It requires more anticipation, but good photography is a product of anticipation, in my opinion. Not much different from using any rangefinder that doesn't have a built-in meter. You usually have to pre-focus and pre-meter. There are two keys to using it quickly:ġ. As long as you can get used to the waist-level finder, I think it works great.

I personally think the TLR is wonderful for stealth street photography, I've done a little bit of that with a Mamiya 330. Seems like there is very little love for TLR's here. I still am undecided about this so any other comments would be appreciated.įWIW, I did manage to find some links of pros using the Mamiya 7: Ironically, being closer to the subject is more stealth and people are less likely to object to being photographed even if they notice, and less likely to turn away from the shot.just my experience with the Leica which I wish to replicate using MF. In this way, a 35mm lens (in 135 format) is ideal. So, my style is to be very close to the subject matter, rather than shooting from a distance or across the street. The format ratio doesn't matter except that I prefer not to have a completely square format.I also never crop my images, even for street photography. I remember all the hundred motifs on the streets running away totally upset by the loud shutter noise over the years -)ĭ.O., I think you've misunderstood me here or possibly I didn't explain correctly.I don't want to maintain the same aspect ratio as 135 format. P.S.: The quiet shutter is a very good issue. On the other hand if you are too close to your motiv you rather need a shrub than a better camera. If you will use this picture uncropped or in 6 x 7 you will have a lot more street but less photography, so that the size is not really an argument. Now cropped to the original 135 film size. The distance between the 'victim' and me amounts to 10m.Ĭropped similar to 135 film ratio 3 x 2 but still the 6 x 6 resolution of 6800px wide The photo was originally made as a test shot for the G 150mm 1:4,5 lens of the Mamiya 6 on an Ilford XP2. I hope the following photos will give an impression of what I mean. Regarding your issue 'c)' the Mamiya 6 will be the better choice anyway because it is a solid masterpiece of Mamiya. If you crop you can also change the aspect ratio (espacially since 6x7 is also not the same ratio as the Leica 3:2). The sense of your wish of 6x7 instead of 6圆 escapes me since with your selected lens you either have to crop the picture or you will stumble over your motif. Therefore this question does not really arise. For a TLR you need much more time for the complete handling and much more light too. So if size is no issue every thing focus on the speed and light. For the 'victims' the size of the camera does not count as long as they will see a lens. You can work with a Minox as well as with a Graflex as long as you will be 'invisible'. The art of street photography does not have to do anything with the camera and not at all with the size. price is limited to the cost of a new Mamiya 7+65mm lens but more likely the price of a used one. more recent model which won't break down immediately (I'm not technically minded that way.'if it broke, throw away!').ĭ. light enough (but still steady) for hand held work? (I'm smallish built).Ĭ. are there any TLRs which are 6x7 and not 6圆? b. Will a TLR with an equivalent focal length lens allow for more stealth shooting than the Mamiya, as it does not need to be held up to your eye?Ī. Doesn't the large size of the camera held up to the eye prevent the camera from achieving stealth street photography? Don't people immediately turn away? (No, I do not shoot from the hip!).Ģ. The Mamiya 7 with a 65mm lens? Can I really use this camera like a Leica? I can barely get away with the Leica as a stealth camera. Which medium camera could achieve something similar so I can produce larger prints?ġ. I currently shoot street photography with a a Leica M7 and 35mm 'Cron.stealth shooting, daylight photos, Provia 400x.

Youtube mamiya 7 ii