Hasselblad vs Mamiya: A Portrait Review

BEST PLACE TO GET MUSIC FOR ALL FILMMAKERS (2 extra months) -- tinyurl.com/zchnu2rk
or Artgrid for stock footage -- tinyurl.com/2vmjd9kx
Hasselblad vs Mamiya, an age old question that nobody asks. Functionally speaking, both cameras are very similar. Although one is 6 x 6 and the other 6 x7, there's many things that could please any portrait photographer. I have my preferences for each system, and some of them are very subjective + possibly unique to me.
My 2020 Photo/Video Kit:
My Main Camera: amzn.to/2AhoQqU
My Favorite Beast: amzn.to/2WVFnJ0
My Camera Bag: amzn.to/2YUTPn2
My VLOG Microphone: amzn.to/2WPgVbV
My STUDIO Microphone: amzn.to/3bnty3r
My STUDIO Backdrop Holder: amzn.to/2SYC7v7
My BLACK Studio Backdrop: amzn.to/2YTmKbb
My BLUE Studio Backdrop: amzn.to/3fS6uxc
My TAN Studio Backdrop: amzn.to/3fImFwP
My STUDIO Light: amzn.to/2SYFqT0
The Best Lights of All Time: amzn.to/2Z3S72y
My Studio Light Dome: amzn.to/2AeGoUz
Best Drone: amzn.to/3dBtOxd
My Drone ND Filters: amzn.to/3dFemQw
My Camera ND Filters: amzn.to/2YYFCVZ
My ND Filter Adapter: amzn.to/3cuH2f8
My favorite lens: amzn.to/3fKWYM0
My wide lens: amzn.to/2T1DHMR
My portrait lens: amzn.to/2Ahrm0k
My Tripod: amzn.to/35SslQt
My Monitor: amzn.to/2STJkfZ
#hasselblad #mamiya #mediumformat
Come say hello!
IG: / whoschrischu
Website: www.chrischuphoto.com/

[@Matt-nl5gj]

this is one of my most favorite film photography videos ive seen recently regarding gear and i just want to say god job

[@ChaChaDiaries]

when i finally made the move to start shooting film i was gear crazy. i wouldn’t stop looking for cameras online and ended up from 1 camera which is my dads SLR from the 90s that i grew up with to adding 6 other cameras. couple of months ago i wanted to try on medium format but then realized, hold up, gotta slow down and enjoy/learn what i have first. i know Canon A1 is probably basic so some but i truly love it and would usually pull that from my shelf more than the others. so i guess it’s the A1 for me for now until when i think i’m ready to move on

[@whoschrischu]

this is so great. It sometimes does take a little time to realize what's the best tool for each artist/photographer. Sometimes the most expensive thing ain't it, and sometimes the most fundamental is. I'm glad you found the one that works best for you. The A1 is the tried-and-true standard

[@ChaChaDiaries]

@@whoschrischu 100%!!!

[@gehmirausdersonne4791]

Totally agree with you but the step up to medium format (especially 6x7) is really one worth doing. I‘ve been shooting 35mm for a while and bought the RZ and (I know it sounds chliche) it really changed my photography.

[@ReimannPembroke]

Both legendary cameras! It’s super cool that you have both! Idk if I’ll ever own either of these but I would love to get a chance to shoot with them!

[@luissalazar2021]

I am so proud of you, glad to hear some young people like this camera’s, my perspective the Rz67 don’t crop the image and that’s a plus 6x9 that’s a real nice. Thanks for sharing!

[@tor2919]

Love the Hasselblad, far more versatile camera. I prefer it without the heavy prism finder. Still in love with the Hasselblad shutter sound and nothing can touch the Hasselblad Zeiss lenses. Also the controls are simple with lots of hidden safety features. The Mamiya is great too but only ever used it in the studio. The controls are all over the place. Way too heavy to take on walks. Fashion shoot next to the car, sure, but forget about hiking for hours with the RB or RZ67. The Mamiya 7ii though, that’s my fav Mamiya.

[@320dena]

I have both too and love them both. Mamiya RZ is a great camera but a beast to hand hold for any length of time. The Hasselblad was a dream camera for me and so tiny next to RZ. I can’t believe they use the same film by looking at the size comparison. I love the vintage Zeiss lenses and the nostalgia. Got to say I’m keeping both. :)

[@Flyingdorkanimation]

It's cool how you are forced to slow down when you shoot either of these two great cameras. Theres a checklist of things to do before you finally push the shutter. I have a Hassy and feel that most my shots on it are always pretty good because its such a process to just get one shot off.

[@toby2312]

Love this bro! Actually planned on making a video just like this w the same cameras soon.

[@joymae]

Love the editing on this video nice work

[@whoschrischu]

Thank you!! 😊

[@JWysocki]

Hey man, great video, I just found your channel and for sure Ill stick here for a longer time. Keep it up!

[@whoschrischu]

welcome to the family!

[@ImperiousImages]

Solid review. Entertaining as well.

[@tuca3537]

Great video! Just got a 501cm, not sure why but I’ve always been drawn the V system cameras. But someday when I get a 6x7 camera I think I’ll actually get a makina 67. Don’t know what it is but something about it that I just love. I love the practicality of the RZ67, but it just doesn’t call out to me and the weight of that thing is insane to me. Also I believe the “barn doors” are also called the auxiliary shutter haha

[@critterstocosmos]

Commenting a tad late on this video but I just watched it now! I feel very fortunate to own a 500 CM and an RB67. Not the RZ, so in my case it’s more of a direct comparison as both are fully mechanical. You nailed it when describing what you felt are the pros and cons of each. When it comes to emotion, the Hasselblad really is unique. Everything about it feels special. And the sounds that it makes are pure photography bliss. The RB on the other hand just has this presence. I love the weight when hand held, and the close focusing ability is fantastic. I love that I have a two step process with the RB, having to cock the shutter with the lever, and then advance the film with another lever on the back. It’s that tactile interaction that can be so appealing with these old beauties!

[@jaredhughes1899]

I’ve been going through the same thing. I have the 501CM and also the Mamiya RZ67 Pro. Multiple lenses for each and upgraded focusing screens. I have decided that I’m going to sell my entire Hasselblad kit and keep the RZ67. Simply because of the following reasons: 1) Bellows focusing turns every RZ lens into a macro lens if wanted. 2) The viewfinder is HUGE and with the upgraded bright screen I had made for it, it’s a dream to compose and shoot with. 3) When it comes to scanning negatives, it’s insane the difference in better quality scans with the 6X7 negative vs the 6X6 I get with my 501CM. The image quality is significantly better. 4) I find the door of creativity opens much more with my Mamiya RZ67 than with my Hassy, simply because of the joy of use, ease of focus, clarity of the much larger focusing screen, and as mentioned the ability to close focus with every lens I own for it. So…though I’ll miss the Hassy 501CM, I’ll shoot more and enjoy more the RZ67 Pro! My 501CM along with chrome 80mm, a 50mm CF, and also a 120mm CF Makro, and a 150mm CF and extra focusing screens will all be on eBay as of tomorrow! Enjoyed the video.

[@BoyXx76]

did you make the new focusing screen by yourself?

[@BrittneyJanae]

Can you send me the link to your eBay

[@astromeeting]

Nice vid. Thanks. One thing: The Hassi don't have a lock for the shutter release button. It is a T-setting instead.

[@garethwilliams976]

Really enjoyed this as I have had a 500cm (kept it for a year) and have used an RZ for about 12 years now. I found that the Hassie was a great hand held camera whereas the RZ worked better on a tripod although the Left Hand Grip helps a lot. Another factor in my choice of the RZ was that I tend to shoot few square images and with the Hassie I was cropping down from 6x6 to around 6x4.5 which is a waste of film real estate. With 6x7 I need to crop less and still can shoot square and not lose out compared to 6x6. The fact that the RZ needs a battery is to me irrelevant they are easy to get and I always carry a couple of spares though they do last a long time- I change mine every 6 months as a precaution and I have never been let down in the field. I like the camera being electronic as the failure rate of the lens shutter is very low and on Compur/Prontor shutters the slow speeds are the first things to go with heavy use -or no use at all for a couple of years whereas you can de-tension the electronic shutter on RZ lenses for storage. Lastly - and this needs to be mentioned - just check out the relative prices!!!

[@grainpudding8085]

I always wanted a Hasselblad, however the mamiya is also a very interesting choice. I had a mamiya 645 but why I sold it back was because there were no repair services in my area. What also convinced me is that Hasselblad keeps investing in the system, for example you can also use digital backs. I think if you want a system that will last and survive longer the Hasselblad is the best choice.

[@RickMentore]

How about image quality, which has the better or more likeable to you? There is some thing special about the images form the RZ67 that I find appealing. Very nicely presented!

[@NunoAlmeidaPhotography]

Both cameras seem amazing but I think I'd still chose the RZ67 over the Hasselblad as well

[@acolitedevart]

I picked up a Hasselblad 500c/m last year, bought it off a friend, with the approval of the wife haha. I've wanted on for years, but could never bring myself to pull the trigger, most because of cost, but it was dumb to look at it that way, because the price of them just kept going up. I absolutely love it though, definitely harder to focus with the waist level viewfinder than I thought, but still fun to shoot. Sometimes I just stare through the viewfinder and forget to take photos with it. I've played with a Mamiya Z67 before, the viewfinder was awesome, but I just couldn't get over the weight.

[@spyratekodaks7494]

I think that you should compare the RB with the hassy !! they're both mechanical !! for me in this comparison the hassy wins !!

[@doctorstrobe]

If I'm correct the full mech mode is made for RB67 lenses because they have all settings on the lens.

[@King-zo4vv]

I wish I knew more about film photography fr. Nice video again!

[@whoschrischu]

You and me both!

[@King-zo4vv]

@@whoschrischu ahahahah u know more than I do😂 u got a headstart already buddy

[@TheWutangclan1995]

As an RZ user, I have to give Willem a shoutout because he put me onto the Mamiya system because it's cheaper. Thought I was going to have to invest in a Hassie because it's the only medium format I could think of. Glad it wasn't the case and I'll be using it till the wheels fall off. The images it produces are unique and unlike anything I've seen.

[@zerixos]

Nice Review! A couple of years ago the Hasselblad was way more expensive but with the love the RZ67 (and RB) is getting the prices are similar (if not more) now a days. That makes it even more important for people who want to get either of these camera to figure out what's best for them, because both camera's a pretty expensive for film camera's! I think I'll go for the Hasselblad because of its size. Is the Hasselblad Waist level viewfinder realy that much smaller? Because I think I'll mainly shoot waist level so this might be a big negative for the Hasselblad.

[@obican]

Shutter lock is not there to prevent accidental exposures. In fact, it doesn't even prevent it! It's there so you don't have to keep holding the shutter release for long exposures. You can engage it before pressing the shutter down and it'll stay down.

[@whoschrischu]

oh dang thank you for clarifying that. I accidentally flicked that switch one time and it frustrated the hell out of me cuz I didn't know what was going on

[@999killerchris]

Nice vid. I have the rz/110mm and an m6 with a 40mm f2. Obviously I use the cameras for very different purposes and enjoy the results of both. The thing is having had the Leica for a while now, I’m appreciating the fully mechanical aspect of its operation. Knowing that I don’t need to rely on an electronic shutter gives me a certain amount of relief. That is how I came across your video. I’m looking into the Hasselblad for its mechanical construction/ dependability. My question for you is how would you compare the final images between the the two. That mamiya glass is so fine and lifelike! What’s your opinion sir?

[@BeePee1503]

Electronic failure on the RZ67 is a big issue for me. I only have all-mechanical cameras for that reason. Oh I forgot I do have the Mamiya 7 as my travel camera!

[@CalumetVideo]

I have the RB67 Pro S and Hasselblad 500 C/M. I like both but do prefer the Mamiya RB67 especially in the studio. The RB67 rocks in the studio and I like doing macro stills with it. The RB67 is also a great landscape camera. I use the Hasselblad for some street and square format shots.

[@Narsuitus]

When I shot a lot of weddings, I preferred to use the quiet Mamiya TLR cameras with 55, 80, and 180mm lenses over the noisier Hasselblad and Mamiya medium format SLR cameras. However, after I stopped shooting weddings, I decided to replace my three worn TLR wedding cameras for a medium format SLR. I decided against the Hasselblad because of its high cost and because I did not like the way the Hasselblad felt in my hands. The Mamiya RB67 felt better in my hands and was a lot more economical in price. I was able to buy two bodies, 8 backs, and 7 lenses (50, 90, 140 macro, 150 soft focus, 180, 250, and 100-200) for a very reasonable price. I use the RB67 primarily for portraits, landscapes, architecture, panoramas, still-lifes, product shots, macro, and fine art.

[@jannarciso7450]

Just found your channel brotha! Love this videos. I hope I run into you one day🤘🏻

[@eatenbyopium]

You seem like a cool dude. One thing I need to work on is not hating on people before knowing anything about them. Good video Chris keep doing your thing. I'm sorry that my city wasn't too kind to you (Los Angeles)

[@petemc5070]

Some good points, But if you are comparing the two then knocking points off the RZ for being electronic it might have been fairer to be comparing the fully mechanical version, the RB67. As for the other Mamita 'whoops' factor of forgetting to compensate for light loss when using bellows extension during close up, the Hasselblad doesnt have that problem, for sure, as it can't focus close witiout extension tubes. Also one point worth emphasising is the shooting format - the Mamiya's 6x7 format versus the square.

[@geneyoon11]

Hahaha your dads a straight savage. This video is so informative though, learned a ton!

[@whoschrischu]

yeah dude...no heartfelt story here, bois

[@markgarcia8253]

I rather have my Hasselblad & the square format rather than 6x7 cuz of the plastic sleeve situation. Plus I don’t need to worthy about rotating the camera or back to get the right shot

[@stapledtogether]

im an RZ user and came to this video because im actually considering the switch to hassleblad.. im still not 100% sure though. One of my biggest motivations is that i plan to keep this setup basically forever.. the rz electronics are going to die eventually but the fully mechanical hassleblad has the ability to be repaired.. i worry my rz body will die and there will be either no or a small amount of bodies left to replace it and the price will be crazy.. in saying that though i really love the rz and using it.. besides the weight and size.. its a bit heavy

[@Xingqiwu387]

The Zeiss lenses have an almost 3D-look to them that the Mamiya lenses just don't have. Matt Osborne has also touched on this. Some of the Zeiss lenses produce results that are just magical.

[@prainzo]

Nice Video!

[@joshuapaolino2199]

I bought a Hasselblad 500 C/M a little over a year ago. It proved itself to be iconic for a reason. Genius modular system and beyond easy to use. Focusing with it is a dream.

[@tittfestx3]

For me focusing with it is my main issue I can never get the focus down EVER.

[@FabioRubini]

those images looks so crispspspspspssppsssps

[@whoschrischu]

thank you thank you!

[@franjes9999]

Idk if this is a super naive question but could you shoot a movie with either of these cameras? Or are these more designed for film photography more than cinematography? Any help would be appreciated

[@rosetta-stxned]

... you can't shoot video with a film camera. at all. it's not digital. 35mm movie cameras are insanely expensive and still used by Hollywood. if you want to do analog video look into 8mm or 16mm camcorders

[@franjes9999]

@@rosetta-stxned alright I figured as much, thanks man

[@stuarthunt926]

im a simple man, i a chris video, i click

[@JohnJohn-mj4qc]

bro nice video bro

[@cjmarshall3642]

How do you compensate for loss of light when using the bellows system?

[@tiagomatos4531]

selecting a slower or faster shutter speed or closing or opening the aperture. The chart says how much you should compensate

[@whoschrischu]

precisely

[@garethwilliams976]

I just read off the mm of extension and bear in mind that if you extend any lens set at infinity by its focal length you will be at 1:1 on the negative and will lose two stops. Easy to check how your extension relative to the focal length you are using roughly compares to this. So if you extend the 110mm by 60mm you will lose a little less than one stop which is near enough for practical purposes- film is not too fussy!

[@jaredhughes1899]

I’m an old man still shooting film. I’ve used the RZ for over 20 years. I’ve never had the problem of having to compensate for the bellows focusing.

[@MrReggieboons]

So the Hasselblad is closer to the RB67

[@whoschrischu]

very true, they're even MORE similar. At that point it's a comparison between form factor + if you need flash sync at all speeds (RB can only sync up to 1/30, I believe)

[@MrReggieboons]

@@whoschrischu you can sync it to 1/400

[@jbugtv4480]

dam I'm early, not mad tho

[@Xingqiwu387]

The real difference between these two excellent system lies in the rendering of the lenses. IMHO, nothing comes close to the magic that is ZEISS.

[@bernardf.6337]

The Hasselblad cameras went up on every single NASA space flight. The Mamiya never went once. When people want the very best, they buy a Hasselblad. Like they say, make your first camera your last camera.

[@Mityay_Menshoy]

Холодно?

[@padronopusx6460]

Asian DiCaprio

[@xeroframes]

#bladgang

[@whoschrischu]

#hasselhomies

[@ericdematta5865]

2nd commnet

[@rolanjimenez2688]

295th view babbbbbbbyyyy!!!

[@whoschrischu]

my favorite 295th viewer!!

[@luissalazar2021]

Mamiya is a gasilla

[@robertosierra16]

The Mamiya is still the king !!! ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽

[@whoschrischu]

For me, it still reigns :D

[@richardewlliams9864]

I have the 503cx Hasselblad and I have no vignetting because of larger mirror surface.