Mamiya 6/7 users

[NuggyBuggy]

For a while I have been looking at Leica M3s. I wanted to see if I liked rangefinders, and Leicas in particular, before laying out the big bucks for an M9.

A few weeks ago I bought a Hasselblad on a lark to tool around with, and was so blown away with the results I got on my first few shots that I realized it was going to be expensive to process and scan all the film I was going to want to shoot. So I went out and bought a whole BW darkroom setup. I'm hoping to learn how to develop my first rolls this week, and print this weekend.

I started researching MF rangefinders, thinking I could unite two of my interests that way, and started watching a few auctions. Today, I just bought a Mamiya 7II rangefinder, for about the same price as an M3.

It's probably not going to get into my hands for another few weeks, but I'm really excited about the prospects of a fairly compact rangefinder with huge 6x7 negatives. Only thing I am worried about is liking it too much and laying out even more dough for the lenses. Fortunately, there are very few lenses available for the Mamiya 7s.

Anyone else shoot with a Mamiya 6 or 7 ? If so, let's hear about it here.

[JHW]

I don't think the Mamiya 7s crowd hangs out much at RFD, but you never know!

I've always been intrigued by that camera, but the expense put me off the idea of getting one. Apparently the lenses are tack-sharp, though.

[pmc]

Mamyia 6 owner here, i 'm looking at the M9 also because they finally reproduced the M6 digitally (almost)

I dismantled my darkroom as the space was needed for something else (sex dungeon ...lol *i wish*) start with B&W but note the chemicals are toxic so research the "how to's" carefully otherwise it's pretty simple and very rewarding to print 16x20 B&W prints from a big negative. Shooting medium format makes you think about everything, composition etc as you've probably found out using the blad not sure what lense/s you've got but personally the 43 (wide) and 80 (nor) would be the most used unless all you do are tight portraits in which case add the 150. You might also want to invest in a good light meter.

Regarding the M9 (http://www.imx.nl/photo/leica/camera/page159/page159.html)

[NuggyBuggy]

pmc - thanks for the advice.
...start with B&W but note the chemicals are toxic so research the "how to's" ...

OK, this was something I was thinking about myself. It seems obvious that the chemicals are toxic. I know I need ventilation ideally, but how do you dispose of the chemicals when done ? I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere.

not sure what lense/s you've got but personally the 43 (wide) and 80 (nor) would be the most used unless all you do are tight portraits in which case add the 150. You might also want to invest in a good light meter.
I've only got the 150 (two of them) and a 250. I started watching auctions for the 43, 50, and 80 a few days ago. There's something about looking through that huge waist-level finder that does make me pay more attention to my composition - it almost cries out for you to think about things - but I suspect that looking through a rangefinder will not have that same, beneficial effect. We'll see.

I've got a decent light meter - Sekonic 608.

[JHW]

pmc - thanks for the advice.

OK, this was something I was thinking about myself. It seems obvious that the chemicals are toxic. I know I need ventilation ideally, but how do you dispose of the chemicals when done ? I haven't seen that mentioned anywhere.

B&W chemicals are not too bad -- I consider most household cleaners and hair dyes, etc. more dangerous. You can easily do your own B&W in limited space without a darkroom if you develop your film yourself and then scan it (a hybrid process) -- I have done things this way for about 10 years in small apartment kitchens with no problems whatsoever (I even concoct my own developers from scratch). There are lots of tutorials out there but it's best to find a class or (better yet) a friend who does it and learn from him or her.

Used developer and stop bath can safely go down the drain. Used fixer (re-use it until it has reached capacity) can be de-silvered with steel wool and then poured down the drain. Ventilation is not an issue unless you're printing and have open trays of chemicals.

[NuggyBuggy]

You can easily do your own B&W in limited space without a darkroom if you develop your film yourself and then scan it (a hybrid process)...
Ventilation is not an issue unless you're printing and have open trays of chemicals.
Ultimately, I plan to print. I bought an enlarger suitable for colour prints up to 10x17 or so. However, I have been warned that colour is hard to make worthwhile so I will just be sticking with B&W.

[lz7j]

I shoot with a mamiya 6 & a leica M6... I love the big square negs I get from the mamiya... the only negative thing about the mamiya is that they don't make fast lenses. If I had to choose between the 2 systems, I'd pick both! :cheesygri

[NuggyBuggy]

Used developer and stop bath can safely go down the drain.
This set off some alarms in my head. My darkroom - such as it will be - will be in my cottage, which draws well water and uses a septic system. I did a few searches and found that dumping photographic waste fluids is an environmental no-no, especially in an environment with a septic system and/or well. My property does have two cottages with two septic tanks 100+ yards away from the well, but there's still no guarantee that the effluent won't end up in a well - wherever that may ultimately lie.

I guess I could collect the solutions and dump it that way, but everything just got a LOT harder.

[JHW]

Most online instructions for photographic chemical waste disposal are meant for processing labs, not hobbyists. Keep that in mind.

That said -- septic systems are a whole other kettle-of-fish for photo waste disposal. You need to look into each ingredient separately. The nice thing about regular B&W developers is that they decompose naturally on extended exposure to air and UV light, but colour might be a bigger issue. You'll want to do more research on this before starting.