mrwendellnyc's Full Review: Mamiya RZ67 ProII Medium Format Film Camera
The Mamiya 6x7 is a great system for the professional photographer. Although best suited for still life and interiors, I have used it and have seen it used in the fashion and beauty realms. As a working professional I recommend this camera very highly, maintained properly this system can last a very long time and is quite reliable. However this camera requires a battery for shutter operation and I can't stress the importance of having a back up on hand enough. The battery lasts quite long, but without it the camera defaults to 1/90th and could cause a disaster if on location without a spare battery.
The manual advance of film can be an annoyance due to the movement of the camera due to the pressure needed to advance film and cock the shutter. However this can be avoided by purchasing the auto winder for this camera. It is pricey ($600) but is very useful especially if you intend to hand hold your RZ.
As far as the format goes 6x7 is very useful editorially, it is proportionate to most magazine formats. It also has different magazines that allow the use of 120 or 220 and yet another that allows the RZ to shoot 6.45. If that wasn't enough money spent there is also a Quadra back that shoots 4x5 sheet film.
When shooting daylight or mixing daylight with strobe this camera's shutter speeds settings are a life saver. You can adjust them from 8 sec to 1/400th in half stops. This is a great feature when you don't wish to sacrifice depth of field. If you wish to do longer exposures there are also B and T settings.
There are many quality accessories and lenses for the RZ, many add to the enjoyment and effectiveness of the camera. To highlight a few the proshade, winder, polaroid back, shift lenses and macro lenses. With those photographers with an eye on the future there is a digital back made for this system.
Please look around before buying the price varies quite a bit and Mamiya has many promotions throughout the year.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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