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| Super 23 with 100mm flat field lens. This lens is required to tilt the back. |
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| 150mm lens, Super 23, sheet film back with ground glass, 100mm lens and 50mm lens. |
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| 6 x 9 and 6 x 7 back. Note 120 or 220 film can be used in the same back by changing the film plane inside the back making it easy to change film lengths. |
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| Tilt-swing back. Loosening the 4 thumb screws enables the bellows to be extended and back movements to be set. Normally the bellows is collapsed and the back is fully against the camera. |
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| This is the Nikkormat Ft. Rugged, but not as nice as similar Minolta and German cameras of the same era. |
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| Carina 2 before getting a ZEP bath |
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| Carina 2 after its bath |
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| Linkages after all the white grime was washed away |
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| Easy to see why 35mm took the place of medium format cameras for many photographers. |
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| I also cleaned all the lenses for the enlarger. |
Good to hear from you, Bill. Sounds like you've been keeping busy. Nice Mamiya, too. Looks what, mid 1960s?
ReplyDeleteI've been told these are from the late 60s. There were some completely black ones that looked much nicer that were made later than these. I've never been able to find accurate manufacturing dates for either series.
DeleteInteresting post. When my daughter was in college (majoring in photography at the time) and working for the Pier 1 photo studio, she bought a Mamiya from one of the professional photographers there. It was her prized possession for years and years.
ReplyDeleteMamiya made some great med. format SLR cameras. The RB67-Pro was absolutely fantastic, but expensive. The slightly lighter RZ67 is also excellent and a bit lighter although it lacks some functions of the RB.
DeleteThat Mamiya looks like a very well built camera. Ha ha - I suffered through a few Nikkormats. But the lenses were great - I loved my 85mm f/1.8. Mamiya wise, I also loved my c330f. You are tempting me to haul it out.
ReplyDeleteLens functionality is what I like about Nikon. Any lens will fit any camera. Not all couple to the older metering mechanics, but unlike all the other companies that went to cheaper quality more expensive for the consumer motorized lenses Nikon stuck by their lenses. I used and sold many Minolta cameras and when Minolta switched lens design I changed to Nikon 35mm.
DeleteThe C330F was a workhorse of a camera too. Unlike my cheap Yashicamat 124G the C330F had a nice front bellows extension if I remember. I no longer have the 124G. I never took to the TLR like I did rangefinders and SLRs.
Ohhhhhh Now that's a great camera. All of the Mamiya gear is top-rate.
ReplyDeleteI find Mamiya greatly under rated. They are really good cameras and lenses.
DeleteI really enjoy these camera posts! That Mamiya looks like one tough camera.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like them. I never know how deeply to go into the details of the cameras or accessories.
DeleteFor medium format these are great. I have some smaller medium format, but they loose some of the functionality.
Now there's a heck of a camera! I'd love to play with one, but I doubt the consumables can be had as cheaply as the more common 35mm. /:
ReplyDeleteStill, one heck of a nice-looking soul snatcher! :D
All depends on where you buy. 120 roll film costs about as much as 35mm one roll at a time, 220 is about twice as much. Then there are only 12 6 x 6, 10, 6 x 7, and 8, 6 x 9 frames per roll; twice as many with 220. Looking at the number of exposures the costs are generally 2 to 3 times that of shooting 35mm.
DeleteThe cameras are quite plentiful on the used market and way over priced on Epay. Lenses though are a different story and many times the view finders are not available for them making sharp focus a problem unless shooting landscapes.
I really like the Super 23. That's the biggest reason I never spent the money for the RB67-ProS or RZ67. I can do all but 645 with this one and I have a Bronica for 645 format.
That Mamiya gear is gorgeous! It almost makes me want to shoot film. The closest I will come to it is using a 35mm format Mamiya 50mm f1.4 fitted to the Sony A7. I love the rendering of that particular lens.
ReplyDeleteThat's a scary looking Mamiya. Like you say, you can see why 35mm took off - even so the Nikkormats aren't exactly 'lightweight'.
ReplyDeleteI should weigh both cameras as I believe the Nikkormat weighs the same as the Super 23.
DeleteThanks Bill. Now I am interested in a Mamiya 23. Maybe one can join the Minolta SRT-102 I just picked up! Also, thanks to your blog, I have typed a few of my test at the high school using Word's Courier New font to simulate the look of a typewriter, at least a little. The kids were confused. Have a great evening!
ReplyDeleteThe mighty SRT-102. I still have the one I bought for my college photography classes. Still going strong after surviving 25 years in the fire service and more.
DeleteComputer generated typewriter fonts are fun.
Every time I read your posts Bill I just know you would absolutely love the camera market that we have here in Perth three times a year.. So many wonderful old cameras and 'stuff '.. I've picked up some beauties there.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun place. I'd have more cameras than typewriters! Maybe I should count the ones I have. I know I have few dozen.
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