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Wider Angle than 50mm for Mamiya RZ67?

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sonar

Guest
I'm wondering if anyone ever made a wide angle lens for the Mamiya RZ67 that goes wider than the branded 50mm version. Are there any third party brands that went wider?
 
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Shelby Lewis

Guest
Only the 37mm fisheye... which some people shoot and the "de-fish" in post... but I've never seen a copy of this that stays sharp in the corners after de-fishing. :(

(someone else chime in if they've gotten good results)

No third party offerings that I know of... and the RB lenses, which can be used on an RZ, don't go any wider (37mm being the widest on that lineup as well). It's the only thing that I truly don't like about the RZ platform (and it's what I shoot)... lack of wide angle. I don't usually need wide angle, but when I get the itch, it's just not there.

Add the crop of a digital back and you truly have a normal/telephoto based camera system.
 
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Shelby Lewis

Guest
Thinking out loud (based on no personal experience)... check out the 75mm shift lens' specs and see if stitching multiple frames with it might offer wider coverage than just the 50mm.

... of course, this presupposes a subject that doesn't move.
 
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sonar

Guest
Only the 37mm fisheye... which some people shoot and the "de-fish" in post... but I've never seen a copy of this that stays sharp in the corners after de-fishing. :(
I was wondering about that. I would like to see how this looks, it's a very compelling idea. Might end up looking like the Canon 16-35mm (my favorite lens for the 5DMK2).

I'm also wondering how the center of that lens looks. With the crop factor on a DB I wonder if the fisheye factor just becomes a nice wide-angle. Has anyone seen how this looks??
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Years ago, Mamiya had a working prototype of a 43mm for the RZ ... I actually held it at PhotoPlus in NYC. I was very interested at the time because I was using an RZ and Aptus 75s at the time. Unfortunately it never made it to production.

I also have the 37mm fisheye which is actually really pretty good, but by the time you de-fisheye it that much, it isn't.

A three or 4 shot panoramic with the 50 and digital back using sound pano techniques should work ... I've even shot moving subjects by panning in the right direction to place the key moving subject in the first frame and moving away from it.

For occasional needs, best bet is the 50mm and ... uh ... shoot film ;)

Or spring for the Leaf Aptus-II 10 which is even 2.3mm wider than the Aptus-II 12. But you need to be a dedicated pano $hooter for that back IMO. :eek:

-Marc
 
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sonar

Guest
Shucks, that 43mm would be sweet indeed!

How does the middle of the 37mm fisheye look with the DB crop factor? Essentially you're only shooting through the center of all the RZ lenses so I would guess you're getting the sweet spot, but is there still a lot of distortion with that lens in particular?

Also curious to know which RZ you use and what your experience shooting a DB with it is like. I'm in love with my RZ and having a hard time deciding if I want to get my Pro II modified for a DB, or if I should just get a "D" body. I've read that you can't go over 60-seconds with the "D" body so I'm weary of that.

Thanks for the tip- I will definitely enjoy someday experimenting with a technical camera and some pano techniques. It would be really cool if someone would make an adapter that allows you to 'pan' the DB to capture all of the 6x7 frame in two shots for a stitch later- the way some technical cameras do. Unless there is something I just haven't discovered yet...
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Shucks, that 43mm would be sweet indeed!

How does the middle of the 37mm fisheye look with the DB crop factor? Essentially you're only shooting through the center of all the RZ lenses so I would guess you're getting the sweet spot, but is there still a lot of distortion with that lens in particular?

Also curious to know which RZ you use and what your experience shooting a DB with it is like. I'm in love with my RZ and having a hard time deciding if I want to get my Pro II modified for a DB, or if I should just get a "D" body. I've read that you can't go over 60-seconds with the "D" body so I'm weary of that.

Thanks for the tip- I will definitely enjoy someday experimenting with a technical camera and some pano techniques. It would be really cool if someone would make an adapter that allows you to 'pan' the DB to capture all of the 6x7 frame in two shots for a stitch later- the way some technical cameras do. Unless there is something I just haven't discovered yet...
I had a RZ Pro-II non-D with a 33 meg Leaf Aptus 75s for a couple of years.

I now have a RZ Pro-II D with a 37mm, 50mm, 75-SB+SB Tube, 90mm, 140Macro, 180D/L, 210 APO, 1.4X, #1 and #2 extension tubes ... motor drive, 5 film backs, a Polaroid back and two different prism finders with flip mags ... and ... no digital back for it ... yet.

There is no reason you cannot just use the RZ for panos, you just need the right accessories, right technique, and right pano software.

The accessories can be found here: http://reallyrightstuff.com/Items.aspx?key=cat&code=PANO.

"How to" can be found here: http://reallyrightstuff.com/WebsiteInfo.aspx?fc=108

One great software choice can be found here: http://www.ptgui.com/ (It's the one I use :)).

I am by no means an expert on Panoramic photography, I just dabble in it, or use it when my back is up against the wall ... literally. The commercial job Dynamo shot below was a 4 shot pano because I was right up against a wall, and my 28mm wide lens on a H3D couldn't even get 50% of the room all in ... and the distortion was ferocious even then.

Here's a few more of me dabbling in Panos ... my living room with an S2, our village green & church with a H camera, and a bunch of blowing reeds using a 510mm and pano stitching. Most of these ended up 50" or 60" wide at 300 dpi but easily could go to 10' wide no sweat. None of them was using a technical camera, and a few were done hand-held like the Village Market pano.

(Just click on the thumbs below for a bigger view)

Give it a try, it's a lot of fun making them :clap:

-Marc
 
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