mamiya press 6x9 camera

[treehggr]

any members shoot with Mamiya press super 23? I'm a new member and unsure if this is the place to ask.

 

[charjohncarter]

I use one; I have a 65mm f6.3, and a 100mm f3.5. I find it a great camera (RF), it is heavy and big. But you get great images. It also has the advantage or complete flash synch. Here are photos from each of my lenses:

Mamiya Super 23 by John Carter, on Flickr

TMY-2 Rodinal 1+50 by John Carter, on Flickr

 

[treehggr]

very nice. I also shoot b&w. adid you use bellows in your interior shot? Question: The back I got from the camera when I purchased it, ruined its first roll of film. The numbers in the window wouldn't index.Just stayed on :S: Think I fed it wrong? Thanks

 

[charjohncarter]

I know, I have everything I have to do taped to the camera: focus, meter, wind, etc and my favorite forget remove the darkslide. But this is a great camera with so many pluses that I can put up with the weight and the size. I don't use the bellow feature much, mostly just messing around.

Arista EDU ultra 100 Arista Liquid Developer by John Carter, on Flickr

I'm surprised that there haven't been more comments (posts) on this camera. After all it is a RF, and has a 2:3 format. (??????)

 

[oftheherd]

There have been a number of threads on the Mamiya Unversal and Super Press 23. But I don't think that many RFF members own them. They are a bit heavy, and never were cheap. But they are great cameras, and system cameras as well. I have found their lenses very good as well.

Try a search on the Universal or the Super Press 23. If that doesn't answer your questions, come back here and ask them. I and others will be happy to try and answer them.

 

[graywolf]

Over the years there has been 3 basic variations of the camera with several sub-variations.

The Press had a simple RF/'Viewfinder & the 90mm/3.5 lens was standard. It came set up for Mamiya Press backs or Graflock (Mamiya RB70 holders) backs.

The Super had a swing/tilt back set up for either the Mamiya or Graflock backs. Standard was the 100/3.5 collapsable lens, needed to use the back movements.

The Universal had interchangable backs. You could use Mamiya, Graflock, or the Polaroid backs. Standard were the 100/3.5, or the 127/4.7 (Polaroid) lens.

Both the Super and the Universal had bright line viewfinder frames for the 65mm, 100mm, and 150mm lenses (ala Leica M3), the Press used interchangable masks.

My preference was always the Universal, on which I used 6x7, 6x9, and Polaroid backs. The first one had the 100/3.5 lens, the second the 100/2.8. Never had any other lenses. Both were sold do to illnesses --funny, how one thinks paying hospital bills is more important than their camera. I would have replaced them again if life had put one in front of me at a reasonable price when I had the money in my pocket, but it did not. I would say the Universal was my favorite (and most money making) cameras, while I think my Crown Graphic, with flashbulbs, has been the most fun camera.

 

[ColSebastianMoran]

I have one. Don't use it; too big and heavy. Some great lenses.

 

[dshfoto]

Used one in the 90's for a while. Alas I sold it, but recently got another with Graflex back.

 

[JChrome]

I have a universal and use it every day (seriously). I removed the handle for weight savings and have a project where I shoot FP3000b everyday. I really like the camera but it's on the heavier side.


www.stillthrill.com

 

[treehggr]

Yes,Ishho the press super23. Great camera. Where are you located? Shoot anything else?

 

[sevo]

Have one, and a Mamiya Press Universal 23 as well (that said, I should really part with one of them - there is no point in a two camera rig with cameras that huge and heavy). Excellent camera with some great lenses.

 

[Spanik]

Have a Standard 23 that came with a full set of 65/90/150, 2 6x9 backs (that also do 6x6 and 6x4.5 if you have the masks) and sheet holders with ground glass. It's the camera that made me the most shots of the backside of a darkslide. A bit a chore to use with all the different points that need to be attended before you can take a shot. Probably you can get used to it but if you only use it occasionally then it can be hard to keep to the sequence.

I like the output but there is a light leak in mine somewhere and I cannot find it. So until I get that sorted out little to say about the quality.

 

[rybolt]

I've owned either Universal's or Super 23's for the past 45 years. I'm pretty sure that there has never been a time when I didn't own one or the other of them. To me, they were always used as a tripod camera. I currently have the last version of the Super 23 with the f3.5 lens. The favorite lens was always the 50mm but they're a little tough to find. The 100mm f2.8 lens is also not common and a good lens.

 

[JChrome]

Is anyone aware of the coating of the lenses? Are any of them multi coated? The 100 2.8 and 75 have that multi coated 'glare' but I haven't been able to come up with any info


www.stillthrill.com

 

[sevo]

Is anyone aware of the coating of the lenses? Are any of them multi coated? The 100 2.8 and 75 have that multi coated 'glare' but I haven't been able to come up with any info

The last, rigid barrel Mamiya Press 105mm f/3.5, with aluminium/rubber barrel is multi-coated. All other lenses are supposed to be single-coated.

 

[Hogarth Ferguson]

I'm in awe of people who use this huge camera. I could never do it.

 

[bsdunek]

I love my Super 23. Use 50, 100 & 250mm lenses, several backs and other accessories. Yes, it's kind of big and heavy, but it's qualities out weigh that. Besides, I don't have to work out as much if I haul my Super 23 system and a big tripod around for a day.
I also made a pin hole body cap which works well. It's designed for 100mm.
When I was doing weddings, I occasionally forgot to pull the dark slide. Fortunately, I recovered before losing any shots.

 

[elmarman]

I got my Mamiya Press Super 23 in 1968 -- it was a toss-up between that or the Koni=Omega Rapid that a local wedding photographer used but the Mamiya had NO British 'Purchase Tax' @ 60% on it so I bought an outfit with 65, 100 amd 150mm lenses, two 6x7 backs and one 6x9 back, all for about £300-00 .I used it for Weddings for many years and some local Press work when the local newspaper went Web-offset and could use COLOUR but would allow only 'Medium Format' NO 35mm allowed ! I do not use it much now. I will upload a couple of scans of old Press Super 23 to the gallery.

 

[rybolt]

My favorite camera of all time. I used one as a mini view camera for many years and still use a Super 23 that way. I'm just preparing to list a Universal outfit in the Classifieds section that belonged to an old friend who felt the same as I did about the cameras.

 

[Kenj8246]

I would love to show you some of the gorgeous shots I made without removing the dark slide. 🙁 Alas, I'll have to show one I remembered to remove the slide for.

Hill County courthouse, Hillsboro TX. by Kenny Johnson, on Flickr

This with the 100mm f3.5 and Tmax 100 film. I love mine but don't shoot it often enough. In addition to the cut sheet back and GG, I also have a 6X7 and 6X9 back for it.

Kenny