Hi - I'm new to this forum and would appreciate whatever advice I can get. I recently purchased a second hand Mamiya 645 AFD with a Leaf Valeo 17 Mpa back. I love everything about it (so far), with one exception - the sensor size conversion factor. As most of my work is architecture, I rely heavily on my 35mm lens. However, this converts to approximately a 46mm lens, due to the smaller sensor size. I cannot afford either the new 28mm lens or a 22Mpa back which is 'almost full-frame', so what are my alternatives? I'm considering a wide angle lens from an RB/RZ 67 or perhaps even a Fuji lens from a GX680, but there would be focusing issues as each of these cameras uses a bellows. Could this be overcome? What about a 43mm lens from a Mamiya 7? The quality, I believe, is simply superb; could it be adapted to work on my 645? What would be the issues? The mirror of the Mamiya can be locked up if that is a problem, after all the 43mm lens comes with its own viewfinder that could presumably be used. It would be like a Hassy SWC. Does the Mamiya 43mm shutter have to be used or could it be set on T and the camera body shutter used instead? I don't mind working in manual mode for focusing or aperture adjustment, I just want a decent wide angle lens. Does anyone have any comments on this suggestion or any alternative ideas. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

You have the Mamiya 35mm AF, there isn't a wider lens from any of the other Mamiya camera mounts that isn't a fisheye. The M7II 43mm is a 43mm regardless.

The Valeo 17 while a great back may not be the best choice for shooting architecture. I have the A22 on the 645AFD and the 35mm just works enough.

If the 28mm and the 22MP backs are beyond your budget, then the Valeo may not have been the best choice regardless of price. Any technical cameras and wide view lenses will cost as much if not more than the 28mm.

If the 35mm doesn't cut it, then the 28mm is really your only choice. There is no non-fisheye from the 680, M7, RZ or many others that will work being wider than the 35mm regardless of an adapter.

You probably need to try and get something to get nikon lenses working with your back

the only thing that springs to mind that takes (I think) a mamiya mount back is the 'cambo mini wide' (copal 3 mount)

Then you could use lenses from 14mm up and nearly cover you '17's frame

The other option was tha hoseman digiflex (also discontinued) but that was for V mount Dbacks

Last time I spoke to the cambo factory they were prepared to sell me a miniwide

S

Or a Truewide. There was one for sale on the forum some time ago.

Cheers,
Kumar

I wondered about using a Nikon lens - I do have a 14mm Nikkor lens that I use on my Fuji S3. That would be a great solution. I'm unfamiliar with either of these mounts, but at least now I know what I'm looking for. Thank you.

Does a Nikon lens cover the entire sensor area for the Valeo 17? I can't imagine it will on a 44x33 sensor. I assume some notable vignetting will occur which doesn't make the back practical.

You have to decide if spend your time inventing photography systems or as a photographer.

The solution here is to use a Canon, even a 1Dmk 2 would do a perfect job.

On the other side, what fun is it to make things the easy way?

They arent mounts they are simple mirrorless cameras - nikon lenses need to sit too close to the 'film plane' to be mountable on the front of a 645 camera with a mirror in like the AFD

Nikon lenses are ony deisigned to cover 35mm size of course - private experimentation by myself LL member DUSTBAK and others is of the opinion that some nikkors nearaly cover the capture area of small DB capture devices

TO the other poster - I thought the true wide was hassy V only - maybe I am wrong

Any way the link is www.Kapturegroup.com I think - if the make a Mamiya version I would say thats the product you want and some big old nikkor primes

You may, while researching this murky world come across the products (discontinued) horesman digiflex and digiwide, because they use regular 35 shutters the image is not projected across the whole of the sensor by any means - again I beleive them to be hassy Vmount only

search for posts by "DUSTBAK" he show some images of nikkors shot onto a 17 or 22mp Dback some months ago

Oh ans silvestri - I company that I cant work out at all - did have a nikon lenseboard for one of thier cameras too...



SMM

Well if like the OP and myself you own a pile of nikkors and a diigiback there will be a desire to mate the two

(although the D3 has reduced that desire for me)

My experiments show that some nikkors cover about 17mp woth of a 22mp chip about 80% of course the quality deterioates towards the edge so each user will find thier own 'limit of acceptability'

IMO there is a gap in the market for a simple alpa style frame camera mated with a copal 3 shutter and DBack interface

Of cousre I would like an alpa and Roden28 but I cant afford it and it is not that wide compared to a 14, 17 or even 20mm

Of course manufactureres dont like making products that dont cover a whole sensor properly - its jus not in ther heads to do that sort of bodgery

SMM

Update

TRUEWIDE works on V, contax and mamiya - just not H1 like I have

of course because I have a sinar back I could change plates - but thats a $800 PITA

S

I have a true wide and it's for sale.

if you're pairing it with the nikon 17-35mm f2.8 you'll get full from from about 24mm onwards
which is a treat and you'll get almost full frame at 20mm but at 17mm you'll see vignetting.

cheers

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions - sorry I haven't replied sooner but I've been away on a two week trip working for a number of clients and simply haven't had the time to respond. I appreciate all the suggestions, and would like opinions on another possible soulution - the Horseman SW DII with a 24mm Schneider lens. With the 17 Mpa Valeo, this would give me the equivalent of a 22mm lens (in 35mm speak) and allows for an increased wideangle with its onboard stitching ability by moving the back around. Any thoughts, comments, experience on this combination? Thanks in advance.