Mamiya 645af and manual focus lenses

[photoman1895]

I recently purchased a 645af. Mamiya said the mf lenses will work with the auto focus in mamual mode. I have experianced sporatic metering problems. I have compared the af metering with the meter in my 1000s and my nikon and shows it's about one stop off. This isn't the problem, sometimes the metering dosen't work at all. I've tried all four of my lenses with the same result. I had this problem with the first one and sent it back to KEH and got a replacement. Now I'm thinking the lenses aren't really compatible. I asked Mamiya if they have had this problem before but they said most people use the af lenses. Has any one had this experiance before? Thanks Tom

 

[tirediron]

Just to clarify, what you mean is: Regardless of which MF lens you have attached to the body, sometimes the metering will work and sometimes it won't?

When you say it doesn't work at all, what do you mean? There's no exposure information display, it's wildly innacurate, or?

 

[JamesMason]

Now I'm thinking the lenses aren't really compatible.

My guess is probably this, i would imagine most 645 users are metering with an external meter, so dont see the meter being off as incompatible

 

[Alpha]

The camera definitely works with manual lenses in manual focus mode. it sounds like you have a meter problem. If you want to know for sure, put an AF lens on there and see if the metering is still off.

 

[photoman1895]

The meter will work properly sometimes, then instead of a reading like 125 @ f8 it will go to 125 @ f22, way off. A short time later it will go back to reading correctly and then be off on the f22 again. Right now I'm working with it going between av and manual mode and it's working fine. The metering is about a stop on the hot side. I wish I had an auto focus lens to try on it.I did leave the camera on for five days in the case and found the batteries dead. They were brand new lithium batteries. I just have a hard time believing I got two bad cameras in a row. Normally I use my digital for checking for exposure and composition but I would like to use the meter and think that it might be close.

 

[photoman1895]

Just coming in from the back yard the mamiya was metering two stops off on a shaded fence and metering perfect against the back of my house with the sun on it. I'm comparing the metering with my D200 witch meters perfectly with my 1000s.

 

[Alpha]

Again, the only way to test this is to try an AF lens in MF mode. If there are any pro shops in your town, call around and ask if they have any AF lenses.

 

[JamesMason]

just a thought, are the shutters in the body and lens syncing right with you using older lenses ? as far as i know the 645 does not sync the lens leaf and the focal plane by default on all lenses

 

[photoman1895]

Well I finally found the answer, I'm sending all my MF bodies and lenses to keh and I'm buying all autofocus. Not really the way I wanted to go but I'm tired of the battle.

 

[JamesMason]

so what was was it ?

 

[Alpha]

just a thought, are the shutters in the body and lens syncing right with you using older lenses ? as far as i know the 645 does not sync the lens leaf and the focal plane by default on all lenses

Mamiya has a dedicated set of LS lenses for their 645 system. On newer bodies (Pro and later I think?) they will auto-cock the shutter.

 

[Alpha]

so what was was it ?

Stop-down metering.