Which Square Camera Should I Keep, Mamiya-Six, or Rolleicord, C330?

[Andrew O'Neill]

I have a Zeiss Ikon in place of your Mamiya-Six, but also have a pair of C330s and a Rolleicord, and I can't say you're faced with an easy choice.

Of my 3 the Rolleicord is probably my least used, but I tend to reach for the C330 and its extended focus range unless I have a reason to skip the extra weight. If a C330 hadn't been the first TLR I got into I don't think I would put up with the weight and bulk if I picked one up after years of using and exploring a TLR as light and handy as a Rolleicord.

If I'm skipping the bulk/weight of the C330, then I'm more likely to skip all the way down to the far more compact folding rangefinder, but mine is a HEAVY chunk of material. [It also is the weird one that does 11 frames on a roll...]


Best bet on something like this if you insist on downsizing might be making a pros/con chart and try to establish a points system to rank them, but I honestly don't find they have enough of an overlap in use and images to say that any one of them fully 'replaces' the other.

I use my rangefinder far differently than I do either of the TLRs. The range finder works from eye level, the TLRs consistently work from lower down. The views I sight with them are just different. The mood I'm in while working with them are different, and they have entirely different values to me.


The Rolleicord is a lighter and more specific use TLR. My C330 with a handful of lens options is a bit more general with its greater flexibility [at the cost of a fair bit heavier bit of kit to lug around.] But they're both cameras for "I'm planning to take photos".

The rangefinder however tends to be my "I hope I get to take photos" camera, and tags along when I'm out doing other things.

The pros/cons chart is a good idea. Thanks!

 

[JPD]

Keep the Mamiya folder and C330 and replace the Rolleicord III with a VB.

 

[GregY]

You own the wrong Mamiya 6. The Mamiya Six samples are not impressive at all.

Yes, The "new" Mamiya 6 MF would be a great choice. The 50mm is an especially spectacular lens!

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

You own the wrong Mamiya 6. The Mamiya Six samples are not impressive at all.

Mamiya-Six. Impressive enough for you?

 

[cliveh]

The Rolleicord

 

[lecarp]

Keep the Mamiya Six, it is the most difficult to replace should you experience sellers remorse. I owned one years ago and it was handy and great fun, always regretted selling it. I have both a 330 and fixed lens tlr and rarely ever use the 330, its not the weight, it is the balance more than anything.

 

[John Wiegerink]

Mamiya-Six. Impressive enough for you?

View attachment 367240

No one could complain about this one Andy! Would a Rollei 3.5 Planar or 80mm f2.8 Mamiya on your C330 make this a better image? I think not.

 

[Roger Thoms]

Disregard my previous advice, keep‘um all.

Roger

 

[Steven Lee]

Mamiya-Six. Impressive enough for you?

Nope. This is a 3x2" picture. There's no challenging light in it. A 35mm P&S could have been used to make that. You're conflating the artistic merits (that are excellent) with technical limitations of equipment (which is not stressed here at all). Or maybe you're just bragging. The photo is superb, I would have done the same

 

[John Wiegerink]

Nope. This is a 3x2" picture. There's no challenging light in it. A 35mm P&S could have been used to make that. You're conflating the artistic merits (that are excellent) with technical limitations of equipment (which is not stressed here at all). Or maybe you're just bragging. The photo is superb, I would have done the same

Or maybe it's a combination of both????

 

[MattKing]

The C330 has lots of advantages. Two of them are:
1) it makes your RB67 seem small and light; and
2) a body and two lenses fits in just about the smallest bag possible for a two lens medium format kit.
Of course, in Andrew's case, the C330 has an additional advantage: he could use it for selfies!

{Andrew photographed using my C330}

 

[GregY]

The C330 has lots of advantages. Two of them are:
1) it makes your RB67 seem small and light; and
2) a body and two lenses fits in just about the smallest bag possible for a two lens medium format kit.
Of course, in Andrew's case, the C330 has an additional advantage: he could use it for selfies!
View attachment 367249
{Andrew photographed using my C330}

A new Mamiya 6 or 7 with 2 lenses would fit in a smaller bag ...... since you're measuring...

 

[MattKing]

A new Mamiya 6 or 7 with 2 lenses would fit in a smaller bag ...... since you're measuring...

Considering the new Mamiya 6, It would be an interesting comparison.
My bag with the C330, 65mm and 135mm lenses is remarkably compact.

 

[mshchem]

Only reason to get rid of a camera is to make room for more. The C330 is an amazing camera. I sold mine, I had 3 of them over the years. It was my first serious 120 camera.

 

[Rick A]

Mamiya-Six. Impressive enough for you?

View attachment 367240

I'm gobsmacked!!

 

[GregY]

Considering the new Mamiya 6, It would be an interesting comparison.
My bag with the C330, 65mm and 135mm lenses is remarkably compact.

I'd bet a bag for a Fuji GF670 & GF670wide or 2 Plaubel Makinas (67 & W67) would be more compact as well....
It's hard to convince anyone that the C330 is a compact camera...

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

A bag of...?

 

[Rick A]

Andy, if you decide the M-Six folder goes away I'll buy it from you. If I have only one film camera left to my name, that would be the one.

 

[Luckless]

I'd bet a bag for a Fuji GF670 & GF670wide or 2 Plaubel Makinas (67 & W67) would be more compact as well....
It's hard to convince anyone that the C330 is a compact camera...

Compactness is relative. My pair of C330s and a few lens options is 'Light and compact' compared to bringing out a pair of RB67s and a few lenses for an event. Doesn't help that I also tend to lug spare magazines on the RBs... And sometimes the eye level finder...

But I've also handled a Minox subminiature one time. And that feels like it is just entirely unfair to bring up.

 

[GregY]

Compactness is relative. My pair of C330s and a few lens options is 'Light and compact' compared to bringing out a pair of RB67s and a few lenses for an event. Doesn't help that I also tend to lug spare magazines on the RBs... And sometimes the eye level finder...

But I've also handled a Minox subminiature one time. And that feels like it is just entirely unfair to bring up.

Luckless..... i was matching negative sizes & my issue was with Matt King's statement about the C330:

"2) a body and two lenses fits in just about the smallest bag possible for a two lens medium format kit."

which is as close to baloney as possible without making a sandwich.....

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

I had a Mamiya C330 , nice image quality durable etc , but when my wheelbarrow was stolen I had no way of transporting the heavy beast.
I currently have a immaculate Mamiya 6 folder who's issues seem to defy the camera repair people in these parts!
I was just gifted a Rolleiflex TLR with the Tessar lens and so far so good.
Image quality wise the Rolleiflex is quite a step lower than my Minolta Autocord which is in need of a CLA due to stiffness of the controls.
All in all I would like a Mamiya 6 Automat with the lens of the Minolta autocord; possible?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Andy, if you decide the M-Six folder goes away I'll buy it from you. If I have only one film camera left to my name, that would be the one.

You'll be first to know!

 

[Dan Daniel]

All in all I would like a Mamiya 6 Automat with the lens of the Minolta autocord; possible?

Super Fujica-6 (1955)

This is a Super Fujica-6, a medium format folding camera made by Fuji Photo Industries in Japan starting in 1955. The Super Fujica-6 shoots 6x6 images on 120

mikeeckman.com

 

[MattKing]

Luckless..... i was matching negative sizes & my issue was with Matt King's statement about the C330:

"2) a body and two lenses fits in just about the smallest bag possible for a two lens medium format kit."

which is as close to baloney as possible without making a sandwich.....

A really tasty sandwich at that.
To those who are used to interchangeable lens medium format gear, try it, you may be surprised. It certainly is smaller than my Mamiya 645 2 lens kit and it was substantially smaller than the RB67 with two lenses.
I happen to currently be using the small bag I often employ with my C330 stuff for other purposes, so I can't easily demonstrate it with a photo.

 

[Luckless]

Luckless..... i was matching negative sizes & my issue was with Matt King's statement about the C330:

"2) a body and two lenses fits in just about the smallest bag possible for a two lens medium format kit."

which is as close to baloney as possible without making a sandwich.....

Are you sure about that? The line was 'just about the smallest bag possible for a two lens kit'. Not 'absolute' smallest.

A GF670's rough dimensions fit in about 1.2L compared to the 2.3L for a C330 with an 80mm lens, which sounds like a promising lead till you add that nearly 3L box around a GF670W's dimensions for your second lens, and compare that to the 0.3L for a spare Mamiya TLR lens.

A pair of Makina look like they come in as actually smaller, but that's barely half a litre, and for lugging a whole lot more weight.

You can save a bit of total volume out of things if you're comparing 'perfect' bags and minimizing space in the lens/cover bumps with perfect positioning, but once you account for padding, space for things like a bulb blower, filters, spare film, and space to actually reach in the bag to pull the stuff out,... Well, that doesn't really sound like all that much of a meaningful difference.