Crush on the Mamiya Press Universal Camera System

Yes, I have a crush on the Mamiya Universal Press camera system. It’s an excellent system that can be used in multiple ways, and I thought it would be fun to describe this system in detail. I’ve reserved the first four posts for that purpose; I will add content over time.

The photos below show the camera from front and back. The first photo shows the front view with the 100mm f2.8 lens. This is a very sharp and fast lens. There's also a less expensive, slower f3.5 version. The second photo shows the camera from the rear. My camera has a "G" adapter attached that enables one use Graphlex type film holders. In this case, I'm using Mamiya RB67 film holders. On the upper right, I've attached a viewfinder extension accessory that more conveniently enables me to use these film holders. Unfortunately, these extenders are very rare. The "G" adapter will not accept Horseman nor Wista film holders. One can find diopter adjustment lens pieces for this camera that will work with and without the viewfinder extension. I hope to find a +1 for my somewhat near-sighted right eye.

Normally, one would use film holders that were specifically designed for the camera using an "M" adapter. These film holders are relatively thin, so it's unnecessary to use the viewfinder extension. Due to their design, they're also capable of holding film to be very flat. They come in 6x7 and 6x9 formats. There's also a version that can be used for both the 6x7 and 6x9 formats, as well as the 4.5x6 format. I will add a photo that shows the rear of the camera with one of these film holders attached.

As one might expect from the photos, this camera is ideal for photographing hand-held. This is a range finder camera, where one aligns the image in a small, central box to achieve accurate focus. A neat characteristic of a range-finder system, one can maintain watchfulness of the image at the instant of exposure. This isn't true for any SLR system. One can find instructions on the photo.net site for adjusting this range finder system. It's an easy enough adjustment that involves removing a couple of screws to remove the top part of the camera.

For tripod work, I have an Arca Swiss "L" bracket attached to the camera that allows me to position the camera in either landscape (shown) or portrait orientations.

MAMIYA PRESS LENSES:

Versatile, Mamiya offered a wide array of lenses that can be used with Mamiya Press cameras, and of course, that includes the Universal. I have what I believe to be the core offering of these lenses. Due to their age though, I'm not aware of any that are multi-coated. But for film, I photograph in black and white, and I regard single-coated lenses as an advantage.

A bit of a negative, Mamiya Press focusing mechanism has it's limits as to how close one can be and still obtain accurate focus. One can find tables with these limits in the Mamiya Press instruction manual.

Most Mamiya Press cameras, including the Universal, have integrated parallax corrected frame lines in the view finder. A lever just to the left of the viewfinder toggles between these frame lines for 100mm, 150mm, and the 250mm f5 lenses.

>> 100MM F2.8: This is truly an outstanding lens. Very sharp, and fast. Can offer good bokeh. (See 1st Photo above.). I think that a standard lens sold with Mamiya Press cameras was the widely available 100mm f3.5 lens.

>> 150MM F5.6: Though not known to be particularly outstanding (like the 100mm f2.8), the Mamiya Press 150mm f5.6 lenses are decent in this focal length. I have a "blue dot" version, which I think are sharper and more recent than non blu-dot versions. I know that "blue-dot" lenses were made for Mamiya twin lens cameras. (Photo soon.)

>> 250MM F5.0: This is a huge lens that integrated with the viewfinder system. It has it's own rotating cradle, which itself, can be attached a tripod or monopod. This is one of the fastest lenses available for any medium format camera. (See 1st Photo.)

There's also an f8 version in the 250 mm focal length; but, it does not integrate with the viewfinders internal framing system. Perhaps the f8 maximum aperture doesn't provide sufficient light for accurate focusing?

>> 65MM F6.8: Principle wide-field lens for the Mamiya Press system. My example of this lens was brand new in the box. (See 2nd Photo.)

>> 50MM F6.3: Another outstanding lens known for it's sharpness and rectilinear qualities, this lens was patterned after a Biogon design. (Similar to the RB56 50mm lens.) This lens is a very effective lens, when paired with a Mamiya Press camera a the 6x9 Mamiya Press film holder. The lens covers 6x9 as one would expect, and given that Mamiya Press film holders are known to hold film especially flat, this is a respected lens/camera combination for quasi-super wide photography. (Photo to follow.)

Attaching these lenses to the body is a two step process. Similar to the RB67 cameras, one attaches the lens in the correct orientation, and then twists a rim to anchor the lens to the body. This rim is easily seen in the 2nd photo below. The second step is to attach the shutter release cable. Should one need to quickly alternate between two lenses, they'd be best served by purchasing a second body. Fortunately, bodies for this camera system are inexpensive.

Ground Glass Viewing

Additional Accessories:

If you want a complete overview of the systen https://www.oddcameras.com/mamiya/mamiya_universal.htm

It is not difficult to slightly modify the camera's G back to accept Horseman holders.
I have done it on both my Universal and an older press converted to a flat-top P&S

I have the Universal system, 2 bodies along with a Press body, 4 lens, 4 backs, 6X7 and 6X9, viewfinders for the 2 wide lens. Although heavy I find it a easy system to use. Unless I need movement or want to shoot sheet film for zone, no need for a view camera, shooting Tmax 100 or 400, a 6X9 provides all the detail I need for a 11X14.

Follow you heart! Go for it!

Just bought a Super 23. My first roll was just pictures around the house to check the camera. Hope to shoot a roll of my grandkids.

A couple of those just sold at auction here for £60 each from a reputable auctioneer. I had them on my watch list but stopped myself from spending the money. I have too many cameras already. I was sooo tempted though.

Link 1

Link 2

Neil Poulsen said:

>> 250MM F5.0: This is a huge lens that integrated with the viewfinder system. It has it's own rotating cradle, which itself, can be attached a tripod or monopod. This is one of the fastest lenses available for any medium format camera. (See 1st Photo.)

There's also an f8 version in the 250 mm focal length; but, it does not integrate with the viewfinders internal framing system. Perhaps the f8 maximum aperture doesn't provide sufficient light for accurate focusing?

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A minor remark. I think Neil meant "rangefinder" not "viewfinder." For the Super 23 and Universal, there are projected framelines for the 100, 150, 250mm that are manually selected by a slider on the rear of the camera. Most of the lenses have a focusing cam on the rear that couples to a rangefinder pin near the top of the lens mount, similar to how a Leica-compatible rangefinder works.

The 250/8 is the oddball as sources including the Universal manual say that it does not couple to the rangefinder. This isn't due to the amount of light or maximum aperture, because for an RF the focusing is mechanically coupled and you don't look through the lens. I have never had a 250/8 and it is puzzling to me why Mamiya would make a telephoto that couldn't be focused with the RF. My only speculation is that the lens was intended for aerial photography and would be focused on infinity, and anybody who wanted to used it terrestrially was expected to focus with the accessory groundglass.

Weirdly, pictures of the rear of a 250/8 lens for example https://www.ebay.com/itm/266028326785 show that it does have a projection where the RF cam should be. Maybe this is just a non-moving dummy to move the RF double image out of the way.

Enough already! Just go out and buy it!

..what is the 'RB 56 50mm' lens - Biogon design???

If that's the camera you have a crush on, you'd better get your eyes checked, or ask if it has a sister whose looks won't stop a clock.

Neil Grant said:

..what is the 'RB 56 50mm' lens - Biogon design???

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A typo for RB 67 50mm lens, surely.

...whilst the 'Press' 50mm is a Biogon design, the RB 50mm is not. Maybe another typo. Should read 'retrofocus'.
The 'Press' lens catalog is stuffed full of optics with Zeiss or German ancestry:
Planar, Tessar, Super Angulon, Topogon are all there.

Am I correct that a Universal cannot expose the entire surface of a Polaroid 665/669 film pack (4 1/4 X 3 1/4) but can only expose 2 1/4 X 3 1/4? I think perhaps the Polaroid 600SE version of the Universal can expose the entire surface - true?

No, the Universal is intended to expose all of the 3.25x4.25" film pack area. (With the disclaimer that I have handled a Universal but never the Polaroid back.) The way this works is that the "M-frame" that goes between the camera and 6x9 roll holder comes off, leaving a larger-than-6x9 opening, and the Polaroid back attaches in place of the M-frame. (Or you can also attach a "G-frame" to allow using Graflex/RB67 roll holders, as in post #1 of this thread.)

The manual for the Universal explains this back switching and also gives some guidelines for estimating the field of view of the Polaroid, outside the 6x9 viewfinder brightlines. That makes it clear the Polaroid imaged area is larger than 6x9. Mamiya says that the 127mm is designed for full 3x4 coverage but some other lenses may vignette a little.

Only 127mm and 75mm lenses were designed for the Polaroid format and cover it without problems. 50mm and 65mm vignette for sure and very clearly, I don't know about the rest.

halfaman said:

Only 127mm and 75mm lenses were designed for the Polaroid format and cover it without problems. 50mm and 65mm vignette for sure and very clearly, I don't know about the rest.

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I use a adapter that allows me to use 4x5 film on my Universal. Without modification the Universal exposes approximately 4x4 on the 4x5 film. The 127mm and 75mm lenses do not vignette, while 50mm and 100mm do vignette.

Thanks, everyone. I'd read that the lenses that will not vignette with 3 1/4 X 4 1/4 film are marked "P" on the front of the lens -- allegedly for "Polaroid" which makes sense. Thanks for the tips about how the whole adapter thing works.

halfaman said:

Only 127mm and 75mm lenses were designed for the Polaroid format and cover it without problems. 50mm and 65mm vignette for sure and very clearly, I don't know about the rest.

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As far as I remember, the 150mm works fine as well. The 100mm 2.8 vignettes, whereas I have 2 100mm 3.5 lenses that don't. Obviously that's not sure for all 100mm lenses, but mine worked fine. The 65 mm vignettes for sure. My 50mm shows just a hint of dark edges.

I just received a clean 50mm/6.3 lens and finder from Japan. Once I have a camera body, this will be the THIRD time i have owned a Mamiya Press in 35 years !
I have been trying to use a 55 Grandagon on my Horseman VH camera from time to time, but it really isn't well-suited and takes some faff to set up.
So, I decided it would be easier to get a dedicated wide-angle option to use instead.
Does the rangefinder work in a way useful enough to get focus distances, with the 50 ? I know you need the separate finder to frame the picture.

Mark J said:

Does the rangefinder work in a way useful enough to get focus distances, with the 50 ? I know you need the separate finder to frame the picture.

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The rangefinder works with the 50mm as with any other lens, but don't trust depth of field marks. I used them once and I got nothing sharp. The 50mm finder is not very good, it has so much distorsion (similar to a fisheye) that it is impossible to level anything. Same thing goes for the 75mm finder, and I guess the 65mm finder would be equal.

Thanks for the info. I'll see if I can check the rangefinder when I get it, and adjust if necessary. I know the finder isn't ideal, but I do have a small Voigtlander 21mm finder from the 90's that I might try as well.

Depth of field scales are always optimistic on every camera i've used, the criterion dates back to the 1930's and an 8x10" print at arm's length, if I'm not mistaken. I will use the 2-stops wider aperture d.o.f. markers on anything I zone focus. I will often be using the ground glass back though, to get field tilt.

I think I have located a good late Super 23 and film back this evening. Exciting times !