The Mamiya RB67 vs 2026 | Is film still relevant?

In this video we check out the brutally heavy and amazing Mamiya RB67 a camera that is 1 massive and 2 medium format. This is a camera that Firby has wanted to test out for a very long time. Big question here is that if this 50 year old camera is still even relevant today in 2026 and we put it against the Fujifilm X-E5. If you are interested in the camera make sure you check out www.cameracentreuk.com/used

Brief history
The "RB" in the name stands for Rotating Back. Before this, if a photographer wanted to switch from a "landscape" orientation to a "portrait" orientation, they had to physically tilt the entire heavy camera on its tripod.

Mamiya solved this by designing a back that could rotate 90 degrees with a simple flick of a wrist, allowing the camera body to stay perfectly level.

Why It Became a Legend
The "Ideal Format": It shoots a 6x7cm negative. This is known as the "ideal format" because it enlarges to standard paper sizes (like 8x10 or 16x20) with almost no cropping, unlike the square 6x6 format used by Hasselblad.

Bellows Focusing: Instead of a helicoid (turning a ring on the lens), the entire front of the camera moves forward on bellows. This allows for incredible macro capabilities right out of the box without needing extra accessories.

Mechanical Simplicity: The camera is entirely mechanical. It doesn't require a battery to fire the shutter. In a post-apocalyptic world, you could probably still take professional portraits with an RB67.

Modular Design: Everything is swappable—the lenses, the viewfinders, the focusing screens, and the film backs. You can even swap mid-roll if you want to switch from color to black-and-white.

The Trade-off
The "history" of the RB67 is also a history of sore backs. Weighing in at nearly 2.7kg (6 lbs) with a standard lens, it was never meant for casual street photography. It was designed for the studio, the tripod, and the deliberate professional.

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Видео The Mamiya RB67 vs 2026 | Is film still relevant? канала Camera Centre UK