M645 pro 35mm back.

tomalophicon · Feb 28, 2010

Hello,
Anyone know how to take panoramic shots using the 35mm back with a Mamiya 645? I have the back but in the manual it says you need a 'special accessory'.
Thanks,
Tom.

2F/2F · Feb 28, 2010

I don't have a direct answer to your question.

However, I will say that unless you want to use an emulsion that is available in 35mm only (say you love Fuji Press 200, 800, or 1600, or Sensia or Elite Chrome, for instance), it is generally just as sensible to run medium format film through and then crop while printing, as it is to run 35mm film through. Additionally, you get the option of adjusting your crop a bit if you want to, which in effect gives you shift like a view camera.

tomalophicon · Feb 28, 2010

OK so the only advantage to shooting panorama with 35mm is that i can use some films that aren't available for 120?
Surely there has to be some other plus to the 35mm back.

2F/2F · Feb 28, 2010

I guess if you are not set up to develop medium format at home, the 35mm back might help...however if you can do 35 at home, you can also do 120/220 by simply acquiring the appropriate reels and tanks.

If you have a stockpile of 35mm film in hand already, it could make some sense, or if you find a great deal on some 35mm film.

...but generally, when it comes to buying new film and loading it up, there isn't a notable advantage to shooting 35mm film in a medium format camera. Film is pretty much priced by emulsion area, and 35mm and 120 have approximately the same emulsion area per roll, hence approximately the same price. Additionally, if you use 220 film, you get twice as many shots per roll as with 135 or 120.

Ektagraphic · Feb 28, 2010

Maybe one would use a 35mm back if the only processing in the area they may be (or may have been) was 35mm or maybe they wanted the 36exp rolls?

tkamiya · Feb 28, 2010

If you ONLY intend to shoot panorama and a lot of it, then having the 35mm panorama back will give you cost and availability advantage. You can still buy 35mm lens just about everywhere but the same is not necessary true for 120 films. Even in the land of plenty, USA, 35mm films are usually cheaper than 120s.

If you use 36exposure films, then you also have the length advantage compared to 120s but not with 220s.

If you are going to print at home, do you have a proper negative carrier for 35mm in panoramic format? Unless you have a glass sandwich type or one with proper format, it might get a little tricky to print.

According to Adorama's catalog listing, 35mm panorama back came with focusing screen with proper grid-line for this format. Maybe that's what your manual is talking about?

flatulent1 · Feb 28, 2010

It seems to me there was also a darkslide with a long slot in it for 35mm pano shots.

Found it:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/33810-REG/Mamiya_211_417_Film_Back_35mm_with.html#features

wotalegend · Feb 28, 2010

I have an M645 35mm back which I haven't used yet, and I am not in a hurry either because I believe that Mamiya missed out on an opportunity in its design. The film aperture is just 36x24mm where it could have been up to 60x24mm. The "special accessory" for panoramic shots is a slide which is put in the normal dark slide slot but which has an aperture in it 36x13mm. Big deal! I don't have one and have no intention of seeking one. If you want to take panoramic shots with an M645 you are much better off cropping a normal 6x4.5cm shot. Better still, get a true panoramic camera which will take panoramic shots on 35mm film, such as a Hasselblad X-Pan if you can find and afford one, or a Horizon.

tomalophicon · Feb 28, 2010

Thanks everyone.
YES I have that darkslide. I had no idea what it was for but now I know.
I thought that I really could shoot on more than one frame for 35mm panos but if I can't I don't want to know about it.
Thanks everyone.

tomalophicon · Feb 28, 2010

I also have that focusing screen.

2F/2F · Feb 28, 2010

35mm/120/220 (in U.S.D. from B&H):

Fuji Pro 160S: 5.19/3.50/7.50
Fuji Pro 160C: 5.75/3.79/7.50
Fuji Pro 400H: 5.50/3.75/7.99
Fuji Pro 800Z: 5.99/4.39/7.99

Kodak Portra 160NC: 4.69/3.69/9.74
Kodak Portra 160VC: 5.79/3.99/9.76
Kodak Portra 400NC: 5.79/4.30/7.99
Kodak Portra 400VC: 5.99/4.30/6.59
Kodak Portra 800: 7.50/5.99/NA
Kodak Ektar 100: 4.35/3.69/NA

How many shots do you get from a 35mm roll using the 35mm back? 120? 220?

These are not Australian prices, but the relativity of price differences between formats should be similar. Now you can do a little math and see what you want to do.

tomalophicon · Mar 1, 2010

Thanks 2f. Interesting that 120 is cheaper across the board.
I suppose if I didn't have a 35mm camera or wanted to expolit the longer/better lenses of the MF camera I'd use the back. It's not the relative frames I can get but the difference in effect I THOUGHT I could get. But since the 35mm format on the 645 is quite limited it's not really useful to me.

M645 pro 35mm back.

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency