Dawid Loubser
Member
Hello All,
Regardless of common sense, denial, and all other fruitless attempts at swaying one's intentions, why is it that so many of us (especially the younger photographers, who, once they had the money to purchase some decent photographic kit, did it all-digital) eventually find our way to medium format? Especially, old film-based medium format cameras.
I believe it's for two reasons: The one is to reduce ourselves to the photographic essentials, to reach a point where (usually) all earlier photographers started out with. In a way, to force ourselves to think about the image we want to produce.
The second reason may have to do with the tactile pleasure of working with a large, mechanical, imposing beast of a machine (or, in the case of a Rollei TLR, a rather smaller mechanical beast). To tame it, to make it function as a tool to express artistic intent.
There is precious little that I could not photograph with my Canon EOS 1D MkIIN, especially with the EF 50mm f/1.2L lens that is usually glued to it.
Yet, when the opportunity arose, I purchased a full Mamiya RB67 camera + lens kit - four lenses (50mm C, 127mm, 140mm Macro C, 250mm) and a whole range of accessories (different viewfinders, two film backs, extension tubes, etc). These kits are available for next to nothing these days, cheaper than a single middle-range Canon EF lens.
No disrespect to users of the wonderfully capable modern Medium Format cameras - the Sinars and the Rolleis - but these modern cameras often look like plastic toys! (as do so many modern devices). There is something wonderfully old-school and often-cantankerous about a first-generation Mamiya RB67 - it does not quite have the refinement of a Hasselblad from the same period; it has a more robust, industrial quality about it. It is solid, (very) heavy, and precise. The breech-lock lenses are adequately named, because the mount seems to have been designed to withstand the back-pressure of a gun. This stuff seems to be severely over-engineered - but may that's why this 38-year old camera still looks and feels so good. Though the mirror-slap (this is one of the biggest mirrors you'll find in any SLR) is very loud, it is well-damped, but when you decouple them (via cable release as in my photo), the gentle tick of the in-lens leaf shutters more than make up for it.
The Hasselblad is the finely-crafted (and perhaps finicky) Bentley or Rolls-Royce, whereas the Mamiya is the clunky, solid 1960s Mercedes-Benz that just keeps on going and going. That is the impression it creates, in anyway.
I have shot one test roll of Velvia slide film, and another roll of Monochrome. I unfortunately do not have a scanner, and furthermore - when I'm playing with analogue photography, wish do so fully! (the whole darkroom experience, analogue printing etc) so I currently have no means of posting any images here, but once I do so I will.
I can only say that the results - when looking at the huge 6x7 slides under a loupe - look wonderful. I fear that it indeed looks better than what I am used to seeing from my Canon Pro gear. I believe that one day I will be able to put a digital back on this machine, even if it requires a bit of hacking. But that day will come when digital backs' prices drop by a factor of five or so
Macro and close-up seems to be something this camera does uniquely well for its era.
So - this will not replace a Canon EOS 1D-series. I do still maintain that *no* other camera is made with the same fine craftsmanship, solidity, "tightness" and sheer functionality. (despite certain notorious german cameras giving the impression that they are, in fact!)
However, when a shot calls for some forethought, and when I just want to have a bit of good ol' fun, I can't think of anything I could buy for the same price as this Mamiya that will deliver to the same extent. I am hoping that I could do shots like these (currently limited maximum print size due to containing about 6million [very sharp] pixels) with a bit more resolution, depth, and sheer old-fashioned-ness Whether I will be able to capture the same dynamic range with good B&W film remains to be seen - this was a very bright day, and I really pushed the sensor output to the max to flatten the image's tonality a bit (the dark areas are rather noisy).
Just to be clear, the shot above was not made with the Mamiya, but it is the sort of thing I hope to achieve with it - if it could do this better than my Canon, it will have proven itself. Of course, with the Mamiya, one would have to had expected the train to come through, whereas the shot above was completely unplanned and a pleasant surprise. I don't think I'm going to go to breakfast (where the above shot was taken) with a RB67 over my one shoulder, and a tripod over the other!!
I believe different experiences are good - nay, that they are the very essence of a fruitful life - and I figured that since I regularly contribute to the Canon EOS camera and lens forums, I could add some experiences to the MF/LF forum also. I am especially interested if anybody else here also shoots a Mamiya RB or RZ 6x7 camera. Let's see some images!
Regardless of common sense, denial, and all other fruitless attempts at swaying one's intentions, why is it that so many of us (especially the younger photographers, who, once they had the money to purchase some decent photographic kit, did it all-digital) eventually find our way to medium format? Especially, old film-based medium format cameras.
I believe it's for two reasons: The one is to reduce ourselves to the photographic essentials, to reach a point where (usually) all earlier photographers started out with. In a way, to force ourselves to think about the image we want to produce.
The second reason may have to do with the tactile pleasure of working with a large, mechanical, imposing beast of a machine (or, in the case of a Rollei TLR, a rather smaller mechanical beast). To tame it, to make it function as a tool to express artistic intent.
There is precious little that I could not photograph with my Canon EOS 1D MkIIN, especially with the EF 50mm f/1.2L lens that is usually glued to it.
Yet, when the opportunity arose, I purchased a full Mamiya RB67 camera + lens kit - four lenses (50mm C, 127mm, 140mm Macro C, 250mm) and a whole range of accessories (different viewfinders, two film backs, extension tubes, etc). These kits are available for next to nothing these days, cheaper than a single middle-range Canon EF lens.
No disrespect to users of the wonderfully capable modern Medium Format cameras - the Sinars and the Rolleis - but these modern cameras often look like plastic toys! (as do so many modern devices). There is something wonderfully old-school and often-cantankerous about a first-generation Mamiya RB67 - it does not quite have the refinement of a Hasselblad from the same period; it has a more robust, industrial quality about it. It is solid, (very) heavy, and precise. The breech-lock lenses are adequately named, because the mount seems to have been designed to withstand the back-pressure of a gun. This stuff seems to be severely over-engineered - but may that's why this 38-year old camera still looks and feels so good. Though the mirror-slap (this is one of the biggest mirrors you'll find in any SLR) is very loud, it is well-damped, but when you decouple them (via cable release as in my photo), the gentle tick of the in-lens leaf shutters more than make up for it.
The Hasselblad is the finely-crafted (and perhaps finicky) Bentley or Rolls-Royce, whereas the Mamiya is the clunky, solid 1960s Mercedes-Benz that just keeps on going and going. That is the impression it creates, in anyway.
I have shot one test roll of Velvia slide film, and another roll of Monochrome. I unfortunately do not have a scanner, and furthermore - when I'm playing with analogue photography, wish do so fully! (the whole darkroom experience, analogue printing etc) so I currently have no means of posting any images here, but once I do so I will.
I can only say that the results - when looking at the huge 6x7 slides under a loupe - look wonderful. I fear that it indeed looks better than what I am used to seeing from my Canon Pro gear. I believe that one day I will be able to put a digital back on this machine, even if it requires a bit of hacking. But that day will come when digital backs' prices drop by a factor of five or so
Macro and close-up seems to be something this camera does uniquely well for its era.So - this will not replace a Canon EOS 1D-series. I do still maintain that *no* other camera is made with the same fine craftsmanship, solidity, "tightness" and sheer functionality. (despite certain notorious german cameras giving the impression that they are, in fact!)
However, when a shot calls for some forethought, and when I just want to have a bit of good ol' fun, I can't think of anything I could buy for the same price as this Mamiya that will deliver to the same extent. I am hoping that I could do shots like these (currently limited maximum print size due to containing about 6million [very sharp] pixels) with a bit more resolution, depth, and sheer old-fashioned-ness
Whether I will be able to capture the same dynamic range with good B&W film remains to be seen - this was a very bright day, and I really pushed the sensor output to the max to flatten the image's tonality a bit (the dark areas are rather noisy)."Fleeting Memory"
EOS 1D MkIIN @ ISO100, 50mm f/1.2L @ f/10
EOS 1D MkIIN @ ISO100, 50mm f/1.2L @ f/10
Just to be clear, the shot above was not made with the Mamiya, but it is the sort of thing I hope to achieve with it - if it could do this better than my Canon, it will have proven itself. Of course, with the Mamiya, one would have to had expected the train to come through, whereas the shot above was completely unplanned and a pleasant surprise. I don't think I'm going to go to breakfast (where the above shot was taken) with a RB67 over my one shoulder, and a tripod over the other!!
I believe different experiences are good - nay, that they are the very essence of a fruitful life - and I figured that since I regularly contribute to the Canon EOS camera and lens forums, I could add some experiences to the MF/LF forum also. I am especially interested if anybody else here also shoots a Mamiya RB or RZ 6x7 camera. Let's see some images!
