dan swiger
Well-Known Member
I thought I would take advantage of being the 1st to post on this sub-forum.
I first decided to get back into film in 2013 after getting frustrated/jaded with my spray & pray mentality with my DSLR. I wanted to have a more contemplative process & not an instant gratification experience.
The camera I decided on was an RZ67 ProII, with four lenses, multiple backs & accessories.
I think it had the 110mm/f2.8 , 180mm/f4.5 , 65mm/f4.5 & a 50mm (not the ULD)
It also had the metered prism viewfinder.
It was a well worn kit, but everything worked.
I was enamored of the bright viewfinder & the sound of that big mirror!
I was kind of clueless about film types & exposure techniques.
But when I got it right, the images were stunning.
That summer I carted it on an Eastern Sierra Fall color trip.
Imagine a backpack filled with that gear on a 2 mile hike!
I sold this kit after about a year. Probably from the physical exhaustion of carrying it on any serious trip.
A few years later I longed for the experience, here we go again. This time with a smaller kit, the 110mm/f2.8 & the 65mm/f4.5. but soon added a 360mm & and a 50mm.
This time around I was getting the hang of it & being more selective about what to bring.
Like the 1st kit, this one was sold a year later. This was followed another year with a kit built up in pieces.
This was a total of 3 RZ kits/systems over a four year period!
The good news is that I never sold any of it at much of a loss. Breaking even most of the time. I had become skilled in the art of picking good Ebay deals I guess.
I finally realized that while I loved the image making possibilities, it was too cumbersome & at times temperamental.
The last time around I picked up a Mamiya 7, buying selected lenses.
I have the 50mm/65mm/80mm & 150mm. All where purchased separately.
I love this kit now & have taken it on many trips & vacations.
It is much lighter than the RZ system & it's optics are equal or better to the RZ lenses.
The downside is that it's a rangefnder camera. This requires different techniques with filters as you are not viewing thru-the-lens. This also means you don't know when the lens cap is on!
It's not something that can't be mastered but requires some planning.
The metering is very accurate, especially with the 65 & 80mm.
But for critical work, I use a Seiko light meter, practicing the zone-system.
Dan
I first decided to get back into film in 2013 after getting frustrated/jaded with my spray & pray mentality with my DSLR. I wanted to have a more contemplative process & not an instant gratification experience.
The camera I decided on was an RZ67 ProII, with four lenses, multiple backs & accessories.
I think it had the 110mm/f2.8 , 180mm/f4.5 , 65mm/f4.5 & a 50mm (not the ULD)
It also had the metered prism viewfinder.
It was a well worn kit, but everything worked.
I was enamored of the bright viewfinder & the sound of that big mirror!
I was kind of clueless about film types & exposure techniques.
But when I got it right, the images were stunning.
That summer I carted it on an Eastern Sierra Fall color trip.
Imagine a backpack filled with that gear on a 2 mile hike!
I sold this kit after about a year. Probably from the physical exhaustion of carrying it on any serious trip.
A few years later I longed for the experience, here we go again. This time with a smaller kit, the 110mm/f2.8 & the 65mm/f4.5. but soon added a 360mm & and a 50mm.
This time around I was getting the hang of it & being more selective about what to bring.
Like the 1st kit, this one was sold a year later. This was followed another year with a kit built up in pieces.
This was a total of 3 RZ kits/systems over a four year period!
The good news is that I never sold any of it at much of a loss. Breaking even most of the time. I had become skilled in the art of picking good Ebay deals I guess.
I finally realized that while I loved the image making possibilities, it was too cumbersome & at times temperamental.
The last time around I picked up a Mamiya 7, buying selected lenses.
I have the 50mm/65mm/80mm & 150mm. All where purchased separately.
I love this kit now & have taken it on many trips & vacations.
It is much lighter than the RZ system & it's optics are equal or better to the RZ lenses.
The downside is that it's a rangefnder camera. This requires different techniques with filters as you are not viewing thru-the-lens. This also means you don't know when the lens cap is on!
It's not something that can't be mastered but requires some planning.
The metering is very accurate, especially with the 65 & 80mm.
But for critical work, I use a Seiko light meter, practicing the zone-system.
Dan
