If you are dependant on one camera whatever model and if it starts to malfunction your'e screwed.That's not necessarily a bad thing, after all, film itself is a limitation.
It depends on what you want to accomplish, if there are things you want to do that a 7 isn't capable of, then obviously its not the right camera, but if you can work within its boundaries, there arguably isn't a better alternative.
Hey APUG,
I think about this every day now... What do you think about the value of medium format cameras, and whether or not holding on to them will pay off? I only ask because I have considered selling certain models, to afford others, but I wonder if that will become a regret later on.
I currently shoot with an RZ67, GW690ii, and 645AF. Every day I consider selling all three for a Mamiya 7 kit. I feel like the benefits of all three cameras could be streamlined into one.
RZ - gives me the Mamiya feel, 6x7 format, 10 shots per roll, perfect.
GW690 - Rangefinder feel is great, big negatives, I love holding it right up to my eye, unlike the RZ.
645AF - Same with the RZ, it has the Mamiya feel, but the negatives seem small (I realize how spoiled that sounds) and I hold it up to my eye, it has metering, which makes it an adventurous camera.
The RZ is almost perfect, I cannot seem to put it down, but I tend to carry the GW with me as well, so I can switch to that eye-level style when I need to. It seems like the Mamiya 7 would combine these two cameras nicely, and give me a new level of quality that doesn't exist on any of these three models alone. The other key benefit is the weight. I would love to carry such a light camera, and get those 6x7 negs. The one thing I will sacrifice is the SLR factor. I DO love to see exactly what the image will look like, but I do love the RF aspect of my GW. Most of the work I do these days is nature, landscape, portrait, and I love walking great lengths, looking for stuff to shoot. The RZ is a big commitment when hiking...
I would love any thoughts you guys have, as always. Its more or less brainstorming, ideally I would just hoard all of this gear and buy more. My friends think I am insane for considering another film investment, when I own no digital imaging units whatsoever. I just watched a documentary about a photographer that shoots the Mamiya 7II and it was so cool, seeing the wide angle in action.
+1If I were you I would stick with what you have because you were raving about the 690 and super excited it when you got it, and that was less than a month ago, right? So if you're already thinking you'll sell it for the next piece of amazing gear then chances are as soon as you get the Mamiya 7 you'll start thinking about how nice it would be to have a 6x12/6x17 or a 4x5 camera
Ken Rockwell thinks it's the best camera on the planet, then goes on to bemoan how cheaply it is made. Your other cameras--IMHO--knock its socks off, and your RZ already has superb Mamiya lenses. I dunno about holding onto equipment as an investment, if that's a consideration.
If you're in love with the Mamiya 7, do it by all means: it is a system camera, which, when it's working, will do a fine job for you. My only concern is you'll miss the RZ down the road. It's an old story for us all. I just snagged an Agfa Ventura to re-enter film photography, but want to get my mitts on another Pentax 6x7, having come to regret selling it decades ago. The SMC Pentax 67 lenses are THE best for the format by any technical measure and the camera is built like the proverbial tank.
BTW, being a drummer as well, the forums in that milieu are rife with the same lament; "sold this for that, wish now I hadn't...".
It's your call and good luck--I sincerely hope whatever you choose works well. :munch:
Decide if your hobby is gear collecting or taking pictures. If the first, you will always find what you don't have is more interesting than what you already have. If taking pictures, you will change to figuring out how your existing gear will be used to take the picture. It is almost never both. One or the other will dominate.
This is probably the most insightful comment on GAS I've read. Food for thought.
That's in essence what I've been writing on this forum for years you have to decide your prioritys.Agreed
Decide if your hobby is gear collecting or taking pictures. If the first, you will always find what you don't have is more interesting than what you already have. If taking pictures, you will change to figuring out how your existing gear will be used to take the picture. It is almost never both. One or the other will dominate.
I'm going to disagree with "the most insightful post "some people have ever read.
Photography is a multifaceted hobby, and collecting gear and making pictures are not mutually exclusive. I think that this attitude comes from people looking for a reason to feel superior to others, as in: I'm a photographer, not a collector. Well, I'm both.
I'm not immune to the occasional bout of *GAS*, but ultimately like to keep my kit quite streamlined. I love the Mamiya 7II, but find it somewhat limited with the parallax issues, so my RZ67 complements it nicely when I want to make, say, a close up portrait. Depending on what I'm planning, I tend to pick one or the other for the day's shooting, just because my back doesn't like me to carry both systems at once!
YMMV, of course.
Yeap. While I agree that the OPs RZ, GW and 645 will do nearly every job ever needed by man on earth, that would be like saying that by using potatoes, onions and some meat you can make all the food you'll ever need to live. Where's the fun in that?
I always move kit around, I have my favourites and could have stopped 10 years ago but hey...why not.
Could anyone explain in simple terms how this parallax effect is getting in the way? I use a GW rangefinder, and I'm not sure if I experience the same issue.
If you like to shoot things that are somewhat close to you, like 3/4 portraits or closer, the viewing system sees things from a different angle and position then the taking lens. As a result, it can be difficult to frame your photo accurately - what you see ends up being different than what you end up getting.
At longer distances, it doesn't matter as much, or at all.
I really like this insight, and ideally I would own both, that may be the case someday!
Could anyone explain in simple terms how this parallax effect is getting in the way? I use a GW rangefinder, and I'm not sure if I experience the same issue.
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