How to be fast with an RZ67?

Hey, I just finished my first medium format roll. Obviously, practice makes perfect, but I was wondering if you guys have any tips for being quicker with a medium format camera.

In the 1950's a man was lost in New York City, and went up to a beatnik for help. The man said, "How do I get to Carnage Hall?"

The beatnik said, "Practice, man. Practice."

Not really. Repetition helps.

On my RB67, I can do most of the things necessary to remove the dark slide, advance the film to the first frame, rotate the back, wind film, re-cock the shutter, check the depth of field, release the shutter and after the last frame roll the film to the end without looking at the applicable levers, controls and buttons. All that "muscle memory" familiarity comes from repetition.
If you are going to practice something, I'd suggest taking a roll of backing paper (no film) and roll it back on to a spool, and then proceed to practice loading the film on to the insert that fits in the back - over and over - making sure you return the backing paper to the feed spool each time.

I suggest countrarywise to be slow and think twice about what you're doing, which is the "secret" for getting outstanding pictures out of that camera. If you need to be quick for one reason or another, that's not the right camera and I suggest you switch to another system.

RZ67 Motor wind and big muscles. Actually they are pretty inexpensive and are great for multiple exposures.
Faster film and more depth of field so focus isnt as crucial.

Eric De Santiago said:

...I was wondering if you guys have any tips for being quicker with a medium format camera.

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When I need to shoot quickly with my medium format camera, I do the following:

Use multiple film bodies (I use 2 to 4)

Use quick release tripod plates on my bodies

Use multiple pre-loaded film backs (I use 2 to 7)

Use an assistant to quickly change cameras

Use an assistant to quickly change film backs

Use an assistant to quickly change film in film backs

To avoid changing exposure settings, use a constant light source

I use it with the grip and the AE prism. It weigths, specially because of the prism, but handling is verter.

Run.

like Halfman I use it with the L-grip, the AE prism, and also the motor drive. IT's as quick as medium format gets, when equipped that way. Still quite handholdable, although heavy. But, you can compose/focus/meter/shoot pretty quickly if need be.

Don't hurry. Concentrate on what you are doing. Speed comes with experience.

Eric De Santiago said:

I was wondering if you guys have any tips for being quicker with a medium format camera.

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Use one with AF and auto-wind. Yes, I know, not helpful since you already own the RZ. Anyway, eventually you'll develop a rhythm. I cock the shutter and wind the film on my RB immediately after the shot so I'm halfway ready for the next one. If I'm shooting the same scene, I might recompose, adjust focus or exposure and then shoot again - maybe a few seconds. Different scene? Meter, compose, focus, shoot. It's never going to be a speedy process unless you are able to eliminate steps.

Ariston said:

Run.

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Well...drop the RZ and then run. It just slows you down.

From experience of birding and doing sports photography with a medium format camera. [Mostly a Mamiya C330 TLR, but the core concepts would apply to any camera]

Be familiar with all the controls and what they do, ideally without having to look at them if at all possible, and position your hands on the camera in a sensible way to use it.
Example from the C330, the 'safety dial' opens and closes a dark-flap for switching film, and locks the shutter. Being familiar with how that dial turns and is connected to the flap means that I can more easily walk around with the camera 'in safe mode', then quickly flip it to the active mode as needed without having to stop and carefully look at the camera. - I know where the dial is, I know which one I'm reaching for, and I know which way I have to turn it for the effect I want. Know the controls, know the locks and buttons and different modes the camera can be in, and know how the camera is currently configured before you go to take a photo. [If the RZ has one or more shutter lock buttons, then know where those are, and check what they're set to when you take the camera out of your bag or off the shelf. Then keep checking them periodically while using the camera to be sure you've not bumped one by mistake.]

Plan ahead, and place the camera in the mode/settings you expect to need in the very near future, and know what settings your camera is currently in. It doesn't help you quickly take photos if the first time you've considered what the camera's shutter speed is that day is at the moment when you're trying to quickly take a photo: Establish a 'base line' to work off of, the general ball park settings the camera is in while you're starting work, and then frame any needed changes off your baseline.

Knowing your baseline is f/16 and 1/500th for your film that day, then deciding you need to open up an extra stop of aperture as a scene changes [while not having to look at which dial you're turning] tends to be far faster than deciding you need f/11 and 1/500th and having to start off by looking at what random setting your camera was in last time you took a photograph...

This can also extend to how you focus the camera. Pre-focus is your friend! If you're out on a photo walk looking for birds, then keep an eye on how far you are from prime target locations, and what kind of focus you're maintaining in relation to that. The goal is to keep your camera in as close of a state to what you suspect to need it to be to take a photo. I've been getting far better at ball-parking focus on my TLR by feel before I even sight through it.

In short, know the camera, know the motions needed.

Sirius Glass said:

In the 1950's a man was lost in New York City, and went up to a beatnik for help. The man said, "How do I get to Carnage Hall?"

The beatnik said, "Practice, man. Practice."

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Al; Siriusness aside. Read the manual often. Practice making settings, loading and unloading film, adjustments, changing backs and rotating backs. Then go out take photographs carefully focusing, composing and setting up the camera. Take all the time you need. Enjoy the camera. Then speed will slowly come to you. Now go enjoy the camera.

In the actual shooting of the camera, the fastest way to shoot is knowing when and where the action will be. Be that a racecar or a family picture, be ready before the shot, know where it will be, exposure already set, focus already set, finger on the release.

When im shooing subjects with the hasselblad or rolleicord, I typically have everything already set and frame with the sports finder.

It comes down to practice and preparation (and knowing which knobs you don't need to use). Don't rush until you're familiar with holding (or rather how not to drop) it.

With my Mamiya 645 & Bronica SQ I take the dark slide out when I pick it up. I put the right lens & back on ahead of time, sort any filters out and generally keep everything as close to hand as possible.

No matter how good you get at loading & unloading film there will be the odd roll that just won't behave.

Even though I have used the Hasselblad extensively for over ten years, sometimes the camera will not take the photograph because I left the dark slide in place.

Sirius Glass said:

Even though I have used the Hasselblad extensively for over ten years, sometimes the camera will not take the photograph because I left the dark slide in place.

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It is a shame they couldn't have put a big red bar across the viewfinder when the darkslide was closed, like a sensible medium format camera does.

Sirius Glass said:

Even though I have used the Hasselblad extensively for over ten years, sometimes the camera will not take the photograph because I left the dark slide in place.

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Yeah, that happens with Hasselblads. You should have kept your Mamiya TLR. You never had that problem with it!

Siriusly, we of course all do that occasionally with removable back medium format cameras. Murphy's law.

Alan Gales said:

Yeah, that happens with Hasselblads. You should have kept your Mamiya TLR. You never had that problem with it!

Siriusly, we of course all do that occasionally with removable back medium format cameras. Murphy's law.

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Except the Mamiya TLR can change lenses but not film mid roll.

Sirius Glass said:

Except the Mamiya TLR can change lenses but not film mid roll.

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Clearly the real answer is that Mamiya's film holders just contained far more features than the pitiful ones Hasselblad shipped...

Who has time to attach a whole other part between the lens and the film back, when they could just put the lens straight onto the film back!?

Luckless said:

Clearly the real answer is that Mamiya's film holders just contained far more features than the pitiful ones Hasselblad shipped...

Who has time to attach a whole other part between the lens and the film back, when they could just put the lens straight onto the film back!?

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I would answer this but the question as stated makes much less than any sense. So now getting back to reality:

• Mamiya TLR have interchangeable lenses but cannot change film mid roll.
• Hasselblad, Rollei SLR, Bronica, and Mamiya SLRs can change lenses and film mid roll.

My camera's dark slides are kept in the storage slot, not the film back, except in two circumstances:
1) when the camera or seperate back is being stored or transported somewhere in my camera bag; or
2) when I am actually switching film backs.
I see no reason to use the dark slide except when it is needed.
In the case of the backs I have for my RB67, which lack a built in dark slide storage slot, I have a particular location in my camera bag that I reserve for just that role.