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How good is Mamiya's 645 autofocus SLR?
In designing Mamiya's new 645 autofocus SLR, Mamiya engineers apparently started with a blank sheet of paper and created something entirely new. Borrowing freely from advances in 35mm technology, materials, and operating styles, Mamiya built a 645 AF SLR that's clearly designed to appeal to 35mm users, as well as confirmed medium-format enthusiasts. Autofocus isn't the only new feature either. Taking its cue from 35mm, Mamiya has integrated automatic film advance, programmed exposure modes, multiple metering options, and an easy-holding grip into this new camera, breaking from a Mamiya tradition of modular 645 systems.
The Mamiya 645 AF's futuristically curved body looks appealing. We felt almost instantly at home with the control layout, balance, and heft, as well as the sculpted shape and position of the built-in handgrip. The six AA alkalines slipped easily into the base of the grip, adding slightly to the overall weight. Alkaline, lithium, and NiMH's are all acceptable, but not Nicads. If weight is a consideration, use lithiums. Thanks to a magnesium top plate, the 645 AF is among the lightest weight mediumformat SLRs, even comparable to some 35mm camera bodies.
Peer through the viewfinder and you'll find a large, bright, and contrasty viewing and focusing area, with etched lines indicating the focusing area and spotmeter circle. Our early production camera had a slight green tint in the viewfinder due to a special coating on the mirror. This has now been fixed.
Most of the camera controls are conveniently placed around the righthand grip. The knurled and rubbery control dials are perfectly situated fore and aft on the smoothly contoured, amply sized hand grip, falling directly under the thumb and forefinger for easy use. Atop the grip, is the large, well-positioned shutter release. A light touch and the autofocus system springs to life, focusing LEDs below the screen light up, including the manual-focus arrows indicating the direction to turn the focusing ring in the manual-focus mode. The focusing motor quickly drives the lens elements, not as quietly as some 35mm systems, but quiet enough. In the single-shot, focus-priority mode, focus locks when the subject is sharp; in the continuous, release-priority AF mode, the system follow-focuses with moving subjects.
Time to attach the camera's...