Mamiya 645 vs Blad vsContax 645

[galileo42]

<p>I've had both a Blad V system and a Contax 645. Both gave terrific images, in a different way. I am again looking into medium format, but with more stringent economic awareness. Would I be very disappointed with a used Mamyia 645 AFD system with 80 mm lens after the two others, given that it is less than half the price, 1) imagewise, 2) buildwise?</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

[rene hermanides]

<p>In addition to the question of Michel: I have the Bronica SQ system and I am looking into a 645 system just to have something in medium format with some more features like AF, aperture priority etc. I'm planning to shoot portraits. I read some things on the net last weekend (and remembrance of holding the camera's in the past) and my conclusions would be:<br>

- Hasselblad H1: beautiful, very good viewfinder, high quality lenses, but too expensive for me<br>

- Contax 645: good autofocus (true?), good system, high quality lenses<br>

- Pentx 645N: good viewfinder, slow autofocus, no changeable backs, relatively cheap<br>

- Mamiya 645AF: slow autofocus (true?), a lot of available lenses, relatively cheap<br>

My main question is: how is the viewfinder of the Mamiya 645 AF in terms of overview (I'm wearing glasses), brightness etc?<br>

Thanks</p>

<p>Rene Hermanides</p>

 

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

<p>The performance of medium format auto focus systems is similar to state-of-the-art 35mm autofocus in 1988. You won;t be shooting sports with it!</p>

[galileo42]

<p>Thanks, Robert. Let me add that fast autofocus is not important, since I will be using the camera mostly in the studio, or in manual mode.</p>

[stp]

<p>People generally like what they use, and I'm no different: I think the Pentax 645 is the best value in that format -- great quality in the lenses and body for relatively low prices.</p>

[gary_watson]

<p>For studio work, I'd go with the Mamiya 645 manual system over Pentax for the former's changeable backs. Mamiya Pro/ProTL bodies, accessories, and lenses are very affordable now. Optical quality on Mamiya lenses is excellent. People occassionally kvetch about the Mamiya 645's plasticky build quality but they're made from remarkably tough plastic.</p>

[fred_paul_smith]

<p>I use a Mamiya 645E without autofocus but with aperture priority. I am very pleased about it and I don't miss the autofucus by medium format, especially by shooting portraits.<br>

Fred Paul Smith</p>

<p> </p>

[stp]

<p>Gary makes a good point about changeable backs for studio work. I sometimes wish I could to that with my Pentax, even for landscape shooting.</p>

[stwrtertbsratbs5]

<p>Just be aware that both the Mamiya 645 and the Contax 645 have focal plane shutters with slow flash sync speeds. That won't matter for the studio, but it may be a problem if you shoot outdoors with flash. The Hasselblad, of course, has leaf shutters that sync at all speeds. You may also want to look at Bronica - another leaf shutter system.</p>

[aizan_sasayama]

<p>rene, the mamiya 645af's viewfinder is nearly as large as the hasselblad h, just as bright, and with a warm cast instead of greenish. i wear glasses and everything is in easy view, no peeking around corners.</p>

[fotografz]

<p>Hmmm, I've had all the cameras in question and have a few opinions that differ. </p>

<p>The Contax 645 is a great system, and is to be had for it's superb Zeiss designed/supervised lenses made in Japan ... including what many believe to be the best MF macro ever made. It is a modular camera, and you can use a waist level finder if desired ... which you cannot do with any Mamiya 645. The Contax is relatively slow at AF and virtually useless in lower contrast conditions. The camera eats batteries, but newer battery technology has mitigated that issue. Max Sync speed is 125th, but top speed is 1/4000th for shooting those fast lenses wide open in bright ambient light, but becomes a disadvantage using outdoor flash. The camera/system was discontinued some time ago and some accessories are hard to come by, but key components and service are still available.</p>

<p>The Hasselblad H1, H2 and H2F, are modular also, and a waist level finder is available ... as well as two different prism finders including one that magnifies the area to approximate the area captured by a 1.1X digital back. The viewfinder is extraordinarily bright (visibly brighter than the Mamiya 645). This is a leaf shutter system and sync speed is up to 1/800th which is useful in some studio/location situations and very useful for fill flash outdoors. However, that is also the top shutter speed. The H1 and H2 accept most digital backs as well as film backs. This camera is still the fastest focusing MF camera I've used ... including having used the Mamiya AFD-III and Hy6. Every Zeiss C, CF, CFi and CFE lens made will work on the H camera with the CF adapter ... with a sync speed of 1/500 (like the Hasselblad 500 V cameras.)</p>

<p>The Mamiya 645 to get is the latest one (AFD-III) which has much better auto focusing than the previous M645 models. If AF isn't a criteria, then any previous model will be a bargain in comparison. All models of the Mamiya 645 lack full modularity, but if you don't use a waist level finder it's of little consequence. Lenses for this camera are plentiful and reasonable in price. An excellent choice for entry into MF photography ... that you can continue to grow with over time ... including moving to digital if desired. </p>

[rodeo_joe1]

<p>No WLF for Mamiya 645s? And no modularity? Strange. I have a WLF for my Mamiya 645 1000s and another for my Mamiya 645 Super bodies. I also have a motorwind and both plain and metered prisms, several interchangable backs for the Super and two focal lengths of leaf shutter lens offering synch speeds of 1/500th of a second. Incidentally the 70mm leaf-shuttered lens delivers superb image quality, which I'd venture is so close to a Japanese Zeisina (or is it Cozeina?) lens that anyone would be hard-pressed to see a difference in print quality.</p>

<p>Agreed, not all the Mamiya lenses are of the same high standard, but for the prices asked I don't think anyone can complain.</p>

<p>I'm also a spectacle wearer (varifocals these days I'm afraid) and the later Mamiya prisms and screens offer about the best viewing I've seen with any camera.</p>

[jack_welsh]

<p>Agree about the waist-level finder on Mamiyas. Also, an eyeglass wearer. I have found the waist-level finders, easier for eyeglass wearers, than the eye-level finders for any camera. My Mamiya 645 pro has the non-metered prism. I'm thinking about getting the waist-level for when I photograph rail cars and engines.</p>

[yefei_he1]

<p>I think Marc may be referring to the Mamiya 645 AF cameras when he said no waist level finders. Indeed from 645AF to AFD, AFDII, AFDIII, they all have fixed prism finders.</p>

<p>Yefei</p>

 

[wolf_rainer_schmalfuss]

<p>My CONTAX 645 AF has both, an prism finder for all automatics, an waist level finder for spot metering, and a bulit-in flash meter, usable for original Contax flash lights, and SCA-System, and all kind of studio flash lights.<br>

Which other comparable 645 SLR camera has these possibilities?</p>

<p>Cheers</p>

<p> </p>

[fotografz]

<p>Yes Rodeo Joe, the poster asked about Mamiya AFD, NOT manual focus ones. The older leaf shutter lenses are also not AF ... the Hasselblad H leaf shutter lenses are AF. Just answering the question asked by the initial poster.</p>

<p>Wolf, just for clarification: the H2F I have has a built-in flash meter just like my Contax 645 did, uses the Metz flashes with SCA 3902 TTL module, and in addition the H assumes full control of flash functions to provide fingertip control of +/- flash compensation without taking your eye from the view finder. Plus it has a whole bunch of other features that the Contax AF 645MK-II would have had if Kyocera hadn't bailed on us Contax owners : -( </p>

[wolf_rainer_schmalfuss]

<p>Yes, Marc, unfortunately KYOCERA bailed out, but, the CONTAX 645 AF is based on its early birth, still my favorite 645 camera. The H2F cannot match in my eyes with it. More noisy, only 1/800 sec. (good for studio work only), sorry, not my taste. I am using my Contax 645 AF successful with Contax/P-6-Adapter, with lenses from 30mm Fisheye, up to 2,000mm tele lens. This is not possible with a H2F!!<br>

Cheers</p>

[fotografz]

<p>Well Wolf, we all have different criteria for our tools. Apparently you are of the school of thought that what you use is superior to what someone else uses because you say it is. But other people may have different needs.</p>

<p>FYI, high sync speed is not only useful in studio ... but for fill flash outdoors while using 1/800th shutter so more wide open apertures can be used. This is something I need and use all the time in my work. </p>

<p>I also need reliable and swift AF with my 645 camera for the kind of work I do ... which the Contax is lame at, and always has been. The Contax isn't even close to the H. If I wanted a manual focus camera I'd use a Hasselblad V or Rollei.</p>

<p>Not sure you are aware of this, but the H2F accepts all C, CF, CFi, and CFE lenses from 30mm fisheye to 500mm ... and I do NOT have to stop down meter and shoot with any of them like you have to with the Contax and a non-connective dumb adapter. </p>

<p>The H2F is not noisier than the the Contax ... you forget, I used a Contax for 6 years before moving to the H camera. Have you shot with the H2F at all? My guess is not, or you would not have said that.</p>

<p>It's nice that you like your Contax, It obviously is enough for you. It wasn't for me. Could have been enough, but that is history now and I had to move on. </p>

[colin_elliott]

<p>Marc,<br>

I think you'll find that our Contax 645's offer full control of -/+flash compensation without taking one's eye from the viewfinder......you simply rotate the exposure compensation dial on the camera body, which is easily located whilst viewing your subject.<br>

I don't use flash a great deal but believe this point/ability is clearly articulated in the manual. I recall using it this way on occasion for fill-flash.....at least I think I do!!</p>

[fotografz]

<p>Yes Colin, I recall that also, and didn't mean to imply flash compensation wasn't possible with the Contax, just that it WAS a feature of the H camera rather than having to comp it on the flash body (which it won't even let you do).</p>

<p>However, with the Contax, the in-camera flash compensation is coupled to the camera's exposure compensation using the same dial. The H camera has two separate finger tip compensation controls ... so I can alter the camera's exposure to expose for the background, and separately alter the flash compensation at a different value for foreground subject ... which I do a lot when shooting weddings for obvious reasons. After a little practice it becomes second nature. </p>