huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but Mamiya RB67 kit is now being sold brand new at prices that not so long ago the used gear would have seemed cheap at. And I read somewhere recently that the venerable RB67 was now discontinued, which I suppose is hardly surprising, and would certainly explain the sell-off.
But it pains me to see it. I can still recall the days when gear like that was the stuff of dreams to me, as a teenage enthusiast. Years later, in my mid-twenties, I was finally able to afford to go down the medium format route, and an RB67 was my weapon of choice. But it was still years more before I could afford even a second lens for it. A few more years after that and I arrived at a fairly comprehensive four-lens RB67 system, with tubes and Polaroid back to boot [fat lot of use that is now! :-( ].
And then digital kicked in. I more or less switched to large format for my continuing film interests, and sadly my dream RB67 kit lies unused, even though still much loved. Anyway, now I see even the wonderful APO teles that used to cost the better part of two grand being virtually given away - it does sadden me to see how such great gear is now so little valued. The only positive I can take out of it is that it might tempt me to make the effort and press my lovely RB back into service.
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Huw Evans.
  
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parisian
Over the hill and far away...
Reged: 10/02/2002
Posts: 7721
Loc: Môn mam cymru
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As with the Hasselblad Huw, wonderfully crafted machinery more capable of great photography than the user (this one anyway) but now as cheap as chips. However I still use it and will continue to do so and despite the so-called zero costs of digital imaging I will burn a lot of film before it becomes cheaper to add a digital back. There is one too many 'ands' in that sentence but sod it I am on holiday.
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Hells pensioner - born to be mild
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OneTen
'Two Breakfasts'
Reged: 23/06/2003
Posts: 2523
Loc: Devon
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Yes I's noticed and before I bought the dSLR I was tempted to build another RB outfit. Like you, I had a comprehensive kit for many years and regard it as the best camera I've used.
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Richard .......... My Website - My Blog - My Flickr
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Zou
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/02/2007
Posts: 2106
Loc: Edinburgh
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Robert White have a shift lens for £500. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. 
Probably cry, because I'll never have a second chance to buy at these prices, but can't afford it now.  The 6x7 format is the one which keeps tempting me over all others.
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Zou's Flickr Page
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37690
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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Ha! I fart in the general direction of your RB67 - but I guess I must get my Pentax 67 out again, it's been rather ignored for a while. Cornwall at Easter sounds like a plan...
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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Quote:
Ha! I fart in the general direction of your RB67
Well, that's about the usual quality of output you get from Pentax 67 users! ;-) [Yay - let's have a 67 war! Why should 35mm and digital have all the good scraps?]
Anyway, you get your big Pentax out in Cornwall by all means - I'll be shooting great 67 pics while you're changing rolls, thanks to my rapidly interchangeable backs. And I'll be happily switching between colour tranny and mono negative whenever the mood takes me, with no frames wasted. Oh, and while you're struggling to focus close enough without tubes I'll be getting astonishingly close with every lens with only the built-in bellows! :-)
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Huw Evans.
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Mark101
addict
Reged: 15/03/2007
Posts: 567
Loc: Lincolnshire
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I bought a Mamiya RZ kit not so long ago to augment my Canon 350D and Pentax Super A 35mm Cameras. I have to say for the price I paid the RZ is an amazing bit of kit and the results are stunning.
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Cavyslave
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37690
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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Yeah, but at least I can lift mine and cart it about, and even use it handheld - you need a crane to take that Mamiya into the field. And whilst I'm crafting carefully-considered crackers, you'll be fiddling with your gimmicky backs and bellows...
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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Mark101
addict
Reged: 15/03/2007
Posts: 567
Loc: Lincolnshire
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Quote:
Yeah, but at least I can lift mine and cart it about, and even use it handheld - you need a crane to take that Mamiya into the field. And whilst I'm crafting carefully-considered crackers, you'll be fiddling with your gimmicky backs and bellows...
I travel with a JCB crane which is always on standby.
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Cavyslave
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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Yeah - let the crane take the strain, I always say. :-)
Anyway, Nick, good luck using fill-flash at anything over 1/30th. :-)
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Huw Evans.
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37690
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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Quote:
Yeah - let the crane take the strain, I always say. :-)
Anyway, Nick, good luck using fill-flash at anything over 1/30th. :-)
I don't generally use fill-in for landscapes...  
But were it an issue for me, I would simply buy a leaf shutter lens (as I have for my Mamiya outfit...) - however, what if you need 1/1000 to freeze movement? Or even 1/500? 
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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Quote:
however, what if you need 1/1000 to freeze movement? Or even 1/500?
I don't generally have movement in my landscapes - well, apart from a little plate-tectonics. I find 1/400th is usually enough to cope with that. ;-)
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Huw Evans.
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37690
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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Quote:
Quote:
however, what if you need 1/1000 to freeze movement? Or even 1/500?
I don't generally have movement in my landscapes - well, apart from a little plate-tectonics. I find 1/400th is usually enough to cope with that. ;-)
Ah, not used it in Torquay, then? It's very handy to have fast speeds to capture herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically...
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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Ah well, I use digital for wildlife. I'll freely admit that's not the RB67's strong point. :-)
If I did want to shoot action on 67, I'd get a Pentax - no argument. For absolutely anything else the RB67 pees all over it. :-)
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Huw Evans.
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37690
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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Quote:
For absolutely anything else the RB67 pees all over it. :-)
Well, that's about the usual quality of output you get from RB67 owners...
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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Touché! :-)
Well, that's 67 dealt with - shall we do 6x6 TLRs now? What a load of pants those Rolleiflexes are - give me a C330 with its interchangeable lenses any day. ;-)
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Huw Evans.
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NorthernMonkey
enthusiast
Reged: 01/05/2007
Posts: 271
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We can't jump from 6x7 SLRs to 6x6 TLRs without going via 6x6 SLRs
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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I just did! ;-)
Well, okay - but then I reserve the right to blether on interminably about how much better the Mamiya 6 is than any other 6x6 option. :-)
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Huw Evans.
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Benchista
Wich Tyler
Reged: 11/08/2000
Posts: 37690
Loc: Everywhere and nowhere, baby
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But that's not an SLR....
Back to TLRs...
What's the point of the Mamiyaflex? Too big and heavy, and those grotty Japanese lenses. Not a patch on the wonderful Rolleiflex - compact, properly engineered, excellent glass - just perfect.
On the 6x6 SLR front: Exakta 66. Takes the wonderful Carl Zeiss Jena lenses, and the even more wonderful Schneider lenses, and best of all it's cheap.
645 - well, I would love a Contax system, but the Mamiya M645 reigns supreme. I tried a pro TL, didn't like it, and went back to the original.
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Nick
www.nbrphoto.com
Light and Shade II - the new blog
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huwevans
Old Hand
Reged: 05/08/2000
Posts: 15413
Loc: Dorset, UK
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Quote:
Back to TLRs...
What's the point of the Mamiyaflex? Too big and heavy, and those grotty Japanese lenses.
Smaller and lighter than a 6x6 SLR, the constant viewing of a TLR, but with the advantage of interchageable lenses. 'Grotty Japanese lenses'? I think not. :-)
645? Don't know - never used the format, although a couple of my 6x9 folders are capable of it.
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Huw Evans.
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