Mamiya RZ67 Pro II Medium Format

Mamiya RZ67 Pro II Medium Format 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 28  
[Apr 16, 2011]
Silent-tortoise
Expert

Strength:

Reassuringly secure in the hands.
Bult like one of those little houses detached from the main house that you have to go into by yourself.
Picture Quality.
It feels like a tool. You feel like you are engaged in a craft when you use this camera.

Weakness:

Obviously, you would be insane to take this out for your holiday snaps.
Heavy. Yes.
But you knew that. Yes.

This is a beautiful camera.
It produces images that approach the three dimensional.
Obviously, there are many factors that go into producing a photograph and one can make really rank photographs with this camera as well as with a point and shoot.
What this camera will offer you is the truth.
If you produce porridge with this camera it is your fault.
There really are no if's or but's in the high calibre category that this camera squats like a toad.
Yes, I said a toad.
Compared to the mamiya 645 AFD Mk III this camera is a toad.
This will win no beauty contest.
But this camera will produce the most beautiful photographs you have ever taken.
The lenses are razor sharp and unforgiving of any blemish on a persons face.
But this camera will render the eyelashes of a Persian cat and expose the subtle 'eyeliner' that they have. I know, I was blown away when I saw that.
I photograph people.
This is a people camera for me.
This comes out when the client wants what digital cannot possibly ever give them.
I have used both of the top of the range digital backs and they do not compare.
I think I have written enough.
All I can say is that you will be blown away when you use an RZ67.

Customer Service

This item provides Customer Service!

Similar Products Used:

Mamiya 645 AFD III

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 11, 2010]
Ronan Carrein
Expert

Strength:

- Image quality is just superb
- probably bullet proof
- lenses !!! lenses are just unreal, i mean, shooting at f2.8 1/30 you have something perfect still, the mirror bouncing system is excellent and it looks just so...emotional, you want to touch the paper to feel the texture of what you shot.
- rotating back (from portrait to landscape): looks like a gadget at first, well it is very useful in the end
- printing size...with a good negative scanner, at 3200 dpi you got a 6x7ft image
- did I mention image quality?

Weakness:

- heavy heavy heavy, and bulky, like huge. I mean, it's like driving thru an old italian city with a hummer
- If you decide to add the prism finder for metering, you lose the top down view from the waist level finder. too bad because it's great to work your framing. I decided to meter with an F5 instead.
- in terms of image quality, none
- it ruins your previous investments....your F5 or F6 ? even your leica, your D3? forget about it, you spent all that money, you have convenient digital equipment, but you simply only want to shoot the mamiya...damnit
- digital backs cost an arm

Can you beat that when it comes to value for the money ? A used one will cost the price of a mid range SLR, and used lenses will cost you 300$ for a results that simply beat everything, I really mean everything. It is one of the cameras to have if what you care about is image feel, and nothing else (this and the 7ii)
Yes it's a tank (heavy as, but also solid as), yes it's 10 shots a roll, yes it does not come with built in metering (can get it from 200$ used), but the sound it makes, the heavy metal feeling and mostly, the pictures !!! (try Tri-x with the 110m at 2.8 and a nice window light...you're in heaven)

The only camera I would consider instead in the mamiya 7ii for convenience and metering. More pricy though, but probably the best camera ever.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon FE, F5, D700, D80, D90, blad 503

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 10, 2009]
Lukasz Kitlinski
Expert

Solid japan work .... perfect working ... lenses world class... fool recommended
I've Leica which is super quality but Mamiya RZ 67Pro II is a demon machine :).

LUCAS

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 10, 2006]
testshoot.com
Professional

Strength:

-Bellows focusing means black stays black.

-Few glass elements, few elements means sharper images.

-Precision, precision, precision.

-Dropped from a 15 foot ladder and continued to shoot with it all day (though some teeth on the focusing rails stripped off)

-Partick Demarchelier gave me my first, and I never put it down.

-Pro fashion shooter's choice.

-Sturdier than if Volvo made tanks.

-No need for huge lots of lenses. 90mm and 180mm are all I ever need.

-You can blow out details while keeping subject sharp up close while a 35mm with 200mm lense you'd need to stand a block away to get the same effect.

-My biceps make the models salivate.

-Don't cut up your knuckles while using ringflash.

-Bellows lens shade allows use of inexpensive gels.

-Uniform barrel width of eiter 72mm or 77mm making filter purchases easy.

Weakness:

-Some people complain about weight.

-Not gonna win any beauty contests.

-Often forget and accidently lock lense so shutter becomes a 'bulb' mode. "oops"

-Cross threaded lenses while mounting will require Herculean strength.

-Quality digital backs cost more than most people's cars.

-Not for light pocketbooks because you'll want to shoot a lot.

I love this workhorse. After years of shooting everything on the market, I find it the only tool I need anymore. While people spout the virtues of digital, you are not going to beat the quality of a virtual drum across a 6x7 chrome in the near future.

I often shoot hand held for hours, sometimes with a profoto ringflash attached. see: http://testshoot.com/portals/0/images/personal/tim/ringflash.jpg

Similar Products Used:

RB, Blad, Bronica, Rollei, 'Tax 67

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Mar 16, 2005]
womble
Professional

Strength:

Built like tank, fantastic revolving back, quick change of backs, quick set-up, bellow focussing. Simply knicker wetting lenses.

Weakness:

Weight, weight, weight. That said I would take it anywhere just to get those gorgeous trannies back form the lab.

What is there left to say. This is a leviathon of a camera, Far too heavy to backpack with, needs a massive tripod, lenses are heavy; but I love this camera. It may kill me one day lifting my fully laden Lowepro, but thie camera is worh it. Fantastic results, awesome ability, rotating back, superb bellows, incredible close focus results, if only it weighed half as much!

Customer Service

Not needed

Similar Products Used:

None; i'm not that stupid. I own a Mamiya RZ67, why would I want anything else, except an Ebony 45.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 21, 2005]
lifanus
Professional

Strength:

Extremly durable, Sharp optics, 1/2 exposure increacements in manual mode, Presice AE Prism II finder in 1/6 increacements exposure. Great accessories, 6x7 Revolving Back, Mirror Lock Up, T Shutter, Leaf shutter, fast flash sync, Bellow design, Numerous safty lock fucntions & audiable alarm. Durable construction although not good for outdoor weather conditions

Weakness:

Heavy & Bulky Not Weather Resistant Use 6v silver oxide batteires somewhere is hard to get

Offers exceptional performance with the drawback of the excessive weight. Extremly durable.

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Kiev 88cm, Hasselblad 500CM, Bronica

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jan 09, 2005]
metoliusdmm
Intermediate

I love the camera, although i don't spend a lot of time using it i still love it. The studio i intern at uses these cameras and i know the photograpgher there loove them, it is an awesome camera for studio work, why else would a studio use it if it wasn't awesome

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 16, 2004]
gnnyman
Expert

Strength:

Optical performance, changeable backs, accurate exposure

Weakness:

weigth and again weight

I like it and hate it at the same time. Just the last weekend - a hike in Colorado, but I had the equipment with me in my backpack. 15 pounds of camera equipment....sweating like crazy but then, when I got the negatives back from processing - I knew why I dragged this beast around and why I love it. My lenses (50, 65, 90 and 180mm ) are super, crisp and contrasty, and the exposure is dead right. I only wish it was a bit lighter....

Similar Products Used:

Rollei SL 66, SL 66SE, Pentax 645

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Sep 24, 2003]
DragonLyte
Intermediate

Strength:

Beautiful results, simple to use, and I bet even simpler if you had the instruction book!

Weakness:

It's D*** heavy, and only uses special neckstraps (which mine diddn't come with) It's a bit tricky to load sometimes- Not sure if it's just me but there doesn't seem to be quite enough room to switch the take up reel over to the right side. Also, mine diddn't come with the split field focus screen, and my eyes aren't as good as they used to be, so my results aren't as sharp as they could be- But that could be just my camera.

I'll be the first to admit it- This camera is way out of my league technically, course if I got the instructions with it it'd help. I got an incredible deal for this camera, It with 2 lenses, 3 backs, prisim finder, handle, and all sorts of other goodies fell into my lap for right around the price of an F100- I'm no fool I got it immediatly. I put a coupple of rolls through it last weekend. Although I messed up some stuff (it wasn't set to auto wind, the handle shutter was off a bit, and it took me forever to figure out the difference between the orange and white selectors on the shutter release, and I messed up the filmspeeds on the backs) I got *incredible* results. I was worried about the finder light meter, but it preformed perfectly. Definatly an A+ Camera, even compared to my 2 4x5's

Customer Service

Never dealt with them- don't plan on doing so.

Similar Products Used:

I have 2 very old 120 cameras (vintage) 2 4x5's, and my F100.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 02, 2002]
SingLO
Intermediate

Strength:

Rotating film back Bellow focusing Rugged built Very reliable Very mature optical system Pin sharp optics

Weakness:

Heavy and bulky

Perhaps I don't need to write too much praises about the RZ67 because it has got very good reputation as the big gun or pro workhouse like its fully mechanical brother RB67. I even dreamt about having one when I was a beginner 10 years ago! Its rugged exterior design features are truely functional and beautiful. The rotating film back and bellow focusing are the best features. Handling is excellent and easy. I use my Minolta lightmeter VI and 1 degree spotmeter for exposure instead of buying the heavy and expensive AE prism. Because of his large size and weight, I use the RZ 67 100% of the time on studio shoots handheld. I am just too lazy to lug it around with my heavy Manfrotto tripod so I use my Contax AX and Canon EOS3 for most outdoor photograhy.

Similar Products Used:

Bronica ETRSI

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 28  

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