rod_sainty2

Your Spotmatic indeed looks very clean. But remove the clip-on flash so that you get back the classic lines of the pentaprism housing. Those clean, uncluttered lines are iconic. Plus, you run the risk of getting the chrome finish marked.

Andrew, in handling many, many K and M series lenses since I bought my first MX in 1977, I've seen only one with a sticky aperture ring as you describe, and that was the result of the lens being dropped. No damage was visible on the exterior of the lens. Alternatively, the tiny single ball bearing and spring located beneath the aperture ring (which creates the click stops) may be jammed or broken. In either case, lubrication won't help. I'd be concerned that graphite lubricant may travel into the lens and coat the elements or aperture blades. If the lens is otherwise in excellent condition, get a technician to look at it.

Toni, if you hold the 80mm lens with the white alignment dot located at the 12 o'clock position (and rear element

facing away from you), one of the three bayonet mount flanges is located at 9 o'clock. At the top end of that flange

there is a machined space about 6mm long in which there is a small metal tab. The tab on the 80mm lens has a

face about half that space long (ie, about 3mm long). The tab of the 150mm lens is twice the length of that on the

80mm and fills the entire space. The same space on the 43mm and 50mm lenses contains no tab. Therefore, it

seems that this tab engages the small black lever on the corresponding position on the camera body and the amount

of lever movement selects the correct frameline within the viewfinder. Perhaps the tab on the 80mm lenses has been

broken, so the camera defaults to the 65mm frameline, which is what shows when the 43mm and 50mm lenses are

mounted.

James, the answer by Douglas is spot on. The 24mm is a super landscape lens, very different to the 28mm, which does not allow the juxtaposition of elements that is possible with the 24mm. The 20mm is great for more specific images that include a very close foreground feature, but it will often diminish distant backgrounds into oblivion. For a budget-conscious buyer, the Sigma 24mm 2.8 Superwide II lens is a super-sharp optic that earned a photodo rating of 4 or 4.2 (about as good as any lens gets). I owned this lens and was impressed with its results, although the aperture ring is too notchy for my taste, the focus ring rubber became loose and the finish on the barrel is not up to the classic Pentax K and M standard. But I would use it with confidence. There are comments in the archives on this lens.

"Ï don't think there is a non AE prism for 67II"

 

Not so, Tin. The non-AE prism for the 67II is called the Pentaprism Finder 67II. According to the specifications page

in the 67II instruction manual, this finder apparently shares the same 0.75x magnification as the AE Pentaprism

Finder 67II, rather than the 1.0x magnification of the old 67 Pentaprism Finder. See p.17 of the 67II instruction

manual provided by Joshua Cohen at: http://jcohenphoto.com/ebay/manuals/pentaxmanuals/67II.pdf

Ed, the instruction books for the 67 and 67II state that the 67 prisms provide a magnification of 1.0x and the 67II

prisms produce a magnification of 0.75x. This change is likely due to a change in the curvature of the eyepiece lens.

Hence the image of the viewscreen produced by the 67II prisms appears a little smaller than that produced by the 67

prisms, making it easy to view the viewscreen in full using glasses. The 67II instruction book states that the old non-

metered prism is usable on the 67II but does not state if the new non-metered prism is usable on the 67.

QG, I think Jeff's frustration is shared by most people who have been taught to rely on both TTL metering and

aperture-priority exposure automation (as sold to consumers by camera manufacturers for the last 30 plus years). If

metering is understood as what the camera offers when it is pointed in different directions, then knowing how to

evaluate a scene and use either an incident or spot reflective meter to produce the desired outcome in the trannie or

print are foreign concepts. The shift lens is a strictly manual-only lens and therefore using it naturally produces the

problems revealed in this post.

Jeff, The most direct answer to your question is that you should meter the final composition of 80% sky, 20% foreground before shifting the lens by pointing the camera and lens upwards. The lens's instruction manual states: "Direct the camera to the subject before shifting the lens, and meter the incoming light at the shooting aperture. If the lens is shifted nearly to its maximum extent (20mm), slow the shutter speed by one stop."

 

However, later you state that you are frustrated because the exposure lock holds for only 20 seconds or so. OK, here's the problem: you are trying to incorporate the auto exposure (AE) mode of the Pentax 67II AE prism whilst using the shift lens.

 

AE is a nice crutch on occasions, but you will do better to know how to walk without a crutch. It is smoother and even easier much of the time. With the shift lens, you need to stop down to meter anyway. Using AE in the high contrast situation you describe, you are beholden to the exact composition and every time you change the composition a little, the TTL meter reading will change. But the light hasn't varied, so why would the meter reading need to vary? See the inconsistency? As QC implied above, you need to ask yourself what you want the outcome in the trannie or print to be, and meter accordingly. Then set that value on the camera and lens and take the shot. You'll find manual exposure the solution to your frustration.

 

I bought the shift lens a few months ago for architechitural subjects despite moving to the Mamiya 7II rangefinder for most of my photography. It's a thing of beauty and the most mechanically intruiging lens I've examined, particularly the two set of aperture blades that swirl around at different rates as the aperture setting is varied, and the shift mechanism which can be varied around 360 degrees. Regards. Rod

British photographer Andy Latham has an article on his website (http://www.andylatham.co.uk/) that describes how he uses graduated ND filters with his Mamiya 7 rangefinder. The article can be found at: http://www.andylatham.co.uk/section52452_7493.html

Igor, When looking through the camera, the variables at play are the lens, the mirror, the viewscreen, the prism, the eyepiece lens and your perception. Check each in turn as far as possible. Place the lens down on white paper and check the color of the paper inside the lens against that outside it. Ditto the eyepiece lens. Check the color of white light reflected off the mirror. I once noticed, when comparing the view through two different cameras, that one view appeared yellower than the other. I swapped the lenses and had to attribute it to the prism glass. Using out of date Velvia to judge colors is iffy. Instead, use a more neutral transparency film such as Provia. Change between different lenses on the same roll. Compare these with shots taken with another camera system on the same batch of film developed in the same chemistry. Pentax lenses are known for a pleasing color pallete, so expect factors other than the lens. Beware of your perception being influenced by what you expect to see.

Puya, I've read good things about the Fuji FP100B and Fuji FP100C instant films for B&W and color, respectively. The Fuji website has PDF data sheets on them.

I agree with both Stuart and Mike that a service centre is a much better way to correct the problem. When the rangefinder is in alignment, the two images snap into focus in a reassuring manner not too far short of a microprism aid in an older SLR.

 

On a close read of the DIY instructions that I posted above, I'm puzzled by the two adjustments that can be made. One screw is said to be for infinity adjustment, the other for horizontal adjustment. I would have thought that the horizontal adjustment is made at an infinity distance setting. Does one of the screws adjust the vertical alignment? Perhaps someone who has carried out the adjustment can post a clarification.

Here's the procedure. The Mamiya technician wrote:

 

Your comments on being informed on user serviceability are valid, and I would like to address them. As a photojournalist and old Leica user, I understand and appreciate many concerns voiced about being able to adjust the rangefinder under extreme conditions.

 

I will review the adjustment possibilities of the Mamiya 7 RF with the EXPRESS WARNING that the camera rangefinder assembly CAN BE DAMAGED if adjustment is not properly performed. The following information is shared WITH THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND ACCEPTANCE BY THE CAMERA OWNER THAT THERE IS NO LIABILITY OR WARRANTY IMPLIED BY MAMIYA OP, OR ANY OF THEIR AGENTS, AND THAT IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO SERVICE ANY MAMIYA PRODUCT BY ANY OWNER.

 

If a camera is under warranty, we note that you should send the camera to us, because any user serviceability would void the warranty.

Now that I hope our concerns are clear, on to the information requested in the above forum postings:

 

The plastic cap at the back of the Mamiya 7 top plate must be removed (you might use an Exacto knife)with care being taken not to cut the body cover (NOT A GOOD THING). We use a bit of sealant adhesive to secure the cover.

You might need to replace it with a new plug (cost from Mamiya America Corp $2.00 USD.) after adjustment is made, because you may cut or damage the plug.

Once removed, there are two screws visible. This is where the delicate part comes in. To service it properly, we remove the entire top cover and all related parts, which is one reason for the amount of our repair charges on RF adjustment. CAUTION In the field, this is neither desirable nor practical and DEFINITELY NOT for a consumer to perform.

Once the two screws are visible, the bottom one is for infinity adjustment (screwed into a brass looking part) and the top for horizontal image alignment (chrome on chrome). CAUTION You may see a shielded wire, which you SHOULD NOT TOUCH as it may be easy to cut or damage it. Then you WILL NEED to send the camera in for the top plate to be removed and the wire replaced.

Both screws are very sensitive and are secured with a type of "lock tight" adhesive. DO ONE ADJUSTMENT AT A TIME.

You first need to loosen the adhesive with a solvent like acetone. CAUTION This should be ideally applied SPARINGLY with a needle, and acetone should be used sparingly and not come in contact with anything especially the body cover. It will remove paint.

Once the screw adhesive is loosened ( DO ONE AT A TIME ) VERY CAREFULLY USE THE APPROPRIATE SIZE SCREW DRIVER. CAUTION A wrong size stripped or bent driver head MAY DAMAGE the screw.

CAUTION For infinity, the eccentric screw is very sensitive, and probably needs VERY SLIGHT ADJUSTMENT . You probably need LESS THAN ONE QUARTER turn for adjustment.

Once adjusted, you need to re-seal the screw with A TINY AMOUNT of Loctite.

For RF image horizontal alignment, the top screw needs to be loosed in the same manner as above. USE VERY GENTLE adjustment as above, because turning it TOO FAR can DAMAGE THE ENTIRE RF assembly as there are sensitive and some NON-MOVING parts directly connected to the screw. DAMAGING THIS MEANS YOU NEED A NEW RF ASSEMBLY. $$$$. This is why we DO NOT RECOMMEND USER SERVICING.

If you have any further questions, please e-mail us. I hope that this information explains what we do and why we do not recommend user adjustment.

I know many photojournalists who use and abuse the Mamiya 7 in the field daily, and who do not need adjustment as mentioned in the above forum comments. However, in an effort to be responsive, we have shared this information with appropriate caveats.

Hopefully, this explains to anyone who is in desperately in need to adjust their RF in the field what risks they are taking, and what they can do.

Puya, your rangefinder mechanism is slightly out of alignment in the vertical direction. Changing the aperture will have no effect on the mis-alignment, as you are not viewing through the lens. Perhaps the mis-alignment improves at times because you are shifting the position of your eye at the viewfinder. The vertical alignment is independent of the horizontal alignment, and can be corrected either by yourself or by a qualified technician. The DIY procedure was given by Mamiya USA in its customer forum and was copied by a number of websites before the customer forum was removed by Mamiya. Perhaps someone else can supply a link to the procedure.

David, my external viewfinders for the 50mm and 43mm lenses are clear. There are no fixed marks visible. However, the flare caused by point light sources is pale blue and ghost-like. These marks move as the viewfinder is moved.

 

Worn coating will likely be accompanied by lots of fine scratches, visble when bright light is reflected from the surface. In any case, the explanation offered by the pro shop is incorrect - worn coating does not cause chromatic aberration.

Mohir, when I started traveling with work I traded much of my Pentax 67 system for a Mamiya 7II and a few lenses. Both produce those big trannies and negatives but the Mamiya 7II is compact, lightweight, quiet and has less vibration than your Leica. The body with lens attached and two more lenses fit into a little Lowepro Nova 3 bag. All the lenses are first class. Check out the brochure buried in the Mamiya USA website for details.

Paul, I enjoyed looking at the website you linked to. If you look at the "Texts" section, you'll see that Joachim used a Pentax 67 with 55mm, 90mm and 135mm lenses, a Widelux and a Hasselblad X-Pan. And a tripod. B&W on TMAX-400, developed in D-76. The Pentax is certainly a "best buy" in part because the lenses are inexpensive, yet of excellent optical quality. The camera is easy to use, apart from the film loading which requires some practice, and robust.

Simon, a response on this question needs qualification. It all depends on what you want to do with it, what you are used to using and how adventurous you are willing to go. With the Mamiya 7II, you may well discover a different and hugely enjoyable way of working. No, it?s not the camera for studio portraits. Documentary, yes.

 

As for some of the limitations noted above, here?s my take:

 

Limited range of lenses? How many do you need? I have two wide angles, a 43mm and 50mm; both are wonderful and the best you'll find. The 80mm standard lens is great; people rave over the 65mm and 150mm and I find the 210mm very usable for scenics. Slow at f4? People forget that you can hand hold the Mamiya 7II at slower shutter speeds than an SLR because of the lack of mirror and shutter vibration. And you're not looking through the lens so the viewfinder isn't dim. And the lenses are very sharp at f4 because of their non-retrofocus (non-SLR) design. It won't focus closer than 1m, so if you want closer you'll need another camera for those shots. I find the viewfinder great. Of course you have to know that photos don?t have the infinite depth of field that you see in the viewfinder, but, hey, photographers are supposed to know that!...so you have to check the DOF scale on the lenses. On the other hand, SLR viewfinders show you the DOF of the lens when fully open and unless you shoot wide open all the time, that's not what you'll get in your photo, either. Do you really close down to evaluate DOF for each shot? The lens DOF guides, used with a 2-stop correction, are better than a low-magnification enlargement on a dim viewscreen when the lens is stopped down. How will you like the viewfinder? You'll just have to try it out to know. The Mamiya 7II requires thought in use and your response to it will depend on how flexible you are in learning to like some things to gain other things. Regards, Rod.

Of the Pentax 35mm lenses I own:

 

1) Pentax-M 20mm f4: Wide wide, very compact, very sharp, fun, but get in close and fill the frame.

 

2) Pentax K 35mm f2: Good for out and about; bright, plenty sharp, nice wide focus and aperture rings, somewhat heavy.

 

3) Pentax K 50mm 1.4: Good for one or two people in low light, nice wide aperture ring; somewhat heavy.

 

Douglas: There's no such thing as a Takumar 50mm 1.2!!

To add the good points above, I'd like to point out the flaw in this common assumption:

 

"in an SLR, what you see in the viewfinder is what the film sees"

 

That statement assumes that the SLR mirror, which has to flip up and down over the life of the camera, was set and always remains in perfect alignment. I've seen several SLRs with mirrors that were plainly lower on one side than the other. Without perfect mirror alignment, the light path from lens to viewscreen will be shorter or longer than that from lens to film. Result: Out of focus photographs from your perfectly focussed SLR lens.

 

That flapping mirror will also vibrate the camera during the exposure and blur the perfectly focussed image. It also requires the camera to have a mirror box, which bulks up the camera. So, as the first respondant said, SLR viewing has a considerable inherent cost that does not add to image quality, and often detracts from it.

Cao, My take on your questions:

 

1. Focusing distance: The 80mm and 65mm lenses focus down to 1m, so that should suit fashion just fine. If you're used to Leica M, then I doubt that focussing or framing accuracy will be issues for you.

 

2. Background blur: You'll have no trouble getting background blur with the 80mm lens at f4 or 5.6. With 6x7 format, often the challenge is getting sufficient depth of field. And the lenses are sharp at f4.

 

3. Build: The Mamiya 7 has a metal die-cast body and plastic exterior covers and shutter speed dial. So does my Pentax 67II. Yes, the large shutter speed dial on the M7II is too coarsely ribbed, so feels cheap, which I think overly influences some people. I haven't heard of any problems with the wind gears on the M7 or M7II.

 

You can down-load the M7II brochure from the Mamiya US website: http://www.mamiya.com/assets/pdfs/M7II/M7II_Brochure_English.pdf

 

Regards,Rod

If the P645 35mm lens doesn't provide the image circle you need, I recommend you try the P67 45mm lens on a 67 to K adaptor. The P67 lenses have their own stop-down levers, so there's your problem solved - if 45mm is sufficiently wide for your purpose. The 45mm is very sharp around f8-11. For an even larger image circle, there's the P67 75mm shift lens. Let us know how this works out for you.

It looks as if I was wrong on both counts. I was guessing that the 645 lenses have a spring-closed diaphragm like the 35mm K mount, rather than the spring-open diaphragm of the older 67 mount. As Audun and Danny suggest, it looks like you need a 645 to K adaptor. But why not save yourself the trouble and just pick up a Nikon 35mm lens (and retain auto aperture and metering)?

Indivar, you will probably reach more Pentax 645 users by posting this question on the Medium Format forum.

 

One short-term solution to your problem might be to undo the lens a few degrees after focusing so the diaphragm closes to the aperture selected. Others might know of a more permanent solution involving machining of the adaptor ring.

Read Mike's review of the ZI and Zeiss Biogon 35mm f2 lens at:

 

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/zeiss-.html

 

Reader's comments can be read at:

 

http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/2008/03/just-

posted-zei.html#comments

 

Rod