User:ArildV/Equipment

Full-Frame with Minimal Budget (2011-)

Unlike many photographers here, I don’t use zoom lenses or autofocus. Over the last years, I have taken almost all my photos with a fixed 24mm lens, but I also have a 12mm and a 50mm lens. Nikon’s older fixed lenses are extremely affordable and produce very high quality; I spent about € 150 on my 24mm and 50mm lenses together.

Since I primarily shoot architecture and landscapes, I never miss autofocus. For several years, I’ve been using a Nikon D810 that was permanently loaned to me for free because most of the body is broken, and it only operates in manual mode.

Nikon is still the ultimate budget choice. For under $1,000, you can purchase a D810 and a few fixed lenses, allowing you to take professional-quality photos.

Medium Format on a Budget (2025-)

A false alarm indicating that my camera body might finally be failing prompted me to consider alternatives. I wasn’t motivated to spend money on a new full-frame camera that likely wouldn’t offer better quality than my old D810, based on what I typically shoot.

So, I began exploring the medium format world and discovered that both the GFX 50 and GFX 100 had become relatively affordable. I felt the need for a new challenge and more enjoyment while shooting. Additionally, I received some unexpected income that I had forgotten about.

Could I switch to medium format and acquire good lenses for less money than a new full-frame camera? I set a budget of €3000.

I decided to purchase the Fujifilm GFX 50 II, which cost me €2,000 for a camera with fewer than 1,000 exposures. While I was tempted to spend a bit more on the GFX 100S, I resolved that this purchase was about having fun and challenging myself, rather than just maximizing pixel count. I could have saved €500 by buying the GFX 50S, but I opted to pay extra for the 6.5 stops of built-in image stabilization.

Next, I bought a kit that included a Mamiya 645 1000S along with three professional lenses for a package price of €950. The kit had been meticulously preserved by its previous owner 20 years ago and was sold to a dealer who was waiting for the temporary dip in demand for medium format film cameras to pass. The lenses were in like-new condition and had been stored in a protective metal case:

  • Mamiya Sekor 55mm F2.8N
  • Mamiya Sekor 80mm F2.8N
  • Mamiya Sekor 110mm F2.8N

I also purchased an adapter for €150, bringing my total spending to approximately €3,100 for everything.

First update

Before my own GFX arrived, I borrowed a GFX 50R along with a native Fujinon GF 63mm F2.8 lens for the weekend. The GFX 50R, lacking a battery grip, has a somewhat brick-like body, reminiscent of classic Leica or Nikon FM cameras, a design choice that Fuji's marketers lean into. The lens offers fantastic clinical sharpness, as expected, and is one of the more affordable native options. However, it didn't provide the most enjoyable experience; the autofocus is slow, there's noticeable focus breathing and movement in the lens before capturing the image, and you don't see the final composition in the viewfinder as you would with a DSLR. Nevertheless, in most instances, the focus was accurate, albeit with a significant percentage of failed captures.

In contrast, I've started using two of my Mamiya lenses. I've begun to realize that I should stop questioning whether they can match the Fujifilm lenses in quality. The truth is that they probably don't quite meet that standard, at least not in terms of technical perfection. The more pertinent question is whether they are "good enough." So far, my answer is a resounding yes. The colors are somewhat cooler — whether this is a positive or negative is subjective — and the lens coating isn't modern; for instance, there are some color fringing issues, but no other chromatic aberration, unlike some professional Nikon zoom lenses. The sharpness is impressive even wide open at the center. In practical photography, the differences between the Mamiya lenses and Fujifilm lenses are likely less significant than in laboratory conditions. After all, who buys an expensive, fast medium format lens just to shoot landscapes with everything in focus wide open?

And then there is the price. Assuming that my Mamiya 645 camera is worth 200 euros, I paid 750 euros for my three lenses. Buying Fuji's lenses (50, 80, and 110) would have cost €6500 if you had settled for the slower 50mm f/3.5 lens.

Images