Mamiya 7 or 500 C/M for the casual film shooter?

[campy51]

I have both along with a Medalist II and someone wants to my my Mamiya 7. I got an exceptional deal on the Mamiya and the sale would result in a huge profit. I originally was going to sell it to fund a used Sony A7RII but after shooting a few rolls I really like the camera, but I don't think I need the 500 C/M and the Mamiya. Any thoughts?

 

[AndyH]

They shoot very differently, IMHO. If you like shooting with the Mamiya 7, you may not easily replace the experience with even the wonderful Hasselblads. I'm afraid that the prices of the Mamiya 7 have been increasing so rapidly that if I don't buy one soon, I'll never be able to afford one. I'm okay with that, but if you think you'll want to use it in the future, I'd personally hang onto it. There aren't too many alternatives in that format, and other 120 format cameras have very different shooting approaches. Mamiya RB/RZ 67s, Pentax 6x7s, etc. are all very different animals. I think that's why younger shooters have been "discovering" the 7 so frequently of late. As recently as a couple of years ago, you could find them in the $500-$1,000 range. I'd guess prices have more than doubled.

Personally, I've regretted selling gear much more often than I've regretted buying stuff.

Just my opinion, take with as much sodium chloride as needed!

Andy

 

[etn]

There are several points to consider here in my opinion:
- what do you prefer, rangefinder or SLR?
- repairability & spare parts availability : the 500 is purely mechanical, the M7 relies on electronics
- do you prefer 6x6 or 6x7?

For a picture quality point of view, they’re both outstanding, so it all comes down to usability preferences.

My 2 cents...

 

[Sirius Glass]

Before I finally bought the Hasselblad I had shot 35mm slrs for four decades and many years of shooting 6x6 with various tlrs. Once I put the metering prism on the Hasselblad, for me it was like handling a larger 35mm slr but with a much larger and better viewfinder and of course better optics. I have never looked back.

 

[AndyH]

Before I finally bought the Hasselblad I had shot 35mm slrs for four decades and many years of shooting 6x6 with various tlrs. Once I put the metering prism on the Hasselblad, for me it was like handling a larger 35mm slr but with a much larger and better viewfinder and of course better optics. I have never looked back.

The metering prism makes life easier and is more natural without the reversed image. But I actually find myself using the waist level more than the prism. Of course, I'd been shooting a Rollei for years so I was pretty used to the reversed image and waist level viewing. I like the prism for certain subjects, of course, but the waist level works for me as well. Add in the chimney finder and you see exactly why the modularity of the Hasselblad system is still unmatched.

Andy

 

[Colin Corneau]

You sort of answered your own question in the original post - "I really like the [Mamiya 7] and don't need both..."

Go with your instincts.

 

[campy51]

You sort of answered your own question in the original post - "I really like the [Mamiya 7] and don't need both..."

Go with your instincts.

I know what you mean but I have always wanted a Hasselblad and love the look and feel of it.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I know what you mean but I have always wanted a Hasselblad and love the look and feel of it.

You want it. If you had it, you would use it and enjoy it. You have spent your adult life earning money to buy things that others needed and wanted. Now is your time to get some enjoyment out of life, so go buy it.

 

[AndyH]

You want it. If you had it, you would use it and enjoy it. You have spend your adult life earning money to buy others things that the needed and wanted. Now is you time to get some enjoyment out of life, so go buy it.

The voice of temptation..... you should listen.

Actually, you should also listen to the inner voice saying to keep the Mamiya. You may not have the opportunity to afford another.

The voice you should ignore is the one telling you that these two systems are redundant and you only need one, just because they shoot the same size film.

Andy

 

[John Koehrer]

The Mamiya will more than pay for the hassenblatt, possibly with the 80 and another lens(50-150) good deal could get all three.

 

[moto-uno]

The Mamiya may be the better choice , if hand-holding is your preferred method of picture taking . The Hasselblad of course has it's followers
for many reasons . I too had a Mamiya 7 kit ( from which much money came and allowed me to purchase a Lincoln Tig Welder ) another hobby that
needed more attention . I hope I've added some confusion to your decision making ! Peter

 

[mshchem]

I know what you mean but I have always wanted a Hasselblad and love the look and feel of it.

Keep the Hasselblad. Sell the Mamiya and buy a cheap 6x6 enlarger. If you aren't going to print, sell it all and buy a nice Nikon D3 and a 135mm Nikkor DC f2 lens. Bokeh!

There's nothing that looks and feels like a basic Hasselblad w/ waist level finder, 80mm and an A12 back. Design perfection, IMHO.

 

[Arthurwg]

If you really are a "casual" shooter I would say the Mamiya. Very quick, easy and reliable to use and easier to carry than a Hasselblad. With my M7 I generally use the 60mm lens but the 43mm is wonderful if you need it. But it really comes down to the format. Do you want a rectangle or square? I love the square, and I also love the mechanical qualities of the Hasselblad. With the prism finder w/ light meter it really is perfect for me. And you really need only two lenses, the 60mm and the 120mm.

 

[etn]

There's nothing that looks and feels like a basic Hasselblad w/ waist level finder, 80mm and an A12 back. Design perfection, IMHO.

If only a 80mm lens and one back is needed, a Rolleiflex is a very nice contender!

Where the Hassy shines compared to Mamiya 7 and Rolleiflex is for close-up / macro photography. (This is generally true of SLR vs rangefinder or TLR, not specific to the above-mentioned brands)

 

[campy51]

I have decided to sell the Mamiya and will meet the buyer on Saturday. I would love to keep the 500 C/M and the Mamiya but the money the Mamiya brings in is probably better spent elsewhere.Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Does the image reverse on a waist level Hasselblad?

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

What about the eye level?

 

[AndyH]

Does the image reverse on a waist level Hasselblad?

What about the eye level?

Images on a view or press camera ground glass are both inverted and reversed, just as they are on the film. Images in the waist level finder are reversed left to right on all such finders. The prism finders provide an erect and properly left-right oriented image and are generally quite bright.

I've found that many photographers who just can't get used to the waist level view change their minds when they first use a pentaprism. I use both, and a chimney finder on the waist level as well (which makes it easier to fine focus in bright light). Coming from mostly a TLR medium format background, I adjusted to the Hasselblad much faster than I expected. The only things that took some getting used to were the slow process of using the depth of field preview (it's hard to go back to full aperture once you've stopped down) and occasionally forgetting to pull the dark slide! I know you're not supposed to have "favorite" children, but it's pretty much become my favorite all around performer.

Andy

 

[mshchem]

If only a 80mm lens and one back is needed, a Rolleiflex is a very nice contender!

Where the Hassy shines compared to Mamiya 7 and Rolleiflex is for close-up / macro photography. (This is generally true of SLR vs rangefinder or TLR, not specific to the above-mentioned brands)

Bronica SQ-AI and RZ67 II to name a couple more. Still the Hasselblad in it's simplest form lays in your left hand so nicely. CM allows the fitting of an Acute-Matte screen.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Images on a view or press camera ground glass are both inverted and reversed, just as they are on the film. Images in the waist level finder are reversed left to right on all such finders. The prism finders provide an erect and properly left-right oriented image and are generally quite bright.

I've found that many photographers who just can't get used to the waist level view change their minds when they first use a pentaprism. I use both, and a chimney finder on the waist level as well (which makes it easier to fine focus in bright light). Coming from mostly a TLR medium format background, I adjusted to the Hasselblad much faster than I expected. The only things that took some getting used to were the slow process of using the depth of field preview (it's hard to go back to full aperture once you've stopped down) and occasionally forgetting to pull the dark slide! I know you're not supposed to have "favorite" children, but it's pretty much become my favorite all around performer.

Andy

When I got my Mamiya RB67, it came with the waist level finder. The reverse image drove me crazy. I just couldn't get use to it. So I got the eye level viewfinder and found it no different to use than the 35mm SLR's I've used before. I also bought the magnifier that slips onto the eye finder for critical focusing. I still keep the fold-up waist level finder in my bag. I use it when I'm shooting low. It's easier to see through than trying to lay down and look through an eyelevel finder. Fortunately, the RB67 does not allow the shutter to release if the dark slide is not pulled. Good thing too else I would have half my negatives unexposed.

 

[Toasty]

I have a Mamiya 6 and a 501C, and if I had to just choose one it would be the Mamiya. The wlf is more limiting for compositions and the Mamiya is much easier to shoot at low shutter speeds (even though I doesn't have a f2.8 lens).