What's the perfect aspect ratio?  For medium format film users, 6x7cm would win a plurality, if not a majority, of votes.  The slightly rectangular format beautifully enlarges to 8x10 prints.  For head shots, landscapes, product photography, or any other use, 6x7cm is always a solid choice.  As for cameras that produce 6x7cm negatives, no other manufacturer is more synonymous with this size than Mamiya.  Although Mamiya didn't create the format, it certainly revolutionized it in 1970 with the introduction of the Single Lens Reflex (SLR) RB67 and did so again twelve years later with their electronic SLR the RZ67.  While both of these cameras have become mainstays in the photographic world, they are most comfortable on tripod legs and can be a little clumsy to use as handheld cameras.  In 1995, Mamiya addressed these concerns, introducing their new 6x7cm rangefinder camera - the Mamiya 7.

In creating the Mamiya 7 rangefinder, Mamiya was able to bring together many of the desirable aspects of the RB and RZ system.  Most notable of those features is a set of four lenses that range from a 43mm f/4.5 to a 150mm f/4.5.  This range is roughly equivalent from 25mm to 150mm focal length lenses on a 35mm camera and gives Mamiya 7 users the ability to work in virtually any situation and get spectacular results.  Like their RB and RZ counterparts, the Mamiya 7 lenses have leaf shutters, so using flash at any shutter speed is no issue, and a built-in dark slide allows for changing lenses mid-roll.  Impressively, Mamiya engineers gave the Mamiya 7 viewfinder automatic frame-lines for three of these lenses, so that only the 43mm requires an external viewfinder.  As with most leaf shutter lenses, the fastest shutter speed is a bit limited and tops out at 1/500th of a second, although for longer exposures, the camera has a maximum shutter speed of four seconds and a Bulb mode.

With its metering system and electronically controlled shutter, the Mamiya 7 offers an aperture-priority shooting mode in addition to fully-metered manual shooting mode.  Auto-Exposure lock helps photographers maintain exposure setting in even the trickiest of back-lit situations.

All of this technology requires a good bit of electricity.  The Mamiya 7 is powered through a 6-volt PX-28 battery or its equivalent.  Longer shutter speeds can drain the battery faster and as the Mamiya 7 is fully electronic, packing a couple of extra batteries around is advisable, but a very small price to pay for using this camera.

The Mamiya 7 remained in production until 1999 when it was replaced by the Mamiya 7II.  Functionally, the biggest difference between the two cameras is the addition of a multiple exposure button, a brighter viewfinder, and a different color scheme.

Whether Mamiya meant for the 6x7cm format to be nearly synonymous with its brand name is tough to tell.  There are other 6x7 camera makers out there, but Mamiya is alone in offering photographers professional both SLR and rangefinder options that have stood the test of time.  Seek any of them out and you'll see why trying to get a current owner to sell one is difficult, if not impossible.

ar/js