Mamiya super 23?

[3js]

Hi,

Just bougth a Mamiya super 23 with two lenses, a 65 and a 100. But when I checked the shutter of the 65, I found out that when I set it to B and to 6.3 I can still see the leaves, actually quite big part of them. Is this normal?

 

[Michiel Fokkema]

Hi,

Mine did the same.
Congratulations on the 100,. That is a superb lens.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema

 

[oftheherd]

Congratulations on the purchase of the Mamiya Super Press 23. That is a really good camera system to have. I have had one for over 30 years. Wait until you see the size of the negatives if your aren't accustomed to 6x7.

 

[HSI]

The 65/6.3 has a stopper built into the lens that stops you from going to the lens's true speed of around f4. Mamiya thought that the lens was too soft wide open and classified it a f6.3 to avoid the embarrassment of a soft lens.

 

[3js]

Thanks, your answers solved it, nothing wrong with the lens. But more questions. If I do full tilt with the back, how much DOF I gain? Can I tilt the back with all lenses?

 

[Doug]

Back tilts don't require larger coverage circle from the lens, so the answer would be yes. As to DoF and the plane of focus, Google "Sheimpflug Rule"...

 

[oftheherd]

Back tilts don't require larger coverage circle from the lens, so the answer would be yes. As to DoF and the plane of focus, Google "Sheimpflug Rule"...

A typo there, it should be Scheimpflug. 😉

You might want to try http://www.trenholm.org/hmmerk/#news and the various links for interesting information.

You may also be interested in the Butkus site at http://mikebutkus.com/chinon/mamiya/mamiya_press_super_23/mamiya_press_super_23.htm which will give you a user's manual of the Super Press 23. If you check page 33 in the 2nd portion of the manual the Butkus site, it explains about back movements.

 

[monemmer]

To give an example of what you can do with back-tilting a Mamiya 23, here is a link to a picture I took recently with my newly acquired Mamiya 23 with 90mm lens:

http://flickr.com/photos/wakingsky/2595769451/

It is quite a pain to set up a shot like this with this system, actually, as it is not very easy to change the back tilt in very small increments, and you'll definitely need a loupe of some sort to inspect the focus on the ground glass. I imagine that outside some sort of dark blanket might be very useful, also.

If anybody here has some advice on how to light proof a Mamiya 23 film back, I'd like to hear it. I have had the thing disassembled and replaced all the seals. In very bright sunlight frames still get fogged all over, not just in a pin-hole fashion. My guess is that I need to re-do the seals inside the back that seal the gap where the dark slide goes in. Is there anything I might have missed?

Have fun with your new camera!
- Markus

 

[oftheherd]

I have always pointed out how the Super Press 23 has the advantage of the bellows back. I don't think I have ever used them though. Thanks for showing that. I am so comforted to know I can now read the news papers with mine. 😀 😀 😀

Seriously, that is a neat photo showing what it will do when needed.