Mamiya RB67 - appropriate beginner MF landscape camera?

[Sirius Glass]

For the price of a new 400mm to 600mm MF or AF Nikon or Canon lens for a 35mm camera or digital camera would cover the costs of a Hasselblad and several lenses. New zoom lenses MF or AF for Nikon or Canon film or digital cameras cost even more, so a Hasselblad system is not so expensive.

 

[ac12]

It is a good MF camera.
BUT for hiking, consider the bulk and weight.
Being rather older than I was in college, today weight is a significant factor for me. Whereas in high school and college, I thought nothing of a 20 pound camera bag.
If I would get an RB/RZ it would be for use as a studio camera, or a near the car camera.

I even built an Olympus OM kit to replace my Nikon F2/F3 on longer photo trips, again for weight reduction.

About format, I found that NONE of the various film formats is "ideal." I shoot and print square with 35mm, and I make rectangles from a 6x6. To me, the actual image format is dependent on the scene/subject, not the camera/film. Having shot 35mm and 6x6 I have become more aware of shooting to capture the scene/subject and not be overly concerned with the film format. Because even with 35mm or 6x7, if the print size changes from 5x7 to 8x10, or 8x10 to 11x14, the format ratio changes, so you end up cropping anyway. So I've learned to leave cropping room around the image, no matter what format I shoot. And if you print and mount, you can make the print ANY format ratio you want to.

 

[ac12]

For the price of a new 400mm to 600mm MF or AF Nikon or Canon lens for a 35mm camera or digital camera would cover the costs of a Hasselblad and several lenses. New zoom lenses MF or AF for Nikon or Canon film or digital cameras cost even more, so a Hasselblad system is not so expensive.

My Nikon D70 was more expensive than my Hasselblad (500c/m, 80CF, WLF, A12 back)
A new Nikon 80-200/f2.8 costs as much as a Hasselblad 3-lens kit (500 c/m, A12, 50CF, 80CF, 150CF)

 

[Sirius Glass]

For the price of a new 400mm to 600mm MF or AF Nikon or Canon lens for a 35mm camera or digital camera would cover the costs of a Hasselblad and several lenses. New zoom lenses MF or AF for Nikon or Canon film or digital cameras cost even more, so a Hasselblad system is not so expensive.

My Nikon D70 was more expensive than my Hasselblad (500c/m, 80CF, WLF, A12 back)
A new Nikon 80-200/f2.8 costs as much as a Hasselblad 3-lens kit (500 c/m, A12, 50CF, 80CF, 150CF)

Thank you for making my point.

 

[Alan Gales]

Thank you for making my point.

To add to your point, a few years from now your Hasselblad kit will probably be worth what you paid for it. A digital outfit will depreciate quite a bit.

I used to think lenses for digital cameras should hold their value pretty well. I was wrong with my 80-200mm VR. I found out that it really depreciated when I sold it. Maybe the pro lenses hold their value better.

 

[klownshed]

Its true that a new Nikon 80-200 is very expensive and would cover the cost of a Hasselblad system.

But that's still a lot of money.

I bought my SQ-A system for the cost of a Nikon 35mm F1.8 DX lens.

If I could justify the money for a Hasselblad I'd have bought one. But children cost even more than cameras!

 

[petepictures]

I finally went on vacation (to Japan, while the cherry blossoms were blooming) and came back convinced I should get back into film as a hobby, even though I only took a digital camera. Interested in medium format, 6x6 or 6x7--holding a huge Velvia slide sounds like so much fun. I would mostly be shooting while hiking around the LA area on weekends. From reading various threads and articles it seems like the RB67 would be perfect? Relatively cheap, heavy but not an issue since I'll be using a tripod anyway, durable, revolving back, used market is plentiful, repair service doesn't seem impossible to find, all mechanical (I'm sure electronics failures are not actually a huge problem, but it's appealing to imagine having to deal with "only" mechanical issues is better--maybe that's ridiculous though).

Are there alternatives I should be considering more seriously? I was considering getting a Bronica SQ-A, which seems like another great option. Large format seems entertaining but intimidating and harder to start with, but I could be wrong on that. My goal is just to have fun with a new medium and make myself think about what I'm looking at instead of walking by and taking quick snaps on my phone!

Good idea, Definitely RB, RZ is very problematic to fix if a problem occurs ,so say all camera techs I know. RB may be huge but even for handheld has less mirror vibration than my Hasselblads.
A cheaper option would be Mamiya c330 if you like square format.

 

[flavio81]

Good idea, Definitely RB, RZ is very problematic to fix if a problem occurs ,so say all camera techs I know.

RB is simple to fix. It is easy to dissasemble, the mechanisms are big, the operation is not complex.
My camera tech loves to work on the RB because of that reason.
I've also repaired a RB67 and can confirm that it's not a complex camera at all.

Avoid cowardly camera technicians! Or uneducated camera techs that have no idea on how a lens-shutter SLR works. It is not rocket science, yet some techies are only used to fixing K1000s...

 

[flavio81]

I would mostly be shooting while hiking around the LA area on weekends. From reading various threads and articles it seems like the RB67 would be perfect?

The RB67 pro-S or pro-SD is a perfect camera as long as you can carry it.

Is it appropiate for beginners? YES if it's the kind of beginner that is able to fully read the user manual before operating the camera. Otherwise he/she could damage the camera.

Are there alternatives I should be considering more seriously?

Yes, of course. The Mamiya RZ67. Also the Mamiya 6, or the Mamiya 7. Or the Mamiya C220S which is very light.

See a pattern here?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

RB67 was my beginner medium format camera. I started with a C330, (leant to me by wife's uncle), but that lasted a couple of months and moved to the RB67. That was back in '92. Still have it. Still use it. I dragged it all over Japan... 3 lenses, 2 holders. Great camera.

 

[etn]

--holding a huge Velvia slide sounds like so much fun.

It is indeed. Seeing it on a light table is also quite fun. But wait until you project them. Medium format slides will blow your socks off.
Therefore:
- if you intend to shoot slides, foresee a projector;
- MF projectors can be found quite cheaply those days, unless you want a Hasselblad PCP-80;
- most MF projectors only do 6x6. 6x7 projectors are rare and expensive. This may restrict your camera choice.

As for the "perfect" MF camera, so many exist... hold them all in your hands and you will fall in love with one (or more) of them!
Follow your heart.

Good luck and keep us posted

 

[Sirius Glass]

Its true that a new Nikon 80-200 is very expensive and would cover the cost of a Hasselblad system.

But that's still a lot of money.

I bought my SQ-A system for the cost of a Nikon 35mm F1.8 DX lens.

If I could justify the money for a Hasselblad I'd have bought one. But children cost even more than cameras!

1) The one who dies with the most toys wins.
2) You worked all your life to pay for things others needed or wanted. Now it the time to buy the things that you want or need.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Its true that a new Nikon 80-200 is very expensive and would cover the cost of a Hasselblad system.

But that's still a lot of money.

I bought my SQ-A system for the cost of a Nikon 35mm F1.8 DX lens.

If I could justify the money for a Hasselblad I'd have bought one. But children cost even more than cameras!

1) The one with the most toys when they die wins.
2) You have worked all you life to pay for things that others wanted or thought that they needed. Now is the time to buy the things that you want or need.

 

[Alan Gales]

Now is the time to buy the things that you want or need.

Hey Sirius, are you married?

Every time I start talking about a new camera or lens my wife starts singing a Tammy Wynette song and it ain't Stand by Your Man.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

 

[Sirius Glass]

Hey Sirius, are you married?

Every time I start talking about a new camera or lens my wife starts singing a Tammy Wynette song and it ain't Stand by Your Man.

My girl friend fully supports my hobbies/additions including photography, offroading and skiing and I fully support hers. That is part of why we have never had a fight nor an argument in sixteen years.

 

[flavio81]

My girl friend fully supports my hobbies/additions including photography, offroading and skiing and I fully support hers. That is part of why we have never had a fight nor an argument in sixteen years.

I'm taking note... (will marry in few months!)

 

[Alan Gales]

I'm taking note... (will marry in few months!)

That all changes when you get married. Maybe Sirius has the right idea.

 

[klownshed]

That all changes when you get married. Maybe Sirius has the right idea.

Selflessness works much better than selfishness in a marriage ;-)

 

[Alan Gales]

Selflessness works much better than selfishness in a marriage ;-)

My wife, Cindy, really does start singing that song. Cindy has a great sense of humor. It cracks our daughter up every time she sings it. We don't have money to spend frivolously so if it's an extra then we discuss it before making a purchase.

You are right. Selfishness does not work in a marriage and selflessness has it's many returns.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I'm taking note... (will marry in few months!)

The secret to a long marriage or relationship is to have common short range and long range goals. If they are different, then there is a problem.

 

[mshchem]

Thank you for making my point.

The money people spend on DSLRs and the newest miracle lenses is NUTS. All the motors and VR stuff. It's like buying a cell phone, future electrical waste. A nice Hassy can last for decades and still do the job. We are so lucky to live in a time of so much abundance of Pro. equipment, the well is going to run dry one of these days. I got my stash. I sold my Hasselblad setup, I don't need it but I am always on the lookout for a deal . Bronica, Mamiya, Fuji, Nikon etc etc etc

 

[soft]

Right now I'm keeping an eye out for a Bronica SQ-A and a Crown Graphic 4x5. I suppose if I see a good deal for a Hasselblad I might give in. The lack of significant depreciation makes rationalizing easier. Whatever I can get my hands on first!

 

[rayonline_nz]

I find that I am OK with the RB67 if I have a few shots in mind. If I am on travel or overseas and plan to spend a few nights at each different city and continually move on ... then I think the RB67 is too much weight. I will also not use it to photograph walk and about type shots. I won't be using it in the city of Hong Kong or NYC for eg. and go sightseeing.

 

[chassis]

Rayonline I get what you are saying, although I did a short walkabout in NYC last month with the RB and it was fun. The outing was about an hour and I was not farther than around 1 mile/1.6 km from my car.

Next week I will be in Germany for business and will not pack the RB. I will probably bring a Canon FX loaded with some black and white, for the limited photography time I will have.