In case others didn’t realize this, you can use Schneider blue ring lenses (and I assume other Phase One-compatible lenses) on your Alpa 12 camera with the Mamiya adapter and 28 mm total of spacers (so 11 mm plus 17 mm works). The aperture will be wide open, but that’s probably where you would use these lenses given the absence of large-aperture tech cam lenses. The advantage is that you get the small size, quiet operation, and/or tilt-shift of Alpa with the added lens diversity of the SK lenses. The 80/2.8 in particular is very useful on my Alpa TC 12 and I’m already enjoyed taking a number of portraits handheld with this set up and an IQ4 back, taking advantage of the large aperture of the lens and outstanding high-ISO performance of the back to keep electronic shutter speeds at 1/200 or shorter.
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A small personal discovery
- Thread starter onasj
- Start date
dougpeterson
Workshop Member
If autofocus, aperture control, and using the lens' leaf shutter are not important to you then you can basically use any lens on any system (Alpa, Cambo, Arca) that has a (meaningfully) shorter flange. But those are pretty big limitations for applications like portrait. But to each his own!
By the way, it's technically more accurate to say "the aperture will remain unchanged" since you can employ the below trick used commonly in timelapse. Technically this isn't a "supported" workflow so it's theoretically possible it could cause harm to your lens, but I've used the technique personally on many camera systems without any issues.
1) Attach to the XF
2) Hold DOF stop down while you eject all batteries
3) Remove the lens prior to reinserting batteries
4) Mount to any "dumb" mechanical mount and then lens remains at that aperture
dougpeterson
Workshop Member
For you and your needs/wants. Also for me and my needs/wants.
But it is clearly of worth/value to the OP, so I'm glad for him, and am glad he shared something that works for him with the community.
Also, see my post above re "aperture be stuck wide open"
Steve Hendrix
Well-known member
Oh I don't know about this.
But first, THANK YOU Onasj!
I've had this in the back of my mind for some time, but I've never actually tried it. And the reason is that Cambo has a Mamiya 645 lens mount for the Cambo Actus view camera, but the newer Phase/Schneider versions don't fit on it. "Different tolerances" etc, is what I was told, so I put it out of my mind. You can't control the aperture anyway, so I didn't think much further on it. But I have been assuming this with the Alpa Mamiya lens adapter as well, and clearly that is in error as you can see from the image below!
So yes, as Doug mentions, you can stick the aperture on virtually any electronic camera just by selecting Depth of Field Preview then shutting the camera down while holding that. I've done this often as I shoot some extreme macro subject matter with extension rings. So yes, if you commonly shoot at f/11, you could stick that aperture. The downside is that you won't be able to focus wide open and easily stop down, that option would be too cumbersome, you'll have to ballpark the focus point to a degree. But for a Schneider 35mm Blue Ring lens shooting a scenic view, your focus is probably not going to show as being off by much, even if it is.
So I mounted the Schneider 35mm lens onto our Alpa 12 Plus and shifted to see how far I could get, and as I expected, I could shift to about 12mm before I started seeing edge of image circle. I say "as I expected" because many if not all 645 lenses have about a 70mm image circle. Now I have not tested the results when shifted - that's another matter that remains to be seen.
But again, thank you Onasj for doing what I had thought about but never got around to - I think it has some possibilities for people.
I don't have the Mamiya lens Adapter for Alpa in stock, but can order, would probably arrive within about a week or so.
Steve Hendrix/CI
Yup. You can stick it. And you can end up sticking it for good. It’s happened to me 2x once with Canon and once with Nikon. Both times lens needed factory repaired.
I should not have said worthless. I agree.
Just not in my needs catalogue. To have such an expensive lens limited to one aperture
Paul C
The 80/2.8 SK BR works quite well for me wide open using focus peaking (lower peaking threshold to ~300) and the IQ4 ES on my Alpa. The 80/2.8 is small enough to travel anywhere with me. Coming from the Leica M world, I guess the MF only doesn’t bother me much, and since there are no AF tech cam lenses I’m aware of, there wasn’t any trade off for me in that regard relative to another small tech lens.
Steve Hendrix
Well-known member
Paul, that'a a good point. I've done it many times but never had an issue. But certainly it is something to be aware of. I could see it as a definite option for those who mainly only shoot with Alpa, because then they wouldn't have to set it again and again if they go back and forth between cameras. Especially if they didn't own an XF system, they could rent an XF body, stop it down to f/whatever, and mainly just use it there. Not for everyone, but I can see the possibility for some. To each his own, but I have to bear in mind that no two photographers are alike. So I like the creative thinking!
Steve Hendrix/CI
dougpeterson
Workshop Member
Thanks for sharing. I had not previously heard of or experienced any such issues (nor does it sound like Steve has)! I wonder if it's a Schneider/Phase thing vs Canon/Nikon that I've never had issues, or if it's just good/bad luck. Needless to say I won't be conducting any experiments to find out
.dougpeterson
Workshop Member
Steve, this information is out of date. Cambo has a version of the Mamiya 645 Lens Mount for the Actus that fits Phase/Schneider lenses just fine, and customers can special-order a Phase/Schneider compatible plate for the Cambo WRS.
I assume Arca can provide the same thing. It's just that no one really ever asks, since, without aperture control, the use cases are very rare.
Steve Hendrix
Well-known member
Ah, wouldn't be the first time I was out of date. Guess we've not paid much attention to that on account of the somewhat rare use case, just hasn't come up.
Steve Hendrix/CI
dougpeterson
Workshop Member
Nor I. Had to inquire to get an update.
Hello doug,
I would immediately buy this Cambo WRS plate with Mamiya / Phase Mount.
Since I'm in Germany, it makes no sense to order this article from you. Can you please give me an article number in spite of this - I can not find anything at Cambo.
Many thanks in advance.
Greeting Gerd
Steve Hendrix
Well-known member
Gerd, as I've now discovered, this is not an actual stock item and there is no part number. The legacy lensboard for Mamiya 645 lenses remains, which makes sense as those are far more likely to come into use, given that they have a manual aperture ring. There is the possibility that you could order a custom modified lens board that would fit the newer Phase One/Schneider 645 lenses, though it would have the previously mentioned aperture restrictions (wide open or forcibly closed down). If you're interested, I would recommend contacting your local dealer and they can review further for you.
Steve Hendrix/CI
Hello Steve,
thanks for the information. I also have not found a M645 Cambo WRS Plate - at Cambo.
Just to be on the safe side: I do not mean the M645 Lensplate for the Cambo Actus (I own that). I mean a M645 Lensplate for a Cambo WRS.
I'll try it with my dealer.
Greeting Gerd