Mamiya RZ67 help

[Zane Yau]

Hi guys

Now I have bought the following off ebay:

a Mamiya RZ67 Pro + 50mm 4.5 + 110 2.8 + 1.4 teleconverter with a 120 back.

I shot a few rolls with it already and love the details produced by this camera and the huge negative. This is a shot taken on Sunday with the 50mm lens:
http://www.pbase.com/zaneyau/image/73999545.jpg

I am thinking of adding to the kit:

1. another back - been looking at Keh - there are 6x7 and 6x6 backs available. I am wondering with 6 x 6 backs, do I get a cropped image in the viewfinder? you know where the black bit comes in like the portrait mode. And does that mean my wide angle lens is no longer wide angle?

Also can I use 120 films in 220 backs?

2. a telephoto lens, around 135mm in 35mm format equivalent

Can you please recommend a good one? Is it possible to use RB lenses on the RZ?

Thanks a lot for any input.

Zane

 

[David H. Bebbington]

Hi guys

Now I have bought the following off ebay:

a Mamiya RZ67 Pro + 50mm 4.5 + 110 2.8 + 1.4 teleconverter with a 120 back.

I shot a few rolls with it already and love the details produced by this camera and the huge negative. This is a shot taken on Sunday with the 50mm lens:
http://www.pbase.com/zaneyau/image/73999545.jpg

I am thinking of adding to the kit:

1. another back - been looking at Keh - there are 6x7 and 6x6 backs available. I am wondering with 6 x 6 backs, do I get a cropped image in the viewfinder? you know where the black bit comes in like the portrait mode. And does that mean my wide angle lens is no longer wide angle?

Also can I use 120 films in 220 backs?

2. a telephoto lens, around 135mm in 35mm format equivalent

Can you please recommend a good one? Is it possible to use RB lenses on the RZ?

Thanks a lot for any input.

Zane

I have RB67, not RZ67, but am virtually certain the masking in the viewfinder does not change for different magazines. The only gain in having a 6x6 magazine is 2 more images per roll, is this worth while? You can of course mask the viewfinder screen yourself (insulating tape is good, comes off without marks) and then crop the pix later. A 50 mm lens is still wide with 6x6 but not as wide as with 6x7 (50 mm mm on 6x7 is roughly like 40 mm on 6x6). For 120 and 220, you need the appropriate back. A 135 mm lens on 35 mm is roughly 3 times the normal focal length, the equivalent on 6x7 would be 250 mm. Only Mamiya lenses fit RB/RZ, I understand RB lenses fit RZ bodies but not vice-versa. Any Mamiya lens in good condition is unlikely to disappoint you, for more money you obviously get a newer lens.

Regards,

David

 

[Steve Smith]

Like David, I also have the RB67 rather than the RZ but I am assuming that the viewfinder masking is the same. The focussing screen has a couple of vertical lines marking the edges of the frame for vertical shots. When the back is rotated to the horizontal position, a couple of red horizontal bars appear at the top and bottom indicating the edges of the horizontal format for which you ignore the vertical lines and frame right out to the edges.

Therefore, with the back in the horizontal position, both sets of lines used together show the correct framing for a 6x6 image.

Steve.

 

[BarryWilkinson]

I have a RZ with 120 & 220 backs. You can only fit the correct film in these backs. I understand that the 6x6 back will accept 120 and 220 film but I do not have one. As David said I believe that some RB lenses will fit on an RZ. However I think you need two cable releases or the Mamiya double cable release to use them?

Barry

Barry

 

[David H. Bebbington]

This might help (I wondered why I'd never heard of the 6x6 back, the answer is that it was discontinued ages ago):
http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=003T1H

 

[Nick Zentena]

RB lenses will fit but you won't be able to focus as closely. You'll also lose the any automation. No auto exposure.

I think you could get a 220 insert and use it in a 120 back. Or vice versus.

 

[joshverd]

You can purchase 6x6 masks that just sit on the viewfinder, but they are kind of annoying, especially when using the rotating back function(gotta take off the prism or WLF and rotate...).

 

[David H. Bebbington]

You can purchase 6x6 masks that just sit on the viewfinder, but they are kind of annoying, especially when using the rotating back function(gotta take off the prism or WLF and rotate...).

No need to rotate with 6x6!

 

[Daniel_OB]

I have RZ-proII and I use 120 film in both 120 and in 220 back and never got a problem. 220 film is just tinner and longer, and 220 back counts more frames, has different pressure plate design than 120 but all of that no camera can undestand. So, no problem with 120 film in 220 back. Just take the film out after counter shows 10.
www.Leica-R.com

 

[Zane Yau]

thanks a lot for your help guys

 

[joshverd]

No need to rotate with 6x6!

Good point! I was thinking about the masks for 6x4.5. Hah.