Mamiya 645 or Hasselblad on Mirex for Sony 850?

[ondebanks]

Thanks Ray. I have ordered the lens (I think it's the same one; the listing at KEH describes it as "MS06 55 F2.8 A N/L LS W/CAPS". Not sure what the "L" means.

You actually bought the leaf-shutter ("N/L LS") version - optically the same as the plain "N", but with a leaf shutter which you can opt to use for faster flash synch on the M645 bodies. Not that this won't work like any other M645 lens on your Mirex, but you may have paid an extra premium for the leaf-shutter feature which you won't use.

Another question, if I may: is the "35 F3.5 N (77) WITH CAPS MEDIUM FORMAT SLR MANUAL FOCUS SUPER WIDE ANGLE LENS" the widest that Mamiya made? And what is its reputation like for sharpness? There's a Bargain one at KEH right now, and I am sure there will be others. KL

It's the widest rectilinear lens for the M645. I have one, the "N" version, and it is very sharp centrally. The corners get astigmatic on the 645 format, but as long as you don't shift-tilt too much it should perform well on your DSLR.

Ray

 

[kit laughlin]

Hello Ray,

The lens that arrived yesterday, minus caps, is the 55/2.8 N, and was only $109, so we're good there. Problem is, no caps... despite the ad suggesting that it came with caps. We are talking about this.

And thanks for the news about the 35, too. What would your estimate be for a rough equivalency (135 format) of the EFOV this lens can produce when shifted L and R, but before astigmatism is visible?

 

[ondebanks]

Hello Ray,

The lens that arrived yesterday, minus caps, is the 55/2.8 N, and was only $109, so we're good there. Problem is, no caps... despite the ad suggesting that it came with caps. We are talking about this.

And thanks for the news about the 35, too. What would your estimate be for a rough equivalency (135 format) of the EFOV this lens can produce when shifted L and R, but before astigmatism is visible?

Dunno, Kit...a lot depends on how much you stop the lens down. Full frame, it gives the same FOV as a 21.7mm lens on 135 format (ignoring the aspect ratio difference). In a L-R stitch, I'd guess you should be able to get good quality over a FOV equivalent to something like a 26mm lens on 135 format.

I base this on the observation that on my square digital back, where its diagonal FOV matches a 29mm lens on 135 format, I see almost no aberration (except some correctable lateral colour) in the corners, when it's stopped down. Perhaps someone who uses it on a larger DB would be able to give a more precise answer to your question.

Ray

 

[kit laughlin]

I guess that on the A850, depending on how I orient the sensor, I will get wider (landscape) or narrower (portrait). I am looking forward to trying this out; the Mirex should be here by the time I get back from my next trip.

Thanks Ray!