The Mamiya 645AFD body differs from the traditional 645AF camera by enabling MSC (Mamiya Serial Communication) data transfer of all camera functions to external capture devices including digital backs. The Mamiya 645AF is a Medium Format Autofocus System for professionals. Mamiya pioneered the 645 SLR system over 25 years ago, and with the new 645AF, the newest autofocus addition to the system, they continue their long tradition of expertise and excellence. The Mamiya 645AF offers many new and innovative features combined with world-class Mamiya performance.
I moved up from canon eos 1ds to Mamia 645AFDII with a Phase One P30 digital back for the increase in resolution. I was prepared to have to go through a steep learnign curve to get to grips with the difference between medium format an 35mm, but it has been a smooth transition.
The camera is no more difficult to handle than an EOS 1Ds with an L series lens and the image quality blows my 1Ds to the weeds.
The lenses are not as fast or a long, but that is more to do with the format than the camera.
Strength
Fast (for medium format) and accurate auto focus, light weight and portable. Most of the benefits of 35mm in medium format.
Large bright view finder makes manual focusing simple.
Weakness
The only minor niggle I have is that I can not find a carry case for the camer as it is such a different shape to 35mm SLRs
Visitors rate this review
3.00 out of 5
after 3 votes
Good AF medium format camera with plenty of fixed and zoom lenses available. I've used mine for a couple of years and am generally happy with it. I moved from a 645 Pro TL system because I intended to shoot with a digital back - if I could have used my Kodak back with the Pro TL I would have stayed with it as I consider the Pro TL to be a better system!
Strength
Good handling, solid construction, wide range of lenses from 35 - 300mm. Digital capabilities with digital back. Sharp lenses.
Weakness
Metering sensitive to light entering view finder. AF lenses have loose feel when used in manual focus. Slow AF performance. Lack of 1.4x or 2x extenders. Mamiya poor at releasing new lenses (26mm 2 years late!)
Overall Rating :
Value Rating :
Written By
Jan(Unregistered User)
Date Created
10/08/2003
Summary
This camera Mamiya 645AFD, is alternative choice to pro-users of Sinar, etc. Well build with exceptional quality (!) optics and easy to handle in almost all situations. Digital back is "sugar on cake" for this system. Highly recommended!
Strength
Exceptional optics!
Weakness
Do not see any for this camera in this price level.
Visitors rate this review
1.00 out of 5
after 1 votes
Overall Rating :
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Written By
Thomas Fabian(Unregistered User)
Date Created
10/03/2003
Summary
I don't know what you people are talking about. After reading these reviews I went outside and pointed the camera directly at the sun and had NO problems reading the information in the viewfinder....and even if you did have problems...all the info is on the lcd on top of the camera. Well enough said about the crybabies. This camera is exceptionally easy to use. It is easy to hold, operate all dials, and in general easy to handle. Metering is not bad on this camera, of course a meter is there only as a basic road map for exposure, it is the photographer who makes the decision. Also, the lenses for this camera seem to be quite sharp. The only problem i have with the lenses is the standard 80mm feels a bit flimsy, but i've had no problems with it so far.
Strength
Very comfortable and easy to use. Excelent quality of lenses. The 120/220 film back is wonderful, as compared to the bronicas where you need to get two seperate film backs, this was intelligent.
Weakness
None so far....but who knows....everything breaks down sometime...even a ferrari.
Visitors rate this review
5.00 out of 5
after 1 votes
Overall Rating :
Value Rating :
Written By
Rurik(Unregistered User)
From
Toluca, Mexico, Mexico
Date Created
02/20/2003
Summary
My first experience in Medium Format. I like the large prints I am producing with the camera. And the not so advance features as compared with my F90X has helped me to re-discover photography techinque which has sustantially improved my photographic skills. In the other hand, the slow AF and limited range on AF telephoto has reduced the number of animal pictures I am taking, and because of the not so close focusing of my 500mm 5.6 (9m) I can't really take prairie dogs and birds.
The spot on the metering is a very large circle and for years I have not used average metering in my cameras.
The Digital film backs (Kodak 16MB) are outragously expensive $12K, and the new digital Kodak DCS 14N with 14MB is only $5k, so I may actually change the MF for a +10MB digital with 35 mm lens compatibility.
Strength
MF advantage (larger film size, than 24x35mm, interchangeable backs, mirror lock-up). Magazines work with 120/220 film.Ease to use. Solidity. Manual cable release can be used.
Weakness
Viewfinder 0.71X of life-size, is somewhat dark.
AF is slow, and the microprism (I changed the focusing screen because of the dark long lenses 500mm 5.6 and 55mm shift when using shift function) focusing screen is not very sharp, so focusing is difficult. This is perhaps what I dislike the most about the camera and woudld be the reason no. 1 to sell it.
The exposure meter is fancily adverised in the Mamiya web page as 5-segment evaluative center-weighted average (AV) with bright point elimination which gives the false idea of matrix type metering when it is really a center weighed and spot metering. The exposure meter (spot)is not as accurate as the F90X (also spot) and the spot of the meter is a rather large circle, so critical metering is not possible.
Visitors rate this review
3.00 out of 5
after 2 votes
3.71 of 5
