New toy

[HighMark Adventures]

Well just had to share my experience today. Got to go to a camera flea market today and wow was there a lot of stuff there. I was blown away by all the stuff. Lots of junk sure buts lots of older and really stuff. I was there for hours. As some of you know I was looking at getting a Bronica SQ-A because of the 6x6. But after walking around there for hours I went with something different,

I picked up a RZ67 in mint condition. Not a scratch or any signs of wear and tear on it. It looks brand new. Also ended up getting it with a 120 back, Polaroid back, 6x6 back, power winderII, and two mamiya-sekor glass 90mm and 180mm. So in the end I still get the 6x6 I was after.,

Now I know very little about this camera and mf but looking forward to learning and playing with my new toy. Now I just have to find the polaroid film. I also bought film but yet have figured how to load it..

[popawalker]

Congrats on a good find. I've been watching the RZ67's on ebay, but still too high for me, the Bronica will have to keep me happy for now.
Steve

[DAVE PROUTY]

Yeah, definitely congrats on the Mammy! The RZ was the better bod in the line. I loved my Bronica's, but always wanted a Mamiya RZ67 for the rotating back. A great studio camera! The bellows focus made for much easier close focus work too as I hear. No extension tubes necessary to get the full face in the frame. One thing I didn't like about my SQ-a using the 150mm. The soft focus lens available was pretty cool too!

[fast1]

congrats dude!

[HighMark Adventures]

Thanks guys. Posted a few pics in the BW section tonight. I must say I am enjoying it. Pics are nothing special, just me excited to pull the shutter button. I have been doing a lot of reading and learning. I`m excited to put this baby through its paces. Did I forget to mention this thing is a beast. I love it. And the sound this thing makes,just love it.

[Vedauwoo]

Originally Posted by HardKore

......this thing is a beast. I love it. And the sound this thing makes,just love it.

It's fun to read the wonder of a Mamiya virgin gettin' some! Brings back fond memories! The clunk of that giant mirror is something else!

[HighMark Adventures]

Originally Posted by Vedauwoo

It's fun to read the wonder of a Mamiya virgin gettin' some! Brings back fond memories! The clunk of that giant mirror is something else!

LOL

[HighMark Adventures]

Any tips, tricks, websites for this beast of MF in general please feel free to pass them on. I`m in sponge mode right now. Hell I might have to learn the darkroom stuff and set one up. The week turn around in my negs is killing me.

[Pony]

It's not a stretch to say your camera was probably the most favored for MF studio work,aside from a Hassy 6x6.With that in mind,sites w/info are numerous.One of the best is this one:
http://www.apug.org/ .This site is all things film.

[dougjgreen]

If you plan on hand-holding this beast much, I strongly recommend getting the left hand grip. The RZ67 handles much better with this grip on it.

[HuBBaTheMan]

Not to mention start working out

I love my RZ and it's definately my medium format go-to camera. The lenses are mostly absolutely excellent for it and can be had very cheap if you dig around a bit and watch xbay and other sites.

The polaroid is actually quite useful on this camera (as a photograph in its self, not only as a light/exposure check) and scanned works quite well. The 645's which only expose a tiny part of the same area are pretty much useless for anything but checks and you dont want to use such expensive film for that when a digital cam works well.

The grip is very good for lugging this around, but consider a monopod with a pistol-grip style head. Saw Rankin use that and it is a very quick and easy way to handle it with good stability.

And yes, you gotta love that clunk of the mirror. Thats the sound of a real camera goddarnit

[Jcas]

Good find, i just love browsing for ols camera gear at the markets etc....

[LA]

Originally Posted by HardKore

Any tips, tricks, websites for this beast of MF in general please feel free to pass them on. I`m in sponge mode right now. Hell I might have to learn the darkroom stuff and set one up. The week turn around in my negs is killing me.

Get a shutter release and use the mirror-up function. Anything slower than a 30th can have mirror shake. That mirror going up can loosen fillings in your teeth. Larry

[HighMark Adventures]

Thanks for all the tips and advice guys. Thanks for the link Pony, great site.

[HighMark Adventures]

Just added the 37mm fisheye to my collection.

[Mike1234]

Originally Posted by HighMark Adventures

Any tips, tricks, websites for this beast of MF in general please feel free to pass them on. I`m in sponge mode right now. Hell I might have to learn the darkroom stuff and set one up. The week turn around in my negs is killing me.

You're putting together a very nice system. No digital cameras can hold a candlepower to a good old fashioned 6x7cm piece of film.

TIP: Shoot slide film and have it processed by a reputable (CONSISTENT) lab. Slides "tell all tails" and "the truth and nothing but the truth". With slides you see everything YOU did right and wrong because there are no "corrections" by the processor. Great way to learn, IMHO.

[HighMark Adventures]

Originally Posted by Mike1234

You're putting together a very nice system. No digital cameras can hold a candlepower to a good old fashioned 6x7cm piece of film.

TIP: Shoot slide film and have it processed by a reputable (CONSISTENT) lab. Slides "tell all tails" and "the truth and nothing but the truth". With slides you see everything YOU did right and wrong because there are no "corrections" by the processor. Great way to learn, IMHO.

Thanks for tip. I will try that. It will be another first

[Ed Shapiro]

The instant film for your RZ is still made by Fugi- check with your dealer.

Mamiya 67 SLRs are great studio cameras and can even be adapted for digital work, The RB are built like brick outhouses- we have one running hear for 35 years. The RZs, especially the earlier models had some pitfalls. The issues were in the rotating back, the Horizontal/Vertical lever on the upper right side of the body and the film transport. If you go gently on theses functions you should not have any trouble but if you go to fast and a bit rough things will break down rather quickly.

Stay away from the accessory motor drive on the older cameras- those things have enough torque to drill holes in the wall and if there are slight mis-alignments it will shred some of the gears in the camera. Again, atop a tripod in a studio setting there should be no problems.

Unlike the RBs the RZs have kind of a suicide problem. On location the get very klutz like- if the tip over they can kill them self with their own weight. The center of gravity is not like that of a Hasselblad- so I keep mine in the studio. The newer model as a bit improved in most of theses issues.

The lenses are great- if you can find a 150mm SF (soft Focus) that lens can work magic. I love the rotating back and screen indicators for the purpose for making perfect compositions in seconds without turning the camera on it's side which would make it impossible to use.

Great find- Good luck. I make 30x40 and 40x60- prints from Kodak Portra 160NC Negatives with fine results. The attached images was digitized from the negatives made into a 30x40. The 180mm lens was used for the man and the 90mm for the group. The head shot is done with the 1500SF.

Ed

[HighMark Adventures]

Originally Posted by Ed Shapiro

The instant film for your RZ is still made by Fugi- check with your dealer.

Mamiya 67 SLRs are great studio cameras and can even be adapted for digital work, The RB are built like brick outhouses- we have one running hear for 35 years. The RZs, especially the earlier models had some pitfalls. The issues were in the rotating back, the Horizontal/Vertical lever on the upper right side of the body and the film transport. If you go gently on theses functions you should not have any trouble but if you go to fast and a bit rough things will break down rather quickly.

Stay away from the accessory motor drive on the older cameras- those things have enough torque to drill holes in the wall and if there are slight mis-alignments it will shred some of the gears in the camera. Again, atop a tripod in a studio setting there should be no problems.

Unlike the RBs the RZs have kind of a suicide problem. On location the get very klutz like- if the tip over they can kill them self with their own weight. The center of gravity is not like that of a Hasselblad- so I keep mine in the studio. The newer model as a bit improved in most of theses issues.

The lenses are great- if you can find a 150mm SF (soft Focus) that lens can work magic. I love the rotating back and screen indicators for the purpose for making perfect compositions in seconds without turning the camera on it's side which would make it impossible to use.

Great find- Good luck. I make 30x40 and 40x60- prints from Kodak Portra 160NC Negatives with fine results. The attached images was digitized from the negatives made into a 30x40. The 180mm lens was used for the man and the 90mm for the group. The head shot is done with the 1500SF.

Ed

Thanks again for your advice. I`m real careful with that puppy. No falling over ...YET...
I must say I like the look of the soft focus lens. And the woman in that shot, simply beautiful she is. Nice image.

[popawalker]

Ed, on the womans portrait, is there a scratch running down the negative? Oh, other that that a very nice portrait of a lovely woman. I have been playing around with the canon 135 SF on a 35mm camera, but need to work with it some more.
Steve