Focus with Mamiya RZ

[andreagenor]

I have difficult to do the focus with Mamiya RZ when people or object are distant.
There is any trick to get best results with focus?
With the waist level viewfinder I see a little better, but if I'm using Prism Finder appears more darker and hard to see.

[billthecat]

I got a BrightScreen focusing screen, but there might be a better brand as I saw someone post here before. It will work better than the stock screen and be brighter. I got the #4 and #5 style. SPLIT IMAGE WITH MICROPRISM COLLAR. I made my own cropping mask with black cardboard paper.

Of course there is a little magnifier that you can pop up with the waist finder that helps a lot.

Bill

[andreagenor]

Bill,

Thanks for your answer.
I need know one more thing.
My waist level viewfinder has -1.5 diopter lens, but I see perfect and did not use glasses.
Sometimes I think that I did the correct focus and when I check the picture the focus was a little before the subject.
There is way that I make lens with 0 diopter but with magnifier?

Sorry my bad English

[John R Smith]

If you are using a WLF with a -1.5 diopter magnifier, and you have perfect 20-20 vision, you will never get correct focus. Sort that problem out first, with a standard magnifier lens.

John

[BJNY]

Whenever I use RZ67, Mamiya FD-701 magnifier on prism helps with critical focus.

[AlDoori]

for me focus with the 701 prism finder at distant objects never was easy, not even in film days.
the mamiya flip up magnifier for the prism helps, but is only useful for static shots because of its narrow field of view.

the waist level finder works very well for me, even to focus at the edge of screen.
so i dont need "true focus" or recompose.
for film i used brighter screens, for digital i use the mamiya and leaf screens with edged masks.

the darker screens are said to be better for critical focussing anyway, no?
the - 1.5 lens is standard for the RZ waist level finder, that must be for a reason.

[John R Smith]

the - 1.5 lens is standard for the RZ waist level finder, that must be for a reason.

Ooooops! If that is the case, please ignore my comment above. I was thinking Hasselblad, obviously, not Mamiya.

John

[billthecat]

Here's manuals:
http://www.mamiya-usa.com/customer-service-instruction-manuals-downloads-6x7.html

My little circular magnifier is also -1.5. I see in the manual that you can get other settings such as zero. I see two items on Ebay that appear to be the 0 for the RZ.

My RZ67 has been focusing well for film and digital. My subjects are closer rather than father away.

Bill

[andreagenor]

John, you're right, my vision is 20-20, I find that I don't need -1.5 diopter correction.

BJNY, Mamiya FE701 magnifier is not practical for me, specially on location. When I shooting on studio everything ok because I can check focus easily and confirm in C1, but on location with Leaf Screen is not good enough for you have 100% sure.

I will buy 0 diopter lens on BH or Ebay e try, If not works fine I try to make a custom loupe.

Thanks a lot for all answers, if anyone will have any other great idea please, send me a message

[Mr. Rib]

As mentioned above, -1.5 D magnifier lens is 'standard', thus if you have perfect vision you should be staying with -1.5 D.

[andreagenor]

Hi Mr. Rib,

I'm a little confusing. I understand that mamiya sells cameras with default -1.5 D correction, but I not understand why I need this correction if my vision is perfect.
Theoretically if my vision is 20-20 my correction is 0, right?
Will be that it exists a little error in focus distance between lens and focus screen?