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Mamiya 300 with IQ180

alajuela

Active member
Looking for some advice

I bought the Mamiya 300 APO when I got the PO / IQ180 system.

When using on a tripod, would you mount the lens or the camera body?

The lens came with a tripod mount, but I am wondering with the added weight of the IQ 180 back, if you mount the lens, would this torque the lens mount on the body?

Thanks in advance for advice

Phil
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
When I had this lens (used with P30, P45+, and P65+) I mounted the camera on the a sturdy tripod and ignored the lens collar. I used a RRS PCL-1 clamp as my tripod head, which provides a lower profile and arguably more stability. Use MLU.

RRS now offers "Lens Support Packages" and I'd be curious to know if this would help stabilize this lens more in actual use. Really Right Stuff - Item Listing

Jack and Guy did a bit of testing with this lens and the best shutter speeds, or rather the ones to avoid using if possible.

ken
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Phil, when you tried mounting both ways, which worked better for you? Can you post your test shots?
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
I've always connected the lens directly to a sturdy tripod and using a cable release to keep touching down to a bare minimum. That worked well for me when I was still using a 500mm on a 1Ds and still works well for my 300 and IQ160.

Don
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I found I got sharper images from the 300/DF combo by mounting the BODY on the tripod. In the end, I removed the collar from the lens and left it in the box. Regardless, you need to avoid 1/15th sec shutter speeds like the plague even with mirror up, and then use 1/8th or 1/30th only when absolutely necessary; 1/4 or 1/60th are far better.
 

gerald.d

Well-known member
I found I got sharper images from the 300/DF combo by mounting the BODY on the tripod. In the end, I removed the collar from the lens and left it in the box. Regardless, you need to avoid 1/15th sec shutter speeds like the plague even with mirror up, and then use 1/8th or 1/30th only when absolutely necessary; 1/4 or 1/60th are far better.
Hi Jack (never say that on a plane!) -

Am I reading this right? You're recommending 1/4 of a second over 1/8th or 1/15th? What's the reasoning behind this - is there some kind of resonance problem?

Kind regards,

Gerald.
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
I too used the 300 with the body mounted on the tripod. (Use an elastic band to hold a laser pointer on the lens and watch the beam sway in a darkened room!)

Jack is right - anything from about 1/8 to 1/60 is risky with this lens unless you're holding it down on a concrete surface! The FP shutter vibration is the problem. Longer exposures collect most of the light after the vibration has died down.

Still, I have a lot of great wildlife shots with the 300 handheld at speeds of 1/250 or shorter. It is very sharp.

Hate to say this now you have the 300, but I've found the 240 LS fine at all speeds. See the thread http://www.getdpi.com/forum/medium-format-systems-digital-backs/36209-elusive-phase-one-240-ls.html

Good luck - with precaution re shutter speed the 300 APO is a fine lens.
Bill
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I agree about the resonance and shutter speed issue.

I tried all of the combinations to damp it - body only, lens clamp, the RRS lens support, bean bag/hand on lens for long lens technique. Overall it was hit and miss even with the RRS rail and rollers.

Don, did you mod your lens foot?
 

MB100

New member
My article about the Mamiya 300mm f/2.8 APO may be of some help to you. I own both the f/2.8 and the f/4.5 versions of this lens because they have different applications.

Mamiya 300mm f/2.8 APO Lens Review with Sample Images and Comparisons | Brian Hirschfeld Photography

Since the f/2.8 and the f/4.5 are both APO lenses I am not sure which you are referring to however from the other commenters it would seem the assumption is the f/4.5 version since mounting the f/2.8 to a tripod from the camera body is preposterous.

I also have an IQ180, and I have not found any problems with the 300mm f/4.5 in terms of vibrations and so on until you are getting down into very slow shutter speeds. And then MLU helps. I agree with Jack and Bill's assertions about shutter speed etc.

People sometimes underestimate what these 300mm lenses can do for some wildlife: Black Spany Tail Iguana ~ Guanacaste National park, Costa Rica | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This was shot from a Gitzo 5 series with ball head with the Hasselblad HC 300mm f/4.5 with a H2 body and PhaseOne P65+ back and with some cropping (made possibly by the 60mp) and perfect resize 7 I was able to make a huge print of it which was highly acceptable and terribly sharp. If there was vibration or anything that would have certainly shown through...and this image was taken from a boat. You can read more about it on my site in a review under the Hasselblad Lens section.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Part of the challenge with the 300/4.5 APO is that if you're a landscape shooter it is very very easy to end up in the danger zone of exposures 1/4 - 1/30th at ISO 50 or 35 and reasonable apertures.

I don't think that anyone questions the lens' resolving capabilities when it's not ringing. I wish it had a better focus ring feel in manual focus mode (I liken it to a limp handshake) but it works very well otherwise and is a useful lens that's not too massive to carry.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Hi Jack (never say that on a plane!) -

Am I reading this right? You're recommending 1/4 of a second over 1/8th or 1/15th? What's the reasoning behind this - is there some kind of resonance problem?
What Bill answered is the issue -- shutter vibration in the DF body seems to have a period of between 1/15th and 1/30th sec -- so until you get to roughly 4 times that or 1/4 that, it presents visibly in the images.
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
I suspect that there is a torsional (yaw) moment in the df that causes this.
-bob
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
So perhaps someone can explain why the 300 is particularly susceptible to showing this effect vs other lenses in the Phase One arsenal? I don't notice it with my 210 ULD or 75-150D - or at least it's nothing like as sensitive to it.

Also, wouldn't you expect that dampening the 300 would help alleviate the problem? I haven't experienced even the RRS beam and rubber rollers being 100% effective.
 

jagsiva

Active member
I recall the 120TS when mounted with the lens tripod foot doing something very similar. I really wanted to like that lens...I just could not get anything sharp at low speeds (Gitzo 5 series, Cube, MLU, remote release)
 

alajuela

Active member
Phil, when you tried mounting both ways, which worked better for you? Can you post your test shots?
Thank you - Here is a shot and a 100 % crop with Camera mounted on RRS 33 Tripod w/ Indura PHQ3 Head Shot at dusk from roof of a neighboring building in Shanghai at 30 Sec f10, iso 35.

I am truly amazed at the detail resolution.

I don't have any with the lens mounted cause, I figured that the 300mm still weighted less than 150mm, and the Dig Back must be at least 3 times heavier than a film back.

Looks like from the posts here that was the right thought. :salute:
 
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alajuela

Active member
What Bill answered is the issue -- shutter vibration in the DF body seems to have a period of between 1/15th and 1/30th sec -- so until you get to roughly 4 times that or 1/4 that, it presents visibly in the images.
thank you Jack for your concise answer!!

I will avoid and stay out of the 1/15 - 1/30 range - either above or below, Also I will do MLU and 5 - 7 delay. Thanks again.
 

alajuela

Active member
My article about the Mamiya 300mm f/2.8 APO may be of some help to you. I own both the f/2.8 and the f/4.5 versions of this lens because they have different applications.

Mamiya 300mm f/2.8 APO Lens Review with Sample Images and Comparisons | Brian Hirschfeld Photography

Since the f/2.8 and the f/4.5 are both APO lenses I am not sure which you are referring to however from the other commenters it would seem the assumption is the f/4.5 version since mounting the f/2.8 to a tripod from the camera body is preposterous.

I also have an IQ180, and I have not found any problems with the 300mm f/4.5 in terms of vibrations and so on until you are getting down into very slow shutter speeds. And then MLU helps. I agree with Jack and Bill's assertions about shutter speed etc.

People sometimes underestimate what these 300mm lenses can do for some wildlife: Black Spany Tail Iguana ~ Guanacaste National park, Costa Rica | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

This was shot from a Gitzo 5 series with ball head with the Hasselblad HC 300mm f/4.5 with a H2 body and PhaseOne P65+ back and with some cropping (made possibly by the 60mp) and perfect resize 7 I was able to make a huge print of it which was highly acceptable and terribly sharp. If there was vibration or anything that would have certainly shown through...and this image was taken from a boat. You can read more about it on my site in a review under the Hasselblad Lens section.
Thanks so much and like your review, I also like Owls, awesome birds - I have been amazed with the 300 - when hit it is amazing,
Thanks
Phil
 
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