A Mamiya Universal rises from the dead

Gordon Coale

Gordon Coale

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The shutter on the 100/3.5 locked up about a year and a half ago. The big Mamiya was put aside. A couple of months ago I picked it up and the shutter fired! A miracle! A self-repairing shutter. But the shutter leaves would open slightly when the shutter was cocked. Last week I spent some time excercising the shutter and it works fine now. The black one is a Mamiya Super 23 with a 65/6.3 (28mm equivalent). It had a bad rangefinder (I bought it for the 100/3.5) so I removed the rangefinder and made it a scale focus street camera. The Super 23 also has a bellows back and I have a ground glass back to make it a mini semi-view camera. I made a couple of macro studio diffusion boxes so I had to test them out. They need some tweaking but the light is not bad.
 

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Gordon Coale said:
BillBingham2 -- Thanks.

I forgot to mention, for those that are not familiar with the big Mamiyas, the back takes 6x9cm negatives (2 1/4" x 3 1/4" for the metric challenged.) There are also 6x7 and 6x6 backs available.
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The 6x9/6x6 also had masks and windows for 645. I don't know whether to aplaud you efforts with the 23 or cry. 😀

Actually, good job. I have two Super Press 23's I bought for parts or the lenses myself. Maybe I need to follow your example. Glad your Universal's 65mm decided to work. I have the 50mm, 65mm, 100 f/3.5, and a 150mm. Still looking for a 250mm I can afford. My 65mm's shutter decided to go south, and no idication it wants to resurect itself. I intend to send it off. It is a very useful lens.

Those mamiyas are great, aren't they?
 
The flat topped Super 23 has gone through some permutations. The body was acting as a rear lens cap for a very nice 100/3.5 I needed. The rangefinder was broken limiting the usefulness of the body. I was inspired by a similar conversion. So off came the rangefinder and then off to a local machinist. I eventually bought the 65/6.3 and planned on making this a street camera in the style of Dr. Erich Salomon and his Ermanox.

I used it a little bit but I didn't have a suitable printer. Taking pictures for the web was more than a little overkill for a 6x9 negative. I did get one picture I really liked. About that time the 100/3.5 shutter locked up and I needed a better solution for the product photography I was using it for and ended up with a Salut-S which brought me into the joys of square.

The Mamiyas got put aside. But you can't keep a good camera down. Next Wednesday I pick up an Epson 3800 which will let me print 16x24. Those big negatives will finally be able to show their stuff. I hear Ilford Delta 3200 looks real nice in 120. Shotting it at 1600 will let me stop down for lots of depth of field with a scale focus camera. The Mamiya lens has a very nice hyoperfocal scale.
 
I have a Mamiya Super 23 with two roll film backs, cut film back with six holders, 50mm, 90mm & 250mm lenses. Also a few other accessories. I really like it. Big negative, lots of flexibility. Drawbacks are that it's big and heavy, and everything is manual. Remember to pull the dark slide, advance the film cock the shutter etc., or you screw up.
My kind of camera. (OK, so I like manual tune radios, manual transmission cars, lead pencils, blade razors ....) 😎
 
bsdunek said:
I have a Mamiya Super 23 with two roll film backs, cut film back with six holders, 50mm, 90mm & 250mm lenses. Also a few other accessories. I really like it. Big negative, lots of flexibility. Drawbacks are that it's big and heavy, and everything is manual. Remember to pull the dark slide, advance the film cock the shutter etc., or you screw up.
My kind of camera. (OK, so I like manual tune radios, manual transmission cars, lead pencils, blade razors ....) 😎
Click to expand...

The dark slide? What's that? Oh yeaah, that's why my negatives were blank. 😀

It is a little heavy, but doesn't seem all that more heavy than my Rolleiflex. Esspecially with a wide strap. Maybe I have just gotten used to it.
 
Roger Hicks said:
No... The Mamiya Press was always... UNDEAD!

(I have a 600SE with 75 + 127 lenses and roll-film back adapters)

Cheers,

Roger
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Nice to see you back, sir.

Do you prefer those lenses, or do the regular lenses just not fit? I forget if they were interchangable or not. Somehow I seem to remember there was a coverage issue?
 
There is something beautiful about MF negatives and slides. I still have a 6x6 projector in the garage but with the advent of scanning and digital projectors I think it might be headed to anyone who wants it.

I was looking for a roll film back for my Crown Graphic but decided to pass as I think 4x5 film will be around longer than 120 (;-<<<<<.

B2 (;->
 
oftheherd said:
Nice to see you back, sir.

Do you prefer those lenses, or do the regular lenses just not fit? I forget if they were interchangable or not. Somehow I seem to remember there was a coverage issue?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome back.

As far as I am aware, they don't fit -- probably, indeed, because of coverage issues.

Cheers,

Roger
 
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