I finally bought it.

rwreich · Jun 8, 2016

Yes, after a couple of years sitting on the fence, I finally bought a Mamiya 7ii to bring when light weight was a priority. Will I still pack my RB67? Yes... or at least, I think so. Now, if I could just sell that Pentax 645 system to recoup some of the costs...

HiHoSilver · Jun 8, 2016

If it treats you at all well, I'll be jealous as heck. That Mami 6/7 glass just makes me salivate. 'Hope its good to you & that you get mildly insane enjoying it.

Doc W · Jun 8, 2016

I bought one last year, after wanting one for ages, but I just can't get use to it. I still prefer the RB67! I may be just a little weird. I hope you have a better experience. How do you like it so far? What lenses do you have for it?

rwreich · Jun 9, 2016

HiHoSilver said:
If it treats you at all well, I'll be jealous as heck. That Mami 6/7 glass just makes me salivate. 'Hope its good to you & that you get mildly insane enjoying it.

Thanks! I'm sure I'll post about the experience after I've made some mistakes and after I've had some success, too.

Doc W said:
I bought one last year, after wanting one for ages, but I just can't get use to it. I still prefer the RB67! I may be just a little weird. I hope you have a better experience. How do you like it so far? What lenses do you have for it?

To be fair, it hasn't even arrived, yet! I got the 80mm lens to go with the 7ii because I figured that was a good place to start. I'm planning to take the kit with me to Chicago, next week.

rwreich · Jun 10, 2016

Just spent about two hours walking through a park with my oldest son and my new Mamiya 7ii. I have a few initial thoughts. First, this feels like cheating. I carried a light messenger bag and held the camera in my hand most of the time. My body was really wondering where the rest of the weight had been stashed (compared to the RB). Second, comparing the meter to my Pentax V and my Sekonic L398a assured me that the meter in the 7ii is excellent. Third, loading film was easier than I expected. Just don't ask me to do it as quickly as I can in my F100 Finally, I'm fairly impressed with the build quality, even if the camera body is plastic.

ColColt · Jun 11, 2016

It's a rangefinder? I haven't looked into the Mamiya 7 but once some time ago.

gone · Jun 11, 2016

Yep, a big ol 6x7 rangefinder w/ a sort of loose fitting soft plastic body over a steel frame. The lenses are very good, but too contrasty for my tastes. I Like older German lenses vs more the modern Japanese lenses. The camera and lens are much lighter than a MF SLR, but they are sorta biggish cameras. Not as bad as a Fuji though! Mine kept me busy readjusting the RF, as it would just not stay aligned for very long. Hopefully yours will do better.

dasBlute · Jun 11, 2016

awesome camera for street, great lenses, metering, and feel. now show some work!!

ColColt · Jun 11, 2016

All said and done, it's hard to beat that big negative unless you go to 4x5.

rwreich · Jun 11, 2016

I'm excited about the results... I can't show prints until after I finish developing my negs, but soon!

Also, the body does not feel flimsy. It's not a metal finish, but the "polycarbonate" is not bad at all. So light! I can't speak to the lens' contrast, yet... Just not enough experience to know. One thing I can say is that I'm feeling very optimistic about choosing the 6x7 format for work, as long as there's enough light.

ColColt · Jun 11, 2016

I love the 6x7 format. I've taken some excellent photos with the Pentax but it's definitely heavy...around 5 1/2 pounds with a 90 lens. It's not so bad if you use a tripod but carrying it around your neck for hours begins to wear on you.

rwreich · Jun 11, 2016

ColColt said:
I love the 6x7 format. I've taken some excellent photos with the Pentax but it's definitely heavy...around 5 1/2 pounds with a 90 lens. It's not so bad if you use a tripod but carrying it around your neck for hours begins to wear on you.

This is nothing like a P67... I'll post a video or something soon.

RalphLambrecht · Jun 12, 2016

rwreich said:
Thanks! I'm sure I'll post about the experience after I've made some mistakes and after I've had some success, too.

To be fair, it hasn't even arrived, yet! I got the 80mm lens to go with the 7ii because I figured that was a good place to start. I'm planning to take the kit with me to Chicago, next week.

I opted for the Mamiya 6 years ago with the 50,75 and 150mm lens it is a complete set of high quality camera and glass.It is s stunning MF travel camera and the Hasselblad kit can stay home;never regretted the purchase.

I finally bought it.

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