Godzilla Super 23

[jbielikowski]

Soooo, after some searching for ultimate 6x7 I found (not so) nice Mamiya Super 23. As you see on the left its bigger than me.
After small overhaul its working ok. But that doesnt matter, its an absolute apparatus, only 4x5 press cameras could deal with her. After all, its quite quiet so its perfect street machine.
Long focus throw is bit pita, but its very accurate, as you can see below

 

[olleorama]

I also recently got one. Gonna buy the ground glass soon I figure. I have only deved two rolls HP5, waiting for my superia to come back from the lab. My comparison between the beast and a fixed-lens rf:

 

[David Murphy]

Nice looking cameras, sharp colorful images too!

 

[oftheherd]

jbielikowski - Glad you got your Press 23 fixed. It is big, but then to accomadate the RF, frame lines, bellows back, breechlock mount, and S-back, I guess it needs to be. But it is a sweet performer as you have found out. I look forward to seeing more of your photos with it. Funny, although the shutters do tend to be quiet comparatively, I never thought of it as a street camera due to its size.

olleorama - I like the lens cap. I might try that myself, well, not. The ground glass is necessary for use of the bellows back, and for closeups if you get the extension tubes. Other than that, you need the cut film holders which are getting a little harder to find these days. Was the former what you had in mind for it? Not many people use the extension tubes, but closeups with that big negative are a treat.

 

[olleorama]

jbielikowski - Glad you got your Press 23 fixed. It is big, but then to accomadate the RF, frame lines, bellows back, breechlock mount, and S-back, I guess it needs to be. But it is a sweet performer as you have found out. I look forward to seeing more of your photos with it. Funny, although the shutters do tend to be quiet comparatively, I never thought of it as a street camera due to its size.

olleorama - I like the lens cap. I might try that myself, well, not. The ground glass is necessary for use of the bellows back, and for closeups if you get the extension tubes. Other than that, you need the cut film holders which are getting a little harder to find these days. Was the former what you had in mind for it? Not many people use the extension tubes, but closeups with that big negative are a treat.

I plan on using the ground glass mainly for the bellows, I shoot 4x5" occasionally so I know the drill. Wanna make some portaiture for a project with little DOF. I think I will skip the cut film holders and just switch between R/F holder and ground glass attachement between shots, that's not a PITA, not at all... Have the receding/extending 100/3.5 so I can focus infinity on bellows.

As for the lens cap, it has gone from nikon to nikon and has now finally landed on the mighty super 23. Gonna buy one that actually fits soon. Without eyes. Probably.

Really longing for 6x7 again (sold my RB outfit a few months ago), so I'll have to buy a back for that too. 6x9 eats away at a 120 in an alarming pace. Nice to be able to contact print 6x9s thought. Put behind a huge mount in a huge frame it makes a nice artsy package. Plus it makes the observer go really close which is funny to observe.

 

[Frank Petronio]

I recently got a beater Polaroid 600 (based on the Mamiya Press) and it is larger and heavier than my 4x5 Crown Graphic! Nice robust camera but hardly subtle, it feels like it was made by Makita or DeWalt, not a camera company ;-)

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

I did a little searching for the "ultimate" 6x9 and wound up with Mamiya Press. Mine's a Universal.

Gotta love 6x9, the big hefty feel, the great rangefinder, the bokeh of an f/2.8 lens, the coverage of 100mm in this format (it's equiv to 42 mm in 35mm), fills the frame on a Polaroid. Not exactly a carry-everywhere camera. Builds muscle.

 

[nikon_sam]

I don't have any real plans to buy one of these but they do look interesting and watching ebay the prices aren't too bad...
If the lenses are of decent quality that's a pretty good size neg to play with...
I can shoot 6x7 with a roll film holder in my 4x5..and I've been playing with a Kodak Ektar and B&L Tessar...alas it's not as portable as the Mamiya...
Show us more please...

 

[besk]

I chose the Universal because I was looking for a 6X9 camera that had a combined Vewfinder/rangefinder and a Graflok back. The Mamiya press cameras seemed to be the best choice. And I purchased my first one in July.

Have the 100/3.5, 65/6.3 and 50/5.6 lenses.

 

[jbielikowski]

Ground glass in on the way, shutter is nice'n'clean, so soon I should have some better-than-test-shots. Now some porn, Panda-Godzilla Super 23.

 

[oftheherd]

Nice looking camera. What did you intend doing with the GG back? Just close focusing or are you going to try cut film?

 

[jbielikowski]

It works! with roll back its bit pita when u have to switch it in -10C...

oh, and another pita thing I discovered: when using RF I have to focus with the center of the dot, its so big that left and right side behave different.

 

[mooge]

Awesome!