Decided to Go Totally Retro with a Mamiya RB67 6X7 Ca. 1970 (Page 4): I have this camera my self with three backs, three different view finders and one is a metered view finder. lenses...

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

Church Key wrote:

I've been sort of drifting back to film, specifica... (show quote)

I have this camera my self with three backs, three different view finders and one is a metered view finder. lenses from wide angle through to telephoto lens I think is 250mm plus other attachments. Don't use it now anymore. I also did all my own processing and have a pretty complete darkroom with two enlargers with both black and white heads and color heads along with a color analyzer and other equipment. Am thinking of selling everything some day. At 84 I'm to old for it anymore.....Rich

bweber Loc: Newton, MA

Steve your post makes me regret selling my Pentax 6 x 7 in favor of a Canon 5dsr. I did not like shooting slides, and paying for high quality scans to convert the images to digital so I could work on them. I miss the 6 x 7 slides. I used the Pentax shooting landscapes for years. I think that experience is why I continue to take my time when shooting landscapes carefully looking at the scene before I press the button.

SteveLew wrote:

I occasionally break out my Pentax 6 X 7 and my Sekonic L-508 Zoom Master light meter. This combination of camera and light meter harkens me back to beautiful,
slow and purposeful photography.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

bigwolf40 wrote:

I have this camera my self with three backs, three different view finders and one is a metered view finder. lenses from wide angle through to telephoto lens I think is 250mm plus other attachments. Don't use it now anymore. I also did all my own processing and have a pretty complete darkroom with two enlargers with both black and white heads and color heads along with a color analyzer and other equipment. Am thinking of selling everything some day. At 84 I'm to old for it anymore.....Rich

If you ever decide to sell lenses or the metered finder, please shoot me a PM.

bweber Loc: Newton, MA

Sorry, I sold the entire package. The finder and three lenses. I kept, and still use, my hand held meter. However, you can pick up lenses for the Pentax and very good prices from KEH or MPB.

TriX wrote:

If you ever decide to sell lenses or the metered finder, please shoot me a PM.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

drmike99 wrote:

Is it really Fuji? I bought some 35mm Velvia with a Fuji mailer. It came back with a Fujichrome box and the slide mounts said Fuji. But the lab address was "Parsons KS" which tells me it MUST really be Dwayne's. What other lab is out there? And they need something to process since they shut down the world's last Kodachrome processing line.

Dwayne’s is Fujifilm’s authorized US lab.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

GoofyNewfie wrote:

Any of you RB users ever seen a after-market soft focus device for the 180? I got mine used and it came with a couple of discs that fit into the rear using “O” rings. The discs had a layer of two of black loosely woven net fabric, like stocking material. Worked really well. I’ve never seen it for sale anywhere. This was before the internet.

I’m not aware of such a device for the RB 180. The 150 VSF comes with 3 perforated disks to provide 16 degrees of softness, similar to the Rodenstock Imagon lenses, except with the latter the disks are inserted into the front of the lens.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

bweber wrote:

Sorry, I sold the entire package. The finder and three lenses. I kept, and still use, my hand held meter. However, you can pick up lenses for the Pentax and very good prices from KEH or MPB.

Sorry - meant it for bigwolf40 and the RB67...

Church Key Loc: Inwood, WV

Folks - Thanks for all the replies. The RB67 seems to bring back plenty of good experiences by its past and current owners.

I finally figured out all the minor differences between my original RB67 (Professional) and the PRO S, as I had obtained a manual for the latter. Mostly a few minor changes dealing with upgraded double exposure prevention, etc. The one thing that gave me a fit was removing the focusing hood, as mine did not have a hood latch. Finally just used brute force, pushing hard on sliding the nameplate to the right; worked fine. Another thing is that the shutter must be cocked before rotating the back from horizontal to vertical. Could not find this noted anywhere. The only accessory I'm going to get right now is a carrying strap. I'll use a canvas tool bag for a carrying case. I have a tendency to suffer a case of GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome); don't ask how many accessories I've added to a recently-acquired Pentax LX. Have to tone it down a bit with the RB.

Again, thanks for the help and interest.

BTW - Church Key was my CB handle in the 70's. My motto was "Likes little brown bottles." Those under 50 will not have a clue what this means.

Church Key

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

Church Key wrote:

Folks - Thanks for all the replies. The RB67 seems... (show quote)

They made a nice leather (or faux) fitted case for the RB - you may be able to find one on Ebay

Kuzano

Many of you may know this, and some may be surprised to find the popularity of the 6X7 format was that it is/was the page format of magazines during it's reign?

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Church Key wrote:

Folks - Thanks for all the replies. The RB67 seems... (show quote)

I wouldn’t give up on digital altogether - it’s a great substitute for Polaroid.

silver Loc: Santa Monica Ca.

Church Key wrote:

I've been sort of drifting back to film, specifica... (show quote)

This is a great camera. There are a series of lenses for this camera known as the "KL lenses. These lenses are the top of the line lenses for this camera and they are really wonderful lenses. I had 2 bodies and 5 lenses at one time. I decided to sell the system and I really miss shooting with it. The problem is that I can now do digitally anything I ever die with the RB but I still think of getting another RB, great camera. Have fun with it. B&H has plenty of film by the way.

blackest Loc: Ireland

Church Key wrote:

Folks - Thanks for all the replies. The RB67 seems... (show quote)

You can still get crown caps newcastle brown bottles still have them.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

RWR wrote:

Iâm not aware of such a device for the RB 180. The 150 VSF comes with 3 perforated disks to provide 16 degrees of softness, similar to the Rodenstock Imagon lenses, except with the latter the disks are inserted into the front of the lens.

Just FYI and anyone who is interested in retro styles and soft focus photography. Theses are the special adapter kits of the RB, RZ and the Hasselblad.

The RZ Kit, made by Rodenstock in Germany, consists of a modern version of the Imagon lens, an extension tube and a coupling that fits the lens mount. It also includes the 3 H/stop disks and a rubber device to safely unscrew the 180mm lens form the shutter assembly. The Hasselbald version includes the lens coupling and a helical focusing tube that accepts a variety of vintage lenses. The one shown is my circa 1949 Imagon in a compound shutter.

Spiney Loc: Reading, PA

Just before going digital our studio workhorse was an RZ Pro II with AEII & WL Finders, 90mm, 180mm, 100-220 Zoom lens, 3 backs, Power Winder, Remote Wireless release. The Zoom was great for doing SR portraits going from almost full length to headshot without changing lenses or moving the camera stand. Loved that camera.

When I could print a 24x30" print from digital image that was better than or equal to prints from 6x7 film we sold the Mamiya outfit for about 70% of New before the film camera price bottom fell out because of a flooded market.

After a few years Mamiya and Hassleblad's became valuable again because of affordable medium format digital backs.

Enjoy your RB, that was a great price.