Why the Mamiya RZ67 Is My Favorite Film Camera
The Mamiya RZ67 is the camera I reach for most. It slows me down, keeps me focused, and makes every frame feel intentional. Here’s what makes it my favorite for portraits and weddings on the Big Island.
Incredible image quality
The 6×7 negatives capture stunning detail, and the lenses are excellent. I love how close I can get to a subject and fill the frame — it makes a portrait feel intimate. Rotating the back between portrait and landscape adds a lot of versatility on a shoot.
The feel and the viewfinder
The camera feels great in hand, and looking through the viewfinder is like looking through a window that perfectly frames the shot. Composing with it is a calm, deliberate part of the process, not something rushed.
The one downside: no autofocus
It doesn’t have autofocus, which can be tricky in fast-moving situations. I’ve gotten used to it, and for slower, deliberate shooting — portraits, fine art — it’s ideal. With only 10 shots per roll, every frame counts.
Final thoughts
For anything that calls for a bit more time and care, the Mamiya RZ67 is unmatched. If you’d like your own portraits or wedding shot this way, I offer medium format film sessions — see pricing and book a session.
Here are some black and white images shot on the Mamiya RZ 67:
How did I do?
On a scale of 1–5, how would you rate my photography services overall?
Gorgeous portraits, truly. I’m teetering on the edge of buying a used RZ67 on eBay. I would like to know something about the portraits: were you using the waist level finder and if so, how do you get eye-level close portraits? Are you really really tall, are they really really small, do you stand on a ladder or do they stand in a hole, what’s the secret here?