To be honest, I purchased this camera because of Mamiya's superior lenses...Especially the amazing 43 mm! I have a project coming up that requires using film and I prefer medium format. Being able to use 120 or 220 with that 43 gives incredible results. After considering six other possible camera's I found there was nothing that came close to the Mamiya 7 ll. Why I love this camera: The large 6x7cm format, interchangeable lenses, light weight, ease of handling, accurate built-in light meter, reasonable size, quietness, precision viewfinder focusing, built-in timer, double exposure capability, flash sync all the way to 1/500, hot shoe for flash as well as PC outlet, and a battery that last for ages. Did I mention you can't find any medium format lenses better than those for the Mamiya 7 ll? Another feature that some folks like is that you can get an adapter and shoot 35mm film to produce beautiful panoramic pictures. Why some people may not like this camera: It isn't cheep. But unlike most medium format cameras, this little gem really holds its value. It has a cult following and in several years, you will probably be able to sell it for what you paid. It doesn't have interchangeable film backs, some lenses require on accessory viewfinder, lenses don't focus as close as some SLRs, and using a polarizing or graduated ND filters is tricky. I'm a filter junkie and couldn't produce such dramatic images without my trusty filters. It just takes a little practice to overcome these minor shortcomings. This is a true professional camera and is considered by many to be the world's finest rangefinder camera. Another thing you might want to consider, this camera is simply fun to use...so easy and the quality that is out of this world! Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I was lucky enough to be able to use this camera for a month thanks to a generous friend of mine. He lent it to me with a 50mm f4.5 and I absolutely loved it! I got some of my favorite photos with that camera and the convince of it is unprecedented with other medium formats. At first I was worried about the plastic shell, however it surprised me with how solid it felt in my hands. The leaf system inside of the lenses also allows for you to shoot handheld down to almost 1/15 with very little camera shake. The lenses provide beautiful sharpness and a nice depth of field. I personally found the light metering difficult but downloading apps or bringing out a digital camera to shoot with too can help to nail down the settings. One problem I did come across however was that occasionally i'd forget to take off the lens cap and because it's a rangefinder i'd end up wasting 2-3 photos. Overall this camera is well worth the price and I'm looking forward to shooting with it again! (these photos are some that i took with the camera)Read full review
Verified purchase: No
This is the king of all rangefinders! I originally bought the Mamiya 7 and loved it so much that I decided to add a 7 II to my flock. The rangefinder is deadly accurate and the lenses are razor sharp. This camera offers AEL mode and the meter is somewhat of a spot meter. For the experienced artist, this camera has just the right amount of features to make every photo look great. Each lens has a hyperfocal scale built in and the 43mm lens is the greatest wide angle lens I've ever used. I shoot architecture with it all the time and I am very happy with the way it renders lines even at the corners. This camera is a great investment, very fun to shoot with and gives you the potential for gorgeous enlargements.
First off let me caveat my review by saying this is my first medium format camera and I am not a professional or close to one. That said, WOOOWWW!!! The images from this camera is nothing in comparison to anything I have ever taken. I am in the Nikon family, so I have used the FA, FE, F4, N80, F100 and D90. Did I say there is no comparison? I have borrowed a Nikon D700 and with my limited use of that camera, it is obvious that you will have to pay in the $7,000 range of Nikon and Canon to get naything comparable. I am still learning how to use the 7 II and my initial shots were all done in Program (Auto) mode. The sharpness and crystal clarity was a true thrill ride for me. It is simple to use, but there are minor ergonomic and functional things you have to get acclimated to. Like closing the curtain when changing lenses and switching the camera back chamber door between 120 & 220 dependent on which film is loaded. It is a bulky camera but definitely not heavy at all. It is designed such that it will fit comfortably in hands of all sizes. For example, I have to use the battery pack on my N80 because it gets uncomfortable after long uses as my lower 2 fingers hangs off the bottom. The 7 II is all manual focus, so you have some work to do. Get the focus and exposure right and the camera does all the heavy lifting for you. I took it to "stretch its legs" on a trip to Shenandoah National Park. All my landscape shots are breath-taking. I used Fuji Velvia RVP50 120 film. What was even more shocking was its performance when a really thick fog rolled in and covered the mountain. I took some shots of cars slowing making their way through the thick fog in really low light. To my amazement the 7 II used f/4 (wide open on 80mm lens) and 1/20th. I thought this was way too fast a shutter by maybe 2 stops as it was pretty dark. WRONG!!! The thick fog covering the 2 lane road mixed with the train of car headlights was locked on perfect exposure and shaper than sharp from corner to corner, all handheld. Try that with my best Nikon with Velvia 50 and I would get this nice blur of a picture. Not much else to share as I havent used it enough to find any negatives or "wish that was different" things to share. There are blog postings around the 'net reporting metering weirdness and the noted Ken Rockwell said that his 7 was metering to the low-right of center on his model. Could it be possible that the 7 II fixed this intermitten issue on the 7 II? Dont know, as we all know the manufacturing process can sometimes give variations. I will certainly find out in the coming days & weeks. What we do know is that the Mamiya 7 II is a photographer's photographing tool. If you are like me and enjoy clicking away and want to get better and take better photos, I cant think of a better tool to make you look like you know what are really doing. Recommend the Mamiya 7 II without any reservation.Read full review
A very simple camera with the best wide angle lenses ever made for medium format film cameras. Only rangefinders and view cameras allow for wide angle lens designs that are distortion free. Most people like the 80mm, but the 65mm, 50mm, and 43mm will make you reevaluate your relationship with shorter focal lengths, especially if you're used to working with SLR systems like Hasselblad or Mamiya RZ.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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