They are good camera's, but
They are good camera's, but
Are the press cameras no good, then? I keep seeing contradicting information about the lenses and it's making me wonder if buying one was the right choice.
The down side of the Mamiya Press camera's for me was that they are too much like shooting large format. No real mechanical interlinks in the camera. Every function of the camera must be individually set or charged. Hence if I want to do that much work, I'll shoot large format.
Now, that's one of the both good and bad things... can't be shot fast, which means shoot slow and take time to set up the shot. Good, Bad, Good.
The glass... some of the best on the planet. Mamiya Sekor. In fact, the reputation of the 2.8 lens is a contradiction because the 100 3.5 is so good to start with.
I shot a Super 23 and a Universal for a long time, and loved them. However, I can't open the back up enough for 6x12.
If I do have another complaint, it is that the system itself is far too versatile. So many backs and lenses and other accessories. There is always another piece to buy. The S-curve the backs put in the film are said to be the reason that no other roll film holder can match or surpass the Mamiya backs for film flatness.
If you want to judge the system, that's up to you. However, outside the size and the work flow to get the shot set up, it's difficult to fault Mamiya Press cameras.
The other good news, is that outside a few pricey pieces, the system is, in fact a budget entry into very precise Medium Format, with a properly adjusted rangefinder.
The man I consider the Mamiya Press camera Guru is Anthony (Tony) Sansone. He can contacted through his family web site... Kreta Reserve Virgin Olive Oil. He lives in Florida, and the family Olive Oil business is on the Island of Crete.