A Camera Diary: MF

Showing posts with label MF. Show all posts

What could be the best camera in the world ?

As a frequent reader of Ken Rockwell's work, I couldn't help but notice how intense he gets about the cameras that he likes. I very much like a lot of what he tries to teach people, about what makes a good camera, the tricks of marketing to make us buy useless features and overal, the idea according to which anything can make a great pictures. Gear just makes it easier or more pleasant to do.

But strangely, as there is no such thing as a perfect camera for all purposes, Ken states the best camera in the world exist in the shape of the Mamiya 7...

Well how about that ! A single camera to rule them all? It like people asking "what's your favorite song ever?", I hate those questions. I hate them because "it depends". It always depends, on the mood and other things. I have a dozen favorite songs of all time ever, same applies to cameras ! just check my previous post, that pretty much summarizes it all...hum...Ken has a point though.

What if I had to go with only one camera, for the rest of my life, what could this one be?

First it would be a medium format camera. 35mm...let's be serious there, and large format is too inconvenient. Also it wouldn't be a 645 format. This intermediate format is not the real thing, medium format shows great benefits from 6x6 up to 6X9.
It would have built in metering (duh !), because...well off camera metering is way to annoying on the go.
It would use interchangeable lenses. Including portrait and landscape focal lengths.
It would be somehow portable. That excludes the Mamiya RZ and other tank-like cameras and greatly reduce the scope of possible cameras.
It would be astonishing result wise.
It would not cost more than 3 000$ with one or two lenses, because it wouldn't be aiming at wannabe art hipsters willing to remain exclusive, with their Leica on the living room coffee table, although you can't seem to ever see a decent print of their "work".

What does that leave us with?

All Fujicas' are excluded: fix lenses, no metering. Too bulky for the GX680. Brilliant camera's though, but not eligible.

No 645, that limits the scope.

We are left with Hasselblad's, Mamiya 6, 7 and 67's, Rollei's TLR, Pentax 67II...

Hasselblad's and the Mamiya 67's are bulky, metering requires a big add on on top of it.

We are left with the Mamiya 6, Mamiya 7 and Pentax 67 II.

Now the Mamiya 6 and 7 are essentially different by the format, the 6 is square 6x6 format, the 7 is a 6X7 format. I do believe it's nearly impossible to sort those two from one another. They have a couple of major advantages:
- they are super small
- they produce amazing images
- overal they match all the criteria, but...

- they don't really offer good portrait low light lenses.

On the other corner, the Pentax 67 II:
- image quality is as brilliant, it's a draw
- it has a range of lenses allowing portrait & landscape
- it is rock solid but...

- it's very, very heavy and noisy.

The best camera in the world is one of them. As a portrait photographer, I would tend to pick the Pentax 67II for the 90mm f2.8 lens.
For having carried the Mamiya RZ67 on my shoulders while traveling, i'd pick the Mamiya 6 for portability and the 2 extra frames per roll.

Those would be the 2 best cameras in the world for me. And yes I know I had to pick one...

Since I already have a RZ67 I would pick the Mamiya 6. If I didn't have the RZ, I'd start with the Pentax, but in the end, I would buy both. Anyway, my point is: if I had to own only one, it would be a Pentax 67II.

Your choice should be based on your taste for landscape (Mamiya 6) VS portraits (Pentax).

Lens review : Mamiya Sekor 110mm F2.8

This is quite a niche product I'll review today : a Mamiya RZ medium format film body. Normally at that stage I lost 95% of you. However this is why you should keep reading a little farther:

It is the best you can get for portrait and studio.
It is the cheapest used >$1500 new, but a mint one can be found for $300 online without risk.
If you're a growing amateur looking for the next level in photography (which should be medium format film, I'll explain why in an other post), this should be in your top 5 potential target product.
You won't find reviews of MF lenses on most of the classic photography sites because well, digital sells so no one gives a damn.

Ok back to the lens. This is the standard lens sold with the Mamiya RZ, a studio photography reference. It's a bulky tank-like camera, but a wonderful machine for artists and portrait lovers.

It is equivalent to a 55mm lens on a 35mm camera.

I'll be very straight forward : this is the most exceptional portrait lens I have ever used so far. I could talk about sharpness (unreal), I could talk about the bokeh (sublime), and I will, but there is a subjective dimension to all appreciation, the image feel you get, and this lens perform terrific when it comes to that. See for yourselves (scanned at 2400 DPI with an Epson V700, I had to reduce the files since they are >20MO, 48MP equivalent !):

6pm window light at F2.8 1/60S

Let's be a little more analytical now. The most impressive part is the ability to perform the best at F2.8. It doesn't get soft at all, it remains as sharp as the sharpest thing you've seen, but the out of focus areas are smooth, soft, beautiful. For intimate images with that reserved feel, this is the one lens you need.

This is solid built, full metal, mine's quite old and nothing's shaky.

Some people mention a dust infiltration problem with that lens. I don't doubt it can happen, but I don't suffer from it, even though I took a sand storm with it. Be aware just in case you buy it used, servicing costs around $150.

I never review with charts, graphs etc. I trust my eyes and compare images. I don't give a damn if the whatever distortion is 3.4% or 3.5%. Anyway if you're a pixel junky you wouldn't be looking at film products :) The images should speak for themselves.

Pros : astonishing in low light at F2.8, crazy sharp, outperforming Leica 35mm lenses, cost the same price new but so easy to find for $300 used. Goes a classic MF body that cost $4000 new, but can be find used, in mint condition, for $600.

Cons: I believe it can suffer from dust infiltration in some cases (haven't had the problem myself). Hard to get serviced.

Recommendation:

If you have a Mamiya RZ, I bet you already have it. So if you're looking for your first MF gear, this gets interesting. Legendary Mamiyas like the 6 or 7II are aiming at landscape. They just don't have such a lens. The RZ is a studio classic, fantastic camera. If you like shooting studio portrait, or portraits in a set up stage (tripod, make up artist, and tons of stuff along with any photoshoot), this lens justifies buying the Mamiya RZ67. However you might want to consider these alternatives:

- Pentax 67II body has built him metering and large aperture great portrait lenses too. It's more pricey and not better, just a little (really a little) more versatile.

- Rolleiflex TLR: Great lenses, but this is in a totally different price range, but a results that is no better, if not, in my opinion, inferior.

If you get a Mamiya RZ system with that, for proper portrait photoshoot, you will never be disappointed, and often be wooowed by your own shots :)