mamiya RZ 50mm f4.5 ULD vs RB 50mm sekor C f4.5

pollux · Aug 22, 2009

Providing I can access these two lenses for resonable prices and can find both new or slightly used, which one is the superior? is a new sekor C lens as good as the RZ with ULD glass?

just that, I admit to being nervous about the edge softness reported with the seckor C. I have seen bw photos with the RZ67 ULD 50mm and they are mindblowing. I might be able to save myself money on the seckor lenses with an RB.

Keith Tapscott. · Aug 22, 2009

Probably the Mamiya RZ 50mm f4.5 ULD lens.

keithwms · Aug 22, 2009

The rz uld is substantially better.

The rb 65 is excellent- one of my favourites. But unfortunately, for some reason, there isn't a 50 uld for the rb.

thisismyname09 · Aug 23, 2009

I never quite understood why Mamiya never made a K/L 50mm lens. They still produce and sell the Sekor-C.

bill spears · Aug 23, 2009

I can't argue about the quality of the RZ 50mm as I've no experience with it but I'm sure, as others are saying it's probably the dogs knees - at least on paper.

I've used a couple of Sekor C's for many years and am often blown away by their performance. I can't speak for colour work as I mainly do my own B+W, but on prints up to 16x20 image size it's often been a struggle to tell any difference between prints from a 4x5 neg and a Schneider Super Angulon lens or the Zeiss Plannar on my Rollei !

Obviously there are lots of other variables in the quality of handprints but don't dismiss the Sekor C's. The secondhand prices are irresistible aswell !! Alot of them have had hard lives but if you can find a good clean little used example you'll be more than happy.

pollux · Aug 30, 2009

bill spears said:
I can't argue about the quality of the RZ 50mm as I've no experience with it but I'm sure, as others are saying it's probably the dogs knees - at least on paper.

I've used a couple of Sekor C's for many years and am often blown away by their performance. I can't speak for colour work as I mainly do my own B+W, but on prints up to 16x20 image size it's often been a struggle to tell any difference between prints from a 4x5 neg and a Schneider Super Angulon lens or the Zeiss Plannar on my Rollei !

Obviously there are lots of other variables in the quality of handprints but don't dismiss the Sekor C's. The secondhand prices are irresistible aswell !! Alot of them have had hard lives but if you can find a good clean little used example you'll be more than happy.

does anyone know if you have to focus on both these 50mm, RZ and RB using a floating ring matched to distance?

marcmarc · Aug 31, 2009

The 50mm ULD is a fantastic lens. One just has to remember to set the floating element. This seems to be more important the closer you are to your subject. I don't think the older 50mm lenses have this. I do recall one of the 65mm lenses (maybe the KL) also have this feature.

polyglot · Aug 31, 2009

I believe the RB 50mm is optically similar (or even the same as) the original RZ 50/4.5. I had one of those (RZ 50/4.5 W) and sold it in short order because it has a lot of field curvature so you get terrible corner softness that stopping down won't solve. The ULD apparently (I haven't got one yet) fixes that problem - the floating element brings the plane of focus back to being more planar.

David R Munson · Sep 1, 2009

I have had both. I returned three different examples of the RB 50mm before buying the 65mm instead because it was just unacceptably soft all the time, at all distances and apertures.

In stark contrast, the later version RZ 50mm lens was one of the most brutally sharp lenses I've ever used.

mamiya RZ 50mm f4.5 ULD vs RB 50mm sekor C f4.5

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