The Mamiya 645 vs. the Contax 645 | Mamiya 645AF Sample Photos Using Kodak Portra on a Cross Country Road Trip

March 31, 2025

(By using the links and/or codes in this blog post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

Ugh, I miss my Mamiya 645AF. Over the years I’ve learned to never sell the gear that I love because I always end up regretting it. Yes, I technically upgraded from the Mamiya 645AF to the Contax 645, but there is still something so special to me about the photos I took with the Mamiya 645AF while I had it. Maybe it’s because it was my first professional medium format camera or maybe it’s because something about the images just felt more “me” than my Contax 645. Don’t get me wrong, the Contax 645 is worth every penny and takes incredible photos. You can check out some sample photos I’ve taken with it here. But, because of it’s high price tag, I feel the need to be extra cautious with it when I’m traveling and shooting. In many cases, I just leave it at home because it seems like too much of a risk to be lugging it around haphazardly. With the Mamiya 645, I didn’t overthink, I just brought it with me and didn’t worry as much about the cost if something happened to it.

While I definitely notice a difference in sharpness and quality when it comes to comparing the Mamiya 645AF and the Contax 645, I still have an affinity for the dreamy and playful vibe I got with the Mamiya. The Contax 645 is really geared towards professional photographers and high-end luxury photography. It’s super, ridiculously sharp and quite a bit more reliable than the Mamiya 645. I always had issues with focusing when it came to the Mamiya. The Contax 645 is a workhorse of a camera and I’m never disappointed with the images. You can read my full review of the Contax 645 here, or check out my YouTube video featuring the Contax here! But for anyone just starting out with medium format photography, you will not be disappointed with the Mamiya 645AF. There are so many images I took with it that I still cherish to this day.

It’s on my wish list to pick up another Mamiya 645AF at some point, just because I’d like to have it back in my collection. Before I sold it, I took it with me on a cross country road trip and I still dream about the photos I took with it. We witnessed a sunrise over the Grand Canyon, the vastness of the Hoover Dam, and the empty, movie-like landscapes across the southwestern United States. I’ve included all of my favorite photographs from that trip below so you can decide if this camera is for you! I used Kodak Portra 160 and Kodak Portra 400 film for these photos, along with the 80 mm f/2.8 lens, which is the standard lens that most people use with it. I tend to shoot with the aperture wide open when I can, which gives me that dreamy, cinematic feel that I love. But, as you will notice in some of the images, sometimes the focusing up close just wasn’t quite right. I think there was an issue with my particular camera though, because I would have trouble with the autofocus and end up just manually focusing my images. That was another reason I sold mine, but I’m hoping if I pick up another one, that it won’t have that issue!

I also love that it is super easy to take multiple exposures with the Mamiya 645AF. I found it much easier to create multiple exposures with the Mamiya than the Contax. It’s easy to forgot that you have the multiple exposure setting on with the Contax, leaving you with triple or quadruple exposures every once in a while! The Mamiya multiple exposure function was nice because you can pre-set the number of images you want to take and that way, you won’t end up shooting more than you’d planned for. I’ve included a few examples of multiple exposures with the Mamiya below!

If you’re thinking of diving into medium format photography, the Mamiya 645AF is a great place to start. The Mamiya will make you fall in love with medium format photography. It’s also nice that it’s relatively affordable (around $1500-$2000), at least compared to the Contax 645 (around $3000-5000)! The Pentax 645 is also a popular medium format camera that runs quite a bit cheaper (around $700-1000) than the Mamiya 645AF and the Contax 645, but I don’t have any personal experience with that one. I’ve heard it’s great though and is on my list to try out in the future! If you’ve never shot with 120 film before, I’d recommend starting out with a Holga GCFN or Diana F+, which are toy cameras that are much more affordable (anywhere from $60-150). The Holga is my favorite camera in the world, and the one camera I never leave home without! You can read my full review with tons of sample photos on my blog here, or watch my YouTube video!

If you’re on the hunt for a pro level medium format camera though, here’s where you can find the Mamiya 645AF or the Contax 645. There are a few different models for the Mamiya 645, but I had the 645AF model. The AFD models are a bit more modern and have the potential to use a digital back, which could save you lots of money on film. However, I’m a film girlie through and through so I like to shoot with it the old-fashioned way. But the digital back would be a great place to start and could save you some money while you’re learning the functionalities of the camera. :)

WHERE TO BUY THE MAMIYA 645AF

KEH Camera

Etsy

eBay

MAMIYA 80MM F/2.8 AUTOFOCUS LENS

KEH Camera

eBay

Etsy

WHERE TO BUY THE CONTAX 645

KEH Camera

eBay

Etsy

WHERE TO BUY THE PENTAX 645

FILM RECOMMENDATIONS

Kodak Portra 160 120 film

Lomography 400 120 film

Kodak Gold 200 120 film

Neopan Across 100 Black & White 120 Film

If you found this post helpful or inspiring, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing.

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a magical day!

<3 Myles Katherine

(click to enlarge images)

(By using the links and/or codes in this blog post it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

120 Film on a Budget | 5 of my Favorite Affordable 120 Medium Format Film Rolls

August 7, 2024

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

Shooting film is expensive. I’m not gonna lie, I spend most of my extra money on film. As a photographer though, I’m more than okay with that. There’s really nothing else in the world I’d rather spend my money on! But I can understand that if photography was just a hobby, it’s hard to justify spending so much money on film and processing. Especially if you’re interested in shooting medium format, the price-point goes up even higher because you’re paying just as much as 35mm, but for less images on a roll. Over the years, I’ve priced out dozens of film brands and I wanted to share the ones that I keep going back to time and time again. These 120 films are a great balance of quality and affordability. I’m extremely tight with my money ( I get it from my dad!) so I’m always on the lookout for a good deal. Keep in mind that it usually helps to buy in bulk too, since you’ll be saving on shipping costs. I also keep an eye out for sales, particularly during Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend and other major holidays. But regardless of deals and discounts, these 5 different 120 films are typically available at a lower price that their competitors, and you still get great images!

Plus, there have been whispers of 120 film slowly dying, which is the saddest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Medium format film is absolutely incredible and so so special. I’ll do everything I can to keep it alive, even if that means buying it all myself and spending my life savings on it! But maybe you guys and gals can help me out in saving 120 film by buying some yourself! Let’s save 120 film together! Please!

Anyway, here are 5 of my favorite affordable 120 medium format film brands!

1. KODAK GOLD 200

Kodak Gold 200 is surprisingly affordable for the quality that you get. I always bring a roll of it with me on every beach vacation or any time I want my images to have a golden tone. It’s super duper sharp too and has become one of the main 120 films that I use consistently. For a 200 speed film, it does decently well in low light and is perfectly saturated. I find to be one of the easiest films to tweak during scanning too, so I’m able to alter it and adjust the tones if I decide to make my images a little cooler or warmer. I scan all of my film myself with a Epson Perfection v750 scanner so I have a lot more control than if my film lab scanned it for me. I love this film and as long as it stays this affordable, I’ll always have it in my camera bag! I have this feeling that Kodak may raise the price in the future so I’d grab it while you can!

WHERE TO BUY

B&H Photo

Adorama

(click to enlarge images)

2. LOMOGRAPHY COLOR 100 OR 400

Lomography Color 120 films comes in two different film speeds, 100 and 400. I typically have both of these in my arsenal because it’s super saturated and fun! I find it to be bright and colorful, which is very helpful when shooting with cameras like a Holga or Diana F+. Toy cameras always benefit from a little extra color and sharpness. The 100 speed film is going to be a bit sharper, but just remember that you’ll need more light. I recommend only shooting the 100 speed film in bright sunlight or with a bright flash. The 400 speed film is more versatile and better for cloudy days or lower light. If you’re going to be in a dark environment and really need some leeway, they also have an 800 ISO film. I don’t typically go for 800 speed films because it’s just a bit too grainy for me. I shoot with a lot of toy cameras and I’m already fighting to make those images as sharp as possible so the extra grain doesn’t tend to help! You’ll notice there isn’t a huge difference in the 100 and 400 ISO films, so I included samples of both below.

WHERE TO BUY

LOMOGRAPHY COLOR 100 120 FILM

Amazon

eBay

LOMOGRAPHY COLOR 400 120 FILM

B&H Photo

Adorama

eBay

(click to enlarge images)

3. LOMOGRAPHY LOMOCHROME METROPOLIS 100-400

Lomography Lomochrome Metropolis is more of a funky, unusual film that might be fun if you’re looking for something different! It’s known for it’s slightly desaturated look and strong contrast. I love that it has a vintage vibe to it that works well with toy cameras. I’ve only used this film a few times so far but I’m excited to try it with some of my other medium format cameras. It has an extended ISO range of 100-400 so you can work with this film in lots of different kinds of conditions to experience different results!

WHERE TO BUY

eBay

Adorama

4. LOMOGRAPHY LADY GREY BLACK & WHITE FILM

I had to throw in a few black and white films because that’s what I truly love the most! I don’t shoot black and white as often anymore because I like to have the option of color and black and white. I can always turn my color photos black and white in post-processing, but it doesn’t work the other way around! I find Lady Grey to be very retro and aged-looking, which I think is perfect for a black and white film. It has quite a bit of graininess to it, but I don’t mind grain as much with black and white photography. It adds character and emotion, in my opinion!

WHERE TO BUY

Amazon

eBay

(click to enlarge images)

5. LOMOGRAPHY BLACK AND WHITE POTSDAM KINO B&W 120 ISO 100

Potsdam Kino 100 is another black and white film by Lomography, and this one has more of an overall grey tone in the highlights, causing it to seem more muted. I find it to have more of a cinematic quality to it though, which is so beautiful and dreamy! I found it just a little harder to get that stark contrast and those extra deep blacks than with the Lady Grey film.

WHERE TO BUY

Adorama

eBay

(click to enlarge images)

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

If you have any questions, I’m always happy to help! You can contact me here, or leave a comment below! I’d love to know what your favorite 120 films are! Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a lovely day!

<3 Myles Katherine

Mamiya 645 Review & How-To with Sample Photos | Oregon Coast Adventure

March 22, 2020

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.

The Mamiya 645 is an incredible camera. It has taken some of my favorite photos over the years and I’m still so sad that I sold it. But I only sold it so I could buy my dream camera, the Contax 645 (be sure to watch my video about this camera too)! The photos are super sharp and it takes amazing double exposures. In the video, I show you how to load film and take multiple exposures. I also offer my thoughts on the Mamiya 645 vs. the Contax 645. Join me on my trip to the Oregon Coast and take a look at all of my favorite photos. Watch the new Cameras & Cats youtube video below, and then scroll down to see all of the sample photos featured in the video, plus more!

Pros:

The 80mm f/2.8 lens is super sharp and takes beautiful photos (portraits in particular)
It has a setting for multiple exposures that is easy to use (personally, the most important feature of a camera)
It’s somewhat affordable for a medium format camera (around $850)
It has the option to do aperture priority and shutter priority (very important if you are a wedding photographer or need to shoot quickly)
It has autofocus (also important for quick shooting)