- Joined
- Dec 21, 2010
- Messages
- 658
- Format
- Large Format
Have to pay for more large format gear, so I am parting with this outstanding Mamiya Super 23G outfit that Ive put together over the last year. I bought this and have used it for the swing and tilt capabilities that it adds to 6x9, and Ive been extremely happy with the results Ive gotten with the 50mm and the 90mm lenses on it, but I have to consolidate my medium format stuff, so its all got to go.
Unlike the regular Super 23, the Super 23G has a GRAFLOK back, so you can put Graflex, RB67, or Horseman backs on the body (although mine comes with 2 Graflex backs, a 6x9 and a 6x7). This also makes it a lot easier to pop the ground glass on and off the camera. The rangefinder on this one is bright and is aligned properly; the viewfinder is nice and clear, and the 100mm and 150mm framelines switch easily, as they should, and they are easy to see. The bellows on the back of the camera are in perfect shape, and the knobs work fine (they tighten and loosen as they are supposed to). Drawing the bellows all the way out adds a macro feature to any lens you put on the camera, and its possible to focus on objects as close as three, four inches, but you can also manipulate the bellows to change the focal plane of your shot, which Ive done to great effect with some urban landscapes that Ive been shooting (good for architecture as well, or natural landscapes).
This is an astoundingly lightweight camera. Id gotten so used to carrying my RZ around that Id forgotten how nice it is to focus and shoot without grunting as you haul your 6x7 up to eye level; even with the 150mm lens on the body, the Super 23G is still easy to handhold and can be carried for long periods of time without wearing out your wrist.
So heres what Ive got, in all. The camera body comes with the black removable grip, which has a cable release built into the handle, and Ive got a decent ground glass that goes with it (someone marked an X in the middle of the glass with a pencil, but I think that will come off). Ive got 2 Graflex backs, a 6x9 and a 6x7, which come with dark slides and work perfectly, as well as the Super 23 Sport Finder, which is designed to be used with 6x7 but will work, with a slight adjustment, with the 6x9 as well.
As for the lenses: the 50mm f6.3 is a dazzling lens, and this one is in immaculate condition. Shutter is spot on, no marks on the glass, just lovely, and it comes with both caps and a 72mm to 77mm filter ring adapter (made it easier to switch filters from the RZ to this body and back again). The 50mm auxiliary finder does have some internal dust, but it doesnt affect the view, and the parallax adjustment works great, as does the shoe lock. It also comes with the Mamiya metal lens shade that is made especially for this lens. The 90mm, which has gotten labeled as a mediocre lens in some places, is actually quite good (this one is, anyway); this lens got a full CLA at Nippon Photo in Manhattan in 2011, and it works perfectly. The glass is in good condition, and although it doesnt come with caps, it does come with a 40.5mm UV filter and a Tiffen Yellow filter for black and white work. The 150mm telephoto is also in excellent shape; it comes with caps, and it is a more modern version of the 150mm, with a simple, large format like preview lever (the preview on the 50mm is a button that has to be pushed in and twisted with the lens in bulb mode; the 90mm uses a similar mechanism, with a lever).
Last but not least, I have a Mamiya case to put (almost) everything in. The case doesnt look that great on the outside, but it will hold everything but the 150mm lens, and it has some of the native foam as well as pick-and-pluck from a Pelican case.
The one problem with the camera body is a cosmetic one, as you can see in the next to last picture -- there is some kind of acid burn or schmutz mark on the top corner of the body, but it doesn't affect operation of the camera in any way.
I know Im going to get questions about what I will part out, so let me be very clear: the only things I am willing to sell separately are the 50mm lens (with its finder and shade) and the 150mm lens. Thats it; Im not selling either of the backs or the ground glass or the sport finder separately, so please dont ask.
Id like to get $950 for the whole outfit, including the case, but Im willing to sell the 50mm, with its finder and shade, for $550. Or if you are interested in everything BUT the 50mm, it will be $425.
More images in the next post....
Unlike the regular Super 23, the Super 23G has a GRAFLOK back, so you can put Graflex, RB67, or Horseman backs on the body (although mine comes with 2 Graflex backs, a 6x9 and a 6x7). This also makes it a lot easier to pop the ground glass on and off the camera. The rangefinder on this one is bright and is aligned properly; the viewfinder is nice and clear, and the 100mm and 150mm framelines switch easily, as they should, and they are easy to see. The bellows on the back of the camera are in perfect shape, and the knobs work fine (they tighten and loosen as they are supposed to). Drawing the bellows all the way out adds a macro feature to any lens you put on the camera, and its possible to focus on objects as close as three, four inches, but you can also manipulate the bellows to change the focal plane of your shot, which Ive done to great effect with some urban landscapes that Ive been shooting (good for architecture as well, or natural landscapes).
This is an astoundingly lightweight camera. Id gotten so used to carrying my RZ around that Id forgotten how nice it is to focus and shoot without grunting as you haul your 6x7 up to eye level; even with the 150mm lens on the body, the Super 23G is still easy to handhold and can be carried for long periods of time without wearing out your wrist.
So heres what Ive got, in all. The camera body comes with the black removable grip, which has a cable release built into the handle, and Ive got a decent ground glass that goes with it (someone marked an X in the middle of the glass with a pencil, but I think that will come off). Ive got 2 Graflex backs, a 6x9 and a 6x7, which come with dark slides and work perfectly, as well as the Super 23 Sport Finder, which is designed to be used with 6x7 but will work, with a slight adjustment, with the 6x9 as well.
As for the lenses: the 50mm f6.3 is a dazzling lens, and this one is in immaculate condition. Shutter is spot on, no marks on the glass, just lovely, and it comes with both caps and a 72mm to 77mm filter ring adapter (made it easier to switch filters from the RZ to this body and back again). The 50mm auxiliary finder does have some internal dust, but it doesnt affect the view, and the parallax adjustment works great, as does the shoe lock. It also comes with the Mamiya metal lens shade that is made especially for this lens. The 90mm, which has gotten labeled as a mediocre lens in some places, is actually quite good (this one is, anyway); this lens got a full CLA at Nippon Photo in Manhattan in 2011, and it works perfectly. The glass is in good condition, and although it doesnt come with caps, it does come with a 40.5mm UV filter and a Tiffen Yellow filter for black and white work. The 150mm telephoto is also in excellent shape; it comes with caps, and it is a more modern version of the 150mm, with a simple, large format like preview lever (the preview on the 50mm is a button that has to be pushed in and twisted with the lens in bulb mode; the 90mm uses a similar mechanism, with a lever).
Last but not least, I have a Mamiya case to put (almost) everything in. The case doesnt look that great on the outside, but it will hold everything but the 150mm lens, and it has some of the native foam as well as pick-and-pluck from a Pelican case.
The one problem with the camera body is a cosmetic one, as you can see in the next to last picture -- there is some kind of acid burn or schmutz mark on the top corner of the body, but it doesn't affect operation of the camera in any way.
I know Im going to get questions about what I will part out, so let me be very clear: the only things I am willing to sell separately are the 50mm lens (with its finder and shade) and the 150mm lens. Thats it; Im not selling either of the backs or the ground glass or the sport finder separately, so please dont ask.
Id like to get $950 for the whole outfit, including the case, but Im willing to sell the 50mm, with its finder and shade, for $550. Or if you are interested in everything BUT the 50mm, it will be $425.
More images in the next post....
