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Hi, curious how we went through the same rabbit hole at basically the same time and following a remarkably similar path; some months ago I discovered by chance on YT a video on the Mamiya ZD and got very intrigued by it, after a brief search I was lucky enough to get a hold of a perfectly functioning sample at a very reasonable price and with two batteries (which differently from the ZD back which has third party options, are proprietary and basically impossible to find nowadays). It became very swiftly basically my favorite camera, I just love the files it churns out, being a Foveon-aficionado I was shocked to see basically the same level of acutance but on a medium format sensor, those 22MP fat pixels definitely look like many many more. Also the colors are quite nice and peculiar, as you mentioned the C1 profile for the camera (and I assume the back) is pretty good and I like a lot the warm tone and the pastel-like colors that the files have, really quite unique (even if not to everyone's tastes). Curiously enough, the camera's base ISO is higher than the back at 100 ISO. Like you I got both the 80 F2.8 AF and the leaf shutter version that I use with my (again like you) DF+, which I paired (guess what) with a P45+ back :) I admit I quite like those punchy Kodak colors, pretty different from the ZD's ones so variety in my shots is guaranteed and as you pointed out, is also a very sharp back, C1 profile is definitely cooler than the ZD one and maybe with just a tad of purple tint, but it is also pretty good in my opinion. Both for me come highly recommended if someone wants to experiment with some old CCD goodness. P.S. one last remark on the Aptus 22: I'm a bit surprised that you found the colors but especially sharpness lacking vs your ZD, as the sensor should be the same for what I know (colors can actually be tweaked by the manufacturer of course, but sharpness I doubt, maybe there was something off in the plane of focus? happened to me with my DF when I paired it with the P45, until I dialed in some AF fine-tuning, all pictures looked pretty soft, so I knew something was odd). Cheers and sorry for the long post :)

Greeting Flickr friend - Well, you have opened a new way of photographing which is quite unfamiliar to me. However after seeing your images it is very appealing. Yes, I see some of your comments suggest to just use software to post process those sterile harsh digital images, but I don't appreciate having to pay that type of money to subscribe to software year after year.... Now, allow me top settle down and enjoy a whole new realm of photography -

This was the last pro camera by ATG. Then ATG gone & knocked down Hasselblad & Rolleiflex, ATG's Contax 645. The ATG with AX. ATG/Contax world's first AF using full manual lenses. ATG's father was the genius Yoshihisa Maitani 1. ATG & I suggest to go for the Contax RTS (less automation/can add motor drive) 2. Maitani's Olympus M-1, OM-1, OM-3 3. ATG/Maitani's Olympus OM-4Ti 4. ATG/Canon EOS-1VHSr 5. Pentax LX, assisted by ATG 6. Nikon F3 7. ATG/Canon new F-1 All pro cameras have ATG/Maitani's mirror lock up features Only two cameras (based on above) have ATG's finders M-1, OM-1, OM-3, LX & New F-1 can operate without battery If you have those Japan Zeiss lenses, you can buy ATG's adapters to fit to other brand bodies Any questions/mod/repairs/services, please reply with your email here

Great video, I wonder how hard is to get CCD look from GFX. I have GF50 3.5 and I was pretty disappointed with image, super sharp and that's it.... so im using adopted lenses. RAW files on your site are really helpful.

"The hissing sound, when you turn the camera on" is/could be the sound from the camera winding the film to the first image. It's not a camera fault. I have two RTS III and they make such a ("hissing") sound.

So you bought a camera you knew you would hate, because is has features you dislike/misses features you like? And the one to blame is the manufacturer? So you keep rambling on and on? That sounds really smart.

Review Lens WITHOUT EDITED JPEGs. Should be straight out of the camera.

I love my RX but that is one chunky unit. If I were to buy a second 35mm body, it would probably be the Aria, even though they're pretty expensive for what they are. And I would definitely pair it up with a 45mm f/2.8 Zeiss. I used to run a similar digital setup with my Pentax K5IIs + 40mm f/2.8 Ltd pancake and it was the absolute best vacation camera.

I shot this camera a couple of times. Took accurately exposed photos, and Zeiss lenses are a bonus. I should shoot with it more often but I tend to shoot with the lighter RX or Aria. Paired with the 85mm f1.4 lens, it is really too heavy but every shot comes out beautifully with that combo. Looking to try longer lenses. Any suggestions?

Great idea. I wish more people would talk about the colour and contrast changes between generations, I guess it is difficult to pin down because there are also colour and contrast changes between lenses too. 😂 I would rank them like this: 👑 X-Trans 3, I think it's the perfect balance between realistic and stylistic. X-trans 2 is next, but probably only for me - it's extremely stylistic and difficult to manage sometimes, but its vibrant and deep contrast look is just very unique. X-Trans 1 is the opposite of 2, but it has a very unique dreamy soft contrast pastel quality. X-Trans 5, I think it has the least stylization, so if you don't like Fujifilm's more extreme looks, the newest cameras will give you the classic Fujifilm experience but frustrate you less with their most neutral look. 👋 X-Trans 4 is noticeably worse. They really struggle with magenta and yellow in all of this generation of cameras, giving them some of the worst skin hues so far. X-T3 and X-T30 are the worst offenders, but the X-T4 and X-T30II didn't fully resolve the issue either. It's why a lot of people didn't care to upgrade when the X-T3 came out, the improvements were pretty incrementally small and the colours were worse.

Yea, Kris, I started with X-M1 and took some really good photos on that little camera in good daylight. Then I got the X-T2, and that has some magic color I still appreciate to this day. Then I got the X100V and now X-T5. I’ve been pretty happy with all of them to be honest, but in terms of color rendition probably some secret sauce on that X-T2, dunno. I’m certainly not as picky as you are when it comes to color. 😊. Btw, read your blogs a while back when I discovered you on Flickr. I’ve been to Copenhagen back in 94 and I’m longing to come back and re-visit and reminisce the times when I was still a young man. And, I really love your photos; some of them bring me back that Copenhagen longing and nostalgia, for sure. 👍

I don't know what raw converter you're using, but for pleasing - not necessarily accurate - colors, you should try Mamiya's old Photo Studio software. Arcsoft's PhotoStudio Darkroom and Darkroom 2 do a good job. Capture One can be OK, and Lightroom is in the last place. Nothing really beats that Kodak sensor, but enthusiasts on Russian forums (now defunct, sadly) have made DCP color profiles for ACR/Lightroom that come very close. Not every camera's rendition can be transformed with color profiling, but this is one is surprisingly versatile if one has the proper charts, software, and skill. I had the Mamiya ZD camera - not the digital back - and had problems with strong color cast, but I enjoyed its images otherwise.

You get what you pay for! The R8 is a really stripped down version of the R6 MKII using a smaller battery, no IBIS, lower video spec. The cheaper RF lenses I would agree are “average” the only exception being the RF 35mm f1.8 and the RF 100-400mm f5.6-f8 which for the money is a really good lens. The flip out screen is very effective and I don’t know what your issue is nobody else complains about it.

Great video! I own a Contax G2, Aria & 167MT. The Zeiss glass is absolutely incredible for the Aria & 167MT. I truly think this is one of the best daily carry cameras. I haven't explored much into the c/y mount sigma glass but I'm sure it's good!!

Yes, endeed.

I purchased this camera as my first mirrorless and love it. I am a beginner videographer/photographer so this is perfect for me. I have it with the RF-S 10-18. I know that lens is better suited for the APS-c line of cameras but the RF lenses that work with full frame are expensive as hell. The one I was looking at was the 14-35 and that thing is $1300 and I have not seen them cheaper on the used market for less than $1000. This 10-18 works perfect for me so I am very happy. But I like to hear other peoples perspective on this camera.

Depends on the use case. A beginner may think it’s a pro cam. A pro may think it’s a beginner cam. Different strokes…

Modigt :)

awesome! If you don't mind, I'd like to see a review of the dcs proback.

I have absolutely no idea and actually no interest in old large format cameras but still enjoyed the video and it aroused interest!

Cheers.

Nice and useful walkthrough! Worked with the Nikon FM2 and F3s back in the days - now I’m all about cameras being small and convenient, while still delivering top notch quality. Have my eyes on the Aria with the 45/2.8, loved to hear you describe the viewfinder experience. As the camera really has next to nothing to do with the image quality directly, what I need from the black box is nice handling and sweet viewfinders 😎

Amazing! Wow thanks so much. Very interesting. Definitely worth checking the blog post! Amazing Pictures!

Glæder mig meget til at få min Canon R8. Har solgt min Lumix S5 så jeg er tæt på at have råd😃 har adapteren EF til RF og 4 objektiver fra min gamle 5Diii. Glæder mig til at komme tilbage til Canon 😊🤞

I upgraded my Canon EOS RP to the R8, and I'm loving it. Most of the weaknesses of the RP were fixed in the R8 (fast autofocus, better iso performance, shooting speed, video quality etc.) Love the images straight out of camera even. I use it with the RF 35mm f1.8.

You might wanna check out the RX or the ST.

Problem with all CONTAX camera systems is the fact that is is living fosile or dead system,, whatever that means. The electronics is too fragile and unpredictable, but also the least reliable. Get the speare body or camera from other brand with the lens adapter to use the ZEISS- CONTAX lenses that you already own. My two cents.

I use an R8 in conjunction with an ef 500 f4 and some sigma art (1.4-1.8) mostly for action shots with dogs and wildlife and I think this camera has good results in these conditions. You are not wrong about the lens situation, not at all haha

Interesting take, I like honest opinions like this. As a current R6 and R6 Mark II owner, I kind of want to try an R8 just to verify these claims. I think an RF 24-105mm f/4L is a good one to try to get better rendering without getting big and heavy. I'm sort of with you on RAW colour (I think a lot of it is just Adobe's fault, because JPEG seems good, I don't get this, but old cameras like the Nikon D700 have fantastic colours even in Adobe software), but I think the video looks really excellent, once you customise the profiles a bit. My favourite in the system is probably an R5 with an RF 28-70mm f/2L lens that I am gravitating back towards. Heavy, but I got used to it, covers almost all my needs in one go, so not that expensive in that regard, with nice rendering. An EOS R is worth looking at also, preferred the look and feel of that to the R6, even though other aspects are less refined. A few other points to note, after Canon, any other camera interface and menu system seems cumbersome to use. They also seem to be very resilient to usage marks or reliability issues.

Just bought one with two 1.4 lenses. I use an f4 so I doubt the size is something I’ll notice.

I am currently bidding on an RTS III, I don't think I'll go over £100 though. I have the RX which I'm fairly happy with. I do like the sound of the film vacuum in the RTS III, it was designed to hold the film flat against the pressure plate. Apparently you do notice the difference when you have a wide aperture, everything is uniformly sharp. Maybe that is the buzzing sound you hear? ☺

Beautiful 😍