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Help before I lose my mind - Mamiya RZ67 Pro II D

chrisjett

New member
Hello All,

I am new here to the forums, so to begin with, a big hello to all!

Last October I purchased a rather large Mamiya RZ67 Pro IID system with lenses and multiple backs. At the same time, I also purchased a Mamiya 645DF+ with two lenses and a PhaseOne P40+ digital back. The RZ is one of my favorite cameras and I used to own one 20 years or so ago and I wanted to own one yet again. Although I love film, I have become obsessed with the idea of shooting digital with the RZ. With that in mind, I purchased a HX701 adapter so that I could mount the P40+ to the RZ. Unfortunately I have not gotten the back to work correctly with the RZ. I do know that the back does work as it works on the 645DF+, but I have decided that I can't stand that camera and it will have to go. Unfortunately if I am unable to get the P40+ to work with the RZ, I might have to sell it along with the 645DF+ and then just shoot film on the RZ - that or use the money to get another larger digital back. Before I do any of this, I need to know if there is something wrong with the RZ67 Pro IID or the HX701 before making that decision.

Here are my settings on the P40+:

ISO: 200
WB: Auto
Auto Preview: 30 Seconds
Storage: Compact Flash
Power Source: Battery
Film Extension: TIF, but I have also tried IIQ
Camera Mode: RZ67ProIID
Firmware: 5.2.2

I have become so frustrated by this that I leave the RZ unused for months at a time. I will fool with it for an hour or two, get no results from the P40+ back and get so frustrated that I have to walk away. :banghead: I know what I really should do is start running film through it so that I can be happy that I have this camera. I usually just go back to my Nikon D810 where I get satisfying results, but I really enjoyed using the RZ when I had one in the past, and I want that feeling again.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Chris
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
The dealer from whom you purchased should be able to help you troubleshoot this. It's literally their job to help make this less frustrating.

But to get you started:
- RZ should be in M mode (multiple exposure)
- RZ should be on the white dot (orange dot will allow shutter to fire, but wont trigger back)
- RZ battery needs to be fully charged. I've seen people pull dead (according to a battery meter we test it with) batteries new from packaging; presumably because these are rare/unusual batteries and have the tendency to sit on the shelf, and the RZ can drain them on idle. So do NOT assume your RZ battery is good unless you've measured it with a battery meter.
- IQ back needs to be ready to capture (battery in, turned on, and CF card or Capture One with storage available). All your listed settings are fine.

After that I would test the adapter, body, and back in that order. Your dealer should have a couple of each to make that kind of testing a breeze; at least, we do.

Re: "it works on the 645DF+, but I have decided that I can't stand that camera" -- The DF+ was an okay camera, at least if it's fully up to date on firmware and you're using a LION battery insert (AA is a terrible idea with this body). But it did not win many hearts and minds; it was a camera that was hard to really love. The XF is a completely different animal, so while you're exploring your options I'd at least give a test whirl to an IQ back on an XF.
 

fotophil

Member
I tried using my old Mamiya Pro II D film camera with my P45+ Phase Digital Back and it was never fun. There was some detailed info provided by Phase which was summarized for you recently by Doug. Maintaining solid electrical connections was a challenge and the whole system was pretty unreliable as well as heavy in the field. The RZ67 also lacked any short focal length lenses for wide angle photography in the 645 format which was a limitation for landscape photography. My advice is for you to forget the Digital RZ67 Setup and enjoy life! Even when the damn thing worked the image quality improvement over the Mamiya 645D System wasn't enough to justify the effort.
 

rsinclair

Member
Hi Chris,

I've been shooting P1 backs on the RZPIID for ~10 years and love it (assuming the batteries are in working order...) I've used the 45, 65 and 180 with the RZ with great success. I skipped the IQ3's and when my IQ4150 (primarily for use with an XF and tech cams) arrived was dismayed it wasn't compatible with the RZ except with the e-shutter which negates my use of the RZ's tactile value. So I recently solved that by getting the IQ3 100 Achromatic and am now enjoying relearning what my early days (50 years ago) in pure monochrome were all about.

That said, when my dealer sent me the refurbished IQ3 100 it didn't work with the RZ and I thought it might be my RZ. I got together with them in person and we both found it wasn't the RZ or the batteries, but in fact was the particular back. They went back to P1 with the issue and I was sent another back that now works like a charm. Every press of the shutter button gives me that awesome kaboom and a monochrome I can work with in C1.

Checking the battery is definitely something to consider - left on its own accord the RZ will consume it while you sleep. But as Doug said and based upon my experience, getting with your dealer to troubleshoot the back itself is a worthwhile exercise.

Cheers,
Robert
 

rsinclair

Member
Hello All,

I am new here to the forums, so to begin with, a big hello to all!

Last October I purchased a rather large Mamiya RZ67 Pro IID system with lenses and multiple backs. At the same time, I also purchased a Mamiya 645DF+ with two lenses and a PhaseOne P40+ digital back. The RZ is one of my favorite cameras and I used to own one 20 years or so ago and I wanted to own one yet again. Although I love film, I have become obsessed with the idea of shooting digital with the RZ. With that in mind, I purchased a HX701 adapter so that I could mount the P40+ to the RZ. Unfortunately I have not gotten the back to work correctly with the RZ. I do know that the back does work as it works on the 645DF+, but I have decided that I can't stand that camera and it will have to go. Unfortunately if I am unable to get the P40+ to work with the RZ, I might have to sell it along with the 645DF+ and then just shoot film on the RZ - that or use the money to get another larger digital back. Before I do any of this, I need to know if there is something wrong with the RZ67 Pro IID or the HX701 before making that decision.

Here are my settings on the P40+:

ISO: 200
WB: Auto
Auto Preview: 30 Seconds
Storage: Compact Flash
Power Source: Battery
Film Extension: TIF, but I have also tried IIQ
Camera Mode: RZ67ProIID
Firmware: 5.2.2

I have become so frustrated by this that I leave the RZ unused for months at a time. I will fool with it for an hour or two, get no results from the P40+ back and get so frustrated that I have to walk away. :banghead: I know what I really should do is start running film through it so that I can be happy that I have this camera. I usually just go back to my Nikon D810 where I get satisfying results, but I really enjoyed using the RZ when I had one in the past, and I want that feeling again.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Chris
Hi Chris,

I've been using P1 backs on my RZPIID for ~10 years or more. I had P1 models 45, 65, and 180 and all worked fine IF my RZ battery was in working order. The RZ can eat batteries while we sleep if not properly shut off or removed.

That said, I recently purchased an IQ3100 Achromatic for the purpose of using it with my RZ along with my XF and tech cams. When I replaced my IQ180 with the IQ4150 I learned it won't work with the RZ except using the e-shutter and that's not reasonable for hand held use. So I decided to find an IQ3100 (the generation of backs I skipped) and further decided the Achro would be a nice addition alongside the IQ4. When my dealer sent me the IQ3, I could not get it to work with the RZ. Thankfully my travels happened to allow me to visit their office and we both determined the back was the issue and not my RZ or its batteries. They returned the back to P1, who then sent a replacement and I've just spent the last week using it without issue on the RZ, XF, and tech cams.

So, as Doug mentioned, maybe get with your dealer to determine if its the particular back you have. I've enjoyed my RZ so much over the years and didn't want my upgrade to the IQ4 to end it.

Cheers and good luck,
Robert
 

baudolino

Active member
If it is of any help to you, I use the RZ67 Pro II D with the HX701 adapter and an IQ280 back. Before you lose your mind, try to reset the back in the menu to factory conditions and then set the RZ67 Pro II D mode on it again. Shutter button collar on white dot, lever set to M, as Doug says. The reason I suggest this is that my camera started playing up during a shoot once, just beeping and not allowing me to press the shutter release button. Had to finish the shoot with a Nikon. I asked Phase One online for advice later that day but that did not help. Eventually, I just went through the menus on the back until I found the ‘reset to factory conditions’ and tried that and, voila, the camera started working again. I have bought a used XF body and a couple of lenses in the meantime, but I still like the large waist level finder and the rotating back mechanism on the RZ. It is such a cool camera. Good luck*!
 

747sp

New member
Worryingly, i am about to try a similar combination - an IQ3100 back on a RZ67 body, The excellent dealer here in London had it running yesterday although it had a few moments when the RZ would refuse to allow the main (Body) shutter release to operate. It seemed that remounting the back and following a methodical number of steps works.

One issue i have to resolve is which RZ lense to initially purchase (mine are all relatively new RB lenses from an earlier film based system which wont work here). I need to sell them and get a couple of RZ lenses. Does anyone have a rough conversion factor allowing for the reduced 645 view (from 6x7)?
 
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