks again

[maris_rusis]

Lots of pictures but my photographic work is aimed at a fine art market and is predicated on a "Guaranteed no

digital or your money back" basis. I don't own a scanner and never will. So I can't show pictures on the Web.

 

One thing I have noticed is that medium format "fisheye" has lots of impact but only for the first few images.

Even ten images into a viewing and you are desperate to see something else!