Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Leica & Alternative Gear | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2015 · Choosing a MF portrait body

  
 
cbreiland
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Choosing a MF portrait body


Hey, I'm going to invest in a medium format camera mostly for studio portrait but also environmental portrait and landscape work.

I've narrowed it down to a 500C/M or Mamiya 645 AF/D (pentax 645 and bronicas don't come up enough locally, contax is too expensive). I'm looking at one of each next week and was looking for input on what would be deciding factors between the two systems might be in terms of usability.

I have an f100 and d600, and know the 645 will be a big brother of those cameras, also much cheaper when you factor in the accessories and light meter. While the Hasselblad offers a different experience and much different way of framing. Head says Mamiya, heart says Hasselblad, how would you pick?



Feb 10, 2015 at 07:32 AM
rattymouse
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Choosing a MF portrait body


Just adding a thought here, Fujifilm GA645 is excellent for environmental portraits. Quite a bit cheaper than your other two options.






Feb 10, 2015 at 07:35 AM
Ed Sawyer
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Choosing a MF portrait body


I'd pick neither. the RZ67 trumps both of those, and is just as easy to handhold, plus has a better lens and accessory lineup. If you are going to bother going to medium format, go big - 6x7.


Feb 10, 2015 at 01:37 PM
AndereObjektiv
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Choosing a MF portrait body


As a fellow RZ shooter I'm with Ed on the RZ67. I have a 503CW as well and I prefer the RZ. Not that the 503CW isn't great. The RZ67 is better than great. Costs are great on many MF systems these days, but I suspect it won't go on forever as there is a finite supply. I would do a flickr search for the camera/lens/film combinations you are looking at and see which ones meet your wants and needs.

like these:

RZ67 portra 110mm

500 cm 80mm ektar

500 cm 120 planar

Edited on Feb 10, 2015 at 06:00 PM · View previous versions



Feb 10, 2015 at 02:13 PM
freaklikeme
Online
• • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Choosing a MF portrait body


The most positive thing I can say about owning the Hassy 500 was that, when little things went wrong with it, it was exceptionally easy to work on, and there's a very supportive on-line community that walked me a couple of things that kept me from having to send the camera in for service. The same might be said for Mamiya, though. I have no idea, never having owned one. I will also say that using a WLF is a unique experience. It may not be right for you, but it's something the Mamiya can't do.

My advice is to figure out what lenses you want to use and how you want to use them and let that be the diving force behind picking up the camera. If you only want to use a 645 back, the Mamiya may be the better choice. The focal plane shutter and short register means it can adapt quite a few lenses, including Hassy, where the Hassy is basically limited to its own lenses, but they are some of the best MF lenses (for their age) and the 6x6 frame can be quite fun.



Feb 10, 2015 at 02:38 PM
cbreiland
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Choosing a MF portrait body


Thank you for enlightening me to the RZ. My god the 110 is sharp. Between two local deals I could have an a 645afd/80 2.8 and an RZ/90 3.5 for the price of a hassleblad/80 2.8 CF. That might actually be overkill.

Just by eyeballing it, for my hands it looks like a hassleblad would be a bit easier to handhold just from the dimensions, but it is hard to see other practical advantages to the system.



Feb 10, 2015 at 07:03 PM
Chris_Churchil
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Choosing a MF portrait body


I was considering the 645AFD (and Mamiya 6) a while back, but picked up an RZ67 and 110 after consulting the experienced medium format shooters on FM. The GA645 is also a great option. Basically like a MF point and shoot.




Feb 10, 2015 at 07:28 PM
rattymouse
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Choosing a MF portrait body


Chris_Churchil wrote:
The GA645 is also a great option. Basically like a MF point and shoot.



Yes, it can be like a point and shoot but also remember that there is a fairly portrait serious flash system for this camera. This along with that blazing sharp 65mm lens can really make portraits look very nice. Don't forget a box of 400H portrait film!

Edit: one other thing. The GA645 is awesome for on location work. The retractable lens makes the camera really thin and easy to carry. I have brought mine slipped under my jacket all over the place, often forgetting that it is even there!




Edited on Feb 10, 2015 at 07:39 PM · View previous versions



Feb 10, 2015 at 07:36 PM
trogdon
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Choosing a MF portrait body


Also look for the Pentax 67 with Takumar 105mm f2.4. I don't think it gets much more shallow DoF than that! Also it's a bit more traditionally shaped, I found using the RZ67 to be quite cumbersome and awkward


Feb 10, 2015 at 07:37 PM
jharter
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Choosing a MF portrait body


A Pentax 67II with the 165mm leaf shutter lens would be nice for studio flash portraits. But that combo would be hard to find and relatively expensive.

The RZ is a brick but very nice and would be hard to beat for film size, lens sharpness, cost, system options. Realistically, for the cost of medium format film systems, you could get the RZ for studio work and a Fuji or Mamiya rangefinder camera for field use. The Fuji would be much cheaper and has a non-interchangeable lens.



Feb 10, 2015 at 07:48 PM
banpreso
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Choosing a MF portrait body


i think for portrait and landscape work a 6x6 format may not be the best way to go. i can recommend the fujifilm gx680, it is 6x8 and the back can be rotated for portrait and landscape mode. the camera offers movements similar to large format cameras (tilt & shift, swing, all directions). the best part is the system is really cheap. you can pick up a gx680I kit for about $300, and lenses are generally under $200.

for portrait i have a 180mm f3.2, which when i run through the depth of field calculator came out to be a 85mm f1.2 equivalent. combining that with the range of movements this camera is just really fun to use.



Feb 10, 2015 at 09:16 PM
sirimiri
Online
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Choosing a MF portrait body


For studio portraits? Like others said: Get an RZ, specifically look for the II as it has some niceties not found on the RZ.

You can shoot landscapes with it, too...though it's a bit heavy to lug around. For handheld environmental portraits, some fast film with the 110mm and waist-level finder are not too difficult with an RZ.




Feb 10, 2015 at 10:43 PM
Ed Sawyer
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Choosing a MF portrait body


I use the RZ almost exclusively handheld, with the AE prism, motor drive, and L-grip. It makes it quite ergonomic (relatively speaking, of course), and though heavy, it's well balanced that way for the most part. I use it a lot for portraits but also for landscape and just general shooting. It is one of the fastest MF rigs around, with the motordrive and AE prism. You can shoot 1+/fps without trouble, and batteries last forever.

The GX680 is an interesting system, at least on paper, and the movements are a nice touch, but it's pretty huge and unwieldy in some situations, and given the weight and complexity, if I need movements I just use a 4x5. (which in addition to being lighter, has more movements, and is generally cheaper - thinking something like a crown graphic or meridian 45B here...). Additionally the GX680 angle-finder is not a prism, it's just a mirror finder, so there's still left-right reversal. The RZ67 has a true prism, so things are correct top-bottom and left-right, just like any 35mm SLR.



Feb 12, 2015 at 09:20 AM





FM Forums | Leica & Alternative Gear | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.