Mamiya RZ 110mm F/2.8

After 4 months with the Mamiya RZ67 & 110/2.8…

Film, Inspiration, Kodak Tri-X 400, Mamiya RZ 110mm F/2.8, Mamiya RZ67 Professional Pro II, Q&A, Teaching point

After four months with the Mamiya RZ67 and Mamiya RZ 110/2.8 lens, I can say with absolute certainty that this gear (together with Kodak Tri-X 400 film) is superior to anything I’ve ever used before for portraiture.

To think that people are practically giving this film equipment away is very telling of our instant gratification-based culture.

Sometimes, the results are truly worth waiting for.

I’ll be posting new images soon, but in the meantime, please have a look at some of the photographs the combo has yielded for me so far:

—Peter.

Love Aura   Hockey GirlWinter Hat Portrait Brushing Honey  The Truth  Smile

Springtime in Toronto, Part 2.

Film, Inspiration, Kodak Tri-X 400, Mamiya RZ 110mm F/2.8, Mamiya RZ67 Professional Pro II, Portrait, Q&A, Scanner - Plustek 120, Teaching point

You have to love this city and its weather 😉 .

This image was taken using the Mamiya 110/2.8 at its near focus limit; even at f/4 (the aperture used for this shot), the depth of field is quite thin — perhaps too thin for this portrait, since only the near eye is in focus.

Still, I like it.

The look of the Tri-X film and the bigger 6 x 7 “sensor” of medium format is quite remarkable.  Notice the true-to-life rendering of his face, texture of his hat, etc.  Currently, high-end 35mm digital cameras may be able to out-resolve this antiquated gear (at least using the scanner I’m using), but they cannot duplicate the look of this image.

—Peter.

Springtime in Toronto, Part 2

Brushing Honey.

2014, Favourite, Film, Inspiration, Kodak Tri-X 400, Life's Little Moments, Mamiya RZ 110mm F/2.8, Mamiya RZ67 Professional Pro II, Portrait, Scanner - Plustek 120, Teaching point

This was shot wide open @ f/2.8, but required a relatively slow shutter speed of 1/30 sec to expose the foreground figures correctly.  The camera was braced on the floor to reduce vibration and also to obtain the perspective I was seeking.

I was lucky to hit the shutter at just the right moment — the eye contact was brief.

I wasn’t sure how the 110/2.8 would deal with shooting into the light, but the lens has once again impressed me.

And, I am really enjoying the Mamiya RZ67… more so than I thought I would.  Yes, it’s a large and heavy camera, but the system is so well thought out that it prevents you from “screwing up” while delivering exceptional results.

When I purchased my Mamiya equipment, the 180/4.5 lens was also included, but I haven’t yet photographed with it.

—Peter.

Brushing Honey

↑Mamiya RZ67, Mamiya 110mm @ f/2.8, and Kodak Tri-X 400.

Hockey Girl.

2014, Favourite, Film, Hockey, Inspiration, Kodak Tri-X 400, Mamiya RZ 110mm F/2.8, Mamiya RZ67 Professional Pro II, Portrait, Scanner - Plustek 120

It’s February 9th, 2014.

That’s today.

My wife and I are rushing to get Hockey Girl ready for her early game, and we’re running late.

I notice it’s snowing outside and the light looks magical.

I turn to my wife, and she immediately understands.

She says, “5 minutes”.

I run upstairs to grab the Mamiya, which is already loaded with Kodak Tri-X 400.

Hockey Girl and I go outside, and I shoot a few frames.

This is one of them.

As it turns out…

Hockey Girl goes on to score her first ice hockey goal, ever.

–

Hockey Girl

↑Mamiya RZ67, Mamiya 110mm @ f/2.8, and Kodak Tri-X 400.

Smile.

Film, Inspiration, Kodak Tri-X 400, Mamiya RZ 110mm F/2.8, Mamiya RZ67 Professional Pro II, Photo Shoot, Portrait, Q&A, Teaching point

Here is my first image from the first roll of Kodak Tri-X 120 put through the Mamiya RZ67.

I self-processed the film at home like this, and self-scanned on an Epson V700.

Looking at the tonality of this image, I want to weep tears of joy.

Nothing I’ve experienced with digital comes close.

People, all these years we have been duped.

Instead of constantly upgrading e-cameras,

We could have had this all along.

And now film is dying.

Shame on us.

—Peter.

Smile

↑Mamiya RZ67, Mamiya 110mm @ f/2.8, and Kodak Tri-X 400.

Test Shot 2 – Mamiya RZ67.

Film, Fujifilm FP-3000B, Inspiration, Mamiya RZ 110mm F/2.8, Mamiya RZ67 Professional Pro II, Portrait

This result is certainly better than what I obtained on my first attempt.

Incidentally, this image illustrates the close-up focusing ability of the Mamiya RZ67 (courtesy of its bellows focusing).

Unfortunately, with the 110mm lens (equivalent to roughly 55mm in 35mm format), photographing this closely introduces some undesirable distortion.

—Peter.

Test Shot 2

↑Mamiya RZ67, Mamiya 110mm @ f/2.8, and Fuji FB-3000.