Opinions re: Mamiya 6 or 7 and Landscapes

Hi everyone! I'm looking for anecdotal experience y'all have with shooting landscapes using either a Mamiya 6 or 7. (I shoot primarily film and have shot 6x6 before and enjoy it very much; I know I'd enjoy 6x7 as well.) I've been eyeing them for quite sometime & want to dive in, but just wanted to hear your experiences and whether there are any tips/tricks/warnings you've come across while using them. Thank you in advance!

I am interested in this as well. I currently use a Mamiya rz67 and I use grad filters quiet often. Would love to lighten the load but I wonder how much versatility you give up with a rangefinder for landscape.

I have fallen in love with the Mamiya 6 MF. In fact I bought 2 of them, the 2nd was too good a deal to pass by. I have the "panoramic" adapter allows for 24x56mm 20 exposure on a 135-36 film. There's only 3 lenses, all work with built-in finder lines. The lens collapses into the body, makes for a very compact camera. The lenses are fabulous, these were very expensive cameras. I have a Fuji GW690III and Fuji GSW 690III, great cameras, make for bigger prints than you will get out of smaller cameras. I have a fixed lens G617, I love it too but with the 6x17 you need a 5x7 enlarger. If you stay 6x9 and smaller makes scanning easier, you can get by with a smaller enlarger etc.

You will find the fixed lens Fujis are plentiful and cheap, not as much as a few years back but still available.

mikayla31 said:

Hi everyone! I'm looking for anecdotal experience y'all have with shooting landscapes using either a Mamiya 6 or 7. (I shoot primarily film and have shot 6x6 before and enjoy it very much; I know I'd enjoy 6x7 as well.) I've been eyeing them for quite sometime & want to dive in, but just wanted to hear your experiences and whether there are any tips/tricks/warnings you've come across while using them. Thank you in advance!

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I bought the 6, the 7 (up for sale here), and the 7II.
You can't go wrong with either three. I prefer the 6 as it's just a better camera system for me. Simpler lens selection, foldable, and cheaper to boot. I find it's light meter to be miserable, but folks seem to like it.
The 7 + 43 + panoramic adapter brings you close to the Xpan @ 45mm.
The 7ii has the advantage of multi exposure which can be fun to get out of a creative rut.

RoboRepublic said:

I bought the 6, the 7 (up for sale here), and the 7II.
You can't go wrong with either three. I prefer the 6 as it's just a better camera system for me. Simpler lens selection, foldable, and cheaper to boot. I find it's light meter to be miserable, but folks seem to like it.
The 7 + 43 + panoramic adapter brings you close to the Xpan @ 45mm.
The 7ii has the advantage of multi exposure which can be fun to get out of a creative rut.

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The foldability and cheaper entry point for the 6 have been encouraging me to lean that way (plus just the simplicity of shooting square and not having to turn it on its side), but seeing everyone fawn over the 43mm lens for the 7 makes me want that one too, haha. It's encouraging regardless of which one I end up with to know that I'll get most, if not all of my money back if I try one out and decide it's not for me. (To that end, if the stock market goes my way I'll probably be back for your 7!)

mshchem said:

I have fallen in love with the Mamiya 6 MF. In fact I bought 2 of them, the 2nd was too good a deal to pass by. I have the "panoramic" adapter allows for 24x56mm 20 exposure on a 135-36 film. There's only 3 lenses, all work with built-in finder lines. The lens collapses into the body, makes for a very compact camera. The lenses are fabulous, these were very expensive cameras. I have a Fuji GW690III and Fuji GSW 690III, great cameras, make for bigger prints than you will get out of smaller cameras. I have a fixed lens G617, I love it too but with the 6x17 you need a 5x7 enlarger. If you stay 6x9 and smaller makes scanning easier, you can get by with a smaller enlarger etc.

You will find the fixed lens Fujis are plentiful and cheap, not as much as a few years back but still available.

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Thank you for the insight! It's been ages since I shot with Fuji & would love to add one back to the lineup one day.

mikayla31 said:

The foldability and cheaper entry point for the 6 have been encouraging me to lean that way (plus just the simplicity of shooting square and not having to turn it on its side), but seeing everyone fawn over the 43mm lens for the 7 makes me want that one too, haha. It's encouraging regardless of which one I end up with to know that I'll get most, if not all of my money back if I try one out and decide it's not for me. (To that end, if the stock market goes my way I'll probably be back for your 7!)

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Ah, you have hit upon one of the finer notes; The 43 is (more and less) the SWC field of view with slightly narrower perspective, coupled with a range finder and better focusing, but worse usability (dodging from one view finder to the next). The only reason I became interested in the SWC, is because of the Mam6@50mm. Which is glorious. Then I found out how the 43 is 'better' than the SWC. But the 43 is close to a 50 on the mamiya 6. Now I'm in limbo, you can't really win, there's no perfect camera.

Hi, I regularly shoot landscapes with my Mamiya 6MF. I have the three lenses and wondered about the use of grads (what with it being a rangefinder). To be honest, with the exposure latitude of modern films, it's not that big a deal and I've all but given up using them. ND standards are still useful though. I usually just use zone focussing, relying on the distance markings on the lenses. Also, make sure you get the lens hoods with each lens. It's lightweight, portable, easy to use and I thoroughly recommend this camera!

RoboRepublic said:

Ah, you have hit upon one of the finer notes; The 43 is (more and less) the SWC field of view with slightly narrower perspective, coupled with a range finder and better focusing, but worse usability (dodging from one view finder to the next). The only reason I became interested in the SWC, is because of the Mam6@50mm. Which is glorious. Then I found out how the 43 is 'better' than the SWC. But the 43 is close to a 50 on the mamiya 6. Now I'm in limbo, you can't really win, there's no perfect camera.

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I very much appreciate the firsthand knowledge, thank you!
(The closest I've ever found to a perfect camera is always the one I just sold. Sigh. )

vickersdc said:

Hi, I regularly shoot landscapes with my Mamiya 6MF. I have the three lenses and wondered about the use of grads (what with it being a rangefinder). To be honest, with the exposure latitude of modern films, it's not that big a deal and I've all but given up using them. ND standards are still useful though. I usually just use zone focussing, relying on the distance markings on the lenses. Also, make sure you get the lens hoods with each lens. It's lightweight, portable, easy to use and I thoroughly recommend this camera!

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Thank you for mentioning filters— I've never really committed to using them anyway & it's good to know the world isn't going to completely end if I don't fret over them with this camera. I looked at your photos & we both shoot Ektar 100 & Portra 400, so I trust ya!

I have both cameras. It probably comes down to the square vrs. rectangle for landscape. Oddly enough, I often find that I crop my 6x7 pictures into a square. But remember, the 6 is a bit more delicate than the 7, with film advance problems that are difficult if not impossible to fix due to lack of parts. The collapsing lens mount can also jam, requiring expert help. I do find that the auxiliary view finders for the 45 and 150 lenses on the 7 are a PITA. And yes, it's a good idea to use a hand-held light meter with both cameras. But I do think the Mamiya lenses are the best.

mikayla31 said:

Opinions re: Mamiya 6 or 7 and Landscapes

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I prefer the 6x6 for general subjects.

I prefer the 6x9 for landscapes.

I prefer the 6x7 for compromise.

I originally owned the 7. Great camera. Great optics but I did not get along with the 6x7 rectangle. A few years later I bought a 6 and love it. I actually own two bodies now with all three lenses as well as the quirky close up attachment thing which works well if you don’t mind guessing at composition. All comments about optics being the best are true for both the 6 and 7. The 6 is nice because there’s no need for external viewfinders. If you really like wide angle lenses the 7 might be better. I agree with the above that it really just comes down to format. Choose square or rectangle.

Also wanted to clarify the comment on the winder. Bob at precision camera in CA can repair the winders no problem. When I originally sent each of my bodies in for CLA he went ahead and replaced the winder parts as part of the job. Both of my winders have very nice action with no play. Just take it easy winding the film.

I shoot landscapes all the time with my Mamiya 6s. Click on my website link below. Any square images were taken with the 6.

Is everyone talking about the same 6? One folds; one doesn't. I suspect the OP is inquiring about the latter.

I have a Rolleiflex Tele 135 and had the Mamiya 7ii for a travel to Patagonia. For me 6x7 fits much better in my way of seeing and enjoying landscapes. I also discovered that the difference with 2:3 is much less notable than one would expect. Many of the landscape photo’s I make with the Rollei are cropped afterwards towards rectangular, whether portrait or landscap format. The Mamiya 6 or 7 is a well thought out concept, in fact the only MF camera with such a high level of build quality, that I find still doable in street photography. There is nothing redundant on it and you don’t need more options. The 43mm and the 65mm are great lenses, I’ve got two prints on the wall taken with the 65 and 50x60cm is no problem at all with FP4+, prints can even be larger with respect to grain and sharpness. It’s strange but this makes a bigger difference with 6x6 than I thought.

For the past few months I've been using the Mamiya 6 and 150mm lens, primarily for landscape photography. The camera is wonderfully light and handholdable. Film is easy to load and remove, and the resulting negatives are lovely - color, contrast, and sharpness are exemplary. However, the framelines are small and the rangefinder patch is very difficult for me to see when the light gets low. One might have far better luck with the normal and wide lenses, of course. Quite often I am at infinity, which keeps things easy, but focusing on closer subjects in lower light is no picnic! Overall, I prefer a SLR with WLF for MF photography, but the Mamiya 6's handholdability (this cannot be a word) and the beauty of the lens keep me coming back! Again: I've only used the 150. I've heard that the 50mm lens is the real gem of the series, particularly for landscapes, and I would imagine it's far easier to focus?

I think the M7ii is worth owning just for the 43mm if you're needing a serious wide-angle for landscape. When I had that camera the two lenses that were used the most was the 43mm and the 150mm. The 43mm has the external finder, which I would keep in my pocket to check composition before setting up a tripod. I really liked that. But the biggest selling point was the optics. Wow, just....the best you'll get on MF. Only lenses I've experienced that come close are the Fuji GW series and some select Hasselblad.

I will second the opinion that the internal light meter is 'meh' at best. I'd recommend a spot meter to pair with it unless you're shooting negatives with large latitude. Here's an example of a 150mm shot out at Chaco and a 43mm image from Canyonlands. The combo with Acros was my favorite as it was able to really resolve those lenses. Good luck on your hunt!



and here is the 43mm:

Ambrown31 said:

I am interested in this as well. I currently use a Mamiya rz67 and I use grad filters quiet often. Would love to lighten the load but I wonder how much versatility you give up with a rangefinder for landscape.

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the Mamiya6 with its 50mm lens is perfect for travel and landscapes.

I want to mention again that my experience with the Mamiya 6 has been limited to the 150mm lens. I imagine that with the other two lenses, the framelines are bigger and thusly easier to discern in low light? Also, I agree RE the internal light meter - it is so-so at best! This picture was taken on Provia.

Klainmeister said:

I think the M7ii is worth owning just for the 43mm if you're needing a serious wide-angle for landscape. When I had that camera the two lenses that were used the most was the 43mm and the 150mm. The 43mm has the external finder, which I would keep in my pocket to check composition before setting up a tripod. I really liked that. But the biggest selling point was the optics. Wow, just....the best you'll get on MF. Only lenses I've experienced that come close are the Fuji GW series and some select Hasselblad.

I will second the opinion that the internal light meter is 'meh' at best. I'd recommend a spot meter to pair with it unless you're shooting negatives with large latitude. Here's an example of a 150mm shot out at Chaco and a 43mm image from Canyonlands. The combo with Acros was my favorite as it was able to really resolve those lenses. Good luck on your hunt!

and here is the 43mm:

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Oh I just want to live in that second photo. Absolutely stunning. Thank you for the input!

Thank you to everyone who has chimed in so far! Your opinions & experiences have been super helpful. (Of course now I kind of just want to buy the whole lineup, haha.)

A recent image using the Mamiya 6MF - I find the meter to be pretty accurate (for my tastes anyway) and as long as you're a little careful about where you meter from, you'll be in the right ballpark - especially with Ektar or Portra. This image was Portra 400.

It really just depends on if you prefer 6x6 or 6x7, or if you need more specialized focal lengths that the 7 offers. The 6x7 ratio presents better on screens and prints. It feels like a shame to crop the 6x6 and if you print full frame it will look considerably smaller.

I have both and if you're traveling the 6 is a much better camera but for landscapes it's more of a preference thing. Using graduated filters will be difficult obviously but the lenses on both are fantastic. The meters on both are good once you get used to their quirks. MOST Mamiya 6 meters need to have the exposure comp set to +1 as they all tend to under expose a bit, and you need to shade the viewfinder when metering in bright directional light (the meter is in there). The 7 has a spot meter which is handy but where it's pointing will be slightly different on each camera. Mine meters a spot the size of the RF patch and is aimed directly below it. The 7 meter doesn't lean toward under exposure but the 6 is faster and has easier to read shutter speeds (they're much smaller and placed lower on the 7). The VF is larger on the 6 and is polarized (the 7ii brings back polarization). Weight is about the same. Supposedly the 7 has a stronger winder, you should be okay but just be gentle with both. Most of the stories of people breaking the 6 were from wedding shooters just blasting through rolls of film.

Which one do I prefer? At first I didn't like the 7, it really does feel a lot larger. We went to the beach and it got a little windy, I went to stow it under my hoodie like I normally do but since it doesn't collapse it was much harder to do, so I had this big cone poking my jacket out. A Mamiya 6 is roughly the thickness of an M camera w/lens when it's collapsed, so it'll fit in smaller bags or car storage bins. I'm starting to gel with it now and I like that it's a little more consistent to the 35mm aspect ratio and makes a good companion to 4x5. I have all three lenses for the 6 but the 50mm pretty stays on there full time, it handles a lot like a 28mm on 135. I only have the 65mm for the 7 but it feels more like a 35mm which is my favorite focal length, sometimes the 50 is a little TOO wide (they're roughly the same horizontally but the 6/50mm combo has more top and bottom).

Oh one other thing to remember, the lenses on these Mamiyas breathe like crazy. At close range the frame lines are super accurate but at infinity they only represent ~85% of the frame. So if you're shooting a landscape you'll have about 15% more in the frame than the lines show. It's just a compromise for the excellent distortion correction you get.

I must say that the images presented here as webversions, how nice they may be, do not fairly show how sharp Mamiya 6 or 7 negatives can be.

Toasty said:

Oh one other thing to remember, the lenses on these Mamiyas breathe like crazy. At close range the frame lines are super accurate but at infinity they only represent ~85% of the frame. So if you're shooting a landscape you'll have about 15% more in the frame than the lines show. It's just a compromise for the excellent distortion correction you get.

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All unit focusing lenses of the same focal length breathe pretty much the same amount (due to different placements of nodal points, I think there may be tiny differences close up, which doesn't happen with a RF camera). There's no way around that, they need to move the same distance to focus - which makes interchangeable lenses on rangefinders possible - so the change in fl is the same. Differences only come into play with internal focusing. Funny that even a lot of the people who review tons of lenses neither empirically notice nor theoretically understand that.
So one less thing to worry about!