Mamiya RB67 Professional SD

My 1st Medium Format Camera

The Story...

I have been curious and dreaming of a medium format camera for a long time. People always praise about the quality and resolution a medium format camera can do...which the 135 format can't. My dream medium format is the Contax 645AF, which I am still dreaming. I almost win a chance buying a 2nd hand Contax 645AF set at below RM6.6k, but miss that deal due to better offer given to the seller from others. Come to think of it...I am glad my $$$ still with me and didn't spend too much $$$ on photographic equipment.

By chance, my local camera shop has some Mamiya 67 sets in July 2004. I am a frequent customer to the shop, thus out of curiosity, I asked about the price of the RB67. I was quoted a very good price for the RB67 Pro S and RB67 Pro SD set. RM750 for the Pro S and RM1000 for the Pro SD set. Both set are completed with film back, waist level finder and a Sekor C 180mm lens. I went back home to consider, and on the next day I took the Pro SD set back home. What I got from the RM1000 are:

1. Mamiya RB67 Pro SD body

5. Fuji Professional 120 film x 4 rolls

Condition: Excellent, Perfect functioning. Some scratches and paint peel. No dent and no broken glass. Lens is clean, no fungus or fogging but coating has slight (1mm) cleaning mark.

After owning the Pro SD set for a few months, I decided to sell it off. Shame to say...I never run through any film through it. With my S2 Pro in hand, I much prefer the convenient and cleanliness of digital comparing to film. The Pro SD is very heavy and bulky. Hand holding is not advisable, and with tripod constantly on...you will be bring a 5kg weight around.

Since I bought it at a good price, thus I don't loose money selling it away. With DSLR (135 format) now approaching 16MP (Canon 1Ds MK2 as of date Dec 2004), I believe film will one day be overtaken by digital and only those specific group will still be shooting film. I can only see TRANSPARENCY and B&W as the only reason to go for film now. If you are shooting negative, especially the consumer type (Fujifilm Superia or Kodak Gold), digital quality is much better. With film blowing to 8R and beyond, grain and dirt (dust...hair...etc.) become problems. I have blow digital images (6MP) to super 8R size, and the quality is much cleaner and better than what I can get from my Fuji Superia 200 film. I have seen a 4MP digicam (Olympus C750) photo blowing to A0 size and the quality is simply amazing. Clean and smooth and detail. I am not sure if 135 format can, but the 4MP file has proven its capability. Following the advancement of digital technology, >10MP DSLR will become common in 2005, and I can't see the reason going back to film, especially negative anymore.

Medium Format? ...