Being asked to shoot a brother-in-law's wedding promted my purchase. Combined with the Metz 40mz-1i with the pistol grip, results were fantastic and I only had time for 1 test role before the shoot. Bought the kit w/80mm and also picked up the 150mm since it was to be an outdoor wedding. It rained and I would have paid anything to have the 45mm since everything moved indoors! Extremely easy to use with great results. Those having problems w/polaroid back attachment is a mystery to me. It attaches without any hassels. Have run about 38 roles through with almost all frames printable. Most were shot on P or X. Can't wait to go to Yosemite. Autofocus works great and the infrared beam handled candlelight pictures at the Thanksgiving table like a charm. LED readout on the film backs is a great feature especially when switching aroung between different films. Ability to print all shot data to the outside of the frame is a great learning tool. Handheld is fine but much better results with a tripod - Bogen with ball head/grip adjust feature is really nice. I have never had luck with slide film until now. The slides I have shot with this camera almost pop out at you through the loop - as if they were 3D. I suppose properly exposed slides should do that.

Figuring out how to properly use the TTL flash features was difficult. (hint - shoot on X mode) Some of the dials and knobs can be accidentaly moved until you become very familiar with handling the body. Accessories are extremely hard to find. Recommend a bellows hood to avoid lens flare - the standard hoods don't cut it. Switching the pressure plate to accommidate 220 vs. 120 is easy but it is also easy to forget to do that! I finally bought four extra inserts and stick exclusively to 120. Sync cable socket cover does not want to stay in place.

I have some of the best portraits I have ever seen. Easy to use for those non-professional types who really want the best without having to read 20 Ansel Adams books first. I highly recommend this camera and have absolutely no regrets. I don't think this camera was intended for action shots although I did have good results of my son's basketball game. If action shots are the objective, a F100 would obviously be better suited. Happy shooting!

Customer Service

Mamayia's web-site sucks. They have no information regarding accessories and the user forum articles have not changed in months. Although, their answers to email questions come overnight and are very thorough. Instruction manual if very complete with exception to the flash section. The free loop and polaroid back came within a week of submitting the registration material.

Similar Products Used:

Contax 645af, several Pentax, Bronica and Hasselblad models.

35mm qualities
120/220 back
Lens Price
Data

AF could be faster

Haveing tried hasslblad and Mamiyathe winner is Mamiya by a landslide. I am very picking on quality and how to achieve that quality. The hassy take good picture but it use tech. of 50 years ago, and it all manual, therefore taking more time. I am also not so crazy about 6x6 format, there is always cropping on in the camera and then out of the camera. On the Mamiya (6x4.5) you have both format (vert. & hort) so you you compose properly and take the pic. no more cropping if you did your job right, but there the hassy because of the square neg, your always cropping, therefore wasting time and neg. space. Anyway, I have done a some test roll on both camera, I very impressed with the Mamiya pic. more, the have better contrast and color then the hassy. hasselblad has a good product, but it old and pricey. Their competitor have caught up and are giving you more for less. What a concept! The Mamiya comes with a ton feature (Data info, AF, AE, 120/220, etc.) I use o think that hassy was the only way to go for quality, but now I know better. But there will always be the Hard nosed old timer that will disagree with me beacause they are afraid to change or consider oemthing else. That ok I can live with that. I have a freind who been prof. wedding photogr. for 15 years with a hassy, and woundn't consider anything else, until he saw my proofs of the Mamiya. It kind of distrubed him a little to see the quality from Mamiya. My advise to everyone is to do your own test. hassy & Mamiya aren't for everyone. Everyone is different and expect different results. Some people swear by fuji, some swear by kodak. Do your own test.

Customer Service

NA

Similar Products Used:

Hasselblad 500 cm
Yashica Mat 124

Accurate Metering
Very Accessible Functions
Great Focusing in Dark
Excellent Viewfinder Info
Data Imprinting is very helpful
Display on Backs is Great
GREAT FEEL - Like an overgrown 35mm
Lenses have proved to be very sharp

Focusing is loud...unlike Contax 645

My fellow reviewers must remember the many obstacles which a medium format auto-focus, auto-metering SLR must overcome to even approach the speed and functions of a 35mm SLR. I also own an extensive EOS-3 system, so I realize the superiority of many 35mm bodies to the Mamiya. But this is a FABULOUS camera. I've used it on numerous weddings and potrait gigs over the last nine months and have been thoroughly pleased. Infrared Focus Assist works like a charm. Metering is always accurate, and A-S Variable Mode is much more useful than I ever thought it would be. Lens prices (except for the 300mm f/4.5) are very reasonable compared to other medium format lenses, and the 55-110 zoom (while it lacks speed and close-focus ability) is a wedding photographer's dream for a medium format camera. A 645 SLR with the Nikon F5's 3-D Color Matrix metering, the EOS-3's 45-point eye-controlled focus, the EOS 1N-RS's pellicle mirror, and Zeiss lenses for Mamiya lens prices would be GREAT!!! This camera is a huge step for the medium format industry. I can give it nothing but the highest marks...though I'll always love the look of a Hassy.

Customer Service

Haven't needed it

Similar Products Used:

Contax 645

HANDLES AS 35MM CAMERA
AUTO FOCUS

SLOW FOCUS FOR ACTION SHOT. TTL FLASH (PROGRAM)SETTINGS WILL
NOT FUNCTION INDOOR.
SHUTTER SPEED AUTOMATICALLY CHOOSES
THE SLOWEST SHUTTER SPEED THUS, MAKING IT HARD TO GET GOOD INDOOR
ACTION PHOTOS (YOU WILL
GET BLURRY HIGHLIGHT MOVEMENT )

THE MAMIYA 645AF IS A GOOD CAMERA FOR GENERAL USE.
BUT IF YOU ARE USING MOSTLY TTL FLASH (PROGRAM) SETTINGS, YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED WHEN YOU USE IT INDOORS.
OPTICS FOR THIS CAMERA IS EXCELLENT.WISH MAMIYA
CAN USE THE NIKON F90 T0 F5 TECHNOLOGY ON PROGRAM MODE.ON OTHER MODES, THE MAMIYA WORKS GOOD.

Customer Service

HELPFULL AND EVEN ADMITS THAT TTL FLASH MODE IS NOT RECOMMENDED
FOR INDOORS. YOU HAVE TO
USE MANUAL SETTING OR X SETTINGS.

Similar Products Used:

HASSELBLAD,MAMIYA 6MF,PENTAX 645N,FUJI 645ZI.