Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/07

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Subject: Re: Off topic/medium format advice
From: dmorton@journalist.co.uk (David Morton)
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 1997 2:24 GMT0

Frederic writes:

> Although I love my M6's & 2's, I'm looking to get into some
magazine
> work
> (which use primarily 6 x 7 format) & have narrowed my choices to
> purchasing a
> Pentax 6 x 7 or Mamiya 7. I like the idea of the Mamiya rangefinder
> (light,
> quiet, etc.) but it does have it's limitations. (close up work)
I've
> actually
> considered one of both Any thoughts? Have any of you used either
> camera?Thanks

The Mamiya 7 is a glorious camera let down slightly by its meter. The
lens range is pretty sparse too, the 65mm and 80mm being sufficiently
close that there's little reason to own both. The 43mm is
*wonderful*, but the 150mm - while excellent optically - has a
serious close focus limitation, it won't focus closer than about 6
feet.

For me the obvious compliment to the 7 rangefinder would be an RB or
an RZ, both are excellent for close up work, having built in bellows,
and more importantly have polaroid backs which can be substituted for
the standard back mid-roll. Something you can't do with the Pentax.