Shel wrote: ". . . . Michael recently purchased a black Mamiya 7II. What a beauty! It's virtually silent, has a big, bright viewfinder, and the image jumps sharply into focus. But here's the thing ... with its normal lens it doesn't seem to weigh any more than the LX with its normal lens. And it's not much bulkier, either. I know Rob Studdert has a 7II, and I've seen the 'chromes he's shot with it. Has anyone else here considered a 7II while drooling over the pentax 67? If so why did you choose the Pentax 67 over the 7 or 7II?"
I may have missed some replies (I'm reading the PDML archives web page), but here are a few random thoughts masquerading as a coherent reply: I've enjoyed using the Mamiya 7 system for around four years. I chose it largely because of it's light weight for the format, combined with the excellent reputation of the lenses. Since I take the camera with me even on moderate rock climbs, I didn't seriously consider the heavier Pentax 67. Landscape photographer Michael Reichmann recently sold his 7 II, and purchased a 67. You can find some discussion in his reviews of both cameras here: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/m7_hands-on.htm http://www.luminous-landscape.com/pentax67ii.htm As you noticed, the camera isn't really much larger--and is perhaps lighter--than many high-end 35mm cameras from other makers. The lenses aren't monsters, either, and they average about a pound or so. I have the 50, 65, 80 and 150mm lenses now, and I had the 43mm lens for a year. I like them all, especially the 50. Although I somehow prefer the 65 to the 80mm lens, I most often carry just the 50 and 80 combination; next is the 65 alone, the 80 alone, and finally the 65 and 150 combination, depending on where I'm going and how much I'm willing to carry. I suppose if my baby needed new shoes, the 65 would be the first to go--but I think going barefoot is healthy for young children. For your purposes, other lens attributes may be as important as the exceptional sharpness. If you can wrench the 7 II from Rob's vise-like grip (or if you can rent the system), you should try shooting as you would if you owned the camera. The lenses have leaf shutters with five aperture blades, and you might feel that the sharpness comes at some cost with respect to the bokeh. Try before you buy to see if the system will work for you. The camera itself is a wonderful design. Leicaphiles might disdain it because it doesn't have a solid metal casing, but the apparent design parameters--good lenses mounted on a light-for-the format body--dictate good plastics where they work. The internals are very solid, and the camera is fairly robust. (I don't use it to hammer nails, but I do rattle it around in a backpack quite a bit. I bounced my 7 perhaps twenty feet down a hillside in eastern China, and it continued to work--and focus--just fine. IMHO, most of the "rangefinder out of adjustment" hooey on the internet comes from rangefinder neophytes who don't seem to understand the need to center their eyes in the 7's big viewfinder.) The controls are logical, and just enough. The rangefinder patch is quite bright and clear, and the bright frame lines give an uncluttered view. The tiny "snick" of the shutter makes the "sounds like silk tearing" of a Leica shutter seem loud, and the LX might seem like a rifle shot by comparison. Mamiya calculates the "35mm equivalents" of the lenses using the diagonals of the dissimilar 24 x 36mm and 6 x 7cm rectangles. You might want to consider how you print to determine which lenses might interest you. I tend to favor 8x10ish rectangles, and so crop 35mm stuff down to an effective maximum of 24 x 30mm. That makes the Mamiya 80mm lens seem like a 35mm lens on your LX, and the 65mm into a 28mm lens in 35-speak. If you prefer to crop the Mamiya's big film area to match the 1:1.5 ratio corresponding to two frames of old movie stock, everything changes. . . . You can use faster film to offset the change in depth of field due to the larger format. 400-speed film in 6x7 can yield prints as good as--I think better--than 100-speed in small format, and be used at the same shutter speed, but closed down two stops. The speed of the lens isn't really an issue. 800-speed Fuji NHG II (or NPZ) can make some beautiful prints. Regarding price: I purchased most of my stuff from a very reliable Hong Kong store I first learned of on this list; one lens came from the UK. Prices in Asia are _much_ lower than in the US. Prices in the UK are low, too, and--since you don't have to pay VAT--are better for US customers than for Europeans. (Anyone who is stopped from owning this camera by the ridiculously high prices in the US should consider purchasing abroad, where the prices are merely very high due to the high quality and low volume of medium format gear. . . ) I can suggest some very reliable vendors if you think you're interested. For that reason, some folks are more comfortable paying the slightly higher UK prices than in purchasing from HK. In my experience, safe, fast shipping plus duty run around 8% of the purchase price. I used FedEx International Priority with good results. FedEx will send you a bill for the duty. Mamiya America Corp. will _not_ touch cameras purchased outside the US, so you'd have to return the camera to the dealer if you have any problems. Of course, you can buy two cameras abroad for the price of one here, so you'd have a backup. In any case, the warranty period is just one year, and you'd soon know if you had any problem; either of the dealers I'd recommend would exchange a defective camera without question. There are other reliable places where you can get service. Precision Camera near Sacramento seems a good bet. You might also consider the new Bronica RF645 Mike Johnston favors: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/rf645.htm Note that the 135mm lens for the Bronica won't be available; it's being replaced by something around 100mm. I think the size and weight of the Bronica and Mamiya systems are not too far apart; similarly, there isn't a yawning gap between the costs of the two systems if you shop wisely. The Mamiya 6 is still a great camera, too, although US used prices are still high. Brian - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
