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Author Topic: 300mm Is it useful?  (Read 5782 times)

marcmccalmont

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300mm Is it useful?
« on: October 21, 2007, 04:35:00 pm »

I'm putting together a Mamiya 645 AFD II system without medium format experience. How often do you use a 300mm lens? Mostly nature and landscapes.
I've got 35mm to 210 covered.
Thanks
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

Don Libby

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #1 on: October 22, 2007, 12:39:41 pm »

I see this question has gone unanswered so I'll attempt to help.  

I too shoot with a Mamiya 645 AFD II married to a Phase One back.  I use the Mamiya for landscape and nature photography but not wildlife.  The reason no wildlife is that medium format is too slow - just my opinion - for wildlife I use my trusty 1Ds II; actually that's the only time I use my 1Ds II.

I've gotten the following lens in my kit since switching earlier this year:

Mamiya Lens:
35mm
80 mm
150 mm
210 mm
300 mm f/2.8

Hartblei Super Rotator

I just returned from my second trip to Sequoia National Park (the first trip was just last month).  In spending a total of two weeks in the Sequoia's I found I used all of the above lens with more or less equal success.  What I mean by the last sentence is that I was able to obtain images that I liked using all the lens.  What lens was my "go-to"?  I'd say the first trip was 50% 35mm and 50% the Hartblei.  This last trip I shot a lot with the 80 and 150 to capture Fall colors and fog.  I think I used the 210 and 300 only once or twice and that was after we came down the mountain.  The last two lens just were too much for where I was, but both are very good lens when you need them.

I like to do "in your face" panoramas and use long lens to achieve that, thus my need for the 210 and 300.  I could have gotten a much less expensive 300 by going with a slower lens, however I wanted the faster lens.  

AF vs. MF means little to me as I will usually use manual focus to capture what I'm after, besides when attempting to focus in on a subject where a branch or leaf is standing in-between you not to mention shooting in foggy conditions is much easier when using manual focus.

So to answer your question  "How often do you use a 300mm lens?"  -  Currently not as much as I thought I would but then again I have a trip coming up to Alaska that I know I will.  You need to ask yourself what type of landscape and nature images you do and what you hope to achieve with getting the longer lens.  If you expect to shoot wildlife then you also need to understand that unless the critter is sitting still for you then MF may not be the best system.  Do I expect to shoot wildlife when I have the 300 on?  No not really, but given the chance I will - that is if I'm out shooting landscape and happen on something, otherwise I'll keep my wildlife to the Canon with either a 300 or 400 lens.

I was just about to close this when I remembered an incident last month in Sequoia.  I had the 300 on shooting close-ups of trees when a bear sow and three cubs came close by.  I attempted to shoot the bears with the 300 however all I got were blurry images as the bears were on the move and I couldn't get the sweet spot to focus.  At least my wife got them with her 5D.

There are a lot of very good deals on used and demo lens for the Mamiya out there either on B&H, KEH, or E-bay.  

Hope this helps in your decision making.


don

Natasa Stojsic

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #2 on: October 22, 2007, 12:42:12 pm »

Quote
I see this question has gone unanswered so I'll attempt to help. 

I too shoot with a Mamiya 645 AFD II married to a Phase One back.  I use the Mamiya for landscape and nature photography but not wildlife.  The reason no wildlife is that medium format is too slow - just my opinion - for wildlife I use my trusty 1Ds II; actually that's the only time I use my 1Ds II.

I've gotten the following lens in my kit since switching earlier this year:

Mamiya Lens:
35mm
80 mm
150 mm
210 mm
300 mm f/2.8

Hartblei Super Rotator

I just returned from my second trip to Sequoia National Park (the first trip was just last month).  In spending a total of two weeks in the Sequoia's I found I used all of the above lens with more or less equal success.  What I mean by the last sentence is that I was able to obtain images that I liked using all the lens.  What lens was my "go-to"?  I'd say the first trip was 50% 35mm and 50% the Hartblei.  This last trip I shot a lot with the 80 and 150 to capture Fall colors and fog.  I think I used the 210 and 300 only once or twice and that was after we came down the mountain.  The last two lens just were too much for where I was, but both are very good lens when you need them.

I like to do "in your face" panoramas and use long lens to achieve that, thus my need for the 210 and 300.  I could have gotten a much less expensive 300 by going with a slower lens, however I wanted the faster lens. 

AF vs. MF means little to me as I will usually use manual focus to capture what I'm after, besides when attempting to focus in on a subject where a branch or leaf is standing in-between you not to mention shooting in foggy conditions is much easier when using manual focus.

So to answer your question  "How often do you use a 300mm lens?"  -  Currently not as much as I thought I would but then again I have a trip coming up to Alaska that I know I will.  You need to ask yourself what type of landscape and nature images you do and what you hope to achieve with getting the longer lens.  If you expect to shoot wildlife then you also need to understand that unless the critter is sitting still for you then MF may not be the best system.  Do I expect to shoot wildlife when I have the 300 on?  No not really, but given the chance I will - that is if I'm out shooting landscape and happen on something, otherwise I'll keep my wildlife to the Canon with either a 300 or 400 lens.

I was just about to close this when I remembered an incident last month in Sequoia.  I had the 300 on shooting close-ups of trees when a bear sow and three cubs came close by.  I attempted to shoot the bears with the 300 however all I got were blurry images as the bears were on the move and I couldn't get the sweet spot to focus.  At least my wife got them with her 5D.

There are a lot of very good deals on used and demo lens for the Mamiya out there either on B&H, KEH, or E-bay. 

Hope this helps in your decision making.
don
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=147874\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

How much did you pay for 300 f2.8?

Would you care to post some images?
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marcmccalmont

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #3 on: October 22, 2007, 01:25:26 pm »

Thanks for the input
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

mahleu

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #4 on: October 22, 2007, 01:57:09 pm »

I have a 250/5.6 for my hasselblad and it's very nice. I used it recently for some small waterfall type shots where it was nice for isolating sections. It all depends on your style of shooting and whether or not you want to carry a heavy lens around (my 250 isn't actually that much bigger than my 150, but they're all heavy.
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Don Libby

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #5 on: October 22, 2007, 03:37:36 pm »

Quote
I have a 250/5.6 for my hasselblad and it's very nice. I used it recently for some small waterfall type shots where it was nice for isolating sections. It all depends on your style of shooting and whether or not you want to carry a heavy lens around (my 250 isn't actually that much bigger than my 150, but they're all heavy.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=147892\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


Good catch!  The Mamiya 300 f/2.8 is a behemoth!  Not a lens you want to walk around with for very long.

don

Don Libby

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #6 on: October 22, 2007, 06:37:37 pm »

Quote
How much did you pay for 300 f2.8?

Would you care to post some images?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=147875\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


I got the lens off e-bay for right around $4500 USD.

No problems posting an image however right now I'm up to my ears in working up the images from last weeks trip to Sequoia, getting them posted onto the website, as well as getting ready for a show in early November.  

don

BernardLanguillier

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #7 on: October 22, 2007, 11:29:39 pm »

I have the Mamiya 300 f4.5 for my ZD.

The lens is very sharp but its tripod colar is a total disaster in my book. It makes the lens basically unusable as soon as their is some wind.

Cheers,
Bernard

eronald

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2007, 01:04:02 am »

Quote
I have the Mamiya 300 f4.5 for my ZD.

The lens is very sharp but its tripod colar is a total disaster in my book. It makes the lens basically unusable as soon as their is some wind.

Cheers,
Bernard
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=148007\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Can one strip the collar ? I would like to use that lens handheld.

Edmund
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Jason Denning

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #9 on: October 24, 2007, 10:54:01 am »

Hi Don

I just recieved a Hartblei 45mm super rotator for the mamiya 645 today, just wanted to ask a few questions since you own it too -

Does yours have a slight tint to the colour when looking through the camera?

Does it focus past infinity? On mine only infinity is in focus when the infinity symbol is around 3.5 on the DOF scale.

What aperture do you think the lens performs best at?

Thanks

Jason
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Natasa Stojsic

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #10 on: October 24, 2007, 01:47:23 pm »

Quote
I got the lens off e-bay for right around $4500 USD.

No problems posting an image however right now I'm up to my ears in working up the images from last weeks trip to Sequoia, getting them posted onto the website, as well as getting ready for a show in early November. 

don
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=147963\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Not to worry, I will wait until you are back and feel comfortable.

As far as the price goes I got US$ 4,900 for it, perhaps I could do a little better.

Cheers
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frankric

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #11 on: October 25, 2007, 06:12:00 am »

Quote
I have the Mamiya 300 f4.5 for my ZD.

The lens is very sharp but its tripod colar is a total disaster in my book. It makes the lens basically unusable as soon as their is some wind.

Cheers,
Bernard
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=148007\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I also have the 300/4.5 for my ZD and I completely agree with Bernard. The lens is as sharp as you could wish for, but the collar is just not up to the task.

I still use the lens a reasonable amount - it is only equivalent to about a 200mm lens in 35mm terms after all. I just try and steady it as best I can and I usually succeed.

Regards

Frank
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Don Libby

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300mm Is it useful?
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2007, 02:41:54 pm »

Quote
Hi Don

I just recieved a Hartblei 45mm super rotator for the mamiya 645 today, just wanted to ask a few questions since you own it too -

Does yours have a slight tint to the colour when looking through the camera?

Does it focus past infinity? On mine only infinity is in focus when the infinity symbol is around 3.5 on the DOF scale.

What aperture do you think the lens performs best at?

Thanks

Jason
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Jason

I just happen to be on the telephone with a good friend of mine how also has the Hartblei when your message came in.

Let me take a stab at answering your questions.

"Does yours have a slight tint to the colour when looking through the camera?"

Short answer is no.  The long answer is that you have to remember that this is a total manual lens.  You need to make sure the lens is set back to zeros on tilt, shift, and rotation the open the aperture wide open.  Once you've done all this the you focus the lens.  Sometimes I get the in-focus "meatball" in my viewfinder but most of the times I get the flashing right and left arrows.  If you forget to open the lens up you'll likely to see colors and the view itself will be dark - yes it's happened to both of us.  This lens makes you slow way way down; almost like shooting large format.

"Does it focus past infinity? On mine only infinity is in focus when the infinity symbol is around 3.5 on the DOF scale."

I don't really take this too much in account.  So I really can't give you a good answer.  I will be using it more next month and will keep an eye on it and get back to you.

"What aperture do you think the lens performs best at?"

Wow that's an open question.  I really don't think there's a "cookie-cutter" one fits all solution.  I would say it depends on what you are shooting, film, digital, asa, and more importantly what is the "look" you're after.

I've got at least two images shot with the Hartblei up on our website if your interested.  Go to the Sequoia National Park Gallery then open "Summer"  Images 0413 and 0481 were both shot with the Hartblei.  Unfortunately since this is a manual lens the aperture is not recorded.  

I hope I've been of some help.  

don
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