Now I’ve shot with the Mamiya RZ67, the Pentax 67, and the Hasselblad 500cm – all for a substantial amount of time, and I want to help you make an informed decision…if you were going to pick between these three, which one would you choose and why?
When I first made the switch to medium format film, I went with the RZ67. There were two main reasons for this. First the modularity.
The RZ isn’t the only modular camera out there – but the grip, the ability to use my Profoto strobes, the metered prism viewfinder, and my favorite part…the rotating 120 back that allows you to switch from landscape to portrait orientation without moving the camera…those were the selling points for me. Another bonus is that you could connect a digital medium format back to the RZ and get both digital and film photos on the same camera. Some of my favorite photos were taken on the RZ
Now the negatives…The RZ is Massive. It can look a bit intimidating and intrusive to others. The other downside is the focusing screen. Your milage may vary, but the stock focusing screen was just about impossible to hit focus with my eyes. I had to pay a hefty sum to get a quality focusing screen. This leads me to my next point, The modularity is great, but when you buy a camera for 1200-1500 with a lens and find out you must throw another 1500 dollars into the accessories to make it optimal – and that’s assuming you buy them mint. It can be discouraging. Overall, this was an amazing camera, and the only reason I sold it was because I had my eye on another beauty.
That beauty was the Hasselblad 500cm. Touted as thee fashion photography camera, and famously known as the camera that went to the moon – the 500 series is iconic. I was intrigued by the 6x6 format. The Hasselblad is also modular which I love, and much much smaller and lighter than the RZ67. The 500 didn’t have a good grip which was a bit of a bummer for me, but the abundance of great prism viewfinders to choose from as well as the stunning 80mm lens and the extra 2 photos per roll were all attractive features. Not to mention, you don’t need a rotating back like the RZ if your camera shoots square photos.
I’ll admit, there was a bit more of a learning curve for me with this camera than the RZ. I think a lot of that had to do with the way the film is supposed to be loaded. For whatever reason, the film has to be loaded upside down which can be confusing and making sure the film is tightly loaded can be a bit tricky at first. But I can only describe the shooting experience with this camera in the same way as my Leica M6 – Magical.
Now let's get into the Pentax 67. This is my current daily driver. Unlike the other two cameras, this camera is sort of the way it is. Flash compatibility is not really there. You can use flash with certain lenses, but it’s more expensive and more of a hassle than it’s worth. Another negative is that you won’t have the same nice bright waist-level viewfinder attachment that you would on the RZ and Hassy. Instead, you have your choice of prism finders. Otherwise, you could take it off and look through the top, but it is not the same. The form factor is more reminiscent of the film DSLR cameras such as the Nikon f2 for example.
But there are so many positives. It is easy to load. It just works. You could jump into this camera as a beginner with no problem. The wood grip attachment is fantastic. I don’t even use a camera strap because I am so comfortable with the grip. I’ve never had an issue with the focusing screen, ever. Let's not forget the 105mm f2.4 lens. The lowest aperture you’re going to find among the 3 cameras if bokeh is what you’re into.
So what do I recommend? If you’re looking for ease of use, reliability, and flash isn’t part of your workflow, get the Pentax… but if you want using your camera to be an immersive experience, you use strobes, and want a camera with a small form factor that is also a global icon, I would definitely recommend the Hasselblad 500cm. It is my favorite medium format camera of all time.