Similar to you, I was very happy with the Zeiss glass on the Hassey, but crave a faster work flow, wanting to get more spontaniety in my portraits and fashion work. Hi Adam, I bought a Mamiya 645 AFD about 2 months ago, after previously using Hasselblad 503 and Canon. Thanks in advance for your time and thoughts. I’m not interested in Hasselblad or Pentax 645 systems but others not yet mentioned I might be open to. Thinking a year or two down the road, I might consider getting a digital back if I choose the Mamiya. I've heard great things about this system as well and it's a newer creation than the Contax is. I also like the fact that I don’t think I’ve got to worry about them going out of business anytime soon. I’m familiar with Mamiya glass and like it a lot even though it’s not quite what the Zeiss glass is. I like the sound of the Mamiya AFD systems also, though I wish they had a waist level finder in addition to the prism.
Any word on another company reviving this system? I also am concerned with battery life? I can’t spend a fortune on batteries every 3rd roll I shoot. Can anyone give me a clear idea on what exactly it’s like composing and focusing a shot in the center, then moving the focused subject off the side? I’ve heard this system has problems with that (I think technically it’s called focus lock…). I will be using mostly natural light with occasional fill flash, so the slow sync speed doesn’t bother me too much. I also really like that they are all about a stop faster than most eqivanent lenses from other systems. I love the Zeiss glass that Contax uses (I use it on the Hasselblads) and I think that AF Zeiss would be amazing. I really want to commit to the Contax as I’ve basically only heard positive things about it, but the thing that’s holding me back is that it’s no longer manufactured and service will stop in, give or take, 5 years. I know that the AF is slow compared to today’s digital world and I’m fine with that, as I’m not shooting sports. But I want something smaller, lighter and faster.
I currently own and use Hasselblads and a Mamiya RZ Pro II that are great for studio stuff or when I’ve got the time to compose.
I will use this mostly for lifestyle/catalog work and I need something that’s not manual focus. What I’m looking for is something with auto focusing, aperture/shutter priority, interchangeable backs, and data imprinting. If you suggest the Mamiya, is the II that much different than the III?
I would like to hear what people’s opinions are on the Contax system versus the Mamiya system. I’m looking at getting an auto focusing 645 system and I’ve narrowed it down to the Contax 645 and Mamiya 645 AFD II or III. So I know this has been touched on over the past almost decade, but I’m looking for current opinions.