Tell me about the RB67 and its lenses

mark · Aug 10, 2016

I was bopping around on the bay and kept seeing RB67 bodies and lenses going for what I consider a pretty decent prices.

Any users out there want to give me their opinions of the system. If I take the plunge it will be for a simple is better approach. WLF, 2 lenses (wide and porterate) 2 backs

Theo Sulphate · Aug 10, 2016

There are eight million stories in the naked city; this has been one of them:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

(10 points to whoever gets obscure Weegee reference)

Alan W · Aug 10, 2016

I got the reference before you referred to it.

Kirks518 · Aug 10, 2016

In a nutshell, it's an awesome system, but it's not compact or lightweight. My body with back, wlf, and lens weighs in at roughly 8 lbs. But, if you want beautiful huge (relatively speaking) negatives, it's a system that's hard to beat.

And here's a plug for a fellow forum member: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

tedr1 · Aug 10, 2016

It is an obsolete professional camera system, very high quality. But pick carefully there is junk out there for the unwary and there are no factory parts any longer. The ProS body is the one to have. Lenses are slow compared to 35mm format. Get a back having low wear, getting a worn and faulty back serviced could be a headache. As a general guide avoid the cheapest items, they are probably worn and may be defective. You will need an exposure meter.

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Mamiya_RB67

PS as these cameras age the light seals deteriorate around the revolving back and the film holder seals, it may be a problem if you are shooting in direct sunlight. They can be replaced.

Wayne · Aug 10, 2016

mark said:
I was bopping around on the bay and kept seeing RB67 bodies and lenses going for what I consider a pretty decent prices.

Any users out there want to give me their opinions of the system. If I take the plunge it will be for a simple is better approach. WLF, 2 lenses (wide and porterate) 2 backs

You stole the title of my thread (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

cramej · Aug 11, 2016

It is a magical beast. For its size, it is a very smooth shooter. Its usefulness is not limited solely to a photographic tool as it can also be used for:

a hammer
doorstop
self-defense weapon
exercise machine
conversation piece
as a substitute for the sound of racking a pump shotgun
paper weight
manliness affirmation
boat anchor
cause of scoliosis from carrying it and 5 lenses, 4 backs and a prism finder on one shoulder (no I haven't had this experience)
source of frustration because 10 frames don't fit in sleeve pages evenly
jaw dropper when you see your 6x7 slides on a lightbox

My description may make it sound like it's heavy. Well, yes, it is. But I love shooting it handheld with the grip and prism as much as I like it with the WLF or on a tripod. One thing to remember is that lenses can focus past infinity so it is wise to check before you shoot if you're shooting landscapes. My 50mm (excellent lens) is at infinity a millimeter or two out instead of racked all the way in.

mark · Aug 11, 2016

Kirks518 said:
In a nutshell, it's an awesome system, but it's not compact or lightweight. My body with back, wlf, and lens weighs in at roughly 8 lbs. But, if you want beautiful huge (relatively speaking) negatives, it's a system that's hard to beat.

And here's a plug for a fellow forum member: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

That is a tempting advertisement, and I was just looking for opinions.

Your thread is 5 years old Wayne. You weren't using it anymore.

Question about the glass. As they get older are people seeing problems with the shutters?

Alan Gales · Aug 11, 2016

You might also consider the RZ67. It is a little lighter than the RB because it has more plastic parts. It is battery dependent for the shutter. When you advance the film in the RZ you cock the shutter so it is faster to use. The Pro ll backs were redesigned to eliminate the foam seals. Also the 110 mm lens is only available for the RZ. It is the smallest and lightest lens available for the camera. The 110 is also a peach! I had the 110, 50 ULD and the 180mm. The 110 was my favorite.

I've owned an RZ and loved it for portraiture. I used mine mostly on a tripod with studio lights. The 6x7 focussing screen is nice to focus on and I really liked the bellows focussing. It's very quick to focus. Just remember that not only are the RB and RZ cameras big and heavy. Most of their lenses are too.

With either camera, I highly recommend buying an "L" grip. I had one for my RZ and it made a big difference in the way the camera handled.

tedr1 · Aug 11, 2016

Problems do occur with shutters due to wear. I recently purchased two lenses from ebay (as-is cheapies) that had defective slow speeds. There is a way to tell from a photograph of the bayonet mount at the back of the lens how much use it has had from the wear marks. In the picture below notice in the center of the frame the black surface has been worn away exposing the bare metal and the original rectangular corner is rounded from mounting the lens on the camera. The more times a lens has been mounted the more this rounding occurs, and that is also a sign of how much use the shutter has had in the life of the lens. A lens may appear to have mint glass and casing but a worn bayonet mount shows the amount of use. A new lens has no bare metal and a sharp corner. This example has moderate wear, and a defective shutter.

Tony-S · Aug 11, 2016

mark said:
Any users out there want to give me their opinions of the system. If I take the plunge it will be for a simple is better approach. WLF, 2 lenses (wide and porterate) 2 backs

I looked it and the RZ, P67 systems over and decided to go with the Bronica GS-1. Modern electronic camera with the most compact size and weight.

Wayne · Aug 12, 2016

mark said:
That is a tempting advertisement, and I was just looking for opinions.

Your thread is 5 years old Wayne. You weren't using it anymore.

True, but I'm still using the RB I got with the great advice given on that thread. I'll pitch in and say get the SD backs so you don't have to change seals. The time to buy is last year;prices, at least lens prices, seem to be going up.

Moopheus · Aug 12, 2016

Wayne said:
The time to buy is last year;prices, at least lens prices, seem to be going up.

Really? Prices definitely seem a bit lower now than a few years ago when I put together my kit. And it wasn't very expensive then.

Wayne · Aug 12, 2016

Moopheus said:
Really? Prices definitely seem a bit lower now than a few years ago when I put together my kit. And it wasn't very expensive then.

It seems that way to me on a gut level, though I haven't been keeping track of numbers closely. I still think prices are quite reasonable for anyone who makes more than I do, which is everyone. It also seems that certain lenses are rarely available on KEH for example where a few years ago they were fairly common.

mark · Aug 12, 2016

Tony-S said:
Bronica GS-1

If we travel back in the wayback machine to when I was first seriously considering a MF camera (1996) I was told to stay away from Bronica because they were the bottom of the barrel. I respected the guy who told me that so I never looked at them. After a lot of research I am thinking he was just a camera snob. Why the GS-1 over the other models? You listed the systems I have been considering, especially the P67

darkroommike · Aug 12, 2016

The lens that gets the most use/wear is the 180mm (any), since it was used day in and day out in the studio. The cocking ring in the throat of the body has two holes that mate with shutter cocking pins on the back of the lens, if the body is hard used the holes may be elongated rather than round and in the worse case cannot turn the lens pins far enough to cock the lens's shutter. There are also leaf springs that support the film flatness rollers in the film back, another place to look for wear. Back in the day I always had a few sets on hand to swap into the backs and be advised that the later backs use a different spring than the earlier ones.

Tony-S · Aug 12, 2016

mark said:
Why the GS-1 over the other models? You listed the systems I have been considering, especially the P67

Mostly the size and weight (I do a lot of hiking here in the Rockies), leaf shutter, relatively modern electronics. The AE Finder has silicon meter cells, TTL metering, 1/8 stop shutter speed increments. Plus the usual stuff that the RB/RZ and P67 have. No rotating back, though. The 50mm and 200mm lenses are superb, and the rest are excellent. Very happy with the camera as it fits my needs.

Larry the sailor · Aug 13, 2016

Received my RB67 Pro in the mail today, Thanks Rpavich.
What a beast. Shot a roll of film through it for a function test. I'll develop the film later today but I'm loving this camera so far.
Only complaint is the factory neck strap. Holy heck, whoever designed that thing must have been a devout follower of the Spanish Inquisition, what a torture device. That neck strap may be the major reason this camera has a reputation of being a studio queen. With a proper padded strap I can see myself carrying this thing quite a bit.

Doc W · Aug 13, 2016

Larry the sailor said:
Received my RB67 Pro in the mail today, Thanks Rpavich.
What a beast. Shot a roll of film through it for a function test. I'll develop the film later today but I'm loving this camera so far.
Only complaint is the factory neck strap. Holy heck, whoever designed that thing must have been a devout follower of the Spanish Inquisition, what a torture device. That neck strap may be the major reason this camera has a reputation of being a studio queen. With a proper padded strap I can see myself carrying this thing quite a bit.

I would never trust any strap, including and maybe especially the RB strap. But I do love the camera and have used one for some time. My main camera is an 8x10, so by comparison, the RB is my point and shoot.

Larry the sailor · Aug 13, 2016

I gave the Mamiya strap and connectors a good look over and it seems plenty strong and secure, just damnably uncomfortable. On my "other format" camera I use a Black Rapid brand strap that lets the camera sling to my right hip when not in use. Worked pretty good today at an airshow. 35mm around the neck and other camera on the Black Rapid strap hanging on my right hip.

Larry the sailor · Aug 13, 2016

I am a happy camper. This thing works great.

Moopheus · Aug 18, 2016

Larry the sailor said:
I gave the Mamiya strap and connectors a good look over and it seems plenty strong and secure.

I had an Op/Tech strap for mine, partly because it had the right lugs. It was definitely strong and secure enough. But there's no getting around it--if you walk around with an RB67 on a strap, you are going to feel it.

flavio81 · Aug 18, 2016

mark said:
I was bopping around on the bay and kept seeing RB67 bodies and lenses going for what I consider a pretty decent prices.

Any users out there want to give me their opinions of the system. If I take the plunge it will be for a simple is better approach. WLF, 2 lenses (wide and porterate) 2 backs

I and others have written about these lenses several times, you may want to try a forum search.

In short, those lenses are EXCELLENT, pick any of them.

If you want wide and portrait (2 lenses) my recommendations would be the 50mm or 65mm for wide, and the 180mm for portrait.

flavio81 · Aug 18, 2016

cramej said:
exercise machine

conversation piece

manliness affirmation

jaw dropper when you see your 6x7 slides on a lightbox

I've given my RB67 the uses listed above.
I don't think it's a heavy machine once you get a GOOD strap.

I use a strap that bolts to the tripod socket, in this way it gets very comfortable to use. This strap also grabs you very tightly to the shoulder and the torso, so the weight is not felt so much.

Theo Sulphate · Aug 18, 2016

When walking, I just cradle my RB67 in my left arm with my hand around the lens. It is smaller and weighs less than a baby leopard, although not as cute.

Tell me about the RB67 and its lenses

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