Mamiya 645 AFD or Contax 645

[3bayjunkie]

Think the mamiya is a good price at $650 with the kit lens and i buy the 80mm f/1.9.

My question is because the contax has a Polaroid back which id like to try. I haven't seen one for the mamiya....

 

[tirediron]

I'm not sure how much use you'd get out of a polaroid back now, with the lack of availability and high cost of the film. I know some will vote for the Contax (and objectively, it might be a better camera), BUT here's my support for the Mamiya: Much greater availability of parts and accessories, backs are convertible between 120 and 220 (You don't need a separate back for each), and generally lower price of lenses and bits.

 

[3bayjunkie]

I'm not sure how much use you'd get out of a polaroid back now, with the lack of availability and high cost of the film. I know some will vote for the Contax (and objectively, it might be a better camera), BUT here's my support for the Mamiya: Much greater availability of parts and accessories, backs are convertible between 120 and 220 (You don't need a separate back for each), and generally lower price of lenses and bits.

Thanks for the input. I realize polaroid is not a practical format by any means. But i would use it for playing with once in a while. I really want to use it. There is plenty of polaroid film for sale on amazon so it isnt that hard to come by. I was just wondering if mamiya had a back...

 

[3bayjunkie]

I'm not sure how much use you'd get out of a polaroid back now, with the lack of availability and high cost of the film. I know some will vote for the Contax (and objectively, it might be a better camera), BUT here's my support for the Mamiya: Much greater availability of parts and accessories, backs are convertible between 120 and 220 (You don't need a separate back for each), and generally lower price of lenses and bits.

Thats true but the fact remains that i want to use polaroid just for messing around with. I still see it for sale all over online. So im not worried about getting it. Just wondering if mamiya made a Polaroid back

 

[tirediron]

You mean like these?

 

[3bayjunkie]

You mean like these?

Oh yeah those would be perfect. I think that is what i will get next

 

[unpopular]

BUT here's my support for the Mamiya: Much greater availability of parts

It's a Contax. You won't need to replace any parts.

But yeah. the Contax 645 is kind of pricey, especially for a brand that is no longer in production.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

^^

I was getting ready to ask the OP how much money he had. Contax is ridiculously pricey.

 

[unpopular]

They're just INCREDIBLE cameras and lenses, the 645 makes the Hasselblad H-series feel cheap and the Mamiya 645 feel like a toy. I think the price is worth it. But they're not cheap at all.

They are also pretty heavy with that brass alloy body.

 

[tirediron]

BUT here's my support for the Mamiya: Much greater availability of parts

It's a Contax. You won't need to replace any parts.

But yeah. the Contax 645 is kind of pricey, especially for a brand that is no longer in production.

I wasn't actually thinking of spares, rather different bits and pieces like spare dark slides ('cause no one EVER loses those), backs, etc.

 

[unpopular]

Well, dark slides are easy enough to have fabricated, and wouldn't cost too much if you absolutely had to. Of course who's going to think "I better have a bunch of dark slides machined up now before I lose this one?"

Backs are pretty easy to find still, but the Contax 645 was always a pretty exotic camera and I agree, you'll only find fewer and fewer as time goes on.

What kind of batteries does it take? That might be a big issue.

 

[3bayjunkie]

^^

I was getting ready to ask the OP how much money he had. Contax is ridiculously pricey.

You can get a perfectly good contax with viewfinder, 120mm back and 80mm f/2 ziess lens for about $2500. I wouldnt say that is expensive at all. Shoot you're almost to that price range if you buy a 35mm canon 1v and 50mm f/1.2 used. If you buy new, way over the price of a contax 645.

So i guess my point is the price is reflective of the quality. It wouldnt bother me at all to buy the contax, but i dont need one if i can get the same job done with a mamiya. I also dont need auto focus so the 80mm f/1.9 mamiya lens would be fine

 

[unpopular]

Hell man. If you can afford the Contax, go for it. It's a MUCH better body.

I mean, there are a lot of options out there with your budget than the Mamiya 645.

 

[PhotoWrangler]

If you're looking for rolls royce quality, why don't you buy a Hassy with an A16 back and have something that can be repaired by a company still in business in the event its needed?

 

[unpopular]

ehh. Hasselblad is more of a Cadillac.