Electrical connections-Mamiya 645

[nc5p]

Does anybody know what signals are on the pins of the connectors used in the Mamiya 645 system? The Super body has a 4 pin connector on the left side, the grip has a 5 pin connector, the leaf shutter lens has a 7 pin connector on it. I would be interested in building a remote shutter release and possibly other projects.

Doug

 

[Greg_E]

The 4 pin on the left side is a pair of simple contact closure. One pair is for the meter, the other for the release. Buy a remote adapter on ebay for a few bucks, and take the screws out to see which is which (if not ebay, check Keh cameras). I think the two closest to the front of the lens might be for the meter, but I can't remember right now. Maybe later I'll take mine apart again. I have a Fuji Luma back "attached" to a pro body, and it fires the shutter on the camera through a pair of wires I soldered to one of those remote adapters. Works just fine. The winder contacts are similar, not sure what the fifth contact does though. You could open a winder and take a look, but I think on both of my winders it is not connected. I have no idea what the contacts for the leaf shutter connector do, I don't have one of those winders. I guess I should really get a service manual for my cameras (Super and Pro) since I suspect that they will be unsupported in the near future due to the sale of Mamiya.

Do you happen to know how the film speed dial on the backs work? That's the next thing I need to tackle so I can get the meter working with the ancient digital backs that I use. Yes I know, heresy here, but I still use film too.

 

[Greg_E]

OK, I had things mixed up. Here is what i have from the remote for the pro body:
--top--
* shutter release
* meter activate
* common
* ?? might be another flash PC connection
--bottom--

Technically the meter stays active when the shutter is connected, so if you are building a remote button, you should keep that in mind. Simply short the common and meter to make it active, and short the common and shutter to fire the shutter. If the fourth terminal is the flash, then it will show connection between common and the fourth when the shutter is released. The key on this connector is toward the back of the body.

I'll have to put a meter on the winder to see what it does, but there are four connections toward the front of the body, and 3 more toward the rear, spaced around the winder mount. The front connections are the ones that my winders use, so the rear connectors may have been for future expansion, and never used.