Graflex Norita 66 w/ Noritar 80mm f/2 lens: info and pics please

filmfan

filmfan

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Hello,
I have noticed some very beautiful images created by the (relatively inexpensive) Graflex Norita 66 with the Noritar 80mm f/2 lens. In 6x6 medium format, this f/2 max aperture looks very much like a noctilux shot wide open at f/1.0.
Anyways, I am having trouble finding information about this lens/camera. Can anyone verse me on this stuff?
Also, if you have any photos taken with it, I would LOVE to see them as I also have had trouble finding very many online.
THANKS.

-Sam
 
Unfortunately they are not inexpensive and not common. They show up for sale on eBay a few times per year. There was one recently that sold for around $400 if I recall correctly, and it was broken. There is one right now claimed to be in good condition that is bidding at the moment at $920 with a day to go:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Graflex-Norita-...419?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cb2223a8b

The non 80mm lenses also appear for sale even less frequently and they are also expensive. I've heard they are good user MF cameras, but I've not had the pleasure of owning one myself. There are certainly more reasonably priced and accessible alternatives for use however.

The good news is that if you do buy one it will probably hold its value (and more). Be sure to tell us about it too!
 
I believe Neare has one, as well has P. Lynn Miller. I'd love to try one - I can't imagine how awesome it would be using such a fast lens on a medium format camera.
 
The camera is the big sister to the nikon f (designed by the same person)

It is effectively the medium format noctilux as it is the fastest lens you can get in MF. Although mamiya has their f1.9, that is for 6x4.5. I remember a bit of math showing that norita's 80mm took in 1.7x as much light as the mamiya's.

Not bad for a lens made in the 70's. The f2 for 6x6 was finally done again by rollei for their 6000 series. Though the lens is extremely rare and will cost you quite a bit more. Hassy has their 110mm f2 for the 200x series too.

I've been looking at the prices, they've been going up a lot lately. Well, when I bought mine they were going for around half the price of what they do today. You'll be looking at around $600 for one that is in very good condition.
Some accessories like the waist level finder command collector prices though.

It's a cool camera, my favorite 6x6 SLR. Only niggle I have is that it doesn't have a mirror-up lock. So even though it's got a nice f2 lens, shooting at night requires some very steady hands.

Ebay is your best bet for buying them. And Ross Yerkes in the US is the best to repair them apparently :D

http://www.flickr.com/groups/noritacouncil/

^ Its group :)

Also, just give it a general search in flickr. There are a few great Japanese photographers using them.

The lens is single coated though, hope you like flare!

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Yeah ok.. I stop now.
You'll find much better shots on flickr rather than what I'm capable of :angel:
 
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I've never seen a Norita 66 in person, only in pictures, but it looks great to me since most other 6x6 or 6x7 cameras are either rangefinders or square-box SLRs like the Hasselblads, Bronicas, etc. I bet it would be great for hand to hand combat, and a man-sized camera too, not something light and dainty like an F or F2 :)::eek:. . Why don't you try it and let us know how you like it? This place has a couple of Noritas for sale: http://www.colescameras.com/miscmedium.htm
 
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Actually, my understanding is that the Norita was designed by the designer of the Canon F-1 (note the similarity in the breech-lock lens mount) & is more often seen as a precursor to the Pentax 67.

Anyway, regardless of its ancestry, I have a couple bodies & most of the lenses except for the 240 & 75. The 80/2 is definitely the best bargain in superfast glass in the medium format world, which is why the Norita is such a cult camera. The 40/4 is also a nice lens. I haven't found the single-coated lenses to be particularly flare-prone, but I'm used to vintage glass. Also, Norita did introduce some multicoated lenses just before they stopped making the 66, but they're rare & hard to find. Sample shots from me:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/furcafe/tags/noritakogakugraflexnorita66c197073/

As others have written, it handles like a gigantic 35mm SLR & doesn't strike me as particularly unreliable. I think the main problem would be finding replacement parts in the event of a serious breakdown. Ross Yerkes did a fine job repairing/CLAing my 1st body, but be warned: he evidently has rather extreme religious/political views & included a tract w/my camera. If that scares you away from Mr. Yerkes, & in all fairness, he fixed my camera 5 years ago & may have given up the practice, I'm confident that Essex, Ken Ruth, & other repairpersons are capable of working on the Norita.

Neare said:
The camera is the big sister to the nikon f (designed by the same person)

It is effectively the medium format noctilux as it is the fastest lens you can get in MF. Although mamiya has their f1.9, that is for 6x4.5. I remember a bit of math showing that norita's 80mm took in 1.7x as much light as the mamiya's.

Not bad for a lens made in the 70's. The f2 for 6x6 was finally done again by rollei for their 6000 series. Though the lens is extremely rare and will cost you quite a bit more. Hassy has their 110mm f2 for the 200x series too.

I've been looking at the prices, they've been going up a lot lately. Well, when I bought mine they were going for around half the price of what they do today. You'll be looking at around $600 for one that is in very good condition.
Some accessories like the waist level finder command collector prices though.

It's a cool camera, my favorite 6x6 SLR. Only niggle I have is that it doesn't have a mirror-up lock. So even though it's got a nice f2 lens, shooting at night requires some very steady hands.

Ebay is your best bet for buying them. And Ross Yerkes in the US is the best to repair them apparently :D

http://www.flickr.com/groups/noritacouncil/

^ Its group :)

Also, just give it a general search in flickr. There are a few great Japanese photographers using them.

The lens is single coated though, hope you like flare!
Click to expand...
 
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Neare said:
The camera is the big sister to the nikon f (designed by the same person)
Click to expand...

This is actually incorrect (I think...)
I just did some research and it was designed by the Canon F-1 guy and Pentax bought the general design for their 6x7 after Norita went under.
You do however have some great photos taken with the camera!
 
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filmfan said:
This is actually incorrect.
I just did some research and it was designed by the Canon F-1 guy and Pentax bought the general design for their 6x7 after Norita went under.
You do however have some great photos taken with the camera!
Click to expand...


I've heard the Canon f-1 story lots, I've also heard the Nikon f story lots and since there is no Norita company left to confirm it, it's just guess work on everybody's behalf.

Btw your Pentax theory doesn't work because the 6x7 was designed before the Norita was. The Norita was actually based on the Pentacon 6, but styled like the 6x7 which was becoming very popular.
Anyway the Norita companies roots are with Tokyo Kogaku (or Topcon in the US).

Thanks for the compliments! :D
 
Neare said:
I've heard the Canon f-1 story lots, I've also heard the Nikon f story lots and since there is no Norita company left to confirm it, it's just guess work on everybody's behalf.

Btw your Pentax theory doesn't work because the 6x7 was designed before the Norita was. The Norita was actually based on the Pentacon 6, but styled like the 6x7 which was becoming very popular.
Anyway the Norita companies roots are with Tokyo Kogaku (or Topcon in the US).

Thanks for the compliments! :D
Click to expand...

Well, I guess I will just blame that on my sources...;)
God, the internet is FULL of unreliable information.
 
I heard it was the guy who designed the Yugo. But of course I'm making that up. That was a lovely little piece of automotive history.
 
The Pentax 6x7 (with an innovative electronically controlled shutter) was first sold in 1969. There's a short bit about the Norita at Camerapedia http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Norita_66 in which it appears the Rittreck, the "ur Norita", was available the previous year. But the updated camera was initially sold under the Norita name from 1971. So the Rittreck/Norita and the Pentax 6x7 were roughly contemporaneous.
 
I remember running a couple of rolls of film through a demo Norita 66 at an area camera store sometime in the mid 1970's. I didn't really like the ergonomics of it for a 6x6, so actually bought a Kowa Super 66 (soon replaced by a Rolleiflex because the Super 66 kept breaking). Good image quality for the very limited couple of rolls I put through it.
 
When I saw the first Yugo, I knew they were in trouble. Putting the spare tire on top of the engine didn't seem like a good idea. :)

The Nikon F3, however, was a great design.
 
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