The Mamiya RZ67 is a big, heavy, and not very intuitive camera. It is also my personal favourite in my roster of cameras.
It has become known as a legend in the history of medium format photography for Mamiya’s great lens options, its exceptional image quality, robust build, and versatile functionality. While it is definitely not a grab and go camera, the 6×7 negative size, manual controls, and all around heft make for a very deliberate, tactile shooting experience that always seems to yield beautiful quality photos.
While I believe a medium format camera makes anything you point it at look better, the RZ67 particularly shines as a portrait camera. I have had my Pro II version for about three years and it comes with me on just about every shoot I do. It is a workhorse that always brings out some magic compared with most other cameras I’ve shot with. The depth and crystal clear yet soft quality make subjects feel true to life and then some.
The first RZ67 was introduced in 1982 as a more advanced and upgraded version of the previous RB67 camera. Mamiya later released two more versions of the RZ, the RZ67 Pro II in 1995 and the RZ67 Pro IID in 2004 refining its features and enhancing its usability to better cater to the needs of studio and field photographers alike.
One of the standout features of the RZ67 is its modular design, allowing photographers to interchange lenses, film backs, and viewfinders. The rotating back is particularly noteworthy, enabling seamless transitions between portrait and landscape orientations without having to alter the camera’s position, if you remember to turn it – that one took me a minute to get right. The camera takes 120 film (which I recently learned is named 120 because it was the twentieth iteration of daylight loading film produced by Kodak, and unlike 35mm has nothing to do with the size of the negatives).
The RZ67 Pro II stands as a testament to the era of film photography, continuing to be a cherished tool for those who want the tactile and aesthetic pleasures that you just can’t get from many other cameras.
We have a used Mamiya RZ67 in right now just waiting to go to a good home – https://www.beauphoto.com/product/used-mamiya-rz67-pro-ii-w-mamiya-sekor-z-110-f2-8-w-120-back/
There are other medium format cameras available that you might like as well. Visit the website or stop by to check out what’s here now.
