A few 35mm cameras into my return to analog and I was eager to try medium format. Trouble is MF cameras are generally a bit bulky and I mostly shoot when on business trips if I get a little time out. Eventually I set my mind on the Mamiya 6 and found one in good shape on eBay.
For travel it just feels great. It’s solidly built and the lens partly collapses into the body so it’s compact enough with the excellent 75mm f3.5 attached. The batteries seem to last forever and the light meter is reliable, though in tricky conditions I still meter externally just to be sure.
The frames here are from two trips, both in the US. The first shots are from Shenandoah just outside Washington DC. These were particularly satisfying. I always wanted to get some of that misty mood but the UK summer was never going to deliver any mist or fog. Shenandoah had plenty of mist, mixed though with plenty of drenching rainfall. I shot some expired Fomapan 400 which rendered nicely but is insanely curly when developed, and HP5+ which is my go to film. I wanted grain to add to the atmospherics and both films delivered, but Fomapan’s grain is particularly delicious. The film was scanned on an Epson V600.
The second set are from the deserts of Nevada. A 5am pre-dawn drive north out of Las Vegas got me to the Valley of Fire before the sun went into full toasting mode. I shot Fuji Acros for crispy frames and enough dynamic range that I could work in the contrast.
For more Mamiya 6 photos visit my Flickr page
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Robert Pugh on 5 Frames travelling with a Mamiya 6 MF – By Faraz
Comment posted: 14/11/2018
Comment posted: 14/11/2018
David M Burke on 5 Frames travelling with a Mamiya 6 MF – By Faraz
Comment posted: 14/11/2018
I used to have a Mamiya 7 II although the pictures were excellent it was a bulky camera
I switched to the Plaubel Makina 67. Also a range finder with a spot meter and the fact that it is collapsible and I can put it in my coat pocket is a huge plus. Very sharp pictures. Especially when you travel I use a collapsible Carbon fiber monopod and this camera and find it to be very user friendly.
Comment posted: 14/11/2018
Ant Lockyer on 5 Frames travelling with a Mamiya 6 MF – By Faraz
Comment posted: 14/11/2018
Aivaras on 5 Frames travelling with a Mamiya 6 MF – By Faraz
Comment posted: 14/11/2018
Robert Wählt on 5 Frames travelling with a Mamiya 6 MF – By Faraz
Comment posted: 14/11/2018
Comment posted: 14/11/2018
walker on 5 Frames travelling with a Mamiya 6 MF – By Faraz
Comment posted: 15/11/2018