Shooting Mamiya RZ67 with flash - help / advice needed

[Jack Owen]

Hi all, I'm v new here - just posted on the 'welcome' thread and now here. Please forgive any mistakes or faux pas.

I'm looking to make connections with anyone out there shooting analogue portraits with flash, ideally with a Mamiya RZ67 medium format camera. I've experimented with the following set up:

Godox wireless transmitter on hot shoe to off camera flash: Godox X Pro F to Godox V860III in softbox on light stand - one light set up for ease at this stage.

Sekonic Flashmate L 308x

I've also tried putting the X Pro F on my GFX 50Sii to get a good sense of exposure, lighting before going back to the RZ, but this feels clunky and ideally I'd like to work out a method that doesn't rely on this approach.

Anyone out there working along similar lines? Any thoughts, insights etc would be very much appreciated in terms of how to settle on a workflow that gives a good basic set up to then develop further.

 

[Phil V]

It’s a long time since I shot MF but I think I can help.

Right now it’ll feel like a battle, and a lot of trial and error. But honestly, once you’ve got a bit of experience you’ll be setting up by instinct.

Obviously it depends on exactly what you want to achieve, some setups require more accuracy than others.

Firstly, old school; the light meter should get you an accurate exposure.

But if you want an idea of what your lighting ‘looks’ like, then shooting digital test shots would be the modern equivalent of the old Polaroid back.

Another option is a proper flash head with a modelling light which you could use instead of the Fuji

Honestly, I’m no expert, and I probably only shoot studio once a year nowadays, but I can usually set up a light and get the placement and exposure by guesswork pretty close.