Hasselblad 500 and Mamiya RB67

[Sirius Glass]

Gregg, get back to up when you get your Mechanical Engineering Bachelor and Master degrees.

 

[Sirius Glass]

@Sirius Glass I have explained to you before why the "trick" is nonsense a while ago. My degree works fine to see through fanboi bullshit, thanks!

But not to understand mechanical engineering.

 

[BrianShaw]

Great... now we have a science vs engineering pissing contest. C’mon you guys... just do it... a duel... slide rules at 20 paces.

 

[btaylor]

I find my RZ67 amazingly vibration free. Whatever they did to dampen all that mechanical activity when the shutter button is pressed astounds me. I have a 16x20 print in my living room that I shot at 1/30 sec with the camera resting on my knee- so sharp. I didn’t think it would work when I took it!

 

[warden]

Not on the Mamiya RB67.

I don’t want or need any more cameras, but seeing that invention for the RB67 makes me want to try one!

 

[Neil Grant]

In reflex cameras, the mass of the body and it's inherent inertia seems to have been hit upon as the prime stability aid but don't we need to consider the acceleration of the mirror as more important? The equation for kinetic energy of a moving body is 1/2 mass x velocity squared. I think the RB 67 has the slowest moving mirror of any reflex camera. Sure it's a heavy camera, but it's also that heavily braked mirror that aids stability. Whatever, when it comes to hand-held photography - it's the 'governor'.

 

[Arthurwg]

Anyway, let's try to remember that "sharp" is not the be-all and end-all of photography. Robert Frank didn't seem to think so, and neither did HCB. Most great pictures don't come from "sharp."

 

[Donald Qualls]

Most great pictures don't come from "sharp."

While this is true, it's easier to get from sharp to "not that sharp" than the other direction. Especially in an analog darkroom.

 

[MattKing]

Within a wide range, I expect it has more to do with the operator and how the ergonomics and functionality suit him or her.
Hands are much more likely to insert detrimental movement into the process than mirror governors.

 

[ruilourosa]

i have and had several MF cameras, the only issue i had was with pentax 6x7 @ 1/30 and 1/60, but not by the level of what is described online.

i find most cameras quite balanced, even Kiev 60, pentacon six being quite quiet and balanced, mamiya rb is also quite good for it´s size and hasselblad very good indeed (hasselblad seems it creates a air cushion between the mirror and the GG)

Mamiya rb is just a pain to carry and is much better over a tripod, mostly like fuji 6x8 slr (to a higher degree).

One camera i really was not fond was fuji 6x7/6x9 rangefinder, the shutter was a bit violent even being a leaf shutter, another was mamiya 645 pro tl i bought new in 1998, the mirror slap was very intense, although it was a balanced camera.

i sold all mamiya rb and 645, also i sold the fuji 67 and i favoured hasselblad cameras and lenses... after i kept on buying things and got a bronica gs sistem and some pentacon/kiev stuff, also... a mamiya press camera that has some very very good lenses (the 100 2.8, the 75mm and the 50mm are among my favourite lenses, although the camera weights a ton)

weight for weight i think i would go for a chamonix or a shen hao over a mamiya rb, but that´s just me

 

[Sirius Glass]

Great... now we have a science vs engineering pissing contest. C’mon you guys... just do it... a duel... slide rules at 20 paces.

I will not duel with a one armed man whose hand is tied behind his back.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Well... we're not talking about abstract absolutes here. I think my original articulation was fairly accurate, i.e. those who move up to medium format for extra detail may find their handheld results with a Hasselblad disappointing compared to other, non-SLR medium format cameras, or to the RB due to its favorable physics.

So if you are so right, how come the Hasselblad Series V lasted for 50 years. Everyone is out of step in unison with you.