My Deaf, Sir; I have followed your videos on and off, it is always a pleasure to see them and you as well. I love the passion you bring about on your reviews as well as your personal inside which to me flows like wisdom. I too am in love with medium format, the 120 film. I have always used 35 mm film and camera. Soon, it will be Mamiya 645. Although, I am torn between this fine camera and the Zenza Bronnica. I guess its just me. But, I do want to say, Thank You... I do love your photos which you share with us all. God Bless you and your loved ones too. Mr. Roger.
Hi Roger thank you so much for your kind words! In all honesty I don’t think you can go wrong with either one of these cameras. The big reason I bought the Mamiya 645 Pro TL is because it has TTL flash. I know some of the Zenza’s are completely mechanical so that’s a big plus but I have to say that I truly love the results I get from my Mamiya and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. I’ve shot 35mm for 2 decades before I even bought my first medium format camera. I still mostly shoot 35mm but I totally love 645. Let me know what you ended up getting and thanks so much for watching.
@@TheFilmFellow My Dear, Sir; Thank you so, much for your reply and giving me your sharing with me your thoughts. This passed weekend I was able to purshase a Mamiya 645 1000. It is my first medium. I do have my old Minolta X-700. I decided to buy this Mamiya due to the fact he gave me a real good price. Now I have to save and get film for it. Thank God! I've wanted one for 50 years now. I'just turned 65. But, I once used one in high school. Yes, its been a long wate for me. Bye.
Great video! The Mamiya 645 Pro is just a great camera. I used them with that very Metz flash system back in the day. Metz had the widest range of auto aperture settings than any other brand back then. Add the leaf shutter lenses to that, and you could handle anything. My latest favorite to shoot with is the 105-210mm f/4.5 (70-135 in 35mm equivalent ). I even adapted it to my Canon EOS bodies. Nice shots at the end. Thanks for the video.
Hi Charles thanks so much! Yes I’ve been reading up on some of those Metz flashes and they are certainly still competitive for today’s standards. I’ve also adapted my 55mm to my Nikon bodies and it works like a charm. Thanks so much for your wonderful compliments and for watching the video!
❤❤❤ MyFRITZ! Favourite pictures are @13:30 and @13:33 … I have the standard M645 with WLVF and Prism and love it. I need a strap too, because the weight is in my eyes the only negative thing… greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
Greetings from Texas here! Glad you like some of the photos. The standard 645 is also a wonderful camera. They really all are in this lineup. But yes, they weight has its advantages and disadvantages. Thanks so much for watching 🙏🏽
Yes I love my PRO too, though sure it is a little heavy. And (confession) I have a beautiful M645 (no removable back( Of course it's film, I'd love a digital back for it, but that's another couple of grand. Would it be THAT much better than my Nikon D90 digital? I wonder...
I wouldn’t mind a digital back for my Mamiya neither but they are so darn expensive. I do think the analog photos that come from this camera are excellent as it is. Thanks so much for watching.
Comprehensive review, I do agree with most of observations and I don't with some. First of all, needless tosay, how great this camera is and how successful this platform was back then, simply after looking at a lifespan in total. I use this camera exclusively with an ae prism and a motor winder grip, as I shoot more ofzen in portrait mode. Ok. Here is shortly what I like and what I don't; + Optical lens quality is trully superb, even if compare to competition and different formats, sadly many inage samples from mamiya 645 posted in the internet are taken wide open and therefore don't reveal true potential and advantage to the 35mm format. Yes, I might say if I photograph head to head against mamiya rz67 with 645 back, RZ lens will always outperform mamiya 645 simply for the sake of much wider image circle, but still mamiya 645 offer outstanding and mage quality and I do agree about generally pleasing rendering of colour image. + Exposure metering is really precise enough to shoot with reversal film safely. + interchangeable back which also allow just by switching an insert to use either 120 or 220 film format. + If you don't need portrait orientation then without prism and winder canera could be super light weight with 80mm N lens, easily lighter than some 35mm camera. + with an adapter you can screw in standard mechanical remote shutter cable. + A good sekection of leafshutter lenses which you can also use in plane shutter mode as just normal lens + Now my absolute favourite feature, that i personally haven't seen anywhere else, if you connect a leaf shutter lens with a cord to a winder, leaf shutter will be automatically cocked, this is crazy convinient! Now cons: - with prism and winder camera is just heavy - plastic has a old fashioned finish very prone to scratches, scuffs, also black paint deteriorates over time, it can look pretty ugly sometimes also this camera is fragile. - Some lenses while optically are great, mechanically not so, for example 80mm f4 macro often could be seen with balsam separation, unfortunately same experience with mamiya rb and rz kenses. Built quality isnt at the Zeiss level - not every strap lug will work with this camera, the trouble is with the right side connecting pin. I tried different types I own and atvthe end I just use the tripod mount which is not super conviinient, and original lugs are expensive and I can barely find them localy. - Now what bothers me with this camera the most, and what I see as a biggest disadvantage if to compare against pentax for example. It is the outdated mechanical aperture control. It is someting what was typically used in 60s. With lens coupled to a pin on the camera and telling what apperture is set. Why is it such a trouble. Simply because without any spring mechanism or electronic conrol as soon as I stip down to f8 I can barelly see anything in the viewfinder, it becomes not only very dim but also blackouts the split prism, and this is a pain in the ass to focus like this, therefore you focus at wider aperture and then close it before pull the shutter or you focus without a split prism assistance. Neither is great way and it causes simetimes a delay or less precise focusing. This is really not great. - Ah yes, this is one of those 6x4,5cameras with 15 exp per 120 rill instead of 16 exp. All in all, is it a great camera and do I like it? The answer is: - Yes, it is, and yes, I do. But I definitely wouldn't recomend it as the first mf camera to anyone, just grab some tlr like rollei or yashica and enjoy Walking around. In my opinion Mamiya 645 pro is more valuable for studio. Then it is great with ls lenses and automatic cocking mechanism. Cheers!
Thanks so much for your in-depth contribution. I definitely love my Mamiya. It’s not perfect but I do very much love shooting it and the results are stellar. Thanks so much for watching.
Just payed $800 for a [ MINT ] one and let me tell you.. it really is [ MINT ] 0 use at all for the body / lens / viewer.. I have the money to blow and I did and I do not regret my decision… nice video man 👍
Hey Andy congratulations with your purchase. I’ve never one minute regretted buying the Mamiya 645 Pro TL. I love the format, the results en the workflow provided by that film camera. Glad you’ve enjoyed the video and thanks so much for watching.
The 70mm leaf shutter lens is my favorite Mamiya lens. It mostly lives on my 1000s. I love the 55 and the 150 too though. Such great glass. See if you can find a 645 ze adapter then you can throw your mf glass on a cheap Mamiya 35mm. Fun stuff. Good luck with your business.
Hi! Yes that 70mm leaf shutter lens is also on my radar. I believe there is even an adapter to adapt my Mamiya glass to my Nikon bodies. Should be interesting. Mamiya glass is excellent. Thanks so much for the tip, support and for watching 🙏🏽
My Deaf, Sir; I have followed your videos on and off, it is always a pleasure to see them and you as well. I love the passion you bring about on your reviews as well as your personal inside which to me flows like wisdom. I too am in love with medium format, the 120 film. I have always used 35 mm film and camera. Soon, it will be Mamiya 645. Although, I am torn between this fine camera and the Zenza Bronnica. I guess its just me. But, I do want to say, Thank You... I do love your photos which you share with us all. God Bless you and your loved ones too. Mr. Roger.
Hi Roger thank you so much for your kind words! In all honesty I don’t think you can go wrong with either one of these cameras.
The big reason I bought the Mamiya 645 Pro TL is because it has TTL flash. I know some of the Zenza’s are completely mechanical so that’s a big plus but I have to say that I truly love the results I get from my Mamiya and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.
I’ve shot 35mm for 2 decades before I even bought my first medium format camera. I still mostly shoot 35mm but I totally love 645.
Let me know what you ended up getting and thanks so much for watching.
@@TheFilmFellow With all my heart I thank you sir. God Bless you always...
@@TheFilmFellow My Dear, Sir; Thank you so, much for your reply and giving me your sharing with me your thoughts. This passed weekend I was able to purshase a Mamiya 645 1000. It is my first medium. I do have my old Minolta X-700. I decided to buy this Mamiya due to the fact he gave me a real good price. Now I have to save and get film for it. Thank God! I've wanted one for 50 years now. I'just turned 65. But, I once used one in high school. Yes, its been a long wate for me. Bye.
Great video! The Mamiya 645 Pro is just a great camera. I used them with that very Metz flash system back in the day. Metz had the widest range of auto aperture settings than any other brand back then. Add the leaf shutter lenses to that, and you could handle anything.
My latest favorite to shoot with is the 105-210mm f/4.5 (70-135 in 35mm equivalent ).
I even adapted it to my Canon EOS bodies. Nice shots at the end. Thanks for the video.
Hi Charles thanks so much! Yes I’ve been reading up on some of those Metz flashes and they are certainly still competitive for today’s standards.
I’ve also adapted my 55mm to my Nikon bodies and it works like a charm.
Thanks so much for your wonderful compliments and for watching the video!
❤❤❤ MyFRITZ! Favourite pictures are @13:30 and @13:33 … I have the standard M645 with WLVF and Prism and love it. I need a strap too, because the weight is in my eyes the only negative thing… greetings from Germany 🇩🇪
Greetings from Texas here! Glad you like some of the photos. The standard 645 is also a wonderful camera. They really all are in this lineup. But yes, they weight has its advantages and disadvantages. Thanks so much for watching 🙏🏽
Yes I love my PRO too, though sure it is a little heavy. And (confession) I have a beautiful M645 (no removable back( Of course it's film, I'd love a digital back for it, but that's another couple of grand. Would it be THAT much better than my Nikon D90 digital? I wonder...
I wouldn’t mind a digital back for my Mamiya neither but they are so darn expensive.
I do think the analog photos that come from this camera are excellent as it is.
Thanks so much for watching.
Comprehensive review, I do agree with most of observations and I don't with some.
First of all, needless tosay, how great this camera is and how successful this platform was back then, simply after looking at a lifespan in total.
I use this camera exclusively with an ae prism and a motor winder grip, as I shoot more ofzen in portrait mode.
Ok. Here is shortly what I like and what I don't;
+ Optical lens quality is trully superb, even if compare to competition and different formats, sadly many inage samples from mamiya 645 posted in the internet are taken wide open and therefore don't reveal true potential and advantage to the 35mm format. Yes, I might say if I photograph head to head against mamiya rz67 with 645 back, RZ lens will always outperform mamiya 645 simply for the sake of much wider image circle, but still mamiya 645 offer outstanding and mage quality and I do agree about generally pleasing rendering of colour image.
+ Exposure metering is really precise enough to shoot with reversal film safely.
+ interchangeable back which also allow just by switching an insert to use either 120 or 220 film format.
+ If you don't need portrait orientation then without prism and winder canera could be super light weight with 80mm N lens, easily lighter than some 35mm camera.
+ with an adapter you can screw in standard mechanical remote shutter cable.
+ A good sekection of leafshutter lenses which you can also use in plane shutter mode as just normal lens
+ Now my absolute favourite feature, that i personally haven't seen anywhere else, if you connect a leaf shutter lens with a cord to a winder, leaf shutter will be automatically cocked, this is crazy convinient!
Now cons:
- with prism and winder camera is just heavy
- plastic has a old fashioned finish very prone to scratches, scuffs, also black paint deteriorates over time, it can look pretty ugly sometimes also this camera is fragile.
- Some lenses while optically are great, mechanically not so, for example 80mm f4 macro often could be seen with balsam separation, unfortunately same experience with mamiya rb and rz kenses. Built quality isnt at the Zeiss level
- not every strap lug will work with this camera, the trouble is with the right side connecting pin. I tried different types I own and atvthe end I just use the tripod mount which is not super conviinient, and original lugs are expensive and I can barely find them localy.
- Now what bothers me with this camera the most, and what I see as a biggest disadvantage if to compare against pentax for example. It is the outdated mechanical aperture control. It is someting what was typically used in 60s. With lens coupled to a pin on the camera and telling what apperture is set. Why is it such a trouble. Simply because without any spring mechanism or electronic conrol as soon as I stip down to f8 I can barelly see anything in the viewfinder, it becomes not only very dim but also blackouts the split prism, and this is a pain in the ass to focus like this, therefore you focus at wider aperture and then close it before pull the shutter or you focus without a split prism assistance. Neither is great way and it causes simetimes a delay or less precise focusing. This is really not great.
- Ah yes, this is one of those 6x4,5cameras with 15 exp per 120 rill instead of 16 exp.
All in all, is it a great camera and do I like it? The answer is: - Yes, it is, and yes, I do. But I definitely wouldn't recomend it as the first mf camera to anyone, just grab some tlr like rollei or yashica and enjoy Walking around.
In my opinion Mamiya 645 pro is more valuable for studio. Then it is great with ls lenses and automatic cocking mechanism. Cheers!
Thanks so much for your in-depth contribution.
I definitely love my Mamiya. It’s not perfect but I do very much love shooting it and the results are stellar.
Thanks so much for watching.
Just payed $800 for a [ MINT ] one and let me tell you.. it really is [ MINT ] 0 use at all for the body / lens / viewer.. I have the money to blow and I did and I do not regret my decision… nice video man 👍
Hey Andy congratulations with your purchase. I’ve never one minute regretted buying the Mamiya 645 Pro TL. I love the format, the results en the workflow provided by that film camera. Glad you’ve enjoyed the video and thanks so much for watching.
The 70mm leaf shutter lens is my favorite Mamiya lens. It mostly lives on my 1000s. I love the 55 and the 150 too though. Such great glass. See if you can find a 645 ze adapter then you can throw your mf glass on a cheap Mamiya 35mm. Fun stuff. Good luck with your business.
Hi! Yes that 70mm leaf shutter lens is also on my radar. I believe there is even an adapter to adapt my Mamiya glass to my Nikon bodies. Should be interesting. Mamiya glass is excellent. Thanks so much for the tip, support and for watching 🙏🏽