Mamiya’s RB and then RZ67 were absolute workhorses for professional photographers back in the 1980’s. The 180mm lens was amazing for portrait photography. Thanks for helping others experience this amazing Mamiya camera.
Thanks for the video. Originally, I purchased my RB67 for shooting portraits. The lenses I use for portraits are: 250mm f/4.5 180mm f/4.5 150mm f/4 soft focus 140mm f/4.5 macro All are great portrait lenses. However, over time, the 180 became my personal favorite.
Having had the 180mm 4.5 as my ONLY lens on my RB67, I can say it's an absolute machine for tight portraits and headshots. Ended up selling it off to a studio when I got an RZ67ii + 110mm kit
@@Iliya_sh72 the cities are built around cars people only walk there from home to their car and maybe a neighbour next door. Other than that, there's just nowhere to walk to in LA.
Hi, Willem, I actually found your colorstyle changed a lot all through these years. Now it seems that you prefer to add a little more yellow and green tone to your postwork. What's your thought about the change? Would you make a video about that? Thanks, and keep good work :)
It's just because he moved to LA. You know how it's impossible to shoot anything in Mexico and not grade it to yellow piss? Well, Willem does that to LA shoots, justify the " Famous Golden California Light" thing. Otherwise it would look just like regular photos.
I got a 210mm APO. At the time it was released it was one of the most expensive in the Mamiya line, but I picked it up on ebay for around £200. What a bargain now need to set out more purposefully to use it!
The photo at 5:54 of the suburban area and the mountains is amazing. I like the contrast of the beautiful mountains and the city. I had to turn the video quality up from 1080p to 2160p because the image drew me in so much. Very much enjoy your videos Willem! - Jacob
There are some amazing 180mm lenses for medium format portraits, the Zeiss Sonnar f/2.8 being a great burget option. Kodak Aero Ektar 178/2.5 being the option for bokeh lovers.
I LOVE using this lens on my Mamiya rz67! it is SO so underrated. I also found it at a camera shop in LA last year for no more than $180. I've actually found that shooting portraits with this lens in landscapes is just life changing. it just gives background and sharper details such a dreamier and deep look to it. thanks for this!
Great stuff. The 180mm for the RB67 is my most-used lens with the camera. Consequently, it's always a fun change when I'm shooting with the 65mm or 250mm. The 180mm is certainly a heavy lens (not sure how it compares to the one for the RZ) but it's got nothing on the 250mm!
I recall my Coast Guard days back in the 1970's. I was on the island of Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, Japan. One of the Japanese C.B.'s (Construction Batallion) had a Mamiya camera very similar to yours. He took my picture with another Coast Guardsman. It was the first photograph that looked nearly 3 dimensional. I was amazed, to say the least! Those were the days that I developed my own negatives and positives. I had a lot of fun doing those images. Nowadays I use a Pentax K-5. Someday I hope to be able to afford a Hasselblad medium format camera, the 907X, 50C. Someday.... I hope....
Yeah, agree, I love my Carl Zeiss 180/2.8 at the Pentacon Six/Kiew60 system. Unfortunately my shooting routine often includes 50mm equivalents or slightly wider shots. So I use it in special compositions mostly.
Beautiful photos! This topic reminds me that a while into Ansel Adam's long career, after he was hired as the official photographer for the US National Park System, he gained access to one or more of the handfull of Zeiss/Hasselbald/NASA designed lenses built for the Apollo moon mission photos. Some of his most iconic photos were made with those lenses, as long as a 250mm on 6x6 film, if I'm remembering correctly. I enjoy when you dive into topics like this that more of us just wouldn't run into in our own photography experiences, and show us what can be done with these tools. Cheers!
The picture at 1:24 is a great detail shot, with the modular shapes of the headlight and the visible aging and dents which give it some story. I could see it in a photo book about cars if you made one
Ah, the 85mm FOV (in 135 'full frame' format) there's a reason for that 180mm lens on the 6x7 format after all. it's also why I got myself a 135/2.5 Takumar to adapt on my GFX, because that also works out to about 85mm. Willem is right on the money about shutter speeds, it's easy to mess up a shot with longer lenses when Image Stabilization isn't an option.
Picked up a 250mm (for about $100) for my RB to do some headshots, but found it much more fun out in the bush doing some landscape vignettes. Highly recommend shaking up your focal lengths like this for a bit of a challenge and some fun
Imo 65, 90, and 180 is the perfect kit for the RB (and in extension the RZ). If I had extra cash I wouldn't mind eventually picking up a 50mm and some extension tubes or a 250mm
Looks a great focal length, long lenses are super useful in isolating elements in the scene, need to get a long lens for the Pentax 6x7 myself, again surprisingly cheap for these.
Imma crazy man. Love my 300mm on the Mamiya 645 super. For any significant depth of field you have to crank up the f-stop, but i just love the images you get with it.
Is there any chance you would be willing to share some of your first work as a film photographer? It always inspires me to see how far other photographers have come compared to when they first started. Maybe you could do a video about it? Anyway thanks for the videos I enjoy watching and learn a lot!
I have a 180mm for my RB and it comes out of the bag way more often than I ever thought. So much so that, I recently had issues with it ( sticky shutter) and I found myself buying a replacement since they are relatively cheap and fixing it would cost as much and create a much longer delay.
lol the Sekor C 180mm W-N version, you can find a really good one just over $200, insanely cheap, got mine for a lil over $120. unless your looking for the "Soft Focus" version..
I shot one for portraits etc on an RB67 for a few years. Surprised me when I started to use it. Eventually the body quit working so I'll either have to get it fixed, get another one or sell the lenses.
give the 250 a go! Surprisingly useless for portraits as the minimum focal distance is like 2 or 3 metres... But could be fun out and about if you ever get hold of one ✨
I shot a short film with my Contax 100mm lens but used the lens as a wide angle lens ...gave me that old Japanese art house film look :) Kurosawa was famous for using telephoto lens as wide lens
Hey Willem, another awesome, interesting and entertaining video👌Since you're originally from Belgium I was wondering what's your native language? Is it French, Flemish, German or English? 🤔
I had a 180mm for my Mamiya C220. When I replaced my worn-out wedding cameras with the Mamiya RB67, I replaced my twin-lens 180 for the SLR 180. Both are excellent lenses. Excellent not only for portraits but also for landscapes, photojournalism, product shots, and closeups.
