500 series vs Mamiya 645 AFD ?

[proenca]

Well, Im trying to amass as much info I can about the Hasselblad V series as I can and I found some sweet deals on 500 CM, 501CM and 503CW bodies, complete yadadada... All for around 600-700 pounds, nice condition, with WLF, 80mm lens, A12 backs...

And now I got into a Mamyia 645 AFD, complete as well for the same price.

Oh Lord.

Can they stop with the options in MF ?

The Mamyia is a much better camera , I can see, has a lot of features lacking in the Blad : got AF, imprints in the film the exposure values, has metering, etc.

Blad has a couple of advantages : bigger size film ( 6x6 vs 6x4.5 ) which translates to the square format which I'm curious to try out and.... that's it.

Im eager to try the blad, always a dream camera now into reachable position finantially for me to try Medium Format but the Mamyia seems such value for money that is hard to ignore... The only good thing ( or bad ) is that the Mamyia is so dSLR a-like that I rather feel not attracted ( if that makes sense... ) by it, fearing that the "novelty" effect will vanish soon after I get it, something I dont see happening with the Blad.

Can someone shed some light and opinions here ?

 

[Cindy Flood]

I was yearning for the blad, too. I ended up with a Mamiya Super in a trade. I also had Mamiya lenses that I was using on my Nikon DSLR. I upgraded the Super to the AFD when I had the chance and I really like it. I've found I rarely use the camera's meter, because I was so used to using my handheld with the Super and with my Leica M4-P. I've yet to change out any of my lenses for the AF versions, as I find that using 120 film slows me down and AF is not really needed often (in my shooting).
If I was at the crossroad that you are at, I'd follow my heart and go with the 500 series.That said, the AFD is producing really nice images for me, so you won't make a mistake either way.
....and then there is the Mamiya 7...another story.

 

[archivue]

waist level finder ? Hasselblad !
AF ? Mamiya !

you can always shop for a nice second hand hassy kit, use it and if you don't like kit, you can sell it... no money lost !

 

[carstenw]

I am going to show some bias here, but while the Hasselblad is much more primitive, I find the feel and operation of it to be very satisfying. The newer 645 cameras to me often just manage to feel like heavier, slower versions of 135 DSLRs... I would vote for the Hasselblad here. I do own a Contax 645 along with a Hasselblad myself, but I use them differently.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

My biggest issue with the Blad is the mirror slap is really heavy and they do need CLA's pretty often. When I used them professional every 6 months it would go in and get tuned.

 

[archivue]

My biggest issue with the Blad is the mirror slap is really heavy and they do need CLA's pretty often. When I used them professional every 6 months it would go in and get tuned...

less a problem with 503 CW and 501 CM mirror !

 

[proenca]

Thank you all for your input, fantastic as usual

I've pretty much decided on the V series over the 645 Mamiya : although more complete and money well spent vs features ( the AFD ) than the 5xx series, well, my heart says go with the Blad.

Heck, thats the reason I went with Leica : some CV lens are almost as good but... Leica is Leica.

Although Mamiya is no slouch, I think that the Hasselblad proves to be so different than the Leica M that it wont "compete" for attention , if I expressed myself clearly.

Where the M645AFD is well, a MF automatic SLR and ... well... I think that the "novelty effect" would wear fast...

Plus, I always admired the Blad's... So seems right. Plus I will have a good excuse to buy a digital back in the near future After selling the liver and the wife.

Speaking of which, anybody want a wife ? Nice, pretty, mint condition ?

Because if after buying ( still waiting to receive ) a chrome 24 Elmarit and a new 16-18-21 WATE this month, if I say a word here about medium format digital back pricing, I will most likely will hear some great answers... while being thrown out from the balcony.

And that is not nice.

We live in a 7th floor apartment.

Big fall.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

GetDPI creed " Buy now explain later"

 

[proenca]

GetDPI creed " Buy now explain later"

Do you think she knows that I bought two Leica lens this month ? .)

 

[carstenw]

Try not to keep them all in view at the same time. Luckily for us, most wives and girlfriends are not interested enough to distinguish between most lenses, and even between film vs. digital backs, as long as you are careful not to brag or point things out too obviously. Oh, and make sure that the purchase of photographic equipment doesn't hurt her budget, in case you share money, otherwise you are a dead man.

 

[Felipe]

well, i would go for a Mamiya RZ, a bit cheaper then the Hasselblad, shoots 6x7cm negatives, you can rotate the back so that you can shoot in landscape and portrait mode. IMHO it is a lot easier to focus the RZ then the blad. it has auto-metering modes when used with the metering prism. the focus bellows allows to get really close.

Felipe

 

[carstenw]

...and the camera is freakin' huge! The Hasselblad must have half the volume of the RZ. I love the RZ and would love to own one, but never *instead* of my Hasselblad.

 

[Professional]

Again, you posted many times about Hasselblad 500 series.
Now where i can find a cheapest 80mm CFE or CFi? i can't wait to use my 501CM, without a lens this body is just collecting dust [Thank God that it is covered with a plastic paper since i bought it as it is].