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Archive 2013 · Mamiya 645 lenses

  
 
bluerunner
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Mamiya 645 lenses


Which of the mamiya 645 lenses would you recommend for a dslr? I currently have:
45mm f2.8
80mm f2.8
150m f3.5
200mm f4 N
105-210mm ULD

I am thinking about acquiring a 300mm f5.6? What ya think?



Jul 14, 2013 at 02:13 PM
wilco23
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Mamiya 645 lenses


I have 80/2.8,150/2.8 and 200/2.8. I am happy with all of them. Look for Jim's post on MF lenses. For 300, if you can get 300/2.8, I heard that it is excellent.


Jul 14, 2013 at 03:02 PM
JohnJ
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Mamiya 645 lenses


Consider the A 120/4 Macro, even as a general purpose lens. I don't have many images to post from it although I use it regularly for work rather than play. It's a very nice macro, at least as sharp as typical 35mm FF macro's, but when combined with the Mirex it gives you more control. It's probably the Mamiya lens I use most.

http://photocornucopia.com/images/Lenses/Mamiya/M120/IMG_3456_M120_F4_1000.jpg
http://photocornucopia.com/images/Lenses/Mamiya/M120/IMG_3836_M120_F4_1000.jpg

The 80/1.9 is sufficiently different to the 80/2.8 that it's worth considering.

With significant tilt (Mirex)
http://photocornucopia.com/images/Lenses/Mamiya/M80_19/IMG_5213_M801F9_1F9.jpg

Vignetting at F2.8 is much better on the 80/1.9 than it is on the 80/2.8. The value in the centre of each frame is identical to the value of the grey border.
http://photocornucopia.com/images/Lenses/Mamiya/M80_28/M_8028_Vig.gif
http://photocornucopia.com/images/Lenses/Mamiya/M80_19/M_8019_Vig.gif



Jul 14, 2013 at 04:45 PM
bluerunner
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Mamiya 645 lenses


Wilco- Thanks for the info.
John- Wow! Those are some razor sharp pictures I've never seen before! The mamiya lenses I bought on eBay are the older manual focus and aperture lenses, not the newer alot more expensive AF kind. I have yet to see a 80mm f1.9 or the 120mm on eBay.



Jul 14, 2013 at 11:25 PM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Mamiya 645 lenses


bluerunner wrote:
Wilco- Thanks for the info.
John- Wow! Those are some razor sharp pictures I've never seen before! The mamiya lenses I bought on eBay are the older manual focus and aperture lenses, not the newer alot more expensive AF kind. I have yet to see a 80mm f1.9 or the 120mm on eBay.


I just bought a 120 from KEH (EX with caps) for $310. It seems to be about the average from any shop with a solid return policy. They've still got a bargain copy for $225 without caps. I almost went for that one, but since it's the first Mamiya lens I've owned (though I've used the 35 C and 200/2.8) I figured I may as well splurge.



Jul 15, 2013 at 01:00 AM
wilco23
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Mamiya 645 lenses


bluerunner wrote:
Wilco- Thanks for the info.
John- Wow! Those are some razor sharp pictures I've never seen before! The mamiya lenses I bought on eBay are the older manual focus and aperture lenses, not the newer alot more expensive AF kind. I have yet to see a 80mm f1.9 or the 120mm on eBay.


We are talking about all manual Mamiya lenses and not AF. AF 150/2.8 is very expensive and high praised lens but AF lenses cannot use with 35mm DSLR.
If you are still looking, look for N version which has new coating. I also have 120/4 and 55/2.8N. I am lurking for 300/2.8 apo but because of the weight and manul focus, just back off. Bty I do not own any MF camera. All of them are used with APS-C.



Jul 15, 2013 at 09:51 AM
jcolwell
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Mamiya 645 lenses


Hi bluerunner,

Here's a recent thread with plenty of information on M645 lenses, including links to many past threads and online resources.

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1198679/0#11429244

Jim



Jul 15, 2013 at 10:02 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Mamiya 645 lenses


I've got the M645 150/2.8 A (manual focus) as well as the 80/4 Macro C (120's little brother) and also the 110/2.8 N and 45/2.8 N.

The 35/3.5 N is also well regarded by many.

The "N" coatings are the newer/higher contrast compared to "C" only versions. The "A" designator is sometimes thought of as APO and is only (to my knowledge) in the 150/2.8.

My 80/4 Macro is a "C" version, but it still holds its own very well.

Jim will likely chime in on the subject too as an advocate (as I was writing, I see). JohnJ's images are indeed very sharp and you may find that you can dial in your post work a little differently than with some other glass to bring them to their fullest potential. Imo, they have the ability to be BOTH sharp and smooth in a way that smaller format glass doesn't pull off as gracefully in transition.



Jul 15, 2013 at 10:07 AM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Mamiya 645 lenses


RustyBug wrote:
The "A" designator is sometimes thought of as APO and is only (to my knowledge) in the 150/2.8.


The 120 Mac and 200/2.8 are "A" as well.



Jul 15, 2013 at 11:21 AM
jcolwell
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Mamiya 645 lenses


Actually, there are five M645 "A" lenses.

Mamiya A 120/4 Macro
Mamiya A 150/2.8
Mamiya A 200/2.8 APO
Mamiya A 300/2.8 APO
Mamiya A 500/4.5 APO

The 200mm, 300mm, and 500mm are the only ones labeled "APO". The only one I haven't owned is the 500 APO. The 500 APO is very large compared to similar "small format" lenses, but the others are all of very similar size and weight to their small format lens equivalents. They're all great lenses.



Jul 15, 2013 at 12:51 PM
AhamB
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Mamiya 645 lenses


RustyBug wrote:
The "A" designator is sometimes thought of as APO and is only (to my knowledge) in the 150/2.8.


I believe the A designation means that special glass types were used in the lens design. As Jim says, only 3 out of the 5 A lenses have a fully apochromatic design though. Apo lenses under 200 mm (or 180 mm) are quite rare, as we see again with Mamiya.



Jul 15, 2013 at 02:46 PM
RustyBug
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Mamiya 645 lenses


Okay ... I was meaning "A" without being APO (poorly conveyed on my part). I didn't realize the 120/4 was also a non-APO "A".


Jul 15, 2013 at 05:27 PM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Mamiya 645 lenses


AhamB wrote:
I believe the A designation means that special glass types were used in the lens design. As Jim says, only 3 out of the 5 A lenses have a fully apochromatic design though. Apo lenses under 200 mm (or 180 mm) are quite rare, as we see again with Mamiya.


That jibes with what little I've found on the internet. There seems to quite a bit of confusion surrounding it. B&H even advertises their (overpriced) used copies of the 120 as APO.

My guess is they used anomalous dispersion elements in the five A's. That's the only "A" I can think of that makes sense. Whatever the case, I'm excited to shoot with the 120. It looks like a great lens.



Jul 15, 2013 at 06:28 PM
JohnJ
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Mamiya 645 lenses


I remember reading somewhere (in Mamiya doco, not just bullshit Internet dribble) that the 120 was APO corrected at 1:1 but not elsewhere. If I can find it I will link the relevant doco but at present it is just internet dribble, if my own.

I have a Mamiya AFDII pdf brochure (not a user manual) on my computer which I can't find online anymore but this describes the MF 120/4 (a manual focus lens for the AF camera) as "Lens elements of anomalous dispersion glass equalling APO lens performance in terms of contrast, resolution and correction of color aberrations are utilized for superior image reproduction". I'm not certain that the AFDII version of the lens is identical to the previous version but it certainly appears to be having identical lens construction.

Below is an old 1997 brochure showing mtf for the 120/4 (thanks to KEH) but it does not specifically state the lens it describes, ie MF 120/4 or A 120/4. According to camera-wiki ( http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Mamiya_645_AF_and_645_AFD_series ) the Mamiya AF was released in 1999 so the pdf below presumably refers to the A 120/4, not the later MF 120/4.

http://www.keh.com/PDFFolder/MS06999034588.pdf



Jul 15, 2013 at 06:39 PM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Mamiya 645 lenses


Interesting stuff. Thanks, John!


Jul 15, 2013 at 07:41 PM
jcolwell
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Mamiya 645 lenses


I think the non-APO M645 "A" lenses are achromatic, meaning two different light frequencies are brought into sharp focus at the image plane, while "APO" provides sharp focus for three different frequencies. Both types of optical performance require 'special' glass, hence the "A", but some are much more gooder than others.




Jul 15, 2013 at 10:17 PM
bluerunner
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Mamiya 645 lenses


freaklikeme- Many thanks for the heads up on the bargain 120 at KEH. I went ahead and bought it earlier today, just to try it. I hope to post some pictures taken with lens later this weekend when item arrives.

wilco23- So far I have been using these 645 lenses on my Nikon D40X and D70. I plan to use them with my D700 and Canon 5D, once I found some sharp lenses.

jcolwell- Impressive listing of good reading materials! Thanks!



Jul 16, 2013 at 12:07 AM
freaklikeme
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Mamiya 645 lenses


bluerunner wrote:
freaklikeme- Many thanks for the heads up on the bargain 120 at KEH. I went ahead and bought it earlier today, just to try it. I hope to post some pictures taken with lens later this weekend when item arrives.


Anytime. I hope it works out well for you.



Jul 16, 2013 at 12:11 AM
bluerunner
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Mamiya 645 lenses


I have to admit I am quite new to all this and don't have alot of knowledge in DSLRs, lenses, and photography in general. I'm just trying out different things/lenses, and that's how it got me to this "Alternative Gear and Lenses" forum. Pardon me if I may ask- what are the advantages of using a medium format lens over standard lens? How do they compare to say pentax takumars, olympus zuikos, minolta's rokkor lenses on a dslr, APS-C and full frame? I have heard these are pretty sharp lenses too. Thanks.


Jul 16, 2013 at 12:22 AM
JohnJ
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Mamiya 645 lenses


bluerunner wrote:
I have to admit I am quite new to all this and don't have alot of knowledge in DSLRs, lenses, and photography in general. I'm just trying out different things/lenses, and that's how it got me to this "Alternative Gear and Lenses" forum. ...


Well, you've come to the right place.

bluerunner wrote:
... Pardon me if I may ask- what are the advantages of using a medium format lens over standard lens? How do they compare to say pentax takumars, olympus zuikos, minolta's rokkor lenses on a dslr, APS-C and full frame? I have heard these are pretty sharp lenses too. Thanks.


I think that's been discussed to death in a recent thread. Here you go:

https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1223619

Edited on Jul 16, 2013 at 12:30 AM · View previous versions



Jul 16, 2013 at 12:27 AM
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