The Mamiya Press System Cameras
The Mamiya Press System included three medium format rangefinder film cameras produced from the early 1960s to the 1980s: the original Mamiya Press, the Mamiya Super 23, and the Mamiya Universal Press.
These cameras were designed to be extremely flexible, with a wide variety of accessories and lenses available. They also had large, bright and very accurate rangefinders.
Today (2018) they are quite plentiful and reasonably priced on a certain auction site. You can get a fully functional camera and lens for around US$400. This is considerably less than other equivalent medium format systems.
The original Press and Super 23 cameras had bellows backs supporting some (tilt) movements, and supported the M-type backs. The Universal supports standard M-type (S-shaped) backs, Graflex (G-type) backs and also Polaroid peel-apart film backs. Sadly Fuji discontinued the peel-part film.
The cameras all support up to 6×9 format photography on 120 roll film.
I have collected a number of bodies and lenses to continue my journey into medium format photography. I currently have a Super 23 and a Universal, as well as the 3.5/100, 2.8/100, 5.6/75, 6.3/65, 6.3/50, 5/250 lenses.
Please see my Gallery for images produced with this system.
Mamiya Sekor Universal Press System Lenses
| Lens | Design | Type | Filter mm | Collapsible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50mm f/6.3 | 8/5 | Biogon | 72 | No |
| 65mm f/6.3 | 4/4 | Topogon | 43* | No |
| 75mm f/5.6 | 7/4 | Super-Angulon | 72 | No |
| 90mm f/3.5 | 4/3 | Tessar | 40.5* | Yes |
| 100mm f/3.5 | 4/3 | Tessar | 40.5* 55 | Yes^ |
| 100mm f/2.8 | 6/4 | Planar (Biotar) | 72 | No |
| 127mm f/4.7 | 4/3 | Tessar | 55 | No |
| 150mm f/5.6 | 4/3 | Tessar | 40.5* 55 | No |
| 250mm f/8 | 6/4 | 55 | No | |
| 250mm f/5 | 6/4 | Ernostar | 105 | No |
- * Indicates silver version
- ^ Except late “E” version
- Biogon is the name for a non-retrofocus wide angle lens which requires an exit pupil very close to the film plane
- Biotar is the East German Zeiss company’s name for the Planar (double gauss) lens in order to avoid trademark disputes during the cold war
Field of View Equivalence between 35mm and Medium Formats
| 135 | 645 | 6x6 | 6x7 | 6x8 | 6x9 | 4x5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| /1.0 | /0.6 | /0.55 | /0.5 | /0.45 | /0.4 | /0.28 |
| 15 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 32 | 35 | 55 |
| 21 | 32 | 38 | 42 | 48 | 48 | 75 |
| 28 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 100 |
| 35 | 55 | 65 | 70 | 78 | 80 | 125 |
| 45 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 95 | 100 | 160 |
| 50 | 80 | 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 | 180 |
| 70 | 105 | 120 | 140 | 145 | 150 | 250 |
| 90 | 145 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 210 | 320 |
| 110 | 175 | 200 | 220 | 240 | 250 | 300 |
| 135 | 220 | 245 | 270 | 300 | 320 | 480 |
| 200 | 320 | 365 | 400 | 450 | 465 | 700 |
System Flowchart
References
- http://lipstadt.com/noted/camera-reviews/mamiya-universal-press/
- http://www.mamiyaleaf.com/assets/files/documentation/Univeral_and_Accessories.pdf
- https://www.flickr.com/groups/3044403@N23
- https://www.flickr.com/groups/super23/
- http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Mamiya_Press
- http://www.cameramanuals.org/mamiya_pdf/mamiyapress.pdf
- http://www.mamiyaleaf.com/assets/files/documentation/Universal_Lenses_and_DOF.pdf
- http://www.meinezersaegtenkameras.de/EWistamiya%20II.html
- https://tinkeringwithcameras.blogspot.com/2015/03/mamiya-press-restoration.html
- http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/medium%20formats.html
- http://www.6×7.cz/mamiya-press-super-23/users-guide/index.html