RB67 pro s ?

mark · Dec 4, 2018

I tripped and fell over an RB67 Pro s with 150mm lenses on ebay for a really good price so, on a whim, I bought it. It will probably be crap but who knows. It has a 220 back and 645 back, I am pretty sure the whole thing needs resealed. I did see that there are reseal kits.

I am aware of the age but it is still younger than me.

I now need to find a 65mm C lens and 1 or 2 120 backs.

My question is:

Are there any quirks like if I cock it wrong the whole thing explodes?

MattKing · Dec 4, 2018

mark said:
I tripped and fell over an RB67 Pro s with 150mm lenses on ebay for a really good price so, on a whim, I bought it. It will probably be crap but who knows. It has a 220 back and 645 back, I am pretty sure the whole thing needs resealed. I did see that there are reseal kits.

I am aware of the age but it is still younger than me.

I now need to find a 65mm C lens and 1 or 2 120 backs.

My question is:

Are there any quirks like if I cock it wrong the whole thing explodes?

Its only quirk is that it will be a first step in a long addiction.

That being said, there are three generations of backs for the RB67 line, and the safety interlocks vary between the generations.
And if you don't fully rotate the rotating back to one of the two correct positions, it won't let you take pictures.

seall · Dec 4, 2018

Get hold of the manual and read up about changing the lens as there is a procedure for doing so...

https://www.butkus.org/chinon/mamiya/mamiya_rb67_professional/mamiya_rb67_professional.htm

lobitar · Dec 4, 2018

mark said:
I tripped and fell over an RB67 Pro s with 150mm lenses on ebay for a really good price so, on a whim, I bought it. It will probably be crap but who knows. It has a 220 back and 645 back, I am pretty sure the whole thing needs resealed. I did see that there are reseal kits.

I am aware of the age but it is still younger than me.

I now need to find a 65mm C lens and 1 or 2 120 backs.

My question is:

Are there any quirks like if I cock it wrong the whole thing explodes?

Pardon, but are you sure it's not a 180mm? I don't think I ever heard abt. a 150mm for the RB.

Theo Sulphate · Dec 4, 2018

There's a 140/4.5 and a 180/4.5. The 140mm is an awesome macro lens with floating elements.

That said, the RB67 Pro S is a wonderful and easy to use medium format camera that is rugged, reliable, and has lenses with excellent optics.

I'm assuming you have Pro S backs as well (they are labelled as such). Those are best for your Pro S body.

Yes, you MUST read the manual. The interlocks I can think of at the moment are for:

- prevent mounting or dismounting lens without body & lens both being cocked

- prevent shutter tripping with dark slide in

- prevent shutter tripping without body being cocked

- prevent shutter tripping if film not advanced (unless multiple exposure lever is set)

- prevent winding to next frame of film if shutter hasn't been tripped

- prevent removal of back unless dark slide has been inserted

Theo Sulphate · Dec 4, 2018

One thing I forgot to mention: focusing is done on the body, racking the bellows in and out. The ring at the front of the lenses is not a focusing ring - it's a depth of field gauge.

Lenses with floating elements DO have a fine-focus ring, usually positioned at the rear of the lens.

shutterfinger · Dec 4, 2018

http://www.mamiyaleaf.com/assets/files/documentation/RB67_Pro-S_v7.pdf
http://www.mamiyaleaf.com/assets/files/documentation/RB67_Pro_SD_v7.pdf
compare the differences.
the first version was the RB67 Pro

WilmarcoImaging · Dec 4, 2018

Congratulations. Agree with Matt that there aren't any significant quirks that lead to the camera exploding. Agree with Theo that reading the manual, or reading websites and looking at YouTube, can be beneficial.

There are two 150mm lenses for the RB system:

SF C 150mm f/4 --> soft focus, 5 elements in 3 groups, originally came with three strainer disks
KL 150mm f/3.5 --> non-soft focus, 6 elements in 4 groups

Theo Sulphate · Dec 4, 2018

One thing you may come across is a lens that doesn't seem to fit the mount - those lenses (lenses adapted for the SD or RZ? - help!) have a simple rubber ring at the rear of their mount that you simply remove and all is good.

mark · Dec 5, 2018

It’s an Sf lens. Never used one of those.

Theo Sulphate · Dec 5, 2018

mark said:
It’s an Sf lens. Never used one of those.

Right - soft focus. Great for portraiture, but not general purpose photography. Fortunately lenses for the RB67 are not expensive. I would choose C lenses rather than non-C because (1) C lenses are newer and (2) they have better coating.

Here is a photo of a non-C and a C lens side-by-side:

(notice that the "focus ring" on the C lens is not a focus ring, but for depth of field)

Marco Gilardetti · Dec 5, 2018

mark said:
Are there any quirks like if I cock it wrong the whole thing explodes?

Not only it will not explode, but if you don't do the right things in the right sequence you won't be even able to blank test the shutter operation. I also recommend reading the manual carefully!

You don't really need to seek for 120 backs: the 220 back that will come with the camera is perfectly usable with 120 film, as covered countless times on this forum. Just remember that after the 12th exposure the film is over.

150mm soft focus lenses should come with a set of circular drilled diffusion discs that look somewhat as tea strainers. Where they in the kit you bought? Otherwise you will possibly get only the one which is kept inside the lens (supposed that one is in there).

Congratulations with your purchase, you have in your hands one of the most impressive cameras ever made.

mark · Dec 5, 2018

I don't have the camera in hand yet but the screens were not mentioned in the add.

As for the lenses I was looking and there are a lot of C lenses out there but it seems the good ones also say for Pro SD. Based on a lot of descriptions it is pretty clear that these are being offered by folks who are not photographers, In my limited reading it looks like the lenses for the SD model are not compatible with the S model. What is the difference, and how, based on pics, can I tell if I am looking at a lens for an S as opposed to SD?

David Brown · Dec 5, 2018

Marco Gilardetti said:
You don't really need to seek for 120 backs: the 220 back that will come with the camera is perfectly usable with 120 film, as covered countless times on this forum. Just remember that after the 12th exposure the film is over.

Actually, the 10th exposure ...

MattKing · Dec 5, 2018

mark said:
I don't have the camera in hand yet but the screens were not mentioned in the add.

As for the lenses I was looking and there are a lot of C lenses out there but it seems the good ones also say for Pro SD. Based on a lot of descriptions it is pretty clear that these are being offered by folks who are not photographers, In my limited reading it looks like the lenses for the SD model are not compatible with the S model. What is the difference, and how, based on pics, can I tell if I am looking at a lens for an S as opposed to SD?

With a couple of rare exceptions (the 500mm APO/L being an example), the lenses that came out at the same time or after the Pro SD (the K/L lenses) will work fine on a Pro S. They came with an "adapter" (lens mounting ring) which is really more of an aid than an absolute necessity.
The lens mount is the same, but the size of the throat outside that mount is larger on the Pro SD (and the RZ models), so the older lenses benefit from having something to fill that extra space in the larger throat.
The newer lenses work fine on the older bodies - just remove the accompanying lens mounting ring.
You may find the Reznitsky compatibility chart to be of help: http://www.reznitsky.info/Mamiya/Comchart.htm

mark · Dec 5, 2018

MattKing said:
The lens mount is the same, but the size of the throat outside that mount is larger on the Pro SD (and the RZ models), so the older lenses benefit from having something to fill that extra space in the larger throat.
The newer lenses work fine on the older bodies - just remove the accompanying lens mounting ring.

I'm a little confused. If I read you right the mounts are the same. it is the C lenses for the SD that have the ring and it comes off? Or do I need to put one on?

tedr1 · Dec 5, 2018

The 150mm SF provides soft focus under your control which you preview in the viewfinder. It is an f4 lens, at f5.6 the soft focus effect is reduced and at f8 it is gone, the lens becomes a regular sharp-all-over 150mm lens.

WilmarcoImaging · Dec 5, 2018

All lenses work on a Pro SD.

Non-C and C lenses work on all bodies.

When the adapter ring is removed, most KL and APO lenses work on Pro, Pro S and Pro SD bodies. Exceptions, to my understanding, are that the 75mm shift and 500 APO lenses will not work on Pro or Pro S bodies, because there is no adapter ring to remove. These lenses have larger rear element diameters and require the larger throat diameter that only the Pro SD has.

This link as a lens compatibility chart: https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/mamiya-rb67-k-l-127mm-l-lens-works-on-rb-pro-sd.269541/

narsuitus · Dec 5, 2018

lobitar said:
Pardon, but are you sure it's not a 180mm? I don't think I ever heard abt. a 150mm for the RB.

The Mamiya 150mm f/4 lens (mounted on camera in image below) comes with three soft focus discs that work well when shooting portraits.

RB67 Portrait Kit by Narsuitus, on Flickr

mark · Dec 5, 2018

Thank you @MattKing and @WilmarcoImaging. Those links and explanations have helped a lot.

mark · Dec 5, 2018

narsuitus said:
The Mamiya 150mm f/4 lens (mounted on camera in image below) comes with three soft focus discs that work well when shooting portraits.

RB67 Portrait Kit by Narsuitus, on Flickr

How do those disks attach. They sure are small. Do they go on the rear?

narsuitus · Dec 5, 2018

mark said:
My question is:

Are there any quirks like if I cock it wrong the whole thing explodes?

Before you shoot anything important, put a test roll through each film back to make sure there are no light leaks. I discovered a major light leak near the hinge of several backs.

Also, thoroughly clean each back to remove dust.

RB67 Light Leak by Narsuitus, on Flickr

Jim Andrada · Dec 5, 2018

The RB67 is one of the most versatile cameras you can find. I have an adapter for it that lets me mount my LF lenses in Technika boards - at the moment I have a nice Dagor on it. I've used the 150 soft focus - but if you like SF Reinhold Schable makes a simple Wollaston meniscus lens for the RB family. It's also one of the heaviest MF cameras around - lighter than a Fuji 680 but still a lot to carry.

narsuitus · Dec 5, 2018

mark said:
How do those disks attach. They sure are small. Do they go on the rear?

The front half of the 150 lens unscrews from the back half. A disk attaches to the rear of the front half.

The soft focus effect is visible at f/4 and f/5.6.

From f/8 through f/32, there is no visible effect.

Disk #1 had the least soft focus effect.

Disk #3 has the most soft focus effect.

Theo Sulphate · Dec 6, 2018

narsuitus said:
...
From f/8 through f/32, there is no visible effect.

Disk #1 had the least soft focus effect.

Disk #3 has the most soft focus effect.

So with no disks inserted, it's a basic 150mm lens even at f/4 and f/5.6 then, right?

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