Opinions on Mamya 645 Pro

[Greg_E]

BTW, today I received an email from MAC and they have finally finished destroying the M645... They now have an all/only digital version, no more removeable back. First the viewfinder and motor drive became integrated, now the capture system. I sent them an email expressing my concerns about their fix to a problem that did not exist. I would never buy an AF because I couldn't remove the finder, I'm even less likely to buy this thing (and I like digital for many things). I see this new thing as a flop waiting to happen.

 

[mawz]

BTW, today I received an email from MAC and they have finally finished destroying the M645... They now have an all/only digital version, no more removeable back. First the viewfinder and motor drive became integrated, now the capture system. I sent them an email expressing my concerns about their fix to a problem that did not exist. I would never buy an AF because I couldn't remove the finder, I'm even less likely to buy this thing (and I like digital for many things). I see this new thing as a flop waiting to happen.

Which are you referring to? The 645ZD is not an integrated back system, it's simply a package deal on a 645AFDII body, 80/2.8 AF and the ZD back.

The ZD DSLR has been around for a while although it never became widely available, and it seems that Mamiya has chosen to pursue the 645ZD model over the integrated model, in fact MAC's website no longer lists the ZD DSLR as a current model, indicating that they've chosen the multiformat route over the integrated platform.

As to integration, some was inevitable, particularly the winder, which always was awkward as an add-on. I'm not fond of the lack of removable finders either (and was discussing this with a pro digital shooter a couple weeks ago, he was distinctly unhappy with the lack of waistlevel finder, unlike the Hassy H series. The H's have their own issues with excessive integration though)

 

[Greg_E]

If I still have the email I'll link to the new body, it is no longer a body and back camera, it's all integrated and they do not list the AF or AFD anymore with the ZD back. The 645ZD did not list anything in regard to film backs or exposure counts, and the pictures showed a body that did not look like the back came off. The only thing listed with the ZD back was the RZ Pro IId.

In that email I also chastised them for not making the ZD back work with the older bodies, it would have been a pretty simple thing to do with an external cord.

 

[mawz]

If I still have the email I'll link to the new body, it is no longer a body and back camera, it's all integrated and they do not list the AF or AFD anymore with the ZD back. The 645ZD did not list anything in regard to film backs or exposure counts, and the pictures showed a body that did not look like the back came off. The only thing listed with the ZD back was the RZ Pro IId.

In that email I also chastised them for not making the ZD back work with the older bodies, it would have been a pretty simple thing to do with an external cord.

They just updated their site in the last couple weeks. The 645ZD is the current digital 645 system, it is nothing more than an AFDII with the ZD back packaged instead of a film back. The AF and AFD are discontinued (the AF was replaced by the AFD, the AFD by the AFDII). You can just mount a 645AF film back on there instead of the ZD back. Yes, it does appear integrated, the two items were designed to work together seamlessly.

If you're talking about this camera:

http://www.mamiya.com/cameras.asp?id=1&id2=2107

That's the older ZD DSLR that has been discontinued in favour of the 645ZD package deal.

And the page for the ZD back indicates that they are actively working on compatibility with the older RB/RZ bodies as well as View Cameras, and considering support for the 645 ProTL. Projected availability for the RZ/RB's is around year end or early 2008.

Mamiya also continues to make the film-only 7II rangefinder.

 

[Greg_E]

This is getting pretty far of the subject, but they could also make the 7II a digital beast if they wanted to, simply add a back that triggers off of the flash connection like the rest and you are almost done. You would want a slim back though.

 

[JonPorter]

I recently bought a Pro body with prism and 80mm N lens on eBay and have been generally happy with it. I bought the Pro with the plain prism to avoid metering clutter in the viewfinder. It replaced a 1000s I sold several years ago after it developed erractic frame spacing. I like the Mamiya 645 because it's comfortable to use hand-held and has excellent lenses. But compared to the 1000s, there are three things I don't like about the Pro. The shutter release takes quite a push; not a problem for static subjects, but it takes some getting used to if you're following a moving subject. Also, there's no cable release socket on the Pro body. You have to buy a weird little cable release adapter that probably isn't available anymore and attach it to the electronic port. There's also no DOF lever on the body like the 1000s had; you have to shift the lens into Manual, where it stays until you shift if back to Auto. But those are minor querks. The only problem I've had with the camera is the dark slide is stuck in the film magazine.