Mamiya ZD Lenses

[Anders_HK]

1) Has anyone used the 645ProTL lenses on the Mamiya ZD camera or with 645 AFD II and ZD back? If I understand correct these lenses should work but with manual focus and stopped down metering. How well does is it to use them this way with the two ZDs? Any experience?

2) The new lenses AF 75-150mm F4.5 D and 28mm F4.5 D Aspherical seem VERY EXPENSIVE! In Japan 378,000 and 672,000 Yen respectively (3,100 and 5,530 USD), per http://dc.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/lens/2007/03/22/5888.html. Is this the new trend from Mamiya or why so expensive?

Thanks!

Rgds
Anders

[eronald]

why so expensive?

Thanks!

Rgds
Anders
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=122157\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Because they can ? Hasselblad used the high Digital Back prices as an excuse to raise camera and lens prices, now Mamiya can be expected to do the same. Welcome to digital inflation.

Edmund

[frankric]

Anders

I've used the 55/2.8 and the 210/4 manual focus lenses with the ZD camera and they work fine. The stop-down metering was no problem with landscape shooting. Though it may be a different story with a wedding for example.

Obviously the aperture is shown as f1.0 in the EXIF. Another minor annoyance when changing from an AF to MF lens is that the MF rear lens cap won't fit properly on the AF lenses.

Regards

Frank

[Anders_HK]

Anders

I've used the 55/2.8 and the 210/4 manual focus lenses with the ZD camera and they work fine. The stop-down metering was no problem with landscape shooting. Though it may be a different story with a wedding for example.

Obviously the aperture is shown as f1.0 in the EXIF. Another minor annoyance when changing from an AF to MF lens is that the MF rear lens cap won't fit properly on the AF lenses.

Regards

Frank
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Frank,

Much kind thanks on your advice. I have seen your website before, looks good, and yes I am also into landscape. I am an expat currently based in Korea but I also travel much, because of work and because I enjoy it. Photography is my serious hobby and I like capturing landscape, beautiful scenary and people living traditional lives, especially in SE Asia, althought I have been to your kneck of the world as well (lots of nice scenery there). I enjoy seeing with the eye of the camera, and it gets me out and about... My aspiration is captures to make 1-1.5 m framed arts (!) prints (long side) for a future house.

Example of captures from last October adventure travel in Sichuan province in China are here... [a href=\"http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=709640]http://www.photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=709640[/url] ... but still in learning...

For most of my photos it is ok to take time to capture. That actually helps because makes me think more of my creation of the captures. At times when I have been to Africa or similar places, I do require some reach (ah yah... 150mm @ 135 format, or 210mm @ Mamiya ZD format is ok, my first time in Africa I only had up to 70mm and the driver drove closer to the lion that looked with two big round yellow eyes straight into my face...). Those occassions are not frequent for me, so... one example where I would prefer buy older MF step down metering lens for a possible ZD (to hold back money). I appreciate your help to verify, is step down metering perhaps still ok for those rare occassions? I have never used it before, so I much appreciate if you would verify more to me. Is it simply that when setting exposure the viewfinder go darker when I go from smaller aperature (larger number) to larger, and if so... I assume that the ZD slr should be much brigher than my current D200 digital... so perhaps no problem whatsoever at all?? Or, would I possibly experience problems (we are not speaking of sports photography, but pre planned situations)?

Manual focusing is not a problem. My favourite Nikon lens is the 45mm P lens which is all manual focus (but meters) and makes me feel back to my Canon AV-1 again, a camera I had for 20 years...

I much appreicate your advise.

Ok, while we are speaking of the ZD slr... allow me to pick your knowledge just a little more... my interest in the ZD is because I find my current D200 does not get me to the image quality I want (not size, nor actual quality of image), also because I want a camera (artist's tool) to last me long time without changing it. Before digital I shot 135 Fuji slides (velvia 50 predominantly) - nowadays that is too small, recent replaced with Mamiya 7II for special film occassions. I find the D200 does not get me to colors simply and/or consitently that feel as appealing. I do not like spending forever in computer doing processing. I am intersted in getting to good results fast and easy (also extended DR, 3D effect and pop all of which the ZD seem to offer). Researching lots on internet of the ZD, I find most photos from the ZD to be appealing in color, and to be frank, when comparing to my D200 of same appeal as velvia 50 was to me over negs! (I am also attracted to the shallower depth of field and the control it brings, and the 4:3 format), althought lots of $-sacrifice. Comparing to your Canon DSLR experience, do you find it being easier or not to get to good results and likewise faster with the Mamiya ZD? What processing do you normally do to the photos from the ZD? I assume in RAW?

Very much kind thanks for your advise.

Regards
Anders

[frankric]

Anders

I have the 35/3.5, 80/2.8, 150/3.5 and 300/4.5 AF lenses as well as the 2 manual focus lenses I mentioned above. To answer your question I don't hesitate to use the manual lenses if they are the focal length I want for a particular shot. I don't just grab the nearest AF lens instead. So yes, they are very usable for my kind of shooting. But as I said before, they may be more of a problem for some other styles of shooting.

The proceedure for stop-down metering is to fully open the aperture and focus the lens. Then stop down to the aperture you want to shoot at, half press the shutter button to meter and shoot as normal. It is quite easy to stop down while still looking through the viewfinder - simply count the clicks of the aperture ring. So a shot only takes a few seconds more than if using an AF lens.

The reason for opening up is simply to get the brightest image and minimum DoF possible while focussing. So if you tried to focus at your shooting aperture, yes the viewfinder would be darker than it should be, but remember also that the DoF is greater, so focussing is going to be less accurate on both counts.

I've never used a D200, so I don't know how bright its viewfinder is, but the ZD's is quite a bit  bigger and a bit brighter than the Canon 5D's. And as DSLR's go, the 5D's finder is very good.

Keep in mind that you're not going to get a *dramatic* improvement in image quality with the ZD. Cameras like the D200 and the 5D are already capable of producing very good images. I think the ZD is worth the extra money, but not everyone would agree. I've seen the '3D' effect that has been talked about, but not in all images. I would not want to overstate the case there. The improvement in image size, quality, DR etc are real, but the extra $ cost is quite large.

Regarding the processing - I can't really say I've noticed a lot of difference. That would depend a lot on the camera settings that the Raw file is tagged with anyway. Yes, I use Raw only and I process in Lightroom with further processing in Photoshop. I took one look at the Mamiya software and put it in the same place as I've put my copy of Canon's DPP!!

Please keep in mind that I've not had the ZD very long and have only taken about 1200 frames with it, so the above are really only initial impressions. Also I must add that I haven't retired the 5D by any means. There are many situations where the 5D (or D200) is a better tool than the ZD.

I have no regrets about buying it, but I'd strongly suggest you try it before you buy if you possibly can (probably not easy to do in Korea). What works for me may not work for you.

Regards

Frank

[Anders_HK]

Anders

I have the 35/3.5, 80/2.8, 150/3.5 and 300/4.5 AF lenses as well as the 2 manual focus lenses I mentioned above. To answer your question I don't hesitate to use the manual lenses if they are the focal length I want for a particular shot. I don't just grab the nearest AF lens instead. So yes, they are very usable for my kind of shooting. But as I said before, they may be more of a problem for some other styles of shooting.

The proceedure for stop-down metering is to fully open the aperture and focus the lens. Then stop down to the aperture you want to shoot at, half press the shutter button to meter and shoot as normal. It is quite easy to stop down while still looking through the viewfinder - simply count the clicks of the aperture ring. So a shot only takes a few seconds more than if using an AF lens.

The reason for opening up is simply to get the brightest image and minimum DoF possible while focussing. So if you tried to focus at your shooting aperture, yes the viewfinder would be darker than it should be, but remember also that the DoF is greater, so focussing is going to be less accurate on both counts.

I've never used a D200, so I don't know how bright its viewfinder is, but the ZD's is quite a bit  bigger and a bit brighter than the Canon 5D's. And as DSLR's go, the 5D's finder is very good.

Keep in mind that you're not going to get a *dramatic* improvement in image quality with the ZD. Cameras like the D200 and the 5D are already capable of producing very good images. I think the ZD is worth the extra money, but not everyone would agree. I've seen the '3D' effect that has been talked about, but not in all images. I would not want to overstate the case there. The improvement in image size, quality, DR etc are real, but the extra $ cost is quite large.

Regarding the processing - I can't really say I've noticed a lot of difference. That would depend a lot on the camera settings that the Raw file is tagged with anyway. Yes, I use Raw only and I process in Lightroom with further processing in Photoshop. I took one look at the Mamiya software and put it in the same place as I've put my copy of Canon's DPP!!

Please keep in mind that I've not had the ZD very long and have only taken about 1200 frames with it, so the above are really only initial impressions. Also I must add that I haven't retired the 5D by any means. There are many situations where the 5D (or D200) is a better tool than the ZD.

I have no regrets about buying it, but I'd strongly suggest you try it before you buy if you possibly can (probably not easy to do in Korea). What works for me may not work for you.

Regards

Frank
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Frank,

Very much kind thanks for your reply and advises. First of all what matters is image quality to me at possibility of printing big in detail. I have been attracted to the ZD slr from first time I saw photos of it, although have not been that much info available on it until recent. No study on internet and telling of others can speak whole truth of a camera, but it does tell alot by thinking very carefully and considering in great depth of what information is given and available. Your reply is very helpful. For my shooting the ZD seem like an impressive tool to last long time... yes... $$$2.

Regards
Anders

[Jack Varney]

I use manual focus 45, 150, 120 and 300mm lenses on my 645AFD for landscape. No problem. It does help to get the Type C focus screen to make manual focusing easier.