Mamiya 645 Models and Cable Releases

[brian steinberger]

I recently purchased a used Mamiya 645 Pro with a few lenses. The camera is great, but there is only one thing that really bothers me. There is no cable release socket on the body!

So I purchased the little adapter thingy that plugs into the side of the camera so I can use a cable release and that was a joke. It wants to pull out the camera and doesn't seem secure.

So then I purchased the motor drive that has a cable release socket on the shutter release. The grip is ok, nice to use hand-held, but the drive is heavy and very loud and annoying.

I would love to not have to use the grip to be able to use a cable release. And I don't think the adapter thing is well made enough. The only other option would be use the self timer, but that's not a perfect option either.

I know alot of you in this forum use and love the Mamiya 645 cameras. How are you dealing with this dilemma? Why would Mamiya leave a shutter release socket off this camera?

 

[Jon Shiu]

Hi, there is an electrical release available for your camera.

Jon

 

[brian steinberger]

Jon,

I believe this still plugs into the same socket as the cable release adapter. I found one on ebay I think. Doesn't look like it would be any better than the adapter and a cable release.

 

[max_ebb]

The electronic releases lock securely into place with a little lever on the bottom, so you don't have to worry about them pulling out. Does the cable release adapter not have the locking lever to lock it into place?

 

[brian steinberger]

The electronic releases lock securely into place with a little lever on the bottom, so you don't have to worry about them pulling out. Does the cable release adapter not have the locking lever to lock it into place?

No, it just snaps in. Its a cheap little plastic piece. I may have to look into this electronic one. I think I found one on ebay. Does the cord for it look like a telephone cord?

 

[brian steinberger]

I think I just figured it out. I'm looking on ebay again, and it seems that Mamiya must have made a different adapter when they released the 645 Pro TL. This adapter makes much more sense. It looks like it fits closer to the camera and now I see the lever that Max was talking about. I guess I bought an older model adapter. I guess I'll try one of these out. Thanks everyone!

 

[Greg_E]

It sounds like you bought the one for the left hand flash mount that doesn't lock in place. My other adapters lock quite nicely when you flip the lever back to lock.

 

[max_ebb]

I believe that the one with the locking lever on it will work much better for you than the other one. If you ever run across one of those pocket wizard cords with a Mamiya connector for a good price, you can put your own push button on it (with a female RC jack). I did that with a pocket wizard cord and also made a 15 ft extension for it so I can fire the shutter from across the room if I need to.

 

[ChrisC]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know the product code for the one which works with the 645 Pro? I recently bought one too and really would like a cable release for it. KEH lists two items, RC401 and RC402. Is the 402 the better of the two?

Cheers.

 

[iamzip]

Hm. Ok, I don't really know anything about this, but I'm going to weigh in anyway. I just bought an old M645J, and in fact have not even received it yet, but in my reading I know that with the M645J you just screw the cable release into the shutter release. I am assuming that the Pro is different?

 

[Nige]

my M645 1000s uses a std cable release so a J probably does too. I have a mechanical cable release adaptor for my Pro TL and it does lock in via a lever on the side with L (Lock?) and O (open?) markings. Interestingly the cable release screws into that like a normal mechanical one. It doesn't say what model it it, just has "Mamiya, Japan" printed on it. I've never used mine (I did just check it worked) as I bought it for a road trip and managed to leave it at home!

Nige.

 

[Rolleijoe]

I recently purchased a used Mamiya 645 Pro with a few lenses. The camera is great, but there is only one thing that really bothers me. There is no cable release socket on the body!

So I purchased the little adapter thingy that plugs into the side of the camera so I can use a cable release and that was a joke. It wants to pull out the camera and doesn't seem secure.

So then I purchased the motor drive that has a cable release socket on the shutter release. The grip is ok, nice to use hand-held, but the drive is heavy and very loud and annoying.

I would love to not have to use the grip to be able to use a cable release. And I don't think the adapter thing is well made enough. The only other option would be use the self timer, but that's not a perfect option either.

I know alot of you in this forum use and love the Mamiya 645 cameras. How are you dealing with this dilemma? Why would Mamiya leave a shutter release socket off this camera?

I rarely use cable release these days unless absolutely necessary, with some slow speed film & natural light-look. In which case I'd just use the timer so as to lessen the camera shake.

But I do have the grip with cable release and have been happy with that. Sometimes, the camera that does every possible thing we want the way we all want it just doesn't exist.

Rolleijoe

 

[Rolleijoe]

Just out of curiosity, does anyone know the product code for the one which works with the 645 Pro? I recently bought one too and really would like a cable release for it. KEH lists two items, RC401 and RC402. Is the 402 the better of the two?

Cheers.

The 401 is better. Uses easy to find AAs, gives more shooting/battery check options than 402, and has the screw for normal cable release.

Rolleijoe

 

[Greg_E]

The 401 is better. Uses easy to find AAs, gives more shooting/battery check options than 402, and has the screw for normal cable release.

Rolleijoe

We are talking about the remote release connectors, not the grips. RC401 looks to be just a straight out device, where the RC402 looks like a right angle. Not sure if there is any real difference other than that.

They work by sliding a set of electrical contacts to short between two terminals. Remove the mechanism and solder a couple of wires to the correct points, solder a momentary switch on the other end and you have an electric release. I have one of these built with about a 50 foot cable that seems to work just fine.

 

[MattKing]

The different cable release adapters for the Mamiya 645 Pro and Super models are confusing.

The geometry of the RC 402 is better, in that the cable release screws in from the top, rather than the front, and the 402 has the lock.

If you have one of the left hand grips with the electrical trigger on it, and the right camera to grip adapter for it, there is a front fitting cable release socket on the adapter.

I tend to use the self timer instead .

Matt

 

[B&Jdude]

Oh, my god! I went to eBay to see some of the cable release adapters you folks were talking about, and while roaming through Mamiya 645 stuff, I stumbled across two "GOOD WORKING" bodies (#130240621775 and #170137283228) for sale on there ------> NEITHER has a film winding knob!!

Next thing you know someone is going to try to sell a body as a working unit with no mirror or shutter curtain! Jeesh!!

Sorry, I took this thread off course . . . now back to cable release adapters . . .

 

[MattKing]

Oh, my god! I went to eBay to see some of the cable release adapters you folks were talking about, and while roaming through Mamiya 645 stuff, I stumbled across two "GOOD WORKING" bodies (#130240621775 and #170137283228) for sale on there ------> NEITHER has a film winding knob!!

Next thing you know someone is going to try to sell a body as a working unit with no mirror or shutter curtain! Jeesh!!

Sorry, I took this thread off course . . . now back to cable release adapters . . .

Both probably were used with power winders.

With the 645 Pro and Pro Tl there were certain packages sold by Mamiya (camera body, lens, finder, back, insert and winder) that came with a power
winder instead of a manual knob, but I don't know if that applied to the older models.

Matt

 

[Greg_E]

People allways split things up, one more way to nickel and dime you to death. And many of the Super/Pro/TL kits were sold with the power winder, probably so many that Mamiya decided that it was stupid to even allow the winder to be removed, and the result was the AF body where nothing comes off except the film back and lenses.

 

[B&Jdude]

Now I understand . . . before, I was at a loss to explain how it happened that 2 different sellers had cameras with no knob.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have both M645J and 1000S bodies, so I am certainly interested in how to use a cable release with them. I will go back, re-read this thread, then return to FleaBay and see if I can find what I need to buy to use a cable release with them (and avoid those plastic adapters!!)

EuGene

 

[Paul Sorensen]

The J and the 1000s both have the ability to take normal cable releases, at least I think so. I have had a 1000s and it certainly did. Starting with the Super and then on to the Pro and the Pro TL, the cameras no longer had standard cable release threads and you need to get an adapter or an electronic release. I had an electronic release and really liked it. I got one of the 10 foot long ones, it was really great to use and to be able to stand that far from the camera while triggering it.

 

[MattKing]

Now I understand . . . before, I was at a loss to explain how it happened that 2 different sellers had cameras with no knob.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have both M645J and 1000S bodies, so I am certainly interested in how to use a cable release with them. I will go back, re-read this thread, then return to FleaBay and see if I can find what I need to buy to use a cable release with them (and avoid those plastic adapters!!)

EuGene

I believe that these models (M645J and 1000S) don't require anything additional - the cable release socket is built in.

It is the later models (Super, Pro and Pro Tl) that have electronic release options, and therefore require adapters for mechanical cable releases.

I don't know whether the 645E requires an adapter.

By the way, the electronic release options aren't all bad, especially for radio triggered remote releases.

Matt

 

[B&Jdude]

Thanks, Paul & Matt, for the info. I haven't tried to use a cable release with my 645J & 1000S cameras, so I didn't realize that the problems folks were referring to here related to later model Mamiyas. Now I know.

EuGene

 

[Greg_E]

I'm fairly certain that the RZ release is the same as the items for the Super/PRO/TL, except for the left hand grip with the trigger and flash hot shoe, then you need specific adapters for the Super and for the PRO/TL. I'm also not sure what the 645e requires.

 

[max_ebb]

I'm fairly certain that the RZ release is the same as the items for the Super/PRO/TL, except for the left hand grip with the trigger and flash hot shoe, then you need specific adapters for the Super and for the PRO/TL.

Yes, the socket for plugging in the electronic shutter release or remote controll release is the same on the RZ as it is on the 645 Super/PRO/TL.