"Funny" story about two adapters...

Herein lies the irony. I almost bought the Ukrainian Hartblei version of the Mamiya RZ67 to Fujifilm GFX adapter. Instead i chose the American Fotodiox version, partially because i thought the simple version might just be enough, and it was way more affordable.

However, the Fotodiox RZ/RB GFX adapter has a dangerous weakness; it's tiny screw holding the Arca-Swiss foot attached to the adapter that then holds both camera and the heavy lenses - are so tiny and "soft", that they easily bend, get loose within minutes - and then most likely will snap off.

A dangerous design once you attach heavy Mamiya RZ lenses which almost always weight at least 1 kilo. So, there you go. To nowhere, really. I paid 4000 SEK / 350 € for that - which only partially can serve me - and certainly not in the long haul. Plus there is this sneaking feeling in me, that it could snap at any time. Sure, I made some very primitive hacks, that in case the adapter snaps, the camera/lens don't fall all the way to the ground.

Hartblei RZ/RB GFX adapter

Now the Hartblei adapter, obviously much more expensive with $700 without tax directly at the Hartblei factory in Kiev - and would end up at around 9500 SEK - which in itself is sad, because it is now at the level as a NOVOFLEX BELLOW + adapter solution.

I could in theory get the adapter slightly cheaper if i make contact again to the guy in Germany via eBay. Yet, somewhere around 7500 SEK i think the Hartblei adapter will cost me.

However - one thing does impress me, even more so now after the Fotodiox adapter failure: it seem to be ground up sturdy. You can tell by how the adapter is designed. Solid, sturdy and nothing will fall off there.

Let's look at it again:

Hartblei RZ/RB to GFX adapter

Fotodiox' Mamiya RZ/RB to GFX adapter (and other camera mounts)

The important differences

The foot that attaches to the adapter body in the Hartblei adapter, looks ground up solid to me.

I mean really solid !

It even looks as if this adapter can rotate ! If that is the case, you couldn't have to think of an extra- huge L-grip with two Manfrotto plates. You simply would leave camera+adapter and lens on the tripod - turn the knobs and then turn around the camera by 90 degrees.

Very slick. It is in fact even space saving !

The the center of gravity on this adapter - where the adapter foot is located - lies more to the left - and much closer to the heavy Mamiya lens weight. On this half, you don't focus. That is what you do to the right location instead - where the camera is mounted. The jagged ring, is where you focus. The lens then does NOT move - it is the camera that moves backwards instead, when you focus.

On the Fotodiox - it is the other way around. the helicoid moves the heavy lens in front of where the lens foot is located. Which is total insanity. Well, NOW I know that. I couldn't judge that before, because i couldn't tell without any experience.

Fotodiox RZ/RB adapter with grave design error

Simply doomed to fail. (Well it did fail, in my case). As the weight of the huge/heavy lenses bend the foot downwards, but also puts a lot of pressure onto the helicoid as well (making focusing difficult and jagged). The whole weight of the lens puts pressure onto the focus helicoid coil.

I should write a letter to them, by the way. Feedback is important (whether they listen or not, but any serious photo maker, would be interested to get feedback in order to eliminate weaknesses in a design).

The Hartblei solution - is actually far smarter and wiser constructed, than i ever understood.

Well, i chose the "cheap way out". Which - let's face it often can lead into that one has to pay twice. The rules doesn't always apply, but more often than not. So, I get to learn from it in a more costly way. I am not even sure that the beautiful, slick looking NOVOFLEX bellow solution really is so sturdy to hold up Mamiya RZ67 lenses... I am leaning more and more to the Hartblei adapter...

Ironic, isn't it ?

It is really ironic, as i was so close to buy the Hartblei adapter back in December. Then i snapped out of it - which felt good - because I didn't want to spend 7500 SEK on it (well, the guy never told me that i t would be shipped from Ukraine, so the price would then suddenly rise from 5500 to 7200 SEK - which I didn't know / wasn't told. That pissed me off.

Instead i put the money on the VALOI Eay120 scanning device - which i think is awesome - except for one major design flaw when you want to scan CUT 120film negatives stripes - it can - sometimes - fail (due to blurry borders). I also have to address that with the developer, writing a feedback letter.

So, I just might to save money, byuing the Hartblei adapter

The only thing I hesitate about, is to buy it directly from Hartblei in Kiev / Ukraine. A city with not so good infrastructure, extreme corruption - and still in war. You never know where your money ends. If they fail to deliver, then you're done.

I rather use eBay, and have at least some protection. If something goes wrong.

Most likely i will use my tax money in April. It was partially reserved to pay off the rest of my two loans which would end anyway this summer 2025. But i can just pay off more in the mean time, so it is gone by April. The tax money is then free to my disposal - and i can order the Hartblei RB/RZ GFX adapter in April 2025.