Mamiya 7 portrait examples?

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olwick

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Hi,

I realize that the Mamiya 7 is primarily a landscape camera, but how does it do with portaits in a pinch? I know the lenses are slower than most, but does anyone have examples of portraits shot wide open with it? Mainly the 80mm lens, but open to others too.

Thanks,

Mark
 

jcoldslabs

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Here are a quick couple of uncorrected scans from prints. (I couldn't locate my better scans for some reason.) Both were shot with the 80mm wide open. I shot weddings for years with the Mamiya 7 system, and I love it for portraits, especially the 80mm. The 150mm can be tricky to focus precisely when handheld I found. It's great on a tripod, though.

Brandy-01.jpg




Brandy-02.jpg


Jonathan
 

SuzanneR

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A few examples... mostly shot at F4 with the 80mm lens. The only real limitation is not being able to come in really close... in other words, you can't do a frame with just a face. With that said, there is a close up attachment you can get if you want to fill the frame with a face, but it's a bit unwieldy.
 

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Pinholemaster

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Got two examples of portraits using a Mamiya 7II on my website.

This was shot with the 150mm: Dead Link Removed

Can't remember if this was with the 80mm or 65mm:

Dead Link Removed

Granted you can't get super tight, but this system is great for environmental portraits.
 

Rolleijoe

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When I was a wedding photographer in Maui from 2000-2003, I was using a Mamiya 7, with a handful of lenses. No problems with DoF for portraits, but shooting wide open isn't your only recourse. The distance of the subject to the background combined with a shallower DoF, should give you the look you're after.

Since 6x7 gives automatic 8x10s, that was the main reason I was shooting it, although I personally prefer Rollei 6x6.
 

Chris Lange

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If you're looking for a portrait camera in 6x7 that also excels at landscapes, you can have a look at the former king of that genre, before the Mamiya 7II took over, and that is the Pentax 67 system. The lenses focus close, they have a beautiful look to them (I am always in awe at the images I get with my 105/2.4 and 165/2.8), and the whole getup will cost you a good deal less than a Mamiya 7.

I don't know of any professional (well-known) portrait photographer using a Mamiya 7. Everyone I am aware of who uses 6x7 for portraiture, and either shot, or still shoots film is using an RZ or a Pentax 67 of some sort (Bruce Weber had/has more than 10 of them, my father had 3 or 4, and it was in the stables of many other fashion photographers' equipment, alongside the prettier Hasselblads and Rolleis)

Also, all that nonsense about shutter and mirror vibration with the P67 is bullshit, I've never seen it in my negatives or prints from the camera, and the only situation I can imagine it being an issue in would be if you were shooting on a tripod with a cable release at a shutter speed like a 1/4 or 1/15 of a second, without using mirror lockup. If you encounter issues outside of that, you probably need the camera serviced.
 

jcoldslabs

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I don't know of any professional (well-known) portrait photographer using a Mamiya 7.

Mary Ellen Mark uses one currently. At least I saw a video of her in recent months doing a shoot of circus people with a Mamiya 7. FYI.

Jonathan
 

Klainmeister

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Sorry, I'd still take the M7II over a P67 anyday of the week. Better lenses, weighs about 1/2 if not less, super easy to operate. I guess I also am a sucker for RFs anyhow.
 

ROL

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Hi,

I realize that the Mamiya 7 is primarily a landscape camera, but how does it do with portaits in a pinch? I know the lenses are slower than most, but does anyone have examples of portraits shot wide open with it? Mainly the 80mm lens, but open to others too.

Thanks,

Mark

I don't believe your contention is correct. The M7's were designed primarily as commercial/portrait/wedding cameras, although many, including me, use them liberally for landscape and other subjects. The camera can't give you a tight headshot, but has been used effectively to create stunning documentary portraiture. I believe David Kennerly used them in the Ford Whitehouse.
 
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