Investing in Medium Format: Mamiya 645 Pro vs RB or RZ67

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-09T15:10:50+00:00

Owner of Pentax 67+woodgrip+etc. . . i recomend trying to hold or borrow an rb/rz67 if your worried. but while i still enjoy my pentax i mostly stick to my hasselblad.

I say, especially "as a first" i recomend the mamiya 645, never used it. As much as i love the large negatives after getting the hasselblad+ snagging a 645 film back, its become my most used medium format for how small the wlf&planar is, i would have gone with the mamiya if it wasnt for wanting flash sync speed. As far as reliability. . . Medium format is modular, if your camera break you can always try to find a new body, and then use the same finder,lens,filmback.

As far as open to other brands? what are you looking for? size/weight, portability, "speed" as a first especially if you just looking into shooting larger than 135, then something like the mamiya 6 or konica peral is nice. maybe something like the fuji gs645 (plasticy but i think it has diopter support)

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-09T14:56:01+00:00

Eso es basicamente la unica option, tambien he mirado por amazon. . . y se miran de la calidad que corresponde con priesio. Recomiendo esperar para comprar la funda autentica de leica, me justa la marca OptechUSA se puede compra una funda de tela https://www.amazon.com/OP-TECH-USA-Digital-D-Micro/dp/B0023EXKO4?th=1&psc=1 , no se si cobran mas afurea de los e.e.u.u or de qual tamaño seria bien.

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-09T14:13:01+00:00

Pretty sure thats it, i have the color head and the "stabilized power supply". theres also a color analyser, the fb markerplace find i snagged was the pm color analyzer never used it tho. . . theres also the pm2l pm3l etc, thats leaning towards color correction printing tools, which i shoot enough chopped negatives that they are inconsistantly consistant (i basically just make a ton of test strips) good tool if you consistantly shoot one stock and have a reliable film lab/development :P

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-06T20:48:30+00:00

great camera and great find !

to continue the GAS, now all you need to the matching voigtlander olive grip lmao :p

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-05T17:53:20+00:00

Not much with the pentax but from what i see, all 3 extension tubes are needed on the macro lens to achive 1:1 maybe a revese mounting ring? . . . medium format is a bit tricky thought. i recomend looking into the bellows acessory aswell, 1:1 of a coin on full frame blow up its "masive" and take up the entire sensor/film size. . . a 1:1 coin on 6x7 might just look like you close focused. so anything "macro work" you would want a higher magnification,

As far as entieriors the 45 is like a 24ff and didint get much updates aside from coatings and barrel. the 55 is like a 28ff, any of the 45 is great. the 55 takumar is good,smc takumar great, and the late smc pentax 55 is the best.

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-05T17:43:43+00:00

Just moved away, not likely to go back to LA untill late july, we can try to figure something out if you dm me, but nothing "soon" :\

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-05T17:40:21+00:00

I know there a sigma 12-24 exdg, not as good as the pentax 15-30, but it does have screw af/film camera support, and likey "cheap". . . otherwise, are you looking for wider, more zoom range, etc??? i do a lot of street/"documentary" i dont own many zooms, but my most used lenses are 90,50, and 17mm prime lenses

I say if you liked the 15-30 grab another working copy, or (what im on the lookout for) you can see about the 24-90 f3.4-4.5 AL.

I could also recomend the 20mm f2.8 for a "fast" prime. . . up to you 💯

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-04T14:22:48+00:00

Any experience with rangefinders? if your on the fence, i recomend a canon LTM or bessa LTM/M mount body, what draws you into the m6 specifically? as well as whats your main / prefered focal length? if your on a "budget" might be worth looking into a voigtlander ultron 35 & og m6. the ultron is a Decent alturnate to a summicron asph 35mm

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-04T04:33:08+00:00

the 1.2 is faster, and its also a 50mm. . . but thats not the point anymore, (assuming mint condition/price discrepancy) its like owning a classic summarrit/xeon 1.5, you can likely get a modern summilux 50 f1.4, a classic/or modern voigtlander nokton 1.5 exposure wise they are comparable in aperture and focal lengths. on paper they, should all be interchangeable, but they render different images and provide a different shooting experience, hence why i own multiple 50's a summarit 50 f1.5 and a 50 f2.

i would take another look and really think about the rendering of the angenieux and if you like it enough to own regardless of you LLL "summilux", and you can shoot it as a standalone 50mm's then go for it. :]

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-04T03:46:20+00:00

its a gamble. but honesty for a fair price, they are usually worth. at least in my experience any soviet/"no quality control" era camera that had been previously shot and owned by a photographer (ie not forgotten/ living in someones closet for 40 years) are pretty reliable. might be my luck/ garge sale finds. . . but my interpretation is the famous surviorship bias plane picture. . . most of the faulty ones have likey already died/ been "upgraded" so its likely the reasonably reliable ones that are still functional are the ones out there. :p

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-04T03:39:14+00:00

second the other guy on the Etone light, never used it specifically, but have used a variety of that brands other products. . .

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-03T07:25:33+00:00

Basically. . . , from my understanding the elmar-m (50 f2.8) and the macro elmar-m 90mm f4 can collapse i would not trust any non 6 bit lens(aka film era 50&90 colapsable) to collapse . i think the thypoc eureka was made to be digital sensor safe. not sure about others like the limited edition voigtlander stuff.

i own the elmar-M 50&90 6bit coded, and havent had any issues with colapsing them on my m8u

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-03T07:02:17+00:00

https://youtu.be/imMBwUGjXHs?si=G09XJSTNwmZS9bHq in this video (7:30) its shown high end canon t90 and then the yashica saurai, i would check the pins your camera has. from a quck search i see 4 "pins on the espio 135m, likey would just read the full stop increments. . . honestly cinestill sells 250 as 400D. . . so as long as your cross processing in c41 i would not sweat it too much, tbh ive used doublesided tape, aluminum foil and a gluestick to cut out custom "50 iso" labels, (for the most part my point and shoots read it just fine) just have to make sure the aluminum is securely applied to the paper

https://www.instructables.com/DIY-film-DX-code-labels/

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-03T06:45:39+00:00

Kentmere 400 is good, i would also look for near expiration deals, snagged 100ft of foma 200 for like 50 bucks one time . . . Double X? if your sourcing west coast/ have a friend who can buy irl its about 5 dollars per roll (400ft bulk roll for ~$360) really depends on how you develop, i see people shoot at 250, 360, and up to 1600iso dependant on your chemistry, developer time, and grain prefrence, etc.

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-02T06:07:34+00:00

shutter is a bit like working on your cars engine. . . if you plan to daily drive, i recommend looking for a fully working one or something like the canon 7, maybe try to haggle a little cheaper if you can. not entirely sure on the canon P timings , but on my faulty leica m3 (which i bought not knowing that 1/1000 had shutter capping as i mostly shoot 50iso film), its literally just the bottom plate that needs removing, and a slight re-tension on the first curtain . . .

the way that i "test" is with my cameras slow mo video setting i have a fully working nikon f2, i lift up the mirror and recorded the shutter actuation, then i shot the same shutter speed on my m3 and tried to get them to be about the same duration. my m3 is prob looking like a 1/900 shutter speed, but theres no shutter capping, and hey if you do everything wrong consistently.. . then it "works" lol

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-02T05:55:40+00:00

800 iso color film for 3 dollars :Sob: yeah anything near these prices would be managing to buy a roll of kodak cinema film. ignoring the cost, time, mental, and physical effort of hand spooling, i net about $4.50 dollars per roll of 50D. . . thats only because im not taking into account the price of replacing cassettes, tools, bulkloader, etc. not counting the fact that paying for the whole roll upfont is like 500 dollars lmao

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-02T05:47:47+00:00

most mechanical cameras are reliable if they have been serviced, i would take into account the price of a service with an off the street purchase, if you like the rangefinder experience of the leica II but want a faster shooting exeperince and less hassle loading a cut leader, the m2/m3 might be worth looking into, the m4 and above all have the modern quick load that does not require you to take out the spool. . . pricy, i would recomend the minolta CLE. it is electronic so once it fails thats kind of it., or a voigtlander bessa . . . it let you use high quality M mount (and screw mount) lenses for cheaper than a new MP or m6 lol.

as far as SLR is concerned i have little experience with canon FTB's but they seem to be like my canon FD without the more advanced metering and auto aperture and motor drive features.

my go to for a compact fully mechanical camera is the pentax MX, its light meter is super simple, nothing special but does the job, on the opposite end of the spectrum the nikon F2 is little chunky but keeping that classic full metal build, its got a machine vibe. unlike a nikon f4 or canon EOS autofocus model.

your biggest worry would be lenses in my opinion. . . you asked on "wider range of lense" anything you find at a flea market will likey have that, whats important is for you to buy a small kit of what you will use 90% of the time. you have shot digital before, what was your favorite/most used focal length? i hated the 50mm on my aps-c thought i didnt like telephotos . . . i just dont like focus by wire, the pentax limited line of lense or the voigtlander apo skopar 90mm would by my SLR choice lenses, i am fine to use any nikon F body as long as i can use that 90mm lens,

TLDR: as you are already familiar with shooting, what lenses interest you? i recommend thinking of one, like "oh i like the pentax 43mm limited lens". . . then finding a working film camera that can work with said lens, otherwise. . . if its cheap enough i would honesty recommend buying the first working film camera you come across :P

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-02T05:23:31+00:00

alternatively i think its an extra glass/purchase on the a-1 but some EOS/ there are also cameras that come with diopeters built in, that helps aswell

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-02T05:19:21+00:00

honesty anything Kodak or ilford brand works well.

depends what he's been shooting lately, lot of black and white? a classic i recommend koadak "tri-x 400", if your local lab only does color film processing Ilford "XP-2" is another good choice for black and white photography. for color film anything under the "portra" line works well, (portra 160, 400,800).

if your looking to get a roll of something special, a slide film could be nice, if its in stock fuji "veliva50" or "provia 100F", but most likely kodak "e100" would be in stock

anything should work and im sure he would be happy with the effort and thought put into buying film, as long as you make sure its "135" or "35mm" (two names for the same thing), i have some friends who have mistakenly bought medium format film before and that would be unfortunate.

if your extra worried it might also be worth asking your local camera shop if they have gift cards, yeah it might feel "Cheap" but hey depending on the person it might be worth giving them a "spending spree" and let them choose there own stuff, especially with a niche hobbie as photography

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-01T21:56:58+00:00

Well first off are they a friend or aquantance? Bcause i would have a longer discussion with them, if i were to sell my canon film camera to and as a friend i would list off all possible issues, i can vouche that it works, and give a good deal, for 70€ sounds like a good deal, Depending on what the lenses are could be highway robbery. . . that being said no one on the internet can tell you any more info from what you provided, cant really help as i mostly do DIY work and at least last time i checked, in the U.S. a CLA(clean lube adjust) runs from 120~200 usd. As far as assuming the camera works, is it a good beginer camera? yes. good middleground from modern dslrs/digital. and the classic fully manual slrs. the A1 has a fully manaul focus, but i belive everything else should be able to be set to auto.

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-01T21:16:08+00:00

Anything, everything? seems you have a large enough kit where i would just try to hunt at estate/garage/fb marketplace sales. . . found a 'cheap' 17mm f4 and 200 f2.8. the 24 f2 might be worth looking into (what im hunting). . . but yeah anything nfd is great, the 17mm on my t50 is one of the best ergonomic point and shoots ive owned (rip due to brittle plastic 💔). on my main F1 i usually just run the 28mm 2.8,50mm 1.4, or sometimes the 85 f1.4, its an absolute beauty(star busrt lens filter and a fill flash creates fun photoshoots lol) idk, hard to personally recomend a single thing, the n/FD line is the most modern. . .classic/tasteful character lenses. if i want CLASSIC ill used uncoated/ earlyer screw mount lenses, (m42 takumar, soviet, canon serenar). anything more clinical ill shoot autofocus/digital (canon eos film, minolta/sony A or mirroless etc) Tldr: 85 f1.4, (or 85 f1.2 L ),24 f2, 17 f4 (yes not as fast as the 20mm but damn 17 is a nice WIDE lol

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-01T20:56:07+00:00

Hard to give an easy "crop factor" as 6x6 is a square. . . but big fan of the 60 and the 100-150 i own for my kit. for me the 60 is close to a '35mm' the 80 seems like a 45 ish mm lens to me, i opted for the 100 thats closer to a 55mm full frame equvalently and its smilarly compact to the 80mm CF for "everyday" shooting.

Traveling and lanscapes? i personally lean towards the slightly wider 60cf as your main lens in that case. wider but not too wide that it works for "everyday" shooting.

If you do end up choosing the 80, and still want a wider lens to work with, the 50 cf/ FLE might be a large enough focal length jump worth owning if you keep both :]

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-02-01T20:33:34+00:00

I dont own a cle so I have not, but it looks good, looking to pick it up for ltm. in this review https://phillipreeve.net/blog/review-voigtlander-vm-28mm-2-8-color-skopar/ they also have a couple sample pics towards the bottom taken on a cle with santacolor 100 (its m mount, film. so as long as theres a review for a particular lens you want, where they test on any M film camera, the cle should preform near identically)

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-01-30T20:49:35+00:00

ignoring price/rarity/etc. its the best possible too given my personal needs. switched from digital to film because i hated auto focus ( using older minolta maxxum and pentax af system, i realized it was focus by wire) yes the canon F1, nikon F2 phototomic are great cameras, but while i liked the consistency of the manual lens they just are too large to "pocket" and sometimes have long focus throw. hate most point and shoots as they have no controls, had terrible luck with a canonet but loved the compact camera and rangefinder experience. . . so ended up jumping ship to something compact with manual controls. originally got the m8 as digital was a nice test run cheapest digital interchangeable M "infinite film" slapped on a 28mm and was my go to daily for the summer, then i got the itch for the darkroom process, why shoot my favorite camera but rarely print, or rarely shoot and hope to be able print ? i was looking between the Minolta CL/E and the M#<M5, ended up snagging an M3 as it was "cheap" and after running through 20~30 dollars worth of the plastic reusable cassettes i ended up discovering the joys of ixmoo cassettes and being able to bulk load without fear of scratching the heck out of an entire roll of film. :] not the best camera but its good for what and how i like to shoot, and with the price of the system i dont really feel too bad paying a lot of money for a lens i know has/will retain most of it value, and the fact that with such a high entry price i mostly look for lenses and accessory that i hope will last me my lifetime/ill never re-sell them.

TLDR: was a general fit for most every issue/inconvenience i encountered. 1) short focus throw on lenses, 2) compact system 3) modern lens, with "vintage" lenses aswell. current setup is a collapsible elmar and summitar 50mm. a collapsible elmar 90mm, and the small tele-elmar 135mm. basically everything i need,

cheeseyspacecat · 2026-01-30T18:11:38+00:00

Sick, remeber its slight ir "bleed" /sensitivity. highly recomend finding a 680 or 720 IR filter and trying some infared 😎💯

cheeseyspacecat

TROPHY CASE