Thinking about buying a Pentax 67 MLU

[gabriel_seri2]

<p>Hi,<br>

I'm new to these forums. I was interested in buying a Pentax 67 MLU. I already own the older 67 without the MLU. I heard so much about the mirror vibration that I thought I should get one for my photography.<br>

Is $240 a good price for a MLU body, Eye Level Prism? It has some wear on the outside but it works.</p>

<p>I might keep both bodies for different films.<br>

Thanks.</p>

<p> </p>

[d_purdy]

<p>According to ebay prices it is in the ball park depending on how much wear it shows. Really at such a low price you can't be too far off.</p>

[dan_south]

<p>I have a 67 II. I can't imaging using it without mirror lockup.</p>

[richard_]

<p>The MLU feature is nice to have but not necessary,Imo; alot depends on how you hold it. But, to have 2 bodies for different films is a good idea.</p>

[rothelle]

<p>I have two of them and never had use the MUL. But whatever works for you. $240 is cheap for a nice Pentax with eye level prism. You always check to find something good at keh.com. You may even get it cheaper if you already have one. All you would need is just the body.</p>

[gabriel_seri2]

<p>I never heard of keh.com, what a gem. Thanks for the information. I'm going to meet the guy today after work and will let you know what I thought. I talked him down to $230 since he won't have to ship and I like the idea of having a mirror lock up and having 2 bodies.</p>

[steve_rasmussen]

<p>The shutter is more of a constraint to sharpness than the mirror. I own both types as well and find that the non-MLU body only has one weaknesses caused by the mirror. It does not do well when using long lenses on a tripod.</p>

[rickbehl]

<p>Hi Gabriel,<br>

I've had a Pentax 67 and more recently a 67 II body for a while now. Both bodies have the MLU feature which I use pretty much most of the time. But it really depends on what type of photography you are involved in. For myself this means almost exclusively landscape/nature images which really need that full sharpness throughout. There is a wealth of information on the internet about the concept of sharpness and how to best achieve it but MLU certainly is a good start to containing vibrations at the source of the shot. If you are serious about sharpness then you really need to also ensure your tripod and head are of a good quality. In addition there are other helpful tips which can help reduce vibrations further still like removing the tripod center column, hanging a weight (or camera bag) of the center column hook, etc...</p>

<p>Of course if you are a street photographer shooting at high ISO then most if not all the above is not relevant...</p>

<p>Rick</p>

 

[sumo_kun]

<p>MLU is useful but over-hyped. I have a P67II and I only use MLU for landscape and macro shots because there is no reason not to. For just about anything more fast paced and especially handheld, I just shoot. I shoot a lot with the P67II handheld and it has always given me great shots.<br>

It is good to have an inexpensive body as backup or just for another film though.</p>

[donbright]

<p>I've used a Pentax 6711 for 12 or so years now for landscape work. I've had the situation when shooting under the pressure of, rain, or whatever, and have shot with MLU, and then the next frame forgetting it, and for several conditions like that made a note of the frame with and without MLU, and the thing is, I couldn't see the difference! This is on a tripod of course with a Arca swiss ball head. Point is, MLU might be overdone, but it's there so why not? I have found that many Photographers are annoyed at the sound volume of the mirror because of the size of the mirror. Therefore the Pentax 67 gets a bad rap. The Pentax 6711 for me is the more efficient method of field work because of the luxury of having ten frames to work with verses 4x5. I use the slow and methodical approach, like 4x5 with the 67 format, but I like to stay on the move and be available when things are popping out in the field. Apples and oranges? 4x5 vs 67? Shooting velvia 50 with the 67, drum scanning it, except for movements in 4x5, theres no difference in image quality between the two. In fact there are a few Pentax 67 lenses that rival glass for large format. Well thats a different thread I guess.</p>