Pentax 6x7 : How to and why I switched from Mamiya (psych) 

I have this Pentax 67 now so thank you. Great video RS. Canada

I got my first Pentax 6X7 MLU, today in the mail…… just cleaning it up, and cleaning the glass. Nice, easy to understand overview…. Thanks! Best of luck with yours…. Nice photos!

The problem with sharpness is probably not the lens, I have the old 90mm not the latest one you have. In the past I have done fifty inch prints from the Pentax with amazing quality when the photos were taken with flash only lighting. The mirror is a bit of a shaker but with flash that is eliminated. Back in the 1980's the Pentax lenses were considered sharper than the Mamiya lenses, but in truth it varies depending on focal length. The 105mm Pentax lens is very highly regarded. For daylight use, I would recommend a very sturdy tripod and that will improve the sharpness, especially if you combine that with mirror lock. For the record, I bought my Pentax in 1982 and it cost less than a back for a Hasselblad or Rollei SL66. So the second body was the economical solution. Most lenses for the Pentax and the Mamiya are amazing value for money compared to the Zeiss lenses used by Hasselblad and from my experience, the difference is not material. Other factors will have a more significant impact on image sharpness. The Pentax is the most enjoyable camera to use out of the four different 120 film systems I own. It has also been the most reliable of all my cameras. It is also a very big system so if you want to collect it, you have years of fun looking for some of the rarer items.

Ah, the one that got away.... I used to shoot a lot on a 6x7, then 67 MLU, but decided to sell it when my film transport repairs kept getting more expensive each time. Regretted that ever since, lol. Had a set of extension tubes which allowed me to focus close with the 105 and 165 especially, which made them great for portraits too. Flash sync of 1/30 wasn't great though, nor the mirror shake. But you have the MLU version, so you're ok ;-)

i think, from what I've seen, that the p67II elelectronic meter has several nice features, inincluding aperture priority auto.

RE his multiple comments about how heavy the Pentax 67 is, a trait often mentioned in YT videos. The facts are that if you were to actually weigh the Pentax 67 versus the Mamiya RB, the RB is heavier. When you add the metering finder to the RB, it is heavier still. As for lenses, you can cherry pick between lenses for each system, but generally, the Pentax lenses are noticeably superior to the Mamiya lenses. As for the Pentax 105mm lens, it may be better than sliced bread on YT, but the facts are that it is one of the original, thus oldest, lenses in the Pentax inventory. Its objective performance is significantly lower than other Pentax lenses which might be used as "normal" focal length options, all the social media hype notwithstanding, including his 90mm 2.8.

about reliability...it's one of the things that I've never seen noted as a p67 problem. for the battery, it's so damned tiny that having a spare with you is just about trivial, in terms of storage and space...for cold weather, Pentax has/had a battery holder with about 1 metre 'extension cord', so that you could actually have the battery inside your jacket while shooting.

For Travel I like the Bronica GS-1 as it is smaller and a bit lighter than the RB/RZ systems but still has modular backs and leaf shutters. Right handed detachable grip and aperture priority BUT All electronic and no F2.8 lenses. Great shots by the way.

Always take the lens off before removing the pentaprism. Always reinstall the pentaprism before installing the lens.

Wizard

when will we see you using a digital 6x7? :)

Had 3 pentax 6x7s over time. And i really really wanted ro love them. But that weight and shutter got myself a mamiya 7II and have never looked back

Those two cameras are same size and weight aside from handling.😂