I got the 45 and I'm kind of mixed. I've got plenty of glass in that FL range already and it, like all the Mamiyas, isn't easy to focus. The best buy and most usable for me is the 80/1.9. The 110 is a bit of a sleeper. I got it for about $80, played with it and had kind of the same experience I had with the 150. Picked it up here recently and found it's really sharp but again it takes more patience and/or better eyes to focus well.
zombii wrote:
I got the 45 and I'm kind of mixed. I've got plenty of glass in that FL range already and it, like all the Mamiyas, isn't easy to focus. The best buy and most usable for me is the 80/1.9. The 110 is a bit of a sleeper. I got it for about $80, played with it and had kind of the same experience I had with the 150. Picked it up here recently and found it's really sharp but again it takes more patience and/or better eyes to focus well.
Which 45 did you get? The 67mm thread version or the 77mm?
The 200 APO is killer - imagine a sharper 150A, with even better CA correction and 50mm longer... As you've seen above, does great with a 1.4x. The 'white' M645 APOs also have a bit more snap in contrast than other M645 glass and seem to have a little something that reminds me of that Mandler 'glow' you get from the older Leica Summicrons.
The only lenses I've owned (in the 180-200mm range) that could compare with it were the Leica 180/2.8 APO & F2.0 APO and the CV 180/4 APO -- in terms of resolution and CA control. In terms of color gradation/tonality, the Mamiya would win.
No images to post, but took my 120/4 for a quick spin this a.m. - every time I use it (and my other M645 glass) I come away impressed that much more. I just wish I'd stumbled on them before paying UPS/USPS/Canada Post a king's ransom for handling the myriad of other high-end and much more costly glass that came and left before the 200 APO hit my desk (my 'gateway' M645 lens).
. My 'gateway' Leica was an 80 lux. I sold heaps of nice stuff to finance my Leica habit. Ironically I'm now buying lots of it back including the first lenses I've ever owned, back in the early 80's, Mamiya 35 and 80.
I think my gateway Leica was a 50/2, nice and safe, just a little taste... Next thing you know, it's Leica APO's and Luxes all over the place. Great glass w/o question, but then I started looking outside the obvious (Leica, Contax, etc) at Mamiya, CV SLI, etc., and when the comparisons started...
zombii wrote:
67mm. I didn't know there was a 77mm version. Is it the C version or something else?
77mm is the original C version and something of a dog, the 67mm is either an S (C with updated optics) or N version and a big improvement. It's still not an exceptional performer, but it does alright on 645.
Conner999 wrote:
...my gateway Leica was a 50/2, nice and safe, just a little taste...
Me too.
Until last week, my 'to get' list included an Apo-Summicron-R 180/2. Somehow, I ended up with a Canon 200/1.8L, and now I'm not looking for the 180 'cron, any more (sounds vaguely like a TV commercial... ).
Conner999 wrote:
The 200 APO is killer - imagine a sharper 150A, with even better CA correction and 50mm longer... As you've seen above, does great with a 1.4x. The 'white' M645 APOs also have a bit more snap in contrast than other M645 glass and seem to have a little something that reminds me of that Mandler 'glow' you get from the older Leica Summicrons.
The only lenses I've owned (in the 180-200mm range) that could compare with it were the Leica 180/2.8 APO & F2.0 APO and the CV 180/4 APO -- in terms of resolution and CA control. In terms of color gradation/tonality, the Mamiya would win.
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Oh my, a man can only stand so much! Your words on the A150 to me was excellent advice and I appreciate the 150's rendering very much, so thoughts about getting the 200 APO had already crossed my mind, but this here really got me. My copy will arrive the next days.
mawz wrote:
77mm is the original C version and something of a dog, the 67mm is either an S (C with updated optics) or N version and a big improvement. It's still not an exceptional performer, but it does alright on 645.
Woof woof!!!
A couple of re-posts from my "original" 45mm. I was heart broken to hear my faithful friend referred to as a "dog". Oh well....one man's dog......
These pics were not fed any anabolic puppy chow or post processed in any way other than resizing.
mawz wrote:
..... The 150/4 should be avoided, it was the budget 150 and not nearly as good as the f3.5 version which can be had these days for essentially identical money. The f3.8 version is optically similar to the f3.5 as far as I'm aware, the slower speed is due to the leaf shutter which is irrelevant to anyone not shooting M645 bodies.
Good advice is hard to find......a re-post of a couple of shots from another canine. My 150mm f4.
#1 Mamiya 200 APO @2.8 on 5D very little PP and no crop .Looking forward to getting to know this lens.I believe it has the potential to be stellar on all levels once one gets to know it well.The only thing that i do not like about it is, it has an 8ft MFD!! i have some cheap extension tubes on the way.
#2 Mamiya 120f4 @f4
-Jim
Hey Bernd - nice to hear from you again. Yeah, it's nice glass and a hell of an optic at the (rising) $$$.
Jim C - the Leica 180/2 is NICE glass and the designer of it's integrated tripod collar/hand-rest was a #$%^ genius. That said, while I've never shot the 200/1.8, judging from its rep and the photodo MTFs (not the fantasy-land Canon ones), the Canon is probably on par in terms of resolution, bokeh. Color rendering would obviously differ and while from a CA perspective true APO is always sweet (though the 1.8 seems to have a good rep in that regard), so is AF ;>
Another grab with the Mamiya 200 APO @2.8 might have just missed critical focus but it does help you see its rendering.I am still learning this lens
-Jim
. My 'gateway' Leica was an 80 lux. I sold heaps of nice stuff to finance my Leica habit. Ironically I'm now buying lots of it back including the first lenses I've ever owned, back in the early 80's, Mamiya 35 and 80.
).