We’ve already covered a deep overview of the Mamiya RZ67 Professional system as well as a look at the system’s film holder options. &0183 &32 Welcome back to part three of this guide. The lens system incorporates a breechlock mount unique to the Mamiya Press, and each lens is mounted in a Seikosha leaf shutter.Lenses of fixed focal lengths from 50mm to 250mm were produced, all of which covered up to 2x3 film sheets, while the 127mm and 75mm lenses offered greater coverage necessary for the 2 7/8 x 3 3/4 inch images produced by the Polaroid backs.2019.
It’s rectangular shaped but the long edge goes vertically rather than horizontally. It’s a rangefinder but it isn’t very compact. This is surely my weirdest looking camera. If you’re looking for an attention getting camera, look no further. If you’ve read the previous two At first I thought I had everything I required, but it soon became apparent that I needed a lightbox (the iPad screen was too pixelated, despite covering it with a diffusing plastic cover), a 120 film holder, a blower and some white gloves to handle the negs with.Mamiya Press Super 23.
I found myself dropping two or three rolls to be developed each week. Meanwhile, the DSLR was at home gathering dust.The passionate love affair was, it turns out, a bubble waiting to burst. I could cope with that.Eventually I had a workflow that was beginning to produce the goods and I was simultaneously being swept off my feet with the process of using film. This was a steep learning curve, but with a strong emphasis on ‘learning’. Now I was seeing it everywhere. I hadn’t spotted it up until that point.
Mamiya 7 Ii Loading Film Professional Or Home
As I was going away with the kids, I decided to only take my DSLR so I could snap away and capture some memories. Yet with each roll I was regularly only getting one usable shot… and sometimes not even that.The final nail in the coffin for this intoxicating romance was hammered home during a shoot on holiday in Norfolk. That’s ignoring the cost of professional or home scanning.
The K1 is a R&D departments wet-dream, with everything you can imagine packed into that little black box. Producing the best images I can is (for me) far more significant than the equipment that gets me there.This discussion wouldn’t be complete without mention of my digital set up, the PentaxK1 and three FA Limited lenses. Whilst the process of making an image is definitely integral to my overall enjoyment of photography, this experience is rarely meaningful to the individual who views the final photograph. The cost was too prohibitive for that, so if I’d had the Mamiya I would have come home with a lesser image on the roll. During the day I needed to get something from the car, and on my way back I decided on one last sneaky shoot of the huts, which in turn delivered the composition that worked best.On reflection, I concluded that there was no way that I’d have worked the scene in such a manner with film. I got to work trying to find the best composition, then proceeded to spend the day on the beautifully wild Winterton beach.
That isn't of critical importance for my work so I genuinely cannot see me needing another camera (note to self: don’t read this in two years time, you’ll have egg on your face). I’ve had the camera for over a year now, and it’s only weakness seems to be the AF system. I can’t really seem to blow highlights, just like when I’m using Portra. Most significantly, I find the huge dynamic range of the sensor gives me the squeaky clean shadow control of the best digital files AND the astounding highlight control of film. With 36MP to play with, the resolution easily bests the clarity I can attain from flatbed scanning… that isn’t to say that a drum scan wouldn’t radically improve the film files, but then we are talking much more £££. It took about a week to set up (seriously!!!), but now that is done, I just have to turn one dial and I am ready for tripod shooting (with image stabilisation turned off, two second shutter delay, ISO100 etc), another rotation and I’m ready to snap pics of the littluns.The key component of the K1 is the Sony sensor within the camera.
Everyone I know personally who uses film does so because they enjoy the methodical process of using the stuff… and I experienced the very same kick. Same as putting a needle on a record. I hope you feel the same way about your set up too.Digital is far more technologically advanced, but there is an undefinable magic to film.
But I’ve also realised that I don’t have the time (with two kids) and financial resources (with two kids) for film… at this moment in my life.The question is, do you have the heart for film?So here are the pros and cons of shooting film as I see them: I have come out the other side of my film adventure with a much greater knowledge of colour management and huge appreciation for those that shoot film, achieving a consistent look that digital shooters can only dribble at. But when you get a fine shot from film, you have earned every exposed crystal of silver halide.Everything gear-related in photography is about compromise and you need to decide which tradeoffs you are happy to live with and fit your style best. Film is tangable, film is hardwork, film is serendipity, it has personality and at times it can be frustrating.
You just can’t blow your highlights on colour negs it seems. Astonishing highlight control. It would be an educational adventure into unknown photographic territory
Loss of some of the clinical IQ of digital - although depending on your point of view this can also be a pro.To sum up, it’s essentially all about those filmic colours that are giving me the itch I can’t scratch… and no, yoghurt didn’t work either.Despite pondering the move for some time, previously I’ve always decided to stick with what I know best. I’m just not sure I could cope with the wait for film to be developed. I’ll admit it now: I’m like a spoilt child after a shoot… I’m pant-wettingly desperate to review the results the instant I get home. I’ve already got a digital workflow that works and, most of the time, I get near enough to the results I want
I’m much better at sorting the wheat from the chaff before pressing the shutter button. I still often return home with about 100 digital images to process but now they are only of 6 or 7 differing subjects and I cherry-pick the best captures. Secondly, and probably most importantly, I used to return from a days shooting with 100 or so different shots on the SD card. Therefore where I was reliant on high ISOs before, now I largely shoot at base ISO even at night so we are firmly in fine-grain film territory.
I quickly honed in on a MF rangefinder as it would give me a different style of shooting and the lenses are tiny, even compared to most full frame DSLR glass. Medium format would tick both boxes but I also didn’t want a huge camera so it looked like the SLRs were out. I wanted great IQ, and something complementary to my DSLR.
Photom gave me the insider knowledge on the Mamiya (he shoots a 7ii) so I knew I was eyeing-up a fine piece of equipment. Tom Invernodreaming suggested I invest in the cleanest copy I could - this sounded like sage advice as I was going to buy a camera that is 20 years old, with few options of repair if something goes wrong. And best of all it seems to have some exceptional glass at the wider end of the scale - huge tick! The hunt was over.Thanks to the advice from two Flickerite Toms ( Invernodreaming and Photom) and my old friend Mark Heaver ( MrHeaver), I had what I needed to start browsing for the camera.
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