Funny you younger guys shooting with these cameras. If you want to know about these camera’s I can tell you. I’m 62 my first camera was the RB67 and I bought it from Sears for around 600.00 brand new. That right Sears. Make this short. The medium formats are old now. I still own the RB67. I own Hassleblad system. I’ve had all of them. My favorite medium format camera end of of discussion is the best ever Mamiya 6 system and Mamiya 7 system. Hassleblads are rugged but very hard to focus. I’ve also owned Bronica SQ and ETRS systems. Oops forgot owned Mamiya C330. My suggestion for you guys is pick up the cheaper Mamiya C330 and see if you like medium format. At current film prices you better know what your doing it's 2 dollar's per shot buying the film and Film processing on the RB. I still own and use the RB, The Hassy, but favorite is the Mamiya 6 with 50mm lens. These cameras are expensive now. I mostly shoot with my Nikon F2a and Nikon F5. Just trying to help you guys out. If you want to reply would be happy to answer questions from any of you. I have shot these cameras for 40 year’s. Make a wise choice based on you budget. You have to own these cameras for a long time to know the reliability of the camera. One final note of all the camera's The Mamiya and Hassleblad have the sharpest lenses. The mamiya is easier to focus. The Zeiss lenses have a lot of play in them so try to find the sweet spot is harder. If you have money to burn get either the Mamiya 6 or 7. If your on Budget Buy Mamiya C330. By the way I am a working pro and Purchase all the Camera's over my 1st 25 years in Business. I now shoot Profesionally with Digital have for a long time But i have never stopped using Film for Hobby now. Cost to much to shoot film doing Volume work. I will never sell my film Camera's.
finally i just bought mamiya rb67 pro sd with 90mm K/L lens for $230 with good condition and the results very very satisfied. looking forward to another lens
If you are using a spot meter an easy tip I can give you to start with. Is to Meter off the shadows and then under expose 1 stop from that reading. It works very good.
Precisely the medium format camera I have in my wish list to jump to from 35mm. I'll be looking forward to more in depth review on this camera. Yours looks like new, looks like you got a good deal on it. Having to use a tripod 90% of the time wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, specially since I'm planning on shooting portraits in studio with it. I love how you can just flip the back to change from portrait mode to landscape.
I was in the exact situation a couple of weeks ago.. After some extensive researching, I ended up buying a used RB67 Pro S along with the 90mm 3.8 from eBay.. I took it for a test shoot few days back, and enjoyed using it, though heavy.. But it's a joy to use!! I've also been told by a friend: once you go 120, there's no going back XD
RB is one of my favourite cameras. It has an amazing close focus distance. I’s all mechanical. Handling takes some getting used to. It’s a keeper for me.
I am about to pull the trigger on an RB myself. Weight is the one factor that should not be underestimated. There is no way I will use a prism on the RB - the main reason is weight. If(!) my experience from the smaller Mamiya 645 system translates to their 6x7 systems, the prism would be almost as heavy as the camera body itself (about 2 kilograms / just under 4.5 lbs, without a lens attached) - and that's some weight to schlepp around. Oh, and I recommend getting the speed grip. It is worth its weight in gold when carrying it around outside any sort of backpack. Your mileage may vary. But give the kind of behemoth the RB is anyway, the speed grip isn't that big of a deal. For anyone looking into the RB or RZ, just keep this in the back of your head: the RB is primarily a studio camera that lives happily on tripods and rail systems. It was never intended to be a "run and gun" type of camera. You can carry it about and use it to good effect, but you probably won't enjoy it for entire days unless you appreciate a thorough workout in one arm. (insert low hanging fruit joke here). The mirror assembly is also loud. Very loud. So if you plan on taking one of those cute pictures of your cat sleeping - and I know some of you will - be prepared not to get more than this one shot. After that, chances are the cat has taken off in a dust cloud. It is also probably not ideal for starting out in medium format - if you are shooting 35 mm and want to have a crack at MF, get a 6x6 TLR or a Mamiya 645.
This really is my all time favourite medium format camera. I prefer it above all other mf cameras I own (Pentax 67s, 500CM, Rolleiflex...). The viewfinder is nice and bright and I love the bellows focusing. I literally took it everywhere for about a year. It's been sitting on the shelf for a few weeks now because there's too many cameras coming in to test, but it still is and probably always will be my favourite.
some tips and warnings, just got the K\L 90 lens, and in the leaflet it states that the Timer mode MUST be stopped (lens shutter closed) by the B button only, if you have been imersed in the mamiya RB 'culture' for a while you will be familiar with a 'lever trick', that is, to get "out" of T, you either put the shutter speed ring OFF t setting, OR begin to use the cocking lever ( first 1-2 Cm trips the lens); BUT NOT with the K\L series, you use the button or the shutter speed ring!! also for Mirror_up mode, there is NO knurled collar for it, you turn the function on\off by inserting a cable release, and the last 1/4 turn after the cable is tight, turns a helix, this raises the sleive, and a RED ring appears, SHUTTER BUTTON in the body now is mirror release ONLY the mechanical sync is disconnected, use the cable in the sleive to trip the shutter, this also works in T mode, for long exposures; to return this to NORMAL, you undo the cable, CAUTION: if the thread comes loose too early, the cable unscrews WITHOUT operating the helix of the sleive, this is on certain releases only, but to remedy this, tug LIGHTLY at the cable whilst turning, this should remove the friction stopping the helix from turning. ALSO any long (and flexible) cable release should NOT be used in the B socket, as there is a risk of cable flexing, and NOT closing the shutter, these work fine everywhere else, just a caution as THIS is a vital step to exposure timing!! one last tip, as these are LEAF shuttered lenses, every time one goes into 'storage', you must 'fire' the shutter, a pin and the two rotating pins in the slot (in the manual, and covered in many youtube reviews and tutorials), this de-tensions the shutter springs, prolonging their life, and keeping the shutter WORKING, at the right speed, and opening/closing normally, ( NO lagging response time to the button being pressed); this is also a signal that the lens needs servicing, as these springs are worn out.
Nice! I would recommend getting a grip if you want to use it hand held. For me the grip improved the handling of my RZ67 significantly. I could just hold it by the grip with my left hand and had the right hand free to turn the focus knob.
Kyle, great contend man! Just bought a RB67 Pro S a couple of days ago and stumbled upon your channel today. I love the exosure videos! Im looking forward to your in depth overview/review of the RB. An in depth video about metering with a light meter would be amazing as I have always used an internal light meter and have to use an external one now, because of the RB67
I find the Mamiya and the Pentax are a pretty interesting comparison in that they share so many similarities but manage to excel in different areas. I'm a Pentax 67 user as well and while I think I'm overall more happy with that system, I can't help but feel a bit jealous of the rotating back. I wear glasses and have never found the Pentax to be usable with the prism finder even with a rubber eye cup, so I end up shooting 99% of my shots in landscape with the WLVF. But even then there'd be so many things I'd miss about the Pentax if I were ever to switch. If only one could combine the best of both worlds.
I agree. They're both great systems, and both have minor but unique feature differences. I really enjoy both, but still prefer the handling of the Pentax 67 better.
When I moved from a 6x6cm medium format TLR camera to a 6x7cm medium format SLR camera, I chose the Mamiya RB67 SLR instead of the Pentax 67 SLR because I preferred the waist-level viewing of the RB67.
I shot the RB67 for a couple decades it was my studio portrait camera. Now I shoot and love my Hasselblad but I do miss the Bellows focusing on the RB67. It allows such close focusing with any lens.
realy good video, one point about these cameras, and why I got one myself, unlike a hasselblad, they are not as fussy or delicate when lens sync to the camera is considered, ie the mamiya has a "slip" mechanism ( the sync pins are spring loaded) so if the lens is mounted with a non-synchronised camera body, you just pull the darkslide out to the triangle hole in it, then fire the lens, or just crank the lever, hey presto the camera is re-synced again. HASSELBLADS on the other hand have NO slip mechanism, you MUST take the back off and fire the shutter of the body ( two coloured dots on the side of the camera MUST be in same colour), then connect lens, back and body, all cocked, then you can fire away. also these cameras(hassy's) jam if you cock the shutter too quickly, use the mirror-up function or miss handle anything, requiring a screwdriver in the lens or camera back to "unjam" things- if you are brave enough! In some bodies there are fitted a titanium shutter curtain which is like tin foil, so NEVER touch or damage it, very delicate indeed, mainly on the 2000 series of V bodies.
The left had grip improves the handling. You won't be cradling the camera like that anymore. I modified my left hand grip by epoxying a nut to the bottom of the knob that attaches the grip, so I could use a monopod to relieve me of the weight while shooting. If you ever get the L-Grip, and want it modified, I'd be happy to do it for you. It can be tricky to get the (1/2-20 flanged nut) centered in the recess of the knob (there's a cover to the recess that can be popped off). OTOH, cradling the camera like you are is going to do a lot to stop camera shake, and with that big mirror slapping around, that can be an issue at slower shutter speeds if you're not using a tripod or monopod. Great channel. Keep up the good work!
Love your videos man.. My RB67 just arrived a few days back.. Took it for a test yesterday, and it seems a bit heavy for street photography if you're shooting for more than 2 or 3 hours, as many have already said.. But, it's a cool camera to have and the quality out of this beast is most definitely fantastic!!!!
Beautiful! I got one recently as well, love the KL lenses. I got one of theses after owning the Pentax 67, because the bellows. I couldn’t get close enough with the Pentax.
I’ve found a huge affinity with the Mamiya, bellies focusing and the waist level viewfinder just fits my shooting style. Having the prism is great for professional shoots but it stays on my shelf for most of the time because it almost doubles he weight of the system, and the magnifier works almost just as well.
I've had my RB67 for about 5 years now. Love it (nicknamed it Burtha), a little bit of a pain having to use a light meter, but the results are worth it. For a more speedy MF setup I also have a Mamiya 645 with the prism viewfinder, which at least has a crude meter, and isn't awkward to aim like the 67's left & right being backwards. I just wish I could adapt that f/1.9 to the 67. But one is helix focus, and the other is bellows. So sad.
I've shot 8 rolls through mine now and first few were a little strange coming from SLR's in 35mm but now I am fully in love with both the way I shoot with it and of course the image quality of both my 90mm and 50mm lenses.
Awesome video, awesome camera. Also, the music is perfect every time and never annoying. I use a Pentax LX and MX but I've been looking at getting into different formats. Thanks for making these videos.
Thank you for selecting 2 of the best in the business. It is impossible to choose between them. I have both. In fact I have 3 of each with 3 lenses. These babies shoot film which resolves 200lpmm. What this means that these 2 gives images equal to 350MP. The quality is breathtaking. Hopefully you will show this in future videos.
Wow great video I used an RB67 in the past, I ended up using the Pentax 67 more. For me it was easier to handle. The switching out the backs makes things easier but I just liked handling the Pentax better
Wow Kyle! Awesome video! Agree 100% with everything you said on the video. I own one for 10 years and I'm so happy with this camera that I hardly use my full frame digital camera. Is really heavy to carry, but like you said I use it all the time on the tripod. Looking forward for more videos on any equipment . Thanks!
I love shooting my RZ handheld where I can get a nice high shutter speed. For my shaky body sharpness suffers once I drop below about 1/100th. The RB and RZ are amazing tripod camera's but when the shutter speed is high enough they are also fine hand holding systems.
I chose the Bronica GS-1 over the Mamiya. The trade off was a heavier focus mechanism on the GS-1 vs the bellows on the Mamiya, but the GS-1 body was as minimalist as an eggshell.
@@KyleMcDougall I had a full GS1 system, but sold it. Also sold my Mamiya C-330 system. Greatest regret, selling my Speed Graphic. My only vintage system is a 6x7 Graflex XL with many lenses and accessories. I had a customized XLW pancake with a Schneider 47XL helical focus, but sold it for $1500 to a collector in China, of all places. I also have a Silvestri system, but that is so esoteric . . . Most of my shooting is done with a 4:3 Olympus and a 50mgpxl Pentax 645z.
I've had the RB67, a Pentax 67, and now the RZ67 and for me the Mamiyas and the Pentax are very different beasts. One thing you didn't note is the sync speed for anyone using flash, which is a slow 1/60 sec. on the Pentax, whilst the leaf shutters on the Mamiyas sync at any shutter speed. This is huge for studio flash photography. I loved my RB67, but the main reason I prefer the RB is the better prism finders available as well as the fabulous 110mm f2.8 lens, which is about on par with the legendary Pentax 105/2.4. Can't go wrong with any of these great camera systems.
I've heard great things about the 110mm lens! Also, yes, sounds like the sync speed is an important one. I'm not a strobe guy, therefore not something that has affected my experience with either camera.
Based upon this video, and a few others, (And, a lot of reading!), I have purchased a RB67 ProSD with a chimney CdS viewfinder. 90mm K/L and 127mm K/L lenses too. Oh yeah, and a factory shoulder strap! Thank you, Kyle!
This is my goto medium format Kyle. I love this 120mm film camera. I actually took it with me on my LA trip and took it with me downtown Santa Monica! Hahaha! Great review as per usual!
They're great cameras. I personally have a hard time deciding which of my three Mamiya MF cameras (645 Pro TL, RZ67, and 645 AFD) is my favourite. Just to be accurate, 120 film is not 120mm film. In fact, it's just about 61mm wide.
Lovely video, and some great shots! I love mine, just need to shoot with it more often :). I just got a Polaroid back for it, it came with a motorised 6x8 back. I love this camera!
This is where I am right now. I have a Mamiya RB that I have never used. Didn't really think through the purchase. I don't mind heavy cameras, but the Mamiya is a lot and it is slower to operate than something like the Pentax 67. Debating trading towards a Pentax 67II. I do however have a preference for a waist level finder. Decisions. Decisions.
The RB is a super system! Own a original RB. I believe the biggest upgrade in the SD model is a wider bayonetmount so you can use the KL-lenses. Cool video!
I like RZII, definitely a tripod camera. With the Bellows focusing system, which enables you to focus close with all lenses! Nice, looking forward to your in-depth review.
Yes, you should! It's a nice piece of kit. Very good lenses, flash sync at all speeds, polaroid back. Starting to get a little envious. No not really.. K don't forget to do the review on the zine. ;
Amazing review!! Tomorrow I will get my first 6x7 camera and is the Mamiya RB67!!! :D So thank you for this so much. BTW what's the lightmeter are you using? Thanks in advance!
It’s my #1 fashion photography set up. The hand grip makes life easier for hand held. Also leaf shutter you can shoot it hand held up to 15 of a second. Where you shooting portra or Fuji ?
I have a Fuji GX680 and its a monster of a camera!! Verrry similar to the RB67 but a much bigger camera. I'd love to shoot this without a tripod just as you are doing now. All I need is a waist level viewfinder to replace the focus prism that came with it..... And a month in the gym to strengthen my back! :-) Great review by the way :-)
I was thinking about going on one of the Fuji street photography walks in London with it. So looking forward to see their faces when i pull this beast out ;-)
Great vid. You’re a Brave man! The RB67 is a tank. Thing weighs 5 pounds easy. I’ve never put a roll through mine but I do love shooting Fuji FP-100 through it with the Polaroid back. Hopefully somebody will make a similar film soon (come on Impossible make it happen). Until then I’ll pick up the occasional pack and shot my reserves sparingly.
I have 2 Pentax 67s one with Portra 400 and the other with Tri X I use a 55mm f4,, the newest version and a 75mm f4.5. I am looking for a folding rangefinder 6x6 now
The side grip is certainly an experience, but it's absolute murder on the wrist for longer shoots. Combined with a bright flash it makes for a surprisingly decent handheld-ish shooter.
Ive had my RB since 1978 and its superb. I have a Pentax 67 and its a cool looking thing but its heavy as fuck and its not as useable as the RB even with the handle. The one thing the Pentax has is the 105mm lens which is the best lens ever as far as I am concerned. I have even got an adaptor for my Canon 5 digital. Filters are easy with the RB as all the same thread, unlike the Pentax. Use the hand grip to fire the shutter on the Mamiya but being able to switch films mid roll is invaluable
I have them both, the rb is a bit awkward when just hanging around the neck but I like how I could get my hands underneath if I'm doing handheld stuff for added stabilization, the Pentax is a lot like handling a 35mm slr but a whole lot longer and heavier. For me I like the RB better but just got the Pentax, my opinion might change in a couple of weeks
I found it more awkward than the Pentax, but the Pentax handles like an SLR, so it's quite a bit different. I'll see how it feels in a couple months from now once I've shot with it more.
Nice video! I bought one pro sd myself 2 months ago and I love every kilo of it:))). Strapped around your my neck turned me into Quasimodo in a day’s walk but I enjoyed every second of it. I am now looking for a scanner because scanning at a shop adds way too much cost per frame than needed. What do you recommend? Did you tried other than the v500? Tx and looking forward for the in depth review.
Thanks, Catalin. I'm currently using a V500 because I found it for a very good price used. I haven't used any other flatbeds so I can't really comment on the quality difference. For medium format, any of the Epsons will serve you well. Your best bet may be to look for a used 700/750.
I loved this camera but if you like taking long photo walks I don't recommend it! Even with a strap it's a pain to carry, and takes up a lot of space in a bag.
in your upcoming review can you go over why you chose this over the RZ67 and its differences? I recently got the RZ67 pro ii and would be nice to hear more about the RB67 as well and what they differ in. Looks like not by much. Maybe the lenses...?
also want to mention that I mainly purchased an RZ67 because of how close I can focus with it due to the bellows focusing. I was inspired by Rosie Matheson on instagram as she does a lot of close up photography and the detail is astounding.
I have both and there is zero difference in the quality of image. I prefer the RB67 because it requires no batteries, is a little lighter, and I don’t use the camera meter. I keep the RZ because the magical 110mm doesn’t convert to the RB. (The lenses are not universally interchangeable between systems). If it did, I’d sell the RZ tomorrow. I’ve tried almost every medium format camera in an effort to replace the RB, and to date nothing has. Hasselblad (500 series and H series), Rollei, Contax, Pentax, Kiev, and even Mamiya 645 and Mamiya 7. All have fallen to the wayside for me as I just love the RB and how it makes images. It IS super big and heavy so right now I’ve got a Bronica SQ-AI on the way with a 50, 80, and 150 to see if it can unseat the champ.
Thanks, Jonathan! I'm using a set of Benro 3 stage CF legs, and a Markins Q10 ball head. The legs are older, and have likely been updated by this point. I really like the combo though.