Mamiya RB 6x8 back

Greetings all,

I'm considering getting a Mamiya RB system. I'm attracted to this camera for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones is the all manual/mechanical operation. I love the idea of not being battery dependent... especially since I work in cold environments where batteries are zapped in a matter of minutes. But I would also like to expose as much film area as possible, and that makes me interested in the 6x8 back. However, this back is unfortunately (and inexplicably) a motor drive. So my question is, can this back still be used manually if the batteries fail?

Many thanks for any input.

Mike

The answer is yes, you can operate the 6X8 back manually. Just turn the film advance wheel in the direction indicated by the arrow on top. I have this back but have not tried manual operation myself. The 6X8 back documentation says it can be done...

I've got a really nice Rb with the 6x8 back adapter for the back you want to use. Email for a price.

As mentioned above, you have to make sure to get a 6x8 revolving adapter to use the 6x8 back. They aren't as common as the 6x7 adapters. The 6x8 adapter can be used with 6x7 backs, but obviously not vice versa (the 6x8 adapter is actually a combo adapter, it says 6x8 / 6x7).

Is there a WLF that has a screen for 6x8?

- Justin