My first Mamiya TLR: a C330f

[TheToadMen]

I'm reading the manual this morning and testing all the features mentioned (without film). So far everything looks fine.

Mental note thus far:

1) ask the forum what the difference is between "normal" and "blue dot" lenses - and is it worth the money.

2) get me some proper filters for the 80/2.8 lens

3) on the GAS list: 65 mm and 135 mm lens, maybe 55 mm lens

4) need parallax correction plate with 55 and 65 mm lens

5) test the RB67 grip on the C330f

6) the shutter will delay when flash mode is set to M - camera not broken, just set switch to X again

7) load some film and test the darn thing ....

 

[k.hendrik]

"7) load some film and test the darn thing .... " go girl, go !
Same nice little brick as mine, 135mm=great portrait lens. For CLA don't go to MamiyaServiceRepair in Uden.
happy shooting

 

[Rick A]

I'm reading the manual this morning and testing all the features mentioned (without film). So far everything looks fine.

Mental note thus far:

1) ask the forum what the difference is between "normal" and "blue dot" lenses - and is it worth the money.

2) get me some proper filters for the 80/2.8 lens

3) on the GAS list: 65 mm and 135 mm lens, maybe 55 mm lens

4) need parallax correction plate with 55 and 65 mm lens

5) test the RB67 grip on the C330f

6) the shutter will delay when flash mode is set to M - camera not broken, just set switch to X again

7) load some film and test the darn thing ....

Blue dot lenses are the "newest" iteration of tried and true great lenses.
I wouldn't get both 55 and 65 lenses, not enough difference to matter, so pick one and spend the extra money on a 135 and maybe 180. You only need the Paramender plate if shooting super close up.

But first, load the danged camera and SHOOT. You are fretting over nothing. Enjoy the little beast.

 

[benjiboy]

I'm reading the manual this morning and testing all the features mentioned (without film). So far everything looks fine.

Mental note thus far:

1) ask the forum what the difference is between "normal" and "blue dot" lenses - and is it worth the money.

2) get me some proper filters for the 80/2.8 lens

3) on the GAS list: 65 mm and 135 mm lens, maybe 55 mm lens

4) need parallax correction plate with 55 and 65 mm lens

5) test the RB67 grip on the C330f

6) the shutter will delay when flash mode is set to M - camera not broken, just set switch to X again

7) load some film and test the darn thing ....

I would advise you that although the 65 mm lens pair are very good sharp lenses they are so close in angler of view to to the 80 mm standard lenses to not be a worthwhile purchase, if you want a wide angle I suggest the 55mm which is much more useful. Regarding the blue dot lenses they are the latest versions and stand a better chance of being multi-coated although nobody seems to know exactly which ones.
WARNING - Many of the earlier chrome lenses take different size filters and different Mamiya hoods and while on the subject of hoods I recommend you get the correct Mamiya for each lens (the 80 mm and the 135 mm lenses use the same hood ) also the focusing screens for the Mamiya C330S don't fit the C330F.

 

[flavio81]

1) ask the forum what the difference is between "normal" and "blue dot" lenses - and is it worth the money.

Blue dot is supposedly an improved shutter design. IMO not worth the money, since the (previous) chrome lenses already had a reliable shutter.

2) get me some proper filters for the 80/2.8 lens

3) on the GAS list: 65 mm and 135 mm lens, maybe 55 mm lens

For me the 65mm is the most versatile lens of all the lenses available for the system, and sharp wideopen. Plus low in distortion. Plus it takes 49mm filters. What else can you wish?

The 55mm i own and wouldn't recommend. Not so wide, too slow (f4.5 but requires stopping down to about f11 to get perfect corners).

4) need parallax correction plate with 55 and 65 mm lens

You don't really "need" it. Just lower your camera the equal to the distance between lenses and you'll get a "preview" of what the taking lens sees.

5) test the RB67 grip on the C330f

6) the shutter will delay when flash mode is set to M - camera not broken, just set switch to X again

The delay is in the order of milliseconds. Shouldn't be perceptible at all, unless you are firing a flash (in which case you'll see that the flash fires before the shutter opening.

7) load some film and test the darn thing

How about good old HP5+? As general purpose as it gets.

 

[MattKing]

There are non-blue dot, non-chrome lenses.

The blue dot lenses are the youngest, most recent lenses.

The shutters in the chrome lenses are quite old, and parts are extremely difficult to find.

As mentioned earlier, the 65mm lens is my standard lens. I used to have a 55mm lens as well, and sold it after I got a 55mm lens for my Mamiya 645. I liked the results from the 55mm with my C330, but found it harder to use, due to the maximum aperture of f/4.5.

On the filter issue, one can use 46-49mm step-up rings, but it is best to use two, and to add a filter for the viewing lens. That permits you to use the same lenscap (the one for the 65mm lens) for all lenses. The lenscaps themselves can be hard to find. And that screws up the lenshood capabilities.

The 135mm lens is great. And yes, if you look at the back, there are no lens elements behind the shutter.

There is a parallax indicator in the viewing system. You need to be sure that you set the correct focal length on the side, rotary dial, for it to function correctly. It will, at the same time, tell you how much exposure compensation to use for close focus work.

 

[OptiKen]

I hope to follow you down the same rabbit hole this year too.
I've gotten close to getting a 'C' series....still looking for the right deal.
...the right deal right after payday.
It is very high on my list of 'don't need but want so bad I can't live without it"

 

[Sirius Glass]

I would advise you that although the 65 mm lens pair are very good sharp lenses they are so close in angler of view to to the 80 mm standard lenses to not be a worthwhile purchase, if you want a wide angle I suggest the 55mm which is much more useful. Regarding the blue dot lenses they are the latest versions and stand a better chance of being multi-coated although nobody seems to know exactly which ones.
WARNING - Many of the earlier chrome lenses take different size filters and different Mamiya hoods and while on the subject of hoods I recommend you get the correct Mamiya for each lens (the 80 mm and the 135 mm lenses use the same hood ) also the focusing screens for the Mamiya C330S don't fit the C330F.

I agree. I had the 65mm lens and it was too close to the 80mm lens. To show the the danger of spending time on APUG, it went to the camera store to buy the 55mm lens and walked out with a Hasselblad instead. Read my signature very carefully!

 

[flavio81]

There are non-blue dot, non-chrome lenses.

The blue dot lenses are the youngest, most recent lenses.

The shutters in the chrome lenses are quite old, and parts are extremely difficult to find.

That's my point. The chrome lenses are earlier than the black lenses (blue dot or non blue dot) and they are reliable enough.
I wouldn't worry about lack of replacement parts. I have cameras older than the Mamiya with perfectly working leaf shutters.

 

[flavio81]

The 135mm lens is great. And yes, if you look at the back, there are no lens elements behind the shutter..

Excellent and important observation. Also, due to this design, the shutter leaves are exposed; make sure to check the leaves have not been damaged by a finger.

 

[miha]

The C330 I have is my most rewarding camera in terms of output of all the cameras I have. When the 65 broke down I started to shoot with the 80 which I prefer actually but the 65 is more of an easy-going lens.

 

[TheToadMen]

Wow, thank you all for the great support and advice.

I loaded the camera with Fomapan 100 B&W film and even made a first shot. The rest of the day was work and bad weather.
But this weekend I will shoot the rest of the film.
I'm in no hurry to get other lenses, but if I see a very nice deal I might get me the 135 mm or the 65 mm someday. For now 80 mm is good enough and I should get acquainted first.

6) the shutter will delay when flash mode is set to M - camera not broken, just set switch to X again

The delay is in the order of milliseconds. Shouldn't be perceptible at all, unless you are firing a flash (in which case you'll see that the flash fires before the shutter opening.

The dial was at "M" and when I fired the shutter (1/125, no film loaded) it waited a very short moment before it fired. When I put it on "X" it fired straight away. turned it back on "M" and the same hesitation. No problems set on "X" so I'm fine for now but maybe a CLA is in order? I'll see and try a roll first.

 

[MattKing]

Wow, thank you all for the great support and advice.

I loaded the camera with Fomapan 100 B&W film and even made a first shot. The rest of the day was work and bad weather.
But this weekend I will shoot the rest of the film.
I'm in no hurry to get other lenses, but if I see a very nice deal I might get me the 135 mm or the 65 mm someday. For now 80 mm is good enough and I should get acquainted first.



The dial was at "M" and when I fired the shutter (1/125, no film loaded) it waited a very short moment before it fired. When I put it on "X" it fired straight away. turned it back on "M" and the same hesitation. No problems set on "X" so I'm fine for now but maybe a CLA is in order? I'll see and try a roll first.

Most likely the M setting has had little or no use, and may very well need service in order to function correctly. In the case of one of my lenses, if I inadvertantly switch to M, the shutter just makes a noise, without opening at all.

Both of us should probably have our lenses serviced.

 

[TheToadMen]

Most likely the M setting has had little or no use, and may very well need service in order to function correctly. In the case of one of my lenses, if I inadvertantly switch to M, the shutter just makes a noise, without opening at all.

Both of us should probably have our lenses serviced.

I guess so, but if "X" mode works properly I will be fine, since I'll never use flash at all with this camera.

 

[pbromaghin]

The C330 I have is my most rewarding camera in terms of output of all the cameras I have. When the 65 broke down I started to shoot with the 80 which I prefer actually but the 65 is more of an easy-going lens.

I hardly ever use anything but the 80.

 

[TheToadMen]

I hardly ever use anything but the 80.

nananananana ... I'm not listening .... nananananana ....

(Hello, my name is Bert and I'm addicted to GAS)

 

[TheToadMen]

BTW: I've got some Caffenol-C-M brewing already for developing this film. Used it before on Fomapan 100 with success, see:
http://thetoadmen.blogspot.nl/2014/10/homemade-developer-caffenol-c-m-and.html
And I found a good supplier of pure Vitamin-C and KBr (a.k.a. Potassium Bromide a.k.a. Kaliumbromide) for trying the Caffenol-C-L recipe as well on Kodak Tri-X and Ilford FP5+.

 

[Rick A]

I hope you enjoy shooting this as much as I did mine. I just let mine go, I traded my entire Mamiya kit for an 11x14 camera.
I had both 55 and 65mm lenses, and preferred the 55. I thought I wanted a 105, but the 135 worked out much better for portraits. I also had the 180 and 80mm lenses, but they didn't see much use. My 135 and 180mm's were chrome bezel, and never gave me any problems, always worked the way they were designed to.

 

[TheToadMen]

I traded my entire Mamiya kit for an 11x14 camera.

A 11x14 is some serious sized camera. Can wait to see it.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I traded my entire Mamiya kit for an 11x14 camera.

Some time you just need a larger camera. Enjoy.

 

[flavio81]

I guess so, but if "X" mode works properly I will be fine, since I'll never use flash at all with this camera.

Yes, if the X mode works properly and the 1 second speed is no longer than about 1.3 seconds, then you can just use the shutter with no worries. Otherwise a CLA will leave it performing like clockwork (pun intended.)

I only had one mamiya shutter fail -- on a chrome 65mm lens, but my trusty technician found the shutter was badly tampered with by a previous technician. All other shutters were fine and i've owned many of those lenses: chrome 65, black 65, black 55, chrome 80, black 80, chrome 105, chrome 180, black 180 super. Once i found a chrome 135mm that looked like returning from the war; the shutter still worked (although slower than normal).

 

[benjiboy]

I sold my Rollieiflex 2.8 F about 32 years ago Bert. and bought a Mamiya C330F and the 55,80, 135 and 180 mm lenses, prism and L grip with the proceeds and have never regretted it, it's a much more versatile outfit I.M.O. and still capable of exhibition quality 20"X 16" prints.
I hope you have as much pleasure out of using yours as I have over the last 32 years and it's as reliable as mine has been if in the past you have only shot 35 mm the difference in image quality I think will surprise you

 

[Argenticien]

That's my point. The chrome lenses are earlier than the black lenses (blue dot or non blue dot) and they are reliable enough. I wouldn't worry about lack of replacement parts. I have cameras older than the Mamiya with perfectly working leaf shutters.

I too have wondered about the oft-repeated-around-the-Internet wisdom about the black lenses having shutters that are easier to fix, while the chrome lenses have shutters for which "parts are hard to find." (Disclaimer: I have black only, no chrome ones.) My wild speculation is that this originated in the early days of the WWW (1990s) when the black lenses were still in production, so new factory parts could be had, whereas the chrome (1960s etc.) were old by comparison, and out of production. Now they're all "old" in the sense of "out of production," but as flavio alluded to, I've got some 1930s Compur shutters that would like to tell those Seiko ones what truly old feels like. I've had technicians repair such Compurs. Maybe there are more Compurs than Seiko/Seikosha shutters out there to cannibalize for parts, but presumably no new parts for either. At the very least a good technician should be able to do that cannibalizing, plus adjustments, cleanings, and improvised/home-made parts on Seiko no worse than on much older Compurs, Prontors, etc.

--Dave

 

[TheToadMen]

I hope you have as much pleasure out of using yours as I have over the last 32 years and it's as reliable as mine has been if in the past you have only shot 35 mm the difference in image quality I think will surprise you

I can't wait to develop my first film and see the results. Hoping for some nice weather this weekend.
So far I like the way the camera handles. I think even better than my Rolleiflex T.
I'm still not sure if I'll keep both. Time will tell.

 

[Too old to care]

I guess so, but if "X" mode works properly I will be fine, since I'll never use flash at all with this camera.

Because it is easy to bump it from X to M, I had my lenses modified to lock it in the X position. Simple to do, small drill, tap, and a screw. Nothing more embarrassing that to lose wedding shots because the flash synch got knocked off.