Mamiya 645afd only good for studio work?

[u2slow]

I am new to medium format and i am currently researching Mamiya 645 afd.
In your opinion, is this camera more for studio work? is it ok to use it for everyday shooting. I hope my question make sense to you.

Thank You.

 

[Tony-S]

I think many people by the 6x4.5 cameras for portability. So none of them are "studio-only" cameras. Heck, I even haul my Bronica GS-1 into the great outdoors and it's a 6x7.

 

[Derek Lofgreen]

My F4 is just as big and weighs as much as my Mamiya. I take them both in the field without any problems.

D.

 

[Greg_E]

I don't think the AF is fast enough for pictures of certain types of racing, otherwise it should work for just about anything.

 

[Leighgion]

Whatever you're comfortable carrying is okay for field work.

I don't have an AF Mamiya, but do have a manual focus Mamiya 645 Super and all of its shooting has been out and about.

 

[keithwms]

I had a 645afd and a 645 pro, and I use them both in many different ways, they are very versatile. I'd definitely not call the afd a studio-only camera, it has many features that are very nice for the field. There are many super-fast lenses and high shutter speeds, and also a few leaf-shutter lenses.

The rb/rz are better suited for studio work IMHO than the 645s. 645 was probably invented for covering events e.g. weddings and such, that'd be my guess. But you can use all of these cameras any way you see fit!

In my opinion, the 645 pro is quite possibly the best deal on the market right now. Since I have the pro and the afd, I can tell you that I actually prefer the pro in many ways. Actually, I almost never use the AF on the afd, and anyway it only has one AF point and metering segment, so it's way behind what many 35mm slrs can do. The newest camera from mamiya has much more sophisticated metering and AF but it is very pricey.

 

[photomem]

I carry my mamiya 645af everywhere. I have some shots I printed tonight that I shot handheld in waste high brush on Saturday. It is definitely not a "studio only" camera.

 

[DanielStone]

great cameras, for studio AND field use. Very lightweight, and IIRC, they take AA batteries, another + in my book.

great lenses too

-Dan

 

[Jeff Kubach]

Hell I take my RB 67 out on the field with no problem!

Jeff

 

[polyglot]

No such thing as an "only for X" camera. If it works for you, it works.

People complain about the RZ's bulkiness and assert that it is "only for studio" - yet I use it 90% of the time outdoors.

 

[Curt]

My third camera was a brand spanking new Mamiya m645 with one lens, the 80mm and a bunch of accessories, the bellows hood, filters of all kinds, many inserts, focusing screens, handheld handle thing etc.. I did a whole lot of photography with it both inside and out. They, 645's, are an all around camera. Since then I got the 55mm, 150mm, 105-210 zoom and a Mamiya 2X tele-extender. I've got the black Mamiya case to boot.

Answer: The 645 class of cameras are capable of studio and outdoor photography.

Last year or so I bought an RB67 ProS and have the 90mm, 180mm and the 2X tele, several backs and stuff for it including a sheet film holder. I took it to a National Park and carried it on my Berlebach tripod for short walks from the truck. Any further I'd need some more back surgery but with the 645 I could take it with me all day long as I did in Paris. I took a tripod too but there were many restrictions so I did a lot of braced contemplated photography. It doesn't take much tripod for a 645, a carbon fiber would travel right in the carry on for air. Some thoughts of mine, good luck.
Curt

 

[dwdmguy]

What I found is that the AFDIII had a HUGE shutter lag and slow AF so I could not use it in the field with any good vibes.

 

[keithwms]

Tom, have you installed the newest firmware? It's supposed to be much better than the afd2.

 

[dwdmguy]

Yes I did, back in March. I believe it was 1.4
Better but not nearly as I feel it should be.

 

[keithwms]

You might try the next upgrade, but... even so, I am sure it's a pain, and I doubt the lag will ever get to the level of the 35mms.

Anyway there is a new body from phaseone (?), I wonder if it's any better.

Another solution would be leaf shutter lenses....

 

[removed-user-1]

Hell I take my RB 67 out on the field with no problem!

Jeff

I second that, I use my RB 67 outdoors all the time, and I've also used a Mamiya 645 super hand-held with no problem.

 

[dwdmguy]

I used my RZ67 in the field yesterday for family photographs. It's becoming a bear as it's a bit heavy around my neck but the results are so dang neat. Sometimes the viewfinder is a bit hard to see for focus in bright light.