Starting off in Medium Format
Discussion
Good for you! Regret selling mine and do find myself looking for another fairly frequently. Best thing i can suggest is be patient, it takes so much longer to set up a shot than on a conventional slr. That and get a decent light meter - unless your Mamiya has one built in, i learnt the hard way with my h'blad when loads of early shots came back under exposed.
Not sure if you can still buy the film for them but polaroid backs are a great help too.
Not sure if you can still buy the film for them but polaroid backs are a great help too.
Thanks Gents.
I've got a Manfrotto 055XProB which should hold it no problem (it doesn't feel any heavier than my 1D2 or 1Ds) so that's sorted.
It has an inbuilt meter so I'll try that, my dad has a Weston V (from his days as a commercial and wedding photographer) I can use too.
I'm really looking forward to having a go, it is a beautifully made, perfect condition, it looks like it has been never used, definitely cherished, and I got it at less than half the price London Camera Exchange has theirs up at, the chap even threw in another 120 back and a roll of Portra to get me going
I've got a Manfrotto 055XProB which should hold it no problem (it doesn't feel any heavier than my 1D2 or 1Ds) so that's sorted.
It has an inbuilt meter so I'll try that, my dad has a Weston V (from his days as a commercial and wedding photographer) I can use too.
I'm really looking forward to having a go, it is a beautifully made, perfect condition, it looks like it has been never used, definitely cherished, and I got it at less than half the price London Camera Exchange has theirs up at, the chap even threw in another 120 back and a roll of Portra to get me going
Has it got a rotating back? If not, you'll spend a lot of time with it on its side if you're mostly doing landscapes. My experience of 645s (admittedly Bronica, not Mamiya) is that they're a bit uncomfortable that way, even on a tripod.
A good incident (not reflective) light meter or a 1 degree spot meter (if you're going all out and using Ansel Adams's zone system) are a must (viewfinder meters are OK, but you need to know their limitations).
Choose your film carefully. If you're new to it, I'd start with black and white film - it's the most forgiving of exposure errors. As you get used to what works, progress to colour neg (if you want to do colour) and only once you're really happy with it go on to colour transparency, which will really show up any botched exposures.
Most of all, take your time and savour the delights of composing each shot as if it means something, rather than banging out 100 to a memory card and throwing 99 of them away.
(And then, when you've mastered it, get a Hasselblad
)
A good incident (not reflective) light meter or a 1 degree spot meter (if you're going all out and using Ansel Adams's zone system) are a must (viewfinder meters are OK, but you need to know their limitations).
Choose your film carefully. If you're new to it, I'd start with black and white film - it's the most forgiving of exposure errors. As you get used to what works, progress to colour neg (if you want to do colour) and only once you're really happy with it go on to colour transparency, which will really show up any botched exposures.
Most of all, take your time and savour the delights of composing each shot as if it means something, rather than banging out 100 to a memory card and throwing 99 of them away.
(And then, when you've mastered it, get a Hasselblad
)markmullen said:
Thanks Gents.
I've got a Manfrotto 055XProB which should hold it no problem (it doesn't feel any heavier than my 1D2 or 1Ds) so that's sorted.
I regularly put a Graphlex 5x4 field camera on my 055XPROB with no problems - heck, it's even held a Toyo 5x4 view camera, so the Mamiya will be a breeze.I've got a Manfrotto 055XProB which should hold it no problem (it doesn't feel any heavier than my 1D2 or 1Ds) so that's sorted.
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