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Archive 2009 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

Jim Schemel
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

Was wondering how well this lens performs on a 5D and what one would expect to pay for a good used copy ?
Thanks
-Jim

Dec 18, 2009 at 06:36 PM

sirimiri
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

From what I've seen, M645 versions can run the gamut from $400 for purportedly "8/10" to $700 for "new or like new in box"

Very sharp, very nicely made. Being a macro lens, the focus throw characteristics are very "compressed" near the infinity mark. A bit heavy, but them's the breaks.

You might consider using it on a chipped adapter since the 5D doesn't have Live View.

Avoid the AF version which is neither AF, nor has a manual aperture ring.

Dec 18, 2009 at 06:48 PM

mMontag
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

I was watching that lens for a while - the 645 MF - but I just don't do enough macro to justify one. With patience you can pick up an excellent condition one on Ebay for less than $250.00 usd. There seems to be a huge price spread on that lens.

Dec 18, 2009 at 07:47 PM

cogitech
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

Beautiful, Jim!

Dec 18, 2009 at 08:08 PM

braddo_99
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

That is a spectacular photo!... and lens. Wow, thanks for sharing.

Dec 18, 2009 at 08:14 PM

Justin D
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

I got a brand new one for $399 from an ebay seller in HK - wskc or something. Came brand new in box. It's a nice lens, though quite large and slow. Bokeh is nice and smooth, colours are ncie, contrast is nice - it's just a nice, neutral lens without any obvious signature...

Dec 18, 2009 at 08:49 PM

RustyBug
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

RATS !!!

Now the price will go up again before I get mine ... as usual.

Nice rig Jim.

Dec 18, 2009 at 10:36 PM

philip_pj
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

They go for up to $450, but 2nd hand prices in (film) years past ranged up around $900, signalling a well-made, well-assembled lens. The near-demise of MF film destroyed their resale value. The range of prices is not great from what I see, around $150. Far less than the medium format competitor, the Zeiss 120/4 Makro - Ffordes have several of these going from 599 to 949 pounds (!).

RustyBug, I have to agree, but so many of the M645 manual focus lenses were made and sold that the rise will be gradual, and even at 50% more most of them would still be great value; they also lack the cache of Zeiss. The other big factor is the cost and availability of high quality adapters.

For those interested in the Mirex solution for Sony, Markus told me yesterday that a M645 to MAF/Sony mount TS adapter is now available (part #303), providing better accuracy in TS settings for Sony users - and no M42-MAF/Sony adapter is needed.

Jim C, if you read this one, do you know of anyone who makes (or could make) a good M645 to MAF/Sony Alpha mount adapter to fit a M645 200mm f2.8 APO? That lens is front heavy and I would want to be able to use the Mamiya 2x TC with it - which is a big ask for the Mirex solution to handle.

Dec 19, 2009 at 12:33 AM

sirimiri
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

For what it's worth, I got my M645 120mm macro new in box, never used, for $450. But, it was something that's not likely to surface often.

I would never pay the $700 I earlier quoted as the high side I've seen this lens advertised for, because I know it can be had for much less.

Dec 19, 2009 at 01:49 AM

Justin D
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

Here you go - this is the new in box ebay sale I bought a few weeks ago. They are, as the seller claims, new in box, for $399.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Mamiya-645-PRO-TL-120mm-4-macro-lens-f-645-AFD-manual_W0QQitemZ170411594318QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27ad52924e

Dec 19, 2009 at 02:47 AM

jcolwell
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

philip_pj wrote:
Jim C, if you read this one, do you know of anyone who makes (or could make) a good M645 to MAF/Sony Alpha mount adapter to fit a M645 200mm f2.8 APO? That lens is front heavy and I would want to be able to use the Mamiya 2x TC with it - which is a big ask for the Mirex solution to handle.

Hi Philip. I use Fotodiox Pro M645 to EOS adapters (no FC chip). It appears that they don't have one for Sony, but they might have something in the works. You could ask them at Fotodiox [[email protected]]. The Mirex will work OK for the 200 APO + TC if you set the tilt axis for movement sideways or up, but I prefer to use a solid adapter for this and other 'large' ones, like the A 120/4 Macro and 300 APO.

I found that two 1.4x TC's (EF & Kenko 300 Pro) have better IQ than the Mamiya 2xN TC, and so does the EF 2xII. Jim.

P.S. thanks all for the nice comments.

Dec 19, 2009 at 07:22 AM

philip_pj
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

That's very helpful to me, Jim, thanks again. I am hoping now that Sony is gaining a little more market share as the 3rd force in DSLR, that the Alpha mount will see more action from 3rd party suppliers of lenses/adapters. I'll write to Fotodiox, I know a lot of the Canon users like them. BTW, Markus at Mirex is now stating in his correspondence that their TS adapter 'is conceived' for FLs of 35-120mm, so I guess they would rather people not use the longer teles on it.

Re the Mamiya TC/200 f2.8, I came across comments by Ray Butler (at p.net), who had used that combination for astronomy - he had a high opinion of the Mamiya TC optic, which apparently has 6 elements. Ffordes had one listed for 145 pounds...thanks for another opinion, it's a longer term road for that lens for me, a lower priority with more research ahead, but the lens is very attractive as a Leica 180 alternative.

Dec 19, 2009 at 04:57 PM

Yakim Peled
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

philip_pj wrote:
For those interested in the Mirex solution for Sony, Markus told me yesterday that a M645 to MAF/Sony mount TS adapter is now available (part #303), providing better accuracy in TS settings for Sony users - and no M42-MAF/Sony adapter is needed.

If Sony would bring LV to the successor of the A850 I'll likely sell my Mirex (EF) and get that version.

sirimiri wrote:
For what it's worth, I got my M645 120mm macro new in box, never used, for $450. But, it was something that's not likely to surface often.

Got mine from Adorama about a year ago. Paid 450$ for a E+ copy. Guess I overpaid.

Happy shooting,
Yakim.

Dec 20, 2009 at 09:13 AM

gasrocks
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

Hate to admit it but I have my copy with a Fotodiox adapter up on eBay right now. Wish I could have kept it until the class I teach on macro starts in April though. Would be so cool to show off this "hidden" gem.

Feb 15, 2010 at 06:19 PM

Tri Tran
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

How would this Mamiya stacks against the Zeiss 120/4 Makro?
What is the price range of the Zeiss?
Thanks

Mar 10, 2010 at 02:34 PM

philip_pj
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Mamiya Macro A 120mm f/4.0

KEH have few right now: $325 to $449 (EX to LN). This seems to be happening a lot at the moment, a big price range highly dependent on (often subjective) assessment of condition.

FWIW, I got an LN one recently for ~$450 and it looked like a fresh factory item. I'm guessing a lot of folks shifted out of MF film gear, and macros tend to be used by careful experienced photographers.

Quality wise, lets keep these quiet...many reviewers rate them very highly, but you have to dig around to find out. I formed the tentative opinion that both the Zeiss and this one are 'good enough'. The CFE is very pricey ($1200-1900 or so), and I believe does not do 1:1 in standard form, more like 1:4.5. There is a CF, much cheaper...

Mar 10, 2010 at 07:29 PM


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