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"Beauty and The Beast" (CFV and RZ get married)

David K

Workshop Member
Me too! I am wondering if I should have bought that too! Peter tell us how you like it.
Ya snooze... ya lose :) To me buying this kit is a no brainer if you're going to use it where it shines, i.e. in the studio. Not to say you can't shoot other things with it but it's at the other end of the portability scale from the M8. The only reason I'm parting with it is because my Hy6 kit provides me with a big bright WLF and a rotating back, two of my favorite features on the RZ. Frankly, if the adapter for the RZ to the e75LV cost anywhere near what the Mamiya adapter cost I would have kept it. But for close to $2k for an adapter I felt it was time for it to move on.
 

PeterA

Well-known member
As it happens a confluence of factors coming together led to the happy decision.


1. I need tilt shift for some studio still life work and I couldn't decide between the Arca Swiss monorail or the just announced Arca 3RD -
2 Was going to get the CVF11 kit so I could have a waist level finder and a back which could be used on - you guessed it..
3. david posted this kit on GetDPI - with a bunch of other glass and jack mentioned teh tilt shift adaptor..and marc has alwaysbeen a fan..
4. Great deals on Phase One P25+ and P45+


So now I have an HC set of lenses to go with H3D11-39 ;and
Soon some big boy studio Mamiya glass as my second system;and
the second back will be Phase One P45+ with mamiya mount

I will buy a Mamiya adaptor for my Alpa to Phase One back - and now dont need to use the hard drive from Hasselblad to drive the Alpa with hasselblad back - same if I end up ponying up for the 3DR which looks like a serious contender against Alpa - as it has built in tilt. I will wait for Alpa release of tilt gizmo before deciding between two.

Now all I have to do is decide on my lighting kit ( Bron colour seems to be the go) and a bunch of lighting accessories - and I am set for teh type of photography that interests me

making nice still life shots of local flora and printing them large.:)

I will post some shots in due course once I have everything down here..

and there may be a one or two HC lenses in As New /Mint in box etc lenses coming up for sale.:shocked:
 

Arne Hvaring

Well-known member
"The Beast is back !

Using a $300. Phase One V adapter to Mamiya RZ, I've pressed the old War Horse back into active duty usng the CFV back set to Flash Sync in the menu."



Interesting, will this also work with the first RZ body (not II or D)? I've had this camera in a drawer for years in the hope that it might be usable with digital backs sometime. I even have the 75mm T/S lens and the 180 short barrel for the T/S adapter. Not to mention the 50 mm, 110 mm, extension tubes, winder, prism finder...
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Interesting, will this also work with the first RZ body (not II or D)?
No real operational or interface difference between the RZ1 add RZ2 other than some viewfineder refinements and half-step shutter speeds, so yes, it will work identically with the RZ1. But you will need the appropriate trigger cables since there is no internal body communication to the back on the RZ1 or RZ2; only the RZ2-D has that. Heck, using the proper trigger cables and back adapter, your back should even work on an RB body, just like using your back on a view camera... :)
 

EH21

Member
Ya snooze... ya lose :) To me buying this kit is a no brainer if you're going to use it where it shines, i.e. in the studio. Not to say you can't shoot other things with it but it's at the other end of the portability scale from the M8. The only reason I'm parting with it is because my Hy6 kit provides me with a big bright WLF and a rotating back, two of my favorite features on the RZ. Frankly, if the adapter for the RZ to the e75LV cost anywhere near what the Mamiya adapter cost I would have kept it. But for close to $2k for an adapter I felt it was time for it to move on.
Nah, I passed on Marc's kit too. I'm only wondering about the RZ because I've heard a lot about these kits and know a lot of people really like the look of their lenses particularly for skin. Sometimes I feel a bit like buying one just to try it out, but then I'm in no way ready to give up my Rollei MF system. That said however, I'd like to see a comparison of these two systems someday. My understanding, not having used the RZ, is the rollei is lighter and is more advanced wrt exposure metering etc. Plus when I'm ready I can move up to the Hy6 like you. :)
 

PeterA

Well-known member
$5K is what people pay for one Leica lens or HC lens or Schneider/Rodenstock lens.

I love retro gear that is in good working condiiton and lets me use a digital back as well as film backs to get different looks.

I think I may have said this before - bit for me half the fun in photography is the exploring/techncial side of things.

I can see myself 'collecting' old digi backs own the track and uing each back on a specific body / lens system to suit.

That CFV11 kit advertised by Hasselblad was very tempting - in the end I decided to broaden my outlook past 'hasselblad and into Mamiya. th eonly reason I didnt buy marc's kit was I hadnt sold a bunch of kid toy 35mm gear yet.

:)
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Nah, I passed on Marc's kit too. I'm only wondering about the RZ because I've heard a lot about these kits and know a lot of people really like the look of their lenses particularly for skin. Sometimes I feel a bit like buying one just to try it out, but then I'm in no way ready to give up my Rollei MF system. That said however, I'd like to see a comparison of these two systems someday. My understanding, not having used the RZ, is the rollei is lighter and is more advanced wrt exposure metering etc. Plus when I'm ready I can move up to the Hy6 like you. :)
One of the differences is that with the Mamiya RZ lenses there are no moving elements when focusing ... the camera is a bellows focusing type. For some reason these lenses really do well with digital backs. I used an Aptus 75 and Aptus 75s on it for in-studio and some location work, and the IQ always surprized me.

The chief draw back in the digital age is the lack of a lens wider than 50mm. Mamiya had developed a 43mm for the RZ, and I actually played with it on-camera at Photo-Plus in NYC years ago ... but they never brought it to market.

I see it as a studio suppliment to a main favored system like a Rollei or Hasselblad 6X6. For those with a Hy6, the RZ would be a redundant ugly step-child ... but then again, the whole system cost less than some individual lenses for the Hy6 ;)

It's a pretty neat way to get into T/S and some other speciality optics without busting the bank. In addition to the T/S set ups, the Fish-Eye is relatively inexpensive and produces very good IQ; the 180SF produces a portrait look that just can't be duplicated in post; there is also a regular 75 T/S lens.

The whole thing is actually a lot of fun.
 

Arne Hvaring

Well-known member
No real operational or interface difference between the RZ1 add RZ2 other than some viewfineder refinements and half-step shutter speeds, so yes, it will work identically with the RZ1. But you will need the appropriate trigger cables since there is no internal body communication to the back on the RZ1 or RZ2; only the RZ2-D has that. Heck, using the proper trigger cables and back adapter, your back should even work on an RB body, just like using your back on a view camera... :)
That's what I thought (or hoped), but since everyone seems to refer to version II or D, I wondered if there could be some inherent incompatibility with the original RZ (that I have).
Many thanks for the clarification.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
In the past, sync cords from the lens to the backs posed some reliability issues. That has been pretty much solved using gold tipped sync cords from Paramount cords.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Wow 32 ft long Firewire cable

FireWire 1394-A 32ft. 6 Pin to 6 Pin w/ LED
FireWire 1394-A 32 ft. 6 Pin to 6 Pin w/ LED #2320
Gold Connectors, Ferrite Beads, Diagnostic LED and perfect Cable Characteristics make these the highest performing FireWire cables available. Nothing else even comes close!
Price: $89.00
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Also with firewire cords folks go with Granite digital they seem to have great firewire cables for tethered work.

http://www.granitedigital.com/
Word of caution on the Granite Firewire cords Guy ... lots of folks have had some issues with the Granite cords being so heavy duty and stiff they eventually loosen the Firewire connections in the Digital back. I stopped using mine except when I need a really long one ... which was irritating since I dropped a bundle on different lengths and the repeater hub. Also, some firewire ports won't take the fatter Granite end plugs.

Firewire cords are the single biggest weak link in tethered shooting. Even a miniscule kink in the cord, or rolling something heavy over one will sometimes diminish the signal ... and these backs are extremely sensitive to any fluctuations. I keep 2 new spares in the studio at all times.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Wow 32 ft long Firewire cable

FireWire 1394-A 32ft. 6 Pin to 6 Pin w/ LED
FireWire 1394-A 32 ft. 6 Pin to 6 Pin w/ LED #2320
Gold Connectors, Ferrite Beads, Diagnostic LED and perfect Cable Characteristics make these the highest performing FireWire cables available. Nothing else even comes close!
Price: $89.00
Not arguing the quality of their cords Guy ... but they are heavy and stiff as hell, and have loosened firewire connections in all kinds of digital backs ... as well as being hard to keep connected when plugged into the side ... I have personally experience this even with the cord supported, and lost my tether connection in the middle of a shoot.

There was a lengthy discussion about this on another site, and there was a push to lobby for an L plug head to relieve some of the downward torque ... Leaf supplied their backs with this type of L plug head, which was smart thinking.
 
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