rod_sainty2

<p>Geoff, I have had excellent service from Foto Riesel in Kent Street and Camera Service Centre in Castlereagh St, although none has involved Leica. Foto Riesel stock Leica and have the best pro gear in Sydney. Mainline Photographics in Crow's Nest has a good reputation, as well. Try this thread: <br>

<a href="http://www.apug.org/forums/forum214/34831-camera-servicing-sydney.html">http://www.apug.org/forums/forum214/34831-camera-servicing-sydney.html</a>.</p>

<p>Jason, from memory, the ES-66XL dates from around 1974-75. It has the 7.5-45mm lens (hence the 6, for 6x zoom range). The XL stood for eXisting Light, referring to the 220 degree shutter that enabled shooting in lower light levels than the traditional 160 degree shutter. (Movie camera shutters use a spinning disk with a pie-slice cutout to admit the light through to the film, the wider the cutout, the longer the exposure). I owned Sankyo's last model, the XL-620 Supertronic, released in 1978-79; it was a completely different, modern design but used the same lens; wide open the lens was a little soft, but it was sharp when stopped down in good light. I have some incredibly sharp footage of my new-born daughter taken in cross-light inside the hospital that I marvel at (she's 24 now).</p>

<p>The camera has no resale value, as Sankyo was not one of the top-line manufacturers. I'd suggest that you put a roll or two through it, so that you better appreciate your dad's experience in shooting the footage and memories that you might still treasure. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>Jim, all the advice above looks good. My suggestions: First, check the exposure compensation lever is set on the zero point. Then, check the camera meter against the meter in another camera. For this, best change the M7II off AEL mode and onto a set speed, such as 1/125th, point the camera at an evenly lit outside wall and find the aperture setting required to give a correct exposure (so the set shutter speed indication in the viewfinder stops blinking). Do the same for another camera or a hand-held meter. The two meters should agree to within about a half-stop. Ideally, get a 18% reflectance card and meter that under full sun (close up, so as to exclude any other brightness level such as a bright pavement or deep shadow behind the card). Here, the meter should read as per the "sunny 16" rule: say, using ISO set to 125, and shutter set to 1/125th, the aperture indicated should be f16. This should nail the meter as correct or out. Lastly, to check something else is not causing the problem, shoot a test roll of transparency (slide) film in order to avoid the latitude of colour negative film or mistakes during hands-on B&W development. For this last, shoot blue sky and simple, evenly lit objects using the meter recommendation (again, using the set shutter speed approach I suggested above) and bracket your exposures either side of the "correct" aperture indicated by the meter (keeping careful notes). </p>

<p>As David said above, the M7II meter is strongly centre-weighted. With my camera, the most sensitive spot is not at the rangefinder's double-image rectangle (where it should be), but displaced downwards and a little to the right. You can check yours by pointing the camera towards a single light bulb at night and finding the position at which the meter indicates the fastest speed required at any aperture. Thereafter, meter your photos using that same position relative to the object of interest. </p>

<p>Gee, you can hear the crickets around this post!<br>

Chris, you may have already found this item in the archives, which provides some data and opinion on the relative performance of the 65mm and 58mm lenses:<br>

<a href="http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00At4v">http://www.photo.net/medium-format-photography-forum/00At4v</a></p>

 

<p>William, try this fix from a few years back which deals with a later A series 50mm lens - so there won't be the aperture A lock pin to deal with: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=006o1K">http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=006o1K</a><br>

The screws in the K mount flange may be locked with a clear sealant which must first be removed with a solvent. I recall that the aperture ring came off easily, but wrap the lens in a towel as you remove it so the tiny spring-loaded ball bearing is trapped rather than flung across the room.</p>

 

<p>Stella, I'll second Doug's suggestion of the Pentax 645. I've only played with one just a few months ago, but was really surprised how pleasant it was to use for portraits. The mirror mechanism has an excellent dampening action. I recall various pros praising the accuracy of the meter, although the meter viewfinder indication is limited to whole stops, I think. </p>

<p>But if you want 6x7 (and why not?) then what you are describing is right up the alley of the Mamiya 7II. Yes, it's a rangefinder. I, too, used the Pentax 6x7 and 67II almost exclusively for more than 10 years, and Pentax manual 35mm for 20 years before that. I've been very impressed with M7II. It seems to me that people raised on SLRs are unsure about rangefinders because they've been told and got used to the idea that viewing through the lens is the only way, or at least half the fun. Well, one pays a lot in terms of bulk, weight and vibration to get that TTL feature. With the M7II, I laughed the first time I loaded film, it was so easy. And I laughed when I propped the camera up and took a self timer shot at 1/15th sec with no tripod. How different! I think the framing is fine, and the approximate-ness of it relative to SLRs way overblown. In fact, I often had to remove the prism on the P67 to see the boundaries of the shot because the prism only provides 77% coverage. Give it a try, it'll take a little getting used to, but it may just change everything. </p>

<p>Brian, I'm going to suggest that there is nothing seriously wrong with your lens. I've never owned the 55mm, but have owned the 45mm, 75mm shift, 90mm, 165mm and 300mm. In these and, I think all, Pentax single focal length (67 and 35mm) lenses, the entire, not just the rear, lens assembly moves as a single entity towards and away from the film plane as focus is adjusted. Yes, when you focus closer, the rear of the lens moves forwards. But the front of the lens also moves forward by the same amount. So, the slight movement that you can detect when you hold the lens facing up and push on the rear collar should move the entire lens assembly upwards. This will not affect sharpness, and could be easily fixed if you wanted. However, if you can confirm that the rear lens element does move 0.5mm to 0.75mm independently to the front element, then, obviously, sharpness would be compromised. Nevertheless, I think that this would also be an inexpensive adjustment by a competent technician.</p>

Well, that was strange. My first response vaporised, so I rewrote it, then both appeared. Oh well.

<p>D.O., it's important that you avoid direct light striking the opened roll of 120 film when loading or unloading, as the film has no 35mm-type canister. Shield the roll with your body or head so that the opened roll is always in shade. In addition, keep the film tight on the roll and avoid slack in the film. Good luck with the next roll. </p>

<p>D.O., I'm guessing that you are puzzled by the lack of a sponge foam light seal around the back of the Mamiya 6MF. Well, I'm suggesting that this is normal for the 6MF. The Mamiya 7II, which I own, is based on the design of the Mamiya 6, and also lacks sponge foam. Instead of foam, the light seal in these cameras is formed by a channel and tongue design in the back cover and the two strips of rubber (on each end), as you describe. So, the 6MF that you have sounds perfectly normal to me. </p>

<p>The later Mamiya 7II, which was derived from the Mamiya 6, has no foam around the back, either. The light seal is achieved with a channel instead of foam, which is a better, cleaner and permanent solution.</p>

<p>Yes, but will you be satisfied with just one lens? If you buy the 65mm, then both the 50mm and the 80mm lenses might seem too close. (That's a problem many have wrestled with - check the archives). Yet the 80mm is the best lens for people. And the 50mm is, in my view, the best all-round wide lens (with an 84 degree angle of view, like that of a 24mm lens in the 35mm format). An advantage of the 50mm lens is that it offers more depth of field for each aperture, and too little depth of field is a common problem for the 6x7 format. As said above, much depends on the subject matter. A disadvantage of the 65mm lens is that it's much longer when mounted on the camera than either the 50mm lens or the 80mm lens. Minor factors to add: For what it's worth, the Popular Photography tests indicated the 50mm lens has higher resolution than the 65mm lens, and the focus grip on the 50mm lens is twice as wide as that of the 65mm! I find the viewfinder of both the 50mm and 43mm easy to use - and useful for steadying the camera against my forehead.</p>

<p>David, I haven't used either of those systems either. From your previous posts, it seems that you are still trying to settle on a medium format system. If you're finding the Bronica somehow awkward or unfriendly to use then perhaps the Rollie will do it for you...if you've handled it and made the comparison then surely you know. Yes, the Rollie is a classier camera than the Bronica, but you also know that already. Both are fine cameras and the results will be probably indistinguishable. I'd be comparing the viewfinder image, the handling, and the general quality and sense of ruggedness, each of which tend to be subjective decisions. BTW, when you post a question, please be more specific in your subject line.</p>

<p>It's the timer (intervalometer) for the older K series and, perhaps, the earlier Spotmatic line. Check your K-series booklets, such as the KX brochure (see p. 18) thoughtfully scanned by William McFadden at: <a href="http://mcfaddenphoto.com/pentax_library.htm">http://mcfaddenphoto.com/pentax_library.htm</a>.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>David, thanks for the photograph. It looks as if the circular base of the crank broke at the point that houses the hinge-pin for the fold-out handle. Is this correct? Mine developed a very fine crack at that point, not long after I bought it, I think because at first I was regularly trying to twist the handle to close the darkslide without first switching the camera on and cocking the shutter. <br>

I recall that the original Mamiya 7 has a non-folding crank. Has anyone checked whether these are available as a spare part and would fit the 7II? </p>

 

<p>Gaspar, check that your 67II has the foam bumper that stops the upward swing of the mirror still in place beside the underside of the viewscreen (invert the camera and look through the lens mount).  There should be no real difference in the vibration or noise of the two cameras as they have the same shutter and mirror mechanisms.  The only mechanical change made in the 67II that was described in the Pentax literature was the improved wind-on (shutter tensioning) gear-train, which was made stronger and includes ball bearings. If your 67II is markedly noiser or has more vibration, something is wrong with it.</p>

<p>David, my suggestion is that you leave the external finder attached at all times.  That way it's available and you can use it to preview the framing for the 50mm lens even when you have another lens mounted. Saves fiddling around and missing the shot. When going light, I carry the Mamiya 7II with external finder upright in a small Lowepro bag.    </p>

<p>Jake, the sharpest, finest-grain film that is generally available is reputed to be Ilford Pan F Plus (ISO 50). Otherwise , it's Ilford Delta 100, Kodak T-MAX 100 or Fuji Acros, all ISO 100. For a special project with a limited number of A2 enlargements , I'd have the negatives scanned on a drum scanner at a professional outlet. Some might question your choice of a Mamiya 7 II for portraits, though. The 80mm lens is a "wide normal" lens and will focus to 1m, providing a waist-up portrait only. The 150mm lens will focus to 1.8m and yields a slightly lower image magnification.</p>

<p> </p>

Dan, It's usual for the mirror to stop halfway in its travel when the battery fails. To release the mirror, you need to

press in the small black reset button that is located within and flush with the leatherette trim below the "6x7" logo,

using a pointed object such as a ball-point pen. With the mirror down, and film loaded, the shutter should cock with

an appropriate resistance on the rapid wind lever.

The first Pentax 6x7 I bought had the same problem of missing exposures. The focal plane shutter is electronically controlled but has an electrical short. It needs a service.

Sutto, I saw that auction and wondered how many people would assume the non-metering pentaprism finder being

shown was the AE finder. Yes, magazine and web reviews of the 67ii usually describe the 67ii with the AE finder but,

in common with most, if not all, medium-format camera lines, a non-metering finder was available as a lower-cost

alternative to pros who prefer using hand-held meters - which is the traditional pro way. Despite your oversight, you

still have a good buy! Whether it suits you will depend on how your photography develops. There's good advice above

but I'll try another approach.

 

Yes, when I started with medium format I bought an old Pentax 6x7 with a non-metering finder and had to become

accustomed to using a hand-held incident meter. This was a big change but one which has very beneficial. With

manual 35mm cameras, I was accustomed to choosing a high enough shutter speed to prevent camera shake blur

and then spinning the aperture ring to centre the needle or diode. Now, with a hand-held meter I was forced to

consider exposure as a separate act. Initially it felt clumsy, but as I gained proficiency I came to understand what

exposure is about. For many subjects this meant that I obtained better results than before and, in dynamic

situations, was freed from the task of constantly monitoring my exposures for every shot. Eventually I bought a

Pentax digital spotmeter, which fits in my pocket and is a standard profesional item for large format shooters. So

when I hear you say "How ponderous will it be dragging around a hand-held meter?", my reaction is to say "A lot

easier than dragging around that big camera". There is merit in considering the Mamiya 7II, as this is lighter and

more compact and avoids the camera shake issues associated with the big Pentax. You will need to get plenty of

practice in beforehand to confirm that you can shoot handheld (if that is what you have in mind) and obtain critically

sharp exposures with the lens set you intend to use on your trip.

 

I do know of a few AE prisms for sale, at around AU$350, with which I have no association. Email me privately and I'll

pass on the details. Nevetheless, in full sun, the Sunny 16 rule will give the best exposures. I've shot whole rolls

using no meter at all using that principle.

 

Regards, Rod.

Doug, Paul, Ian and Arthur, thank you for your thoughtful responses. Each of them has been useful. I'm traveling to inspect the camera tomorrow and will put a film through it. Regards, Rod.

Hi Frank, Yes the viewfinder for the 210mm (FV704) is the same as that available separately for the 150mm lens.

The field of view for the 210mm is shown as the inner set of white framelines. The 210mm that I bought was a demo

unit at a knock-down price. Of course it is harder to use for near shots unless you can pace the distance out or

use a rangefinder (like the Fotoman unit mentioned in an earlier answer), and the f8 aperture will preclude some

shots involving subject motion, but people often forget just how much one has to stop down to get sufficient depth of

field with medium format anyway. I can take the Mamiya 7II, the 210mm and a tiny tripod places I would have left a

medium format SLR with 200m lens and the larger tripod needed for it behind.

I have long admired large panoramic prints by big name photographers using Fuji or Linhof 617 cameras. Recently I

encountered several situations where a panoramic format was so obvious a solution I decided to look further. After

some reading and searching, I have been offered a Fuji G617 in very good condition at a reasonable price. Of course,

it's still a substantial sum and that money has other uses. I'm accustomed to manual Pentax 67 and Mamiya 7II

cameras. But in 2008, am I barking up the wrong tree? Given that the usual procedure now is to scan the 617

trannies and print digitally, should I save myself the cost and additional weight of the Fuji G617 by learning how to

stitch 6x7 scans together? The most recent thread on this topic was dated 2005. Has anyone else been down this

road recently?

I own the Mamiya 7 210mm lens and enjoy using it. Six weeks ago I hiked amongst glaciers and mountains in New

Zealand and the 210mm lens worked a treat. At 10x, the photographs (on Velvia and Acros) look just as sharp as

those from my other Mamiya 7 lenses, even though I used a very small CF tripod that fits on the back of my pack.

I've also used it successfully for photos of industrial structures at a distance of 200m. Again, the results look fine.

Estimating distances is not hard! The f8 aperture means that the lens is lightweight, compact and shares the same

58mm filter diameter as the 80mm and 65mm lenses. The supplied viewfinder shows the framing accurately and has

a neat distance dial and mechanism which causes it to tilt downwards at closer distances. The hood is sturdy and

deep and attaches easily and securely via the front bayonet lugs. Yes, as some have said, the 210mm is an odd

lens because it's not coupled to the rangefinder and has the f8 maximum aperture. It also looks a bit odd because

the rear element is larger than the front one. But it is a sensible design solution for many situations that are in

keeping with the philosophy of the M7II.