Thank you all for the helpful comments. I think I am going to go ahead and place the order today. I will have to hold off on other lenses for a while, but thats okay. While I prefer shooting with LF, there are times I really miss a walk around camera.
while I do not own one I have played with a friends M7II and printed his negs. The results are astoundingly sharp. I prefer the feel and handling of the bronica RF645 by far but for a walk about 6x7 the M7II is by far and away the best option out there.
Good choice - the camera's weight and ease of handling always amaze me. I've used mine for two and a half years and it really has been a great companion. My rangefinder's a bit out of kilter at the moment but since I generally work on hyperfocal distance it's not a major issue. I use 50, 80 and 150 lenses and they're all excellent. I would add the 65 if I could justify it as there's definitely a bit of a chasm between 50 and 80.
Only one question: what's the external battery pack for? The battery lasts about two years in my experience!
Good choice - the camera's weight and ease of handling always amaze me. I've used mine for two and a half years and it really has been a great companion. My rangefinder's a bit out of kilter at the moment but since I generally work on hyperfocal distance it's not a major issue. I use 50, 80 and 150 lenses and they're all excellent. I would add the 65 if I could justify it as there's definitely a bit of a chasm between 50 and 80.
Only one question: what's the external battery pack for? The battery lasts about two years in my experience!
Barry
Hi Barry,
I think that it is not an external battery pack, but the cable that allows the battery to be placed in an inside pocket, etc. This allows the usage of the camera in cold weather without battery failure due to the battery becoming too cold.
Another vote for the Mamiya 7 (yes, mine is an older model). Incredible lenses that teach you the value of a tripod; I own the 65, 80, 150 and probably use the 150 the most. If I can't have a view camera, then the Mamiya is the answer. If it is too bulky, then its grandfather, the Mamiya Six folding camera comes along- sharper than any other folder I've tested.
Russ
i have the m7 as well and agree with all the positive comments. wonderful camera.
but there is one small flaw that wasn't mentioned yet. the meter of the camera seems to be a spotmeter (although not 1°, maybe 5°) and there is no mark displayed in the finder, which indicates where the metering exactely takes place. the measuring spot is a little bit below the field for focusing. this is something to get used to.
since the camera was market as one for professionals, i wonder how they could forget to include that mark, when they decided to put in a spotmeter (which i absolutely see as an advantage, since i could never get comfortable with the average metering thingies).
Last edited by phritz phantom; 01-14-2007 at 01:15 AM.
Thank you to everyone for the additional comments, I think I have made good choice and I really appreciate all the help.
If I may, I have one additional question. How do you use a polaraizer with the camera? I have read a few comments and was a little confused, I saw one comment that the Mamiya filter was the only one that would work well.
Location: Datchet, Berkshire UK- about 20 miles west of London
Posts: 280
Polarisers aren't too hard. You just need to hold a regular polariser to your eye and rotate till you get the effect you want, noting the position of the edge markings; then screw in the polariser replicate that position on the camera. It soon gets to be pretty easy, though you possibly miss the finest control you can get with an slr via ttl viewing to some degree.
If you want to think about something difficult, think ND grads.
Linear Mode
