data collection for Mamiya 645 system overview

[photophil]

Hello all around,

I'm a new one here
I come from the digital photography but I want to go back into analog medium format to experience the "slow photography" a bit more. Some time ago I had the possibility to get a Mamiya 645ProTL including some lenses and other stuff. Now including my own darkroom at home I can really start. But of course I wanted to get some more information about my new camera and the system around including lenses, back and all that other accesoires. But I found no good source on the internet where everything is summed up nicely. Just bits and pieces of information floating around and scattered everywhere.

So that's why I just started to make my own data collection to built up a database about all the system components, their properties and compatibilities. Until now everything is written down in a pdf file you can find attached to this post. Lateron I will put that as a part of my private homepage.

Maybe some of you Mamiya 645 aces out there can help me a little bit by having a look on my collection to get rid of mistakes, add forgotten stuff or removing wrong parts. That would be very helpful. Please just post comments here ore write a PN or e-mail.

I will always add the newest version of this collection as soon as I have one.

Status now (2010/11/16) is:
- comparison table of all MF bodies
- comparison tables of MF and AF lenses with data
- table of compatibility of all the different viewfinder systems
- comparison of focal length between different systems (35mm, 645, 6x6, ...)

I hope this collection can help Mamiya 645 users to better understand this system and newcomers to know what they need.


http://www.photo-phil.org/mamiya.php


PHILIP

PS: sorry if my english is not so good, I'm not a native speaker ...

 

[Lars Jansen]

Nice list! And welcome.

I've got my own Pro TL with lenses myself. Nice system.

I think I have some remarks and information on your list. I'll check this and let you know when I'm done working.

Lars

 

[jsheridan1]

Hello and welcome,

I truly appreciate your effort...here's my contribution
WG401 is also compatible with Super.
Some missing lenses: 80/1.9 N, 150/3.5, 35/3.5 N

I'm not sure anyone knows what S officially means (if anything) but practically it's N optics with C mechanics.

 

[MattKing]

Thanks for your efforts.

Here are a whole bunch of comments that relate only to the manual focus film cameras.

1) all of the cameras offer depth of field preview, because that function is actually built into the lenses (the A-M) switch. Those designations refer to lens stop down - "Auto" or "Manual"
2) The 645 Super offers mirror lock-up and multiple exposures (as shown on your chart)
3) The Super is the only camera in the 2nd generation that offers an operable shutter speed (1/60) with a dead or missing battery. In the Pro and Pro-Tl that function is replaced by a self timer
4) The 645 Pro Tl offers TTl flash metering. Otherwise, the metering is substantially the same as in the other 2nd generation cameras
5) The 645E is the only camera which includes a built in meter
7) The metered prism for the Super is the AE prism N. It works with all three 2nd generation cameras
8) The AE prism FE401 and FK402 may mount on the Super, but definitely don't meter with it. They meter with the Pro and Pro Tl
9) There are two versions of the left hand grips for the 2nd generation cameras. They will all work with the Super, the Pro and the Pro Tl. What does differ is the adapter which permits an electrical connection between the grip and the camera. One uses Terminal Adapter RA401 for the Pro and Pro Tl. The Super requires the other one - the connector N
10) There are a number of power winders. The N model works with all of the Super, Pro and Pro Tl. The WG402 also works with all three. The third winder (WG401?) works only with the Pro & Pro Tl
11) All film backs fit on the Super, Pro and Pro Tl. There are slight, mostly cosmetic differences between the original Super backs and the later Pro backs
12) "Sekor C" is the designation for all Mamiya lenses after a certain date - for all cameras and formats. One cannot tell from that designation what camera a lens will fit on
13) "A" refers to an Apochromatic design
14) "E" refers, as far as I can tell, to one lens only - a 70mm f/2.8 standard lens for the original M645 - I believe that the "E" refers to "economy"
15) "S" refers to a set of lenses that superseded the initial C (only) lenses. Some or all of that set were smaller than their predecessors ("S=small?")
16) The most recent series of lenses, which as far as I can tell are all for the 645 cameras, are designated as "N"

I've found the information included on the manuals linked on Mike Butkus' site to be invaluable:

http://www.butkus.org/chinon/mamiya/mamiya_lenses_accessories/mamiya_lenses_accessories.htm

 

[photophil]

thanks for all these comments. I will add this information. It will be included in the next upload. Here just some statements from my side:

1) Thats right. But the 1000S has an additional lever on the body for this purpose (I dont know why...)
2) that text list is older and will be removed or updated later
8) Thats valuable information. I will add a footnote for that to the list

Thanks again. I already know that Butkus-site. Thats also where I got a lot of information from.

PHILIP

 

[jvo]

welcome!!!

not to worry - your english is excellent and your research skills, just as good!!! welcome to a great group.

 

[photophil]

Oh, thats a long time ago ...

Finally I managed to update my data-collection. I updated to information with all the comments I got as far as possible. I added informations about the film backs and a list of different digibacks with compatibility data. I also added a list of equivalent apertures in the end.

As I am no longer able to modify my first post I have to do here in the end of the thread. Sorry for that....

As always I am open to more comments and suggestions.

Thanks for you help

PHILIP

http://www.photo-phil.org/mamiya.php

 

[photophil]

In another forum (where I also publish my collection) came the question if I have comments on the quality of the different lenses. Sorry, but I dont have (yet). But I would like to offer the following:

If there are people around who would be able to write short comments and evaluations on M645-leses I could collect and summarize these. This could e.g. be done like in this:

If you own one or more M645 lenses (please write only about lenses you currently own or have owned yourself before, not somethink like "I have read somewhere, that ...") you could write a short comment (roughly 100 words) about the pro's and con's of this lens. Additionally there would be a set of properties which you could evaluate using points from 0 (horrible) to 10 (excellent). This comment you could send me by a personal message together with the exact type of the lens. I collect all the comments I get. If there are more then one for a certain type I will make a summary and generate the average point values for the lens.

If there are enough people adding information to this collection we would be able to get a quite realistic overview.

What are you thinking about that?
Please do not send comments yet. If the time has come I will post a kind of a form to fill in so we all follow the same system.

Thanks

PHILIP

 

[ellepi]

excellent work, thank you

 

[photophil]

From now on the newest file will always be available on my own homepage.

-> www.photo-phil.org/mamiya.php

As I can no longer edit my old posts above the files given there can not be updated.

PHILIP

 

[snederhiser]

Hello Philip;
The 1000s has three levers on the body. Multiple exposure, mirror lockup, and the self timer. Also two shutter releases, one with lockout, battery power indicator, shutter speed dial, lens lock, and the film door release system. Good luck on the list, Steven.