Mamiya 7II

Last summer I bought the much hyped and hard to get Fuji X100 camera as a little carry around camera.  After using it I instantly determined that, while the files it produces are very nice, the camera itself is infuriating to use.  As I noted on my trip to New York City, even though the X100 was with me everywhere I went, I used my iPhone instead.

Then recently Fuji announced their latest camera, the X-Pro1.  It looks like a pretty nice upgrade. This camera will have changeable lenses and better manual focusing.  So I thought, "hmm, maybe that would be a good little camera to get."  The only thing I'm not thrilled about is the smaller-than-35mm APS-C sensor.  But Fuji is doing something with this sensor that other manufacturers haven't… they're making the pixel patterns random to give it more film like look.  Film like… sounds good to me.

But then I thought…  What are they going to come out with next?  What am I going to want NEXT year?!?!  So I decided to buy different camera all together.  It comes with a full frame 6x7 sensor with an ACTUAL film look and hasn't changed much since it was first introduced in 1990's: The Mamiya 7II.  Ok, it's far from what you would call a "little" camera… but I know I like this one thanks to Fabien Penso who let me come by and try his out last summer at his office (which has quite the view as you can see above).

I found a really good deal for a used 7II on ebay and it should be here tomorrow.  I have some editorial shoots next week where I'll put it to use now that I'm shooting  film on editorial assignments.

Here's some unsharpened detail from an Imacon scan: