Normal Adventures with the Mamiya N 65mm f/4 L

[Rob de Loe]

If you want a normal prime lens for GFX, the GF 63mm f/2.8 is an obvious choice. I used to have one a few years ago. It’s a very nice lens. Auto focus is not its strong suit, but image quality is nothing to complain about.

As impressive as the GF 63mm f/2.8 is, it wasn’t a good fit for how I liked to work (which at the time was almost entirely with a digital view camera). So I sold mine and started a lengthy search for a normal focal length lens that would work well on my digital view camera setup.

It was surprisingly difficult to find a lens with a ~65mm focal length on GFX that checked all my boxes for use on digital view cameras. I went through several options that weren’t satisfactory for various reasons before taking a chance on the Mamiya N 65mm f/4 L for the Mamiya 7 rangefinder. I’m glad I did because the lens is excellent for its intended purpose.

Usually that’s the end of the story: needed tool, bought tool, tools does its job. But this lens has been a surprise. I have a handful of lenses I use all the time on my digital view cameras that meet my technical requirements. This lens is different. I enjoy using this lens more than any of the other lenses in my outfit, and I’m using it in ways I don’t use my other lenses.

I like the Mamiya N 65mm f/4 L with the head, and I like it with the heart. I like that recently I wrote in a post that for me, shooting wide open is “only a theoretical concept”, and yet since getting this lens I’ve been shooting it wide open a lot, blurring foregrounds and backgrounds, and enjoying the results.

I like that I’ve been out shooting lately with just this lens and a simple adapter for my GFX 50R that doesn’t do movements. This is how most people use cameras, but for me it’s unusual to not be shooting with a digital view camera of some kind. It’s refreshing and fun to go out with just a small bag and a small(ish) camera.

Sometimes we pick up a piece of gear that surprises: it does its main job, and it’s an unexpected pleasure to use. That unexpected pleasure can be a source of new energy, new enthusiasm, and even new ideas and inspiration. I wasn’t expecting to find those things when I bought this lens, but here we are.

 

[JimKasson]

Thanks for that, Rob.

 

[Knorp]

Good show, Rob !

Kind regards.
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Bart

 

[DavidMillier]

I've developed an enthusiasm myself for shooting landscapes wide open ever since I saw some examples of woodland photography shot at F/1.4 over on getdpi. It's a way of making sense of chaos.

 

[Rob de Loe]

Thanks Jim and Bart.

This was going to be one of my usual technical reviews of the lens, but as I worked on that I realized that I wanted to say something different this time.

 

[Rob de Loe]

I've developed an enthusiasm myself for shooting landscapes wide open ever since I saw some examples of woodland photography shot at F/1.4 over on getdpi. It's a way of making sense of chaos.

Change is good! We can become path-dependent -- doing the same kind of thing over and over. Trying different techniques is a good way to stay fresh.

 

[dbateman]

Did you get the shutter locked open on the 65mm, like your 50mm, or are you using the Fotodiox fusion adapter?

It looks like a wonderful lens, but quite expensive. It seems to have good reviews with lots of micro contrast.

 

[Rob de Loe]

Did you get the shutter locked open on the 65mm, like your 50mm, or are you using the Fotodiox fusion adapter?

It looks like a wonderful lens, but quite expensive. It seems to have good reviews with lots of micro contrast.

I had Bill Rogers of Mamiya Repair in Nevada strip it down to what I needed. With my 50mm he locked the shutter open thinking I might change my mind. With the 65mm I had him remove the shutter blades and all the extraneous bits (e.g., controls for the range finder).

It is a bit expensive, as are all the Mamiya 6 and 7 lenses except the long ones (150mm on each system, and 210mm on the 7). But for me it's well worth the money.

Paradoxically, I wouldn't recommend it to someone unless they had my exact use case, or already owned it and wanted to give it a whirl.

It's ideal for my use case (digital view camera, plus on a simple adapter). But it wouldn't make sense for someone to buy it specifically to use on GFX as a normal prime lens with the Fotodiox adapter. To that person I would say, get the GF 63mm f/2.8 instead.

The Fotodiox adapter is a nice option for someone that has a Mamiya 7 camera and a set of lenses, and just wants to use the Mamiya 7 lenses on GFX alongside on the Mamiya 7.

 

[Rob de Loe]

Back of 13 Cork Street, Guelph, ON Mamiya N 65mm f/4 L @ f/11

 

[gatorengineer]

Nice pictures, wondering if you would share what other 645 65s you tried along the way.

 

[Rob de Loe]

Nice pictures, wondering if you would share what other 645 65s you tried along the way.

I went through four options:

• Image quality at the 65mm position on the SMC Pentax-A 645 45-85mm f/4.5 is excellent by f/8, and the image circle is huge. But the lens is large, heavy and not well-suited for digital view cameras.
• The Schneider-Kreuznach APO-Componon 60mm f/4 is a terrific lens, but the focal length was shorter than I wanted, and the image circle is a bit on the tiny side. The flange distance is tight too so mounting this one was a bit awkward.
• My Fujinon GX 65mm f/5.6 disassembly and rebuild project was fun, but the lens weighs far too much, has middling image quality, and is very awkward to mount.
• I tried a Nikkor-SW 65mm f/4 and was very disappointed; it only became usable at f/11.

I have not tried a Mamiya RZ 65mm lens on digital. I used to have the non-floating element version one for film on an RZ Pro II and it was good. Apparently the floating element version is very good on digital. I wasn't interested in this one for my F-Universalis outfit because of the size and weight.

 

[gatorengineer]

Thanks