Mamiya RZ 67 Rodenstock Imagon 110mm lens

[artmaughan]

Hello Folks!

I am looking at the Mamiya RZ67 110mm lens that has the Rodenstock Imagon and was wondering if this was something anyone had experience with or know of any reason why this lens would not be worth it. Does the 110mm come without the Rodenstock Imagon? Which is better?

Thanks in advance!

Art

 

[tedr1]

Mamiya documentation that I have seen doesn't mention a 110 with Imagon, perhaps it is a customs lens?

This website has much for the Mamiya RZ http://www.butkus.org/chinon/mamiya/mamiya_lenses_accessories/mamiya_lenses_accessories.htm

and http://www.cameramanuals.org/mamiya_pdf/mamiya_rz_accessories.pdf

there is a 180/f4 RZ lens that has variable soft focus, however this is Mamiya's own construction and not the Rodenstock Imagon.

There is still information available on the RZ at the Mamiya Leaf website http://www.mamiyaleaf.com/legacy.html

 

[artmaughan]

This is great thanks!

 

[artmaughan]

I think what I saw was a 180/f4 RZ lens with variable soft focus that was customed built using the Rodenstock Imagon. You would need to stop up and also not be able to use any filters.

 

[MattKing]

FWIW the 110mm f/2.8 lens for the RZ67 is a really useful lens - relatively small and fast, and excellent performance in a slightly longer than normal focal length.
It is a "regular" lens - no soft focus functionality.
The lack of an equivalent version of that lens for the RB67 may be my only complaint about my RB67 system.

 

[Alan Gales]

Like Matt says, the 110mm RZ lens is an excellent lens. It's also the lightest weight lens for the RZ system. It was my favorite lens on my RZ.

Mamiya made two versions of the 180mm lens. One soft focus and the other a regular 180mm portrait lens. Stopped down, the 180SF becomes sharp. The Mamiya SF lenses come apart in the middle and you place a plastic "strainer" of your choice inside the lens. This strainer produces spherical aberrations that cause the soft focus. On a Rodenstock Imagon lens you place a strainer on the front of the lens to do the same.

Mamiya also made a 150mm soft focus lens for the RB67. It will work on the RZ but you of course have to manually cock the lens shutter.

Both soft focus Mamiya lenses are inexpensive on the used market if you want to try one. Just make sure that you get all three "strainers" with it.

 

[k.hendrik]

Like Matt says, the 110mm RZ lens is an excellent lens. It's also the lightest weight lens for the RZ system. It was my favorite lens on my RZ.
Mamiya made two versions of the 180mm lens. One soft focus and the other a regular 180mm portrait lens. .

110mm beautiful lens !
But: Mamiya made another 180mm ! the M180mm F4.5L SB(short barrel)together with the auto spacer NA703 27,5 mm it's a 180mm & without you can use it too. Focusing distance is then 2101mm > infinity.
greetings

 

[Alan Gales]

110mm beautiful lens !
But: Mamiya made another 180mm ! the M180mm F4.5L SB(short barrel)together with the auto spacer NA703 27,5 mm it's a 180mm & without you can use it too. Focusing distance is then 2101mm > infinity.
greetings

Thanks for the correction.

 

[Sunshine Superman]

I know this is an old thread but I will contribute anyway.

The Rodenstock Imagon modification for the Mamiya 180mm lens produced beautiful soft focus. The modification involved unscrewing the lens elements from the front of the 180mm lens. All of the groups come out together. The Imagon literally screws into the same place the original elements came from. The modified lens uses the optics from the Imagon and the shutter from the Mamiya 180mm lens.

The amount of softness varied depending on the aperture. The larger the aperture the softer the image. The Imagon did not have any built in aperture leaves. For aperture control disc were snapped on to the front of the Imagon. The disc had multiple openings with resembled “strainer” holes surrounding a larger hole in the center of the disc. There were several disc covering several aperture ranges.

It was the strainer holes that produced the unique soft focus glow of the Imagon. However, maximum soft focus was achieved when NO aperture disc was used. This also represents the largest aperture of the Imagon.

The Imagon is no longer manufactured. But if you can find one the results can be very beautiful. The late photographer, Robert “Bobby” Becker uses the Imagon on his RB-67 and another on his 8x10 Dearborf view camera. Bobby died in about 1987 but if you can find a copy of his book, “First Place, Best In Show” you can see many examples of his images created with the Imagon lens. I occasionally see copies for sale on Amazon.