Toss a coin it may depend on your preferred lenses, I have M3 and RZ67 trouble is they both have great lenses or go out of the box Rolleiflex 2.8f Zeiss lens like Henry. Not much help I know.
M3 and RZ67 are two of my favourite cameras, for the record.
Both! 🙂 Knowing your “aperture wide open” style, had you considered Norita66 system with 80mm F2 lens? Rocking it now – lens is something special…
“Both!”… that would be nice, just not possible. Never heard of the Norita66, if you can believe it. Have to look into it, thank you.
Oooooh DON’T look into the Norita/Exacta66. It is about as rare as you can get…especially in good condition. Talk about a cult following…
Of course you would know that!
Not too bad for reliability… I’ll admit – camera body is NOT work of art (more like tank) and they are rare – especially hard to find body with WLF. But the lens… that lens… It’s pure magic. I don’t want to throw Peter into the fire – but take a look how it renders wide open – this guy has plenty of examples with 80mm F2: https://www.instagram.com/szimi82/
Wait until one month before your next overseas vacation. That time in between will help clear your mind – in theory, anyway.
Or, think of it like this: you’re out and about on a beautiful clear warm evening and everything is just painted with amazing light. What rolls of film are in your pocket, and into which camera are you loading them?
Or, alternatively, examine completely irrational choices. E.g. ARRI 435, Panavision Millennium XL2, Braun Nizo S800.
“…next overseas vacation.”
February 2025.
No-brainer for sure…M2.
You tend to experiment more (and take photos which are more emotive) with a 35mm rangefinder body. While I do realize you are intoxicated with the medium format IQ, the trade-off in body size, lens choices, number of exposures, ease of development and scanning, and relative convenience just do not justify it. Pick the camera that will inspire you to produce, and the one you will likely have with you.
LOL, “intoxicated with the medium format IQ”… tell me what you REALLY think Mark! 🙂
😐 tell me I’m wrong 😁
Hmmm…M2 is a work of mechanical art with the possibility to use lenses with brilliant rendering. Mamiya is a plasticy thing with very sharp, but rather soulless lenses. It does, however, have all that film real estate to work with.
I’d choose the M2 every time, though. Small and compact, very usable in low light, it’s a camera you could carry everywhere.
Hi Henry, though I agree with you that the M2 is a mechanical work of art and the Mamiya 7 is a plasticy thing, I’m not sure that I would call the Mamiya lenses soulless. I actually think that the biggest positive difference to my photography came when I started to use medium format film, specifically with the Mamiya 7 (and RZ67). Here are a few shots from the Mamiya 7 system:
M2.
I LOVE what the Mamiya 7 can bring to the party (lenses as good as Leica in my view) though I agree with Mark.
Another left field suggestion, the Mamiya 6. I’d like to see you create some square format images, and what travel or walking you can do the camera comes in slightly smaller than Mamiya 7.
Well I have some precedent with the Mamiya 6:
…but I gave up on it after one roll of film. Not sure why though.
Mmm … maybe just didn’t sit comfortably with your creative subconscious perhaps? I love these images though especially the ice hockey ones.
My goodness Porta is a film from heaven. Love it. I might be seeing that incorrectly and and you’ve used something else …lol.
No, you’re right, it’s Portra. And it is heavenly.
Prosophos 
Toss a coin it may depend on your preferred lenses, I have M3 and RZ67 trouble is they both have great lenses or go out of the box Rolleiflex 2.8f Zeiss lens like Henry. Not much help I know.
M3 and RZ67 are two of my favourite cameras, for the record.
Both! 🙂 Knowing your “aperture wide open” style, had you considered Norita66 system with 80mm F2 lens? Rocking it now – lens is something special…
“Both!”… that would be nice, just not possible. Never heard of the Norita66, if you can believe it. Have to look into it, thank you.
Oooooh DON’T look into the Norita/Exacta66. It is about as rare as you can get…especially in good condition. Talk about a cult following…
Of course you would know that!
Not too bad for reliability… I’ll admit – camera body is NOT work of art (more like tank) and they are rare – especially hard to find body with WLF. But the lens… that lens… It’s pure magic. I don’t want to throw Peter into the fire – but take a look how it renders wide open – this guy has plenty of examples with 80mm F2: https://www.instagram.com/szimi82/
Wait until one month before your next overseas vacation. That time in between will help clear your mind – in theory, anyway.
Or, think of it like this: you’re out and about on a beautiful clear warm evening and everything is just painted with amazing light. What rolls of film are in your pocket, and into which camera are you loading them?
Or, alternatively, examine completely irrational choices. E.g. ARRI 435, Panavision Millennium XL2, Braun Nizo S800.
“…next overseas vacation.”
February 2025.
No-brainer for sure…M2.
You tend to experiment more (and take photos which are more emotive) with a 35mm rangefinder body. While I do realize you are intoxicated with the medium format IQ, the trade-off in body size, lens choices, number of exposures, ease of development and scanning, and relative convenience just do not justify it. Pick the camera that will inspire you to produce, and the one you will likely have with you.
LOL, “intoxicated with the medium format IQ”… tell me what you REALLY think Mark! 🙂
😐 tell me I’m wrong 😁
Hmmm…M2 is a work of mechanical art with the possibility to use lenses with brilliant rendering. Mamiya is a plasticy thing with very sharp, but rather soulless lenses. It does, however, have all that film real estate to work with.
I’d choose the M2 every time, though. Small and compact, very usable in low light, it’s a camera you could carry everywhere.
Hi Henry, though I agree with you that the M2 is a mechanical work of art and the Mamiya 7 is a plasticy thing, I’m not sure that I would call the Mamiya lenses soulless. I actually think that the biggest positive difference to my photography came when I started to use medium format film, specifically with the Mamiya 7 (and RZ67). Here are a few shots from the Mamiya 7 system:
M2.
I LOVE what the Mamiya 7 can bring to the party (lenses as good as Leica in my view) though I agree with Mark.
Another left field suggestion, the Mamiya 6. I’d like to see you create some square format images, and what travel or walking you can do the camera comes in slightly smaller than Mamiya 7.
Well I have some precedent with the Mamiya 6:
…but I gave up on it after one roll of film. Not sure why though.
Mmm … maybe just didn’t sit comfortably with your creative subconscious perhaps? I love these images though especially the ice hockey ones.
My goodness Porta is a film from heaven. Love it. I might be seeing that incorrectly and and you’ve used something else …lol.
No, you’re right, it’s Portra. And it is heavenly.