Mamiya RZ67 and handheld shooting ?

[john_dowle1]

<p>Any experience with shooting your Mamiya RZ67 handheld ? how was it ? any advice on technique, lens etc. Any feedback or advice much appreciated.<br>

John.</p>

[jean_yves_mead]

With a waist-level finder and the L-grip it's a piece of cake - I take mine along with the 110mm f/2.8 or 180mm f/4.5 as a walkabout camera and, while it's no snapshot rig, it's surprisingly portable and quick to use.

 

Add a prism finder, however, and you'd probably want a tripod - or, better yet, a wheeled gun mount.

[steve_levine]

<p>The only thing that matters is are you capable of steadying such a beast? I'm tall and large (6'3"/250lbs). So a 4 pound camera isn't a big deal for me. If I were half my weight, and 5 feet tall, it might weigh a ton.</p>

<p>The key to handholding any large unwieldy camera is whenever you can, find something to lean your body or the camera on or against. Signposts, poles, trees, rocks, fences, the ground etc. Beyond that you need to shoot relatively fast film, or wide apertures. These will allow nice high shutter speeds (125,250,500). Vertical camera shake will rear it's head with slow speeds handheld.</p>

<p>Lens choice also matters. It is easier to hold a WA or a normal than a TELE lens. This for obvious reasons, that unsteadiness is magnified along with the image. I hauled 67 cameras into mountains, deserts etc for years. Places where a tripod would be too heavy to haul along. Except for the dust eating up the mechanisms over a relatively short time, I always came back with nice (steady at least) images.</p>

[miesnert]

I print large images on a regular basis

(up to 150cm wide) and recommend

you always use a tripod, you can get

images that look sharp without a tripod,

but never as sharp as with a tripod. For

small prints it is not obvious, but if you

print large you'll see the difference. For

handhelding you really need a different

type of camera, slr's don't excel in this

area, tlr's or rangefinders are much

better choices if you don't want to use a

tripod.

[jose_angel]

<p>You will need an eyepiece finder; I`d also get the L-grip. An ordinary strap and even the motorized base will help, too.<br /> The weight will be noticeable then (maybe four to five kilograms with the 110), not the choice to be hanging around the streets but perfectly suitable in a studio for a given work (or anywhere with a table/assistant to leave the camera between shots). Many people have used the camera this way for years.</p>

[robert lee]

<p>It's possible, just not particularly easy. At the very least, you need a monopod.</p>

[marc_batters]

<p>Up-grade to a better neck strap. Many versions from Op/Tech come to mind. </p>

<p>Vivitar and other third party companies have multi-angled L-grips, that allow the grip to be placed at different angles then the standard 90 degree. The grips often have swivel shoe mounts for the flash, and usually cost less then the Mamiya L-grip.</p>

<p>Ditto Robert's suggestion on the Monopod. I usually monopod/tripod my shots with a prism attached, and maybe only about half of my WLF shots with a neckstrap, the rest are with a monopod or a bean-bag.</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>I had a great conversation a year or two ago with a well known photographer who hand holds his 4x5" Graphic cameras. He said he was really good at hand holding them, but that the quality was still noticeably different from a tripod mounted camera, regardless of the film size.</p>

<p>With my Hasselblad camera (I only recently bought an RZ set up because they are so inexpensive), you can do a lot of steadying with a proper strap that lets you hang the camera from your neck, and a cable release.</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>I had a great conversation a year or two ago with a well known photographer who hand holds his 4x5" Graphic cameras. He said he was really good at hand holding them, but that the quality was still noticeably different from a tripod mounted camera, regardless of the film size.</p>

<p>With my Hasselblad camera (I only recently bought an RZ set up because they are so inexpensive), you can do a lot of steadying with a proper strap that lets you hang the camera from your neck, and a cable release.</p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>I use a tripod when I shoot my RB67 for the most part. I have tried handheld, but not with good success. Probably was using too slow of shutter.</p>

<p>I was thinking if anyone has tried this. Aim shot. Release mirror. The release shutter with release. Obviously you have to keep pretty steady between the mirror up and shutter release, but with a little practice, of keeping the camera aimed, the shutter release won't have the mirror shake. Anyone experiment with this way?</p>

[jim_momary]

<p>re: the "beast" ... RZ or RB ...<br>

For my 60 yr old, 6' 4", 240lb, aging ape-like body, I find hand holding an RB67 with a prism or PD finder nigh on to impossible (for me).</p>

<p>However, with a good strap and a waist level finder, by maintaining the strap taught downwards and camera leaning against my body, hand holding becomes much easier and steadier (within reason). (And I'm using wide to normal lenses most of the time, which helps.)</p>

<p>Nothing beats a strudy tripod tho.</p>

<p>Jim M.<br>

{Yeah, I bought my bodies about 4 years ago when they almost came free with a camera bag purchase on ebay. How could I say no? ... :o) }</p>

 

[philip_wilson]

<p>When I shot the RZ I have used it Handheld but have not had great results - only about 1 shot out of every 5 or 6 came out really sharp. I am generally fine handholding with big DSLRs (e.g. 1 series Canons) with longer lenses and slow shutter speeds ( I can usually handhold a 50mm lens on an SLR at 1/20 to 1/30 with very sharp results). I think handholding an RZ or RB is something you do if you have to although I have seen good results in studios - albeit using strobes. I finally gave up and went to the Fuji GX680 - a camera that is not worth attempting to handhold and bought into M645 for handheld and portable use. With the WL or metering prism the M645 is easy to use handheld.</p>

[gareth_williams2]

<p>I handhold my RZ on occasion but only with the 110 or 50mm lenses and waist level finder. I use the L grip which makes things much easier but use the camera release rather than that on the grip as it tends to twist the camera less. I also use a really substantial monopod when out walking (40 year old Kennett- Benbo with large Leica ball) and find the combination works well and the weight not too difficult to manage.<br>

Body, grip, 2 lenses, spare back, meter and a couple of films are not too bad in a backpack- add a prism and a couple more lenses and one might as well go the whole hog and carry a tripod! </p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>I have all my RB67 stuff in a backpack - 45 pounds. Add 9 pounds for the Gitzo. </p>

<p>I don't hike too far! Actually I don't walk too far!</p>

[andre_noble5]

An RZ with a 110 lens is the same size as a Nikon or

Canon pro 35mm body with a 70-200 f2.8.

 

Let's not get carried away with the "you must use a tripod"

Kool Aid drinking replies.

[q.g._de_bakker]

I don't see anyone getting carried away by whatever, Andre. Rather sensible comments, in fact. Refreshing not to see the usual "well, your 1/4th is nothing! I can [...]" contest in who can get the furthest away from reality using 15 words or less.<br>Handholding can produce good, usable images. But no matter how good, using a tripod always results in even better ones. So use a tripod when you can, handhold when you cannot.

[andre_noble5]

I actually did not read the replies :D

[desmond_kidman]

<p>Q.G. is right. Handholding can produce good images on RZ. Better on a tripod, but so isn't every camera.</p>

<p>When using a Hasselblad or RZ I use the pop magnifier on the standard finder, get it right up to my face, and gently squeeze the shutter release. In my opinion, after trying prism finders for several medium format SLRs, the most stable way for me is looking down into the finder. It's a more natural position, for me, to hold the camera steady in this way, and the camera is lighter without prism. </p>

<p>When I started with medium fomat cameras I spent some time, 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, looking through the "waist level finders", getting used to quickly placing the subject in the frame where I wanted, getting used to squaring up the body. Very quickly one gets used to handling the "backwards view" and it becomes second nature.</p>

<p>After years of holding MF cameras this way I found that prism finders felt odd to me! It's all in what you get used to.</p>

[philip_wilson]

<p>Andre one thing to consider is that with an RZ I tend to use 50 or 100 ISO film and most of the lenses are F3.5 or slower (indeed on my Fuji GX 680 the fast lenses are F3.2 and the slow ones F5.6 or slower). With a modern DSLR you get very good images at ISO 800 and higher ISO can be used with care, the F2.8 zoom has a 1 stop advantage so in general you have at least 4 stops advantage with the DSLR and that is without image stabilization which is good for at least 2 stops. Thus I never usually find big issues handholding with my Canons. Don't get me wrong most RZ handheld images are usable but pixel peeping (I scan most images these days) or large enlargements will show slight shake effects - for web use or 10x8 even the 4 shots out of 5 that I stated were not quite sharp would pass un-noticed.</p>

[jbcrane_gallery]

<p>John, I hand-hold my RZ using 400 speed film with no trouble at all. I use the FE701 Prism finder with an assortment of lenses. The key for me is to make sure I steady myself before a shot, and to keep the shutter speeds higher, like at least 1/125 with the 110. I have shot successfully down to 1/60, and recently hand-held a shot with the 250APO, adjusting the exposure to allow for the fastest possible shutter speed, 1/400. It's razor sharp even under close scrutiny. I'm average size and build so I don't feel one's stature has a ton to do with it, if your technique is intentional. It is a little awkward and takes some practice, figuring out focus and button-push, but once you get the hang of it, it's cool to be able to shoot that large a camera hand-held. As with any other camera, I wouldn't dream of slower films/shutter speeds for low-light work, if your goal is to have a sharp image. For that - as with any camera - tripods are mandatory. Have fun.</p>

[xenophon_costeas]

<p>My success with handheld shooting is also poor, although some pictures do come out tack sharp! I've tested my setup and the results are at:<br>

http://lycabettus.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/shooting-the-mamiya-rz67-handheld-how-much-sharpness-one-sacrifices-over-a-tripod-and-mirror-lock-up/<br>

With greetings from Athens,<br>

Xen</p>