Mamiya six - war production

[sanmich]

Hi all

I have the possibility to buy a Mamiya six, war production, with a Zuiko lens.
I think it is a II or a III.
Can you please share your experience with the camera?
Were all the lenses coated or did the earlier left the factory uncoated?
How is the lens?

And finally, the grand finale question: is 75$ a fair price ?

Thanks

Michael

 

[hans voralberg]

I have no clue on the common going price, but $75 sounds fair to me 😉

 

[Ernst Dinkla]

Hi all

I have the possibility to buy a Mamiya six, war production, with a Zuiko lens.
I think it is a II or a III.
Can you please share your experience with the camera?
Were all the lenses coated or did the earlier left the factory uncoated?
How is the lens?

And finally, the grand finale question: is 75$ a fair price ?

Thanks

Michael

I don't think lens coating was done outside Germany (Zeiss, Smakula) and the USA (Kodak, GE, soft coats) before and during WWII but I'm eager to learn I'm wrong on that.


Ernst Dinkla

 

[chippy]

Have you got a picture, with a zuiko lens it sounds like it may be a later model...after c1947 i thought they started using those.

$75 is bargin price, be sure it has its film pressure plate

 

[P C Headland]

They're nice cameras, and if it is complete and working, that is a good price.

I've got a "pre-war" version, probably amongst the last made before the Japanese entry into WWII. Mine has the fabulously named "Neocon" lens, which has a slight bias to the right 😀

 

[Mackinaw]

I picked up one several year's back for $40.00. Best I can tell, mine was built in the mid-1950s'. Good cameras, capable of taking excellent pics. From what I've read, the Zuiko is a triplet design and is good even wide open. Operationally, the only bad thing about mine is that the advance doesn't stop at the next frame while advancing the film. This is easily remedied by using the "little red window" and stopping at the next number while turning the film dial. I love this cameras pocketability and usually always take it with me. As Chippy says, make sure it has the removable pressure plate.

Jim B.

 

[sanmich]

How is the lens?

Is it different on the early ones than on the laters? (Sure it's a triplet??)
How would it compare to the best available lenses on folders of this era (Tessars)?

I'm adding a picture of the lady. Serial is in the 27200.

 

[Mackinaw]

Oops, I met to say that the lens is a tessar-design. I'll post a few scans later on today, but I'm more than satisfied with the quality.

I believe mine has a serial number in the 47,000 range, I'll check when I get back home.

Here's a link to the Mamiya history webpage:

http://www.mamiya.com/about-us-about-mamiya-40s-50s.html

Jim B.

 

[Mackinaw]

The serial number to my Mamiya 6 is 43298. Here are two pics.

Jim B.

 

[historicist]

$75 is so far under the normal price (at least in Europe) that even if you don't like it you will almost certainly make a profit if you sell it.

 

[kuzano]

Have had a few of these....

Have had a few of these....

Unless you've held this one, you may be surprised by the weight and size compared to 6X6 of the era. Built like a tank.
The focusing being done by the rear film platen makes for Great film flatness plus A superbly strong front standard. No front cell focusing. True focus movement using an excellent rangefinder mechanism.

The lens is sharp and contrasty

Bellows seem to stand up well to the years.

The auto models with film counter and film stop and double exposure prevention are weak in that area. It's a very complex system. I stripped out the film counting and stop mechanism on the three that had it. It didn't work right on any of them. Countless gears and springs on that particular mechanism.

You can still maintain the double exposure prevention, plus you can over ride it by manually cocking the shutter on those models with DE prevention.

My current model is one of the last produced. It was dropped on the wind-on knob, which spelled doom for the film count/stop mechanism. So I now use it with the ruby window for advance, and with double exposure prevention. It has the last model Zuiko 75, with a very sleak Seiko shutter.

Gets left home a lot because of it's weight, but for superior images, it does get used, when I am feeling a bit square.

On that history list the one I now have is the Mamiya-6 Automat with auto shutter cocking also. I've seen this model sell for prices between $300 and $500 on eBay in decent to excellent condition.

 

[chippy]

I am not very familar with these Mamiya (i am more into vintage German and antique english camera until Japanese SLr of the 70's), Michael, although they are interesting cameras.

anyway, a Zuiko lens design was first made by some Japanese bloke in 1935 and was based on the Tessar design. only from memory so the details are hazy, but this was the beginings and foundation of Olympus and all his lens were called Zuiko. i cant read your lens on my screen because of flare in the photo..but does it say Nescon-zuiko?

if it is, i dont think the Nescon 3.5 75mm was a tessar design, perhaps someone else will know for sure but i thought pretty much they are triplets. Lens with just zuiko or early olympus zuiko C (as used on later model folding Mamiya 6) i believe were tessar design.

also yours seems curious in that it has the external sync housing over the top of the lens as used on the pre-1947-48 models but the shutter also has a sync post in it! added later or perhaps lens shutter swapped at some time! from your photo it would appear your have a early post war Mamiya Six III

 

[sanmich]

Thanks folks, lots of good advice here.
Now I just need to buy it...😉

 

[NZBOY]

Hi I have just bought a Mamiya Six V and am looking for instructions so that I can get the best out of it.

Incidently how did the Mamiya Six for $75 turn out?

Thanks

 

[viablex1]

what type of cable release works with this camera....a conventional release doesn't seem to fit..

 

[viablex1]

How is the lens?

Is it different on the early ones than on the laters? (Sure it's a triplet??)
How would it compare to the best available lenses on folders of this era (Tessars)?

I'm adding a picture of the lady. Serial is in the 27200.

I have one like this what type of cable release does it take!!!

 

[Eastwestphoto]

Hi all

I have the possibility to buy a Mamiya six, war production, with a Zuiko lens.
I think it is a II or a III.
Can you please share your experience with the camera?
Were all the lenses coated or did the earlier left the factory uncoated?
How is the lens?

And finally, the grand finale question: is 75$ a fair price ?

Thanks

Michael

No Mamiya Six model lll was ever fitted with a Zuiko lens. They are the Post war model Six lll's of 1946, when they were still using WW2 parts. yes $75.00 is fair, BUT Rangefinder must work, shutter must work and the back focus mechanism inside must close at infinity and lift up in a linear fashion on BOTH sides for 1meter.. Servicing is highly recommended. The Zuiko is a very good four element lens. Only the Sola Special by KOL was four elements, all the vast majority were three element anastigmats!, Don@eastwestphoto

 

[oftheherd]

No Mamiya Six model lll was ever fitted with a Zuiko lens. They are the Post war model Six lll's of 1946, when they were still using WW2 parts. yes $75.00 is fair, BUT Rangefinder must work, shutter must work and the back focus mechanism inside must close at infinity and lift up in a linear fashion on BOTH sides for 1meter.. Servicing is highly recommended. The Zuiko is a very good four element lens. Only the Sola Special by KOL was four elements, all the vast majority were three element anastigmats!, Don@eastwestphoto

All the comments on the rangefinder mechanism inside the camera are exactly correct. Many for sale are missing not only the back plate, but also the springs that hold the film plane in place, or aid in moving it. They look like this:

if you have a template, they are not hard to fabricate. Oh, you need the right size wire also.