5 Years of Mamiya 7 Photos

In this video I'm sharing some thoughts and photos after 5 years and 1000 rolls of film with the Mamiya 7.
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[@cooperclelan9761]

the composition of the picture at 2:54 is so amazing and how the photo is split in two different color tones. wowwwwww i love it amazing work

[@anthonychristie4153]

Such an amazing feat. Willem to have shot 1000 rolls of film in 5 years. I've had my Mamiya 7 for 11 years and only shot 250 rolls of film. But I've been able to travel all over the world with it and have loved shooting landscapes, portraits and long exposures at night. Best purchase I've ever made.

[@sgroadie6367]

Yea, 1000 rolls is heckuvalot. Even your 250 rolls over 10 years, work out to 2 rolls a month. I shoot way less. Maybe at the most 1 roll a month.

[@bobsykes]

I think the one camera, one lens, that you love and really, really learn is some of the best advice anyone could get. Beautiful photos in this video, too!

[@linusandhiscamera]

one of my favorite feelings is getting comfortable with a camera to the point where you don’t have to think about much other than making the best photos you can with it. that’s why i love my pentax 6x7, great video willem 🫶🏼

[@robbiemurrie7562]

Great point, I moved away from my RB and picked up a Pentax 67 because I loved what I’d seen and lasted 2 months and picked up another RB. Mastering your tools is so important and often times it’s not what people want to hear.

[@Evilwizzie]

How much did you get your Pentax for? I’m wanting to get one and found one on eBay but it’s being sold for $1700

[@robbiemurrie7562]

I bought mine from Japan for about £500, all that needed done was a new battery and light seals replaced. I've since sold it and picked up and RB67 Pro SD, didn't like the pentax at all.@@Evilwizzie

[@AbelKleinblatt]

5 years?! I can still remember you jumping up in your New York apartment when they rang the doorbell to deliver it!

[@ricomichel]

The sunset photo at 8:13 is just incredibly gorgeous, colors, composition… Great video thanks!!

[@KeeganByrne]

Couldn’t agree more, learning a system is a lot more beneficial to your work instead swapping and changing between multiple systems. Don’t think it’s talked about enough so props to you for bringing this up!

[@AlexCaesar]

Incredible camera. I had a 7II for nearly 10 years, but I just recently sold it. The main factor in letting it go was repairability is becoming increasingly difficult and I was using it much less the past couple years with the rising cost of shooting film. I love the images you get with yours and hope it lasts you many years.

[@SacstateCKI]

crazy, I’ve been debating whether to get it. especially this week. perfect time to post it

[@laurencewhite4809]

I would advice you not to. These cameras break all the time. They are 20-30-40 years old many of these things, and you have no guarantee after paying thousands of dollars. They might break a week after you bought one and then you are forced to look at the money as lost or pay a huge sum of money to repair it, and then it break again 2 months later. As a photographer, you are pretty much holding yourself back using this ancient technology. With the insane prices of film, and the cost of developing and scanning...

[@curtypachec6055]

Literally same, was gonna buy a Mamiya 7 vs a 35 mm summilux for my M6. Gonna go with the summilux but still want a Mamiya 7 lol

[@brookeaustell]

I'm a little late to this video but Willem I audibly gasped at a lot of these photos.The photo of the oak tree at 2:46 specifically really stuck out for me. I was answering a text on my phone and looked up at my laptop in awe of the close up version.

[@donnamhopkins]

Thanks for your wise assessment of the camera and, more importantly, the reassurance that I am on the right path by simply finding what works for me. I love the strategy of going deep rather than wide. Every time I watch one of your videos, I just want to run out and pick up my camera and see the whole world in a different way. Keep going!

[@rolle820]

Respect to Willem for talking about the realities of owning these old cameras. As much as I’ve drooled over this camera over the years it simply is too expensive and risky to buy it for me. If I was a sucessful dentist, maybe… but alas I am not 😅

[@cunninghamster1954]

Great words of wisdom, Willem. Using a single camera with a single focal length will strengthen any photographer's skill, regardless of film format or camera model. Wonderful photos too.

[@RM.TokyoPhotographer]

congratz on the 5th year....happy happy glad seeing the dedication and also the great works you have made in the past

[@sagadotexe]

i've had mine for almost 2 years now, seems like i've gotten quite lucky with the one I bought, i've had not even a single issue with mine. IMO the greatest camera ever made

[@kenschwarz8057]

I shot some of my best pictures with that camera. The lenses were incredible. Such gorgeous pastels and jewel tones. They were sharp, sure, but the colors drew you in. I preferred the 65 enough to sell the 80, but there was nothing wrong with that. The 43 was spectacular, too. I bought mine when I lived in Japan, and, like you, needed to fe5 the rangefinder adjustment at some point. I brought mine to the Mamiya service center in Tokyo, and they retrofitted the dark curtain flip down handle and contrasts yellow rangefinder filter from the 7ii. Nice improvements but no big deal. The lenses were the thing. A big win with the lightweight system was the feasibility of using a minimal tripod. It was so nice to carry this lightweight camera and tripod. Really awesome package. Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos and thoughts.

[@websterforrest]

Very nice video, Willem. I studied photography in Prague under a great 'old-school' teacher who had very hard-core views about equipment. He had camera manufacturers and film companies throwing stuff at him all the time, but he stuck to his 50mm. The whole time I also just used one lens - a 50mm - and one camera. It's very true that if you only have one lens, your relationship with your subject is forced to develop, because you have to get close to them and interact differently. That's a great way to learn a lot of things. Nice video - and lovely pictures. Thanks for uploading. :)

[@leighwilsonartist]

Great to hear that gear is not the driving factor , making images is where it’s at! That shot of the tree in two different light is incredible, just shows what’s possible.👍

[@nickeanderssonphoto3936]

Great vid! Love my Mamiya 7 and the lenses has made me move away from all other systems. Keep up the amazing work🙏🏻

[@kailebcarrphoto_]

Recently adopted this idea with my Leica. One cam, one lens. Focus on making photos. This video provided even more inspiration. Thanks, man!

[@saurabhbhardwaj6753]

Beautiful images. So painterly...

[@thekillegal]

Great photos. I've had the camera system since 2012 and have put thousands of rolls through it. Nippon Camera Clinic in NYC seem to be the best for repairs (pricey but no one has calibrated my RF better than them and the more accurate your RF is the lower your aperture can go). I avoid putting the camera in high vibration settings (on a bicycle rake or going off-road and having the camera in the truck bed, maybe a bit specific). Recently retired my Mamiya 7 original after being rebuilt twice, rusted through from sailing the ocean with it and now use the Mamiya 7 II, probably the most important update is the viewfinder, it pretty much covers the 50mm (eliminating the need for the viewfinder accessory) and seems to have better parallax correction. Hands down the best camera I have ever used, and I also didn't use anything other than the 80mm for the first decade of using the camera. If you haven't tried the 50mm, treat yourself, it's a really fun lens to use and find myself using it half the time now, especially for landscape. I find the look of wide angle RF lenses incredible and very specific, that look is what I love about Lee Friedlander's work with the SWC.

[@jebbytunnelcoats1182]

The Ent picture and the birds picture are sublime. All of them are good but those 2 were other worldly.

[@CalumetVideo]

This video is awesome! It’s about getting out and using the tools to make photos. I personally use the Hasselblad 500 CM, Mamiya RB67, Fuji GW690 and sometimes the Toyo 4x5, it all depends on what I’m doing. I agree that most if not all of the medium format lenses are great, it just depends on the condition of the lenses. Your also correct with some of the issues that these older cameras may have, My Hasselblad body and lens became jammed, was unable to remove the lens with the reset tool, the repair person had to take out the front gear assembly to remove the lens. I had issues with the advance lever slipping on the RB67 Pro S, these are all things that can happen. But they are great cameras.

[@spyratekodaks7494]

That van neistat cup looks good! Very informative video about the most expensive film camera for 120! Beautiful photos!

[@javixo1997]

Two important things on this camera: 1- the rangefinder is very very easy to adjust at home. You only need a needle to remove the small cap on the back of it and a precision screwdriver to adjust 2 tiny screws (and maybe a little bit of acetone if the screws have loctite applied). Less than 5 minutes procedure. 2: I do believe it is important to talk about lens quality, certain styles of photography are very benefited by extra resolution. I have the 50mm, 80mm and 150mm and all of them are extremely sharp even wide open and very contrasty. I compared it to my Bronica SQ’s 80mm and I can confirm the Mamiya 7’s equivalent is significantly higher res (when properly scanned, of course).

[@joshmcdzz6925]

sharpness is not important to some of us because most lenses have an acceptable level already..if you want to do the A/B thing that's when the dissatisfaction sets in and guess what, at the point even the viewers won't notice anything.. the most important thing in any photo is the STORY..what people call composition...A blurry photo with very good composition is better than the sharpest photo with a boring composition..

[@javixo1997]

@@joshmcdzz6925 that's precisely why I said, and I quote: "certain styles of photography are very benefited by the extra resolution". You can get good photos with a potato camera, we all know that, but some genres do require higher image quality and you don't spend Mamiya 7 money if you want potato quality pictures in the first place, why getting into 120 anyway? Or even 4x5 or 8x10, they exist because some people need the extra resolution to achieve what they want. Super high res is not required for street photography or close up portraits, but what about landscapes, architecture, scenes with dozens of people where you want everyone easily discernible? Have you ever seen big paintings (and I mean BIG like 2m tall and 3m wide) with extremely complex composition and lots of people doing different things and all of them add to the overall immersion of the scene? What if you want to achieve something similar with photography? Suddenly lens quality and film size matters when you want to print that huge. Yes, "it's all about viewing distance and blah blah..." but that only applies when your picture is meant to be seen as a whole. If your picture is meant to be carefully analyzed because of the details it contains, there's where you need higher quality. Those huge paintings are detailed for a reason, for you to get close and examine everything. If the artist wanted you to see it at a "normal viewing distance", they wouldn't have lost so much time painting details or wouldn't have made them so huge to begin with.

[@danigali617]

Incredible quality for landscape, architecture and nature.

[@trippwilsonphoto]

I've been debating buying one for a minute now and since my fuji 670 has finally died i think i'm gonna try and buy one next week

[@trippwilsonphoto]

I got a mamiya 6 with all three lenses instead. virtually unused, they stayed in their boxes for most of their lives.

[@michaelpetersenfilm]

Thanks for your beautiful shots and insights. 1000 rolls is almost unbelievable. When checking out the Mamiya 7 I skipped it easily because of the huge gap in focal lengths between 80mm and 150mm so there is no normal lens available. 80 is good for 6x4.5. On the 6x7 you have diagonal lines on objects and architecture frequently. A lightweight alternative to the 7 and the RZ/RB is the Bronica GS-1 with even two normal lenses: 100mm AND 110mm macro! I very much agree to using ONE lens most of the time.

[@adventureswithvs6461]

Good video! I keep looking at these and the 6 but also the Pentax 6x7 and ultimately just keep using my C330. I just want something smaller and easier with a meter

[@pleewis]

I have a C220 which is a bit smaller, lighter and use a Sekonic L-508 next to it. For me it's the best lightmeter but it is a seperate device you bring with you.

[@adventureswithvs6461]

@@pleewis I looked at some 220’s but found a good 330. I carry a KEKS, which goes right in the cold shoe and is simple And tiny. No spot metering, only incident and it’s been ok. Just want an all in one, compact option but it may not be possible in 220 or 120 film

[@pleewis]

@@adventureswithvs6461 I have shot with the Fuji GA645 and it's really good. Auto focus, exposure, film advance and build in light meter. Even though I really want to buy it I know I will not be using it for a project. Probably only for fun and I think that's a bit expensive for such a camera. If you want to stick with 6x6 then I guess the Mamiya 6 has everything you need.

[@kevinscotton]

On a similar journey, about 3 years into mine with the same 80mm lens. The only issue I’ve experienced is the viewfinder misaligning, which I will have to send in for service for the 3rd time. Not to mention the frustratingly long time it takes from good servicing now. Even so, I’ve loved it. It’s a really unique tool, and one that brings along many advantages. It’s going to be a really sad day when the camera decides to stop working on me for good.

[@taybutcher]

Which company do you use for the misalignment servicing?

[@slicedmittens]

Precision Camera Works. I do not recommend, and will be looking for a new company the next time it needs service.

[@taybutcher]

@@slicedmittens what issues did you have with them?

[@laurencewhite4809]

One of the biggest problems with these kinds of old expensive analogue cameras, is the they break.. and when they do there is no ceiling to what the cost may be, dependant on what the damage or malfunction is and where you can get it repaired. There are less and less cameras around, because people pretty much just abandon them at a certain point, which means less and less spare parts. And good luck trying to find a person with knowledge of how to repair any of these things in the near future.

[@CalumetVideo]

I agree, we lost one of the great Hasselblad repair techs a few months ago, so as repair people are retiring or sadly passing away, we are losing the experience and it is getting harder to get them repaired. We do see a younger generation going into repair, hopefully more will get involved.

[@marving1416]

5:04 was GOLD!!!

[@frankqpham]

Really resonated with your message. ❤

[@hypeyeast.mp4]

Great review, Willem. I think the lighting in your 5:00 shot will always be one of my favorites; Are you selling prints by any chance?

[@zic2769]

great video, great photos! cannot agree more! personally owned a 7ii bought 5 years ago, loved it, loving it, and will love it forever. I've tried my friends Hass 503cw, and Pentax, but they are not close to the Mamiya. but it is a shame I only utilized about 10% of its potential. still my goat. The trend is I probably won't shoot film as much simply because of the cost of film and development. it is becoming uncomfortable to just experiment shots that I don't know if they would turn out looking good. my Mamiya would probably end up on my desk as an collector item

[@paulschumacker9901]

You hit the bullseye on all points in this video. Very strange that Mamiya hasn’t decided to start making these again. At the peak, these were selling at astronomical prices- even now they’re really expensive. Possibly the best medium format camera ever made. But its light weight comes at a cost - the plastic parts make it sensitive to reasonably rough handling. The Nikon F was built like a brick and could “ take a licking and keep on ticking”. The Mamiya 7 is built with fairy dust and is waiting to bust.

[@nurikabecs]

It is really strange and beautiful, even. I often have issues with not feeling content. After seeing so many people carry around compact medium format cameras, it made it really difficult to enjoy my own camera. But this video helped me to just have an appreciation for the Mamiya 7 from afar and, instead, learn to make my current camera an extension of me.

[@revaaron]

I have a contax 645, rolleichord from the 50's, rz67, 2 different mamiya 645's, a Fuji g690blp, and a moskva 5, but I keep looking at Mamiya 7's on ebay.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Good video, well explained, totally agree. Those medium format cameras prices (no matter the brand, Mamiya, Bronica, Pentax) are really taking off, it's almost better than stocks hehehe. Thanks for sharing

[@villegas24]

Your work is stunning man

[@ericmenu5408]

For me it is the Rolleiflex 2.8F : light, compact, sharp, precise framing, silent, simple, beautiful, low shutter speeds, square format, 12 frames per roll, shallow depth of field possible, shooting position, no battery, lightmeter integrated... etc

[@TommyGrisselFilms]

That mug goes crazy

[@rolle820]

A sprited somewhere smiles to this comment

[@stuartbaines2843]

Good to hear your cameras History, good and bad 👍 I considered buying one when they came out. A Great all round camera kit. Sadly electronics will fail at some point, Look after it 🖖

[@LoFiLiFe]

Amazing job !!Keep 'em coming!! 😊 Thumbs up👍

[@industryrule-4080]

For those looking at a first medium format camera, the Mamiya c330 is a great value and built like a tank. 😊

[@Jawmsie]

This is how I feel about my old Konica Autoreflex TC. It's a 35mm system, but I don't have to think when I shoot with it. Just grab and go with my 28mm.

[@ontime8109]

Spirited Man mug, nice!

[@andydreadsbmx]

6:10 I don't want to talk about the optical quality of it because I don't really care. Easily said when your shooting one of the sharpest medium format set ups. Just had to put that out there.

[@user-jo8nj]

great images and music

[@jeremy-t]

Some of your best work!

[@eugenealberts2511]

Mamiya 7ii boizzzzzz!!!!!!

[@filipposkrik]

Willems photos work better than therapy

[@plantmanp]

This video is a banger!

[@TimelapseKing]

I used medium format film for 8 years, but the price of film increased too much. I ended up buying a digital Fujifilm GFX 100II. It's fun to shoot and develop with film, but... I ended up compromising with my bankbook. I respect your sincerity about film.

[@sljoseph74]

Great images! To whom did you send your Mamiya 7 for cleaning and alignment? I sent my 80mm lens to KEH for cleaning, it has internal hazing, they have had it for almost a month with no notes on the repair order; i'm hesitant to use them for repair/alignment again.

[@CasnioMiCasio]

Can the small Contax flash on the beginning of the video be useful while shooting thing that are not so close to the camera? Did you get some good results while shooting things that are further away then 5-6 feet on medium format?

[@musa7606]

I put 3 rolls through my Mamiya 6... And it broke :( Thankfully it has a warranty, but its taking a while to get repaired.

[@george_edward_]

familiarity with a camera system in my opinion is one of the most important things that can improve your photography. it's why i don't think I will ever get rid of my 50R

[@rodko.horzhynskyi]

I also have an issue with empty frames and in my case they are related to two reasons: I forgot to take off the lense cape and low shutter speeds not working in winter.

[@PhilKnall]

I sold mine a while ago because it was getting used too little to justify leaving that much cash on the counter, but man. I miss it.

[@user-bh6bv8xu3v]

nice trip to Switzerland too :D

[@JayMacroPhotos]

I would be interested in seeing your top 10 photos that you took of all time.

[@classic.cameras]

The Mamiya 7 is one 1990's looking camera! 😆

[@kristoffergo6294]

Instant like!

[@lucuslanders8033]

I love my 7 so much, but I recently grabbed a 645 AF at a garage sale for pennies on the dollar. And I must say... I like it more than the 7. The 645 is much better for portraits, the lens is a lot faster. It's more capable in more situations. And if I'm honest, it still works just as well for landscapes as long as I'm not printing at a crazy size! And my favorite part is that I can switch between color and black and white on the fly using the backs. It's a bit more awkward to carry than the 7, but it's just as light. I would never recommend someone drop 5K on a 7 when a 645 can be had for literally a 10th that cost. Back when the 7 cost 900 bucks it was a no brainer. Now... Those days are gone

[@kims1]

Hey! I really love your photo’s! I was wondering if you sell posters of them? Or a photobook?

[@mikahina3909]

Which was in sharper? The rz67 is so sharp and good but heavy. Thinking if I should buy a 7.

[@l2lr]

Great video. What about the meter? Are you using the camera meter sometimes ? I’m always torn because of the auto 1/6 precision vs full stop in manual, but having to deal with spot metering.

[@taybutcher]

Hi Willem, which company did you use for the rangefinder adjustments? Also, how many times have you had to have it serviced for that over the past 5 years?

[@stephenlloydco]

Man loves plywood as much as he loves film!

[@thestreetroamer]

Nice Spirited Man Mug!

[@jakeomara_]

Wassup Willem! Have you ever worked with the Mamiya ZE Quartz?

[@andypham8325]

Serious question. How do you even afford 1000 rolls of film, plus processing/scanning??

[@cooperchyuh]

chills

[@Fenton__]

Willem Verbeeck, a Spirited Man

[@acmdv]

Have you tried the Fuji GW690?

[@CalumetVideo]

I have the GW690 and it’s a great camera, the optics are sharp.

[@AI-Hallucination]

I can remember the first video

[@rotfai45mm]

Yep the Mamiya 7 is to expensive for me . But I'am happy with the Godzilla Leica made in Japan the Mamiya Press . It has also very good lenses . But the Press is very simple and much more easy to fix .

[@treezmatt]

HAIR GOT LONG GANG

[@bobhadland2554]

Canon EOS 3 IS MY FAVOURITE CAMERA WISH IT WAS MEDIUM FORMAT ❤😢😊

[@132indo]

what film stocks do you use and in what conditions ?

[@MikeLikesChannel]

It was fun when these bad boys were sub $1500. At $3000… 20+ year old camera with “quirks”, not super fun.

[@thatsamuellu]

2:47 WOW.....!

[@zhiyoongkong7761]

If your mamiya 7 eventually breaks, would you go out and get another?

[@dunerino892]

Willem, what flash are you using with the mamiya7? ...looks very handy

[@Art-cq1zy]

Looks like a contax tla140

[@dunerino892]

@@Art-cq1zy true, thx!

[@jacobogden2688]

i love my tact sharp work horse

[@jacobchappell2197]

1000th like!

[@cameraprepper7938]

1000 rolls of film, that is at least $10,000

[@BrandonPrive1432]

i like the concept of finding a good camera system and sticking to it, i have one rangefinder, one slr and a point and shoot, and i love them, and they're like an extension of me, some people on videos or forums have 10-20 cameras and 40 lenses, sure if your collecting or whatever you do you,, but i just love simplistic approach, its why i got into film.

[@neeravnaik]

1000 Rolls is what Kodak gives whole of Asia (ex China Japan) for a month maybe even few months. I am not joking

[@seralegre]

weeeell, there is one MF camera with a bad not-sharp lens: lomography holga ahahahah

[@WillemVerb]

lmaooo i thought about this while editing the video

[@aljackson6213]

What do you use to border your images?

[@WillemVerb]

an entire darkroom in my apartment

[@AndrewSkalak]

These are scans of prints?

[@standavies627]

nice

[@johnenjulia-6664]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👍👍

[@davidbcg286]

And he bought another one 😂

[@Михаилматвеев-ы7ы]

мне не нравятся дальномерки . у меня роллей 6008 интеграл.

[@JadenWhite]

damn first

[@JadenWhite]

great video!

[@chuc.dxq3809]

A camera for rich kids or rich adults.

[@petrub27]

1000 rolls by 20 dollars.....oh, for god sake , man