If you are loading a 120 roll in a 120 back, the "start" arrow on the paper leader must be aligned with a start mark on the frame of the roll holder. If you advance to the arrow positioned on the top of the take-up spool as he shows here, your frames will misalign and you will loose one or more. Not mentioned, but should be apparent, you have to pull the dark slide located behind the lens in order to expose a frame. The dark slide is normally stored in a slot in the bottom edge of the film back, used only when you change lenses or magazines mid-roll. An extremely tough camera system with outstanding lenses. Noting the glass focusing back and spacer accessories, those are used together to step the lens further out that it would normally focus and use the ground glass to focus the resulting close-up image. This system and the Graflex XL system (very similar in concept) are the only medium format rangefinder systems which provided for this option. It's not a practical usage. Konica provided 2 ranges of close-up lenses for the 90mm lens to allow direct, rangefinder focus, They are practically identical to the same units provided for the Mamiya 6 and 7 cameras.
Thanks for the clarifications, Randall. I've not actually shot a roll with this system, so the comment about the start arrow is helpful. Yes - I forgot to mention that the dark slide can be stored in the bottom of the roll holder. It also makes sense that the spacer and ground glass are meant to be used together. The spacer did have me a bit puzzled.
Note that the 120 and 220 backs use only the length of film designated. They operate in a materially different manner. For example, once the back is in the "load" position, and you load a new roll of film, the 220 back requires four stokes of the advance lever to reach the first frame, while the 120 back requires only three strokes. There are no backs which will take either length of film, like many more modern cameras. Because of the different, internal cams governing their operation, neither back is user convertible between 220 and 120. Since there has been no 220 film made for more than a decade, apart from infrequent, short runs of 220 B&W by a Chinese company, the 220 backs are almost worthless. When you shop for a 120 back, test drive it with a roll of film on a real camera, as they are expensive now, and they are expensive to repair. In the US where is only one or two guys who can do those repairs. If you are bold and plan to DIY, there is a YT video on "how to service" a Koni back. That should put you off the idea.
I have a 58mm lens with its special viewfinder, but I’m curious as to if you have to buy the sport finder that has framing for multiple lenses in order to accurately frame a shot with the 90mm?
I no longer have the camera, so it would be difficult for me to comment on specifics. However, in flash photography, the shutter speed becomes somewhat irrelevant (except, perhaps, when using fill flash outdoors where you might want to use a shutter speed faster than 1/30 sec. if the subject is moving). Flash intensity and aperture become the dominant parameters when shooting in a dark environment. To cover all bases, I would set it to 1/60 sec. and use the aperture to fine tune exposure.
The slap shot film advance on mine has always been problematic, so the camera does not get used often. An interesting camera that I just had to have, but i cannot recommend buying one.
Thanks for the info. I'll be using a simmon's omega (the original omega) soon. There are some similarities and differences, any info I can get about these interesting cameras is good! Did any good shots come from the omega rapid?
Your Simmons Omega is an earlier cousin of the Koni Omega cameras. It was designed in the early 1940s under a war production contract by Simmons Omega, the folks who made the Omega enlargers. Both are 6x7cm rangefinder cameras taking 120 roll film. Both use a similar. twist-knob on camera side for focus control and that pull-push film advance system. Your version uses a much more primitive focusing/viewing system, and it does not take interchangeable lenses. Significant parts of the body are made out of Bakelite, an early type of hard plastic, used to save weight. Simmons got a batch of cameras into the Army's hands just before the war ended, and they were used by the military for a few years. In the late 1940s and early 50s, Simmons tried to introduce the camera to civilian sales, without much success. It mounts a Wollensak shutter and Raptar lens, which is a 4-element Tessar copy - good lens, but the camera as a whole may be the ugliest MF camera ever made. About 12 years after Simmons buried the camera, it renewed its life by partnering with Konica to update the design, add its lenses, and produce one of the toughest, most "can't bust 'em" MF camera systems ever produced. The Koni Omega was quite expensive when new, and Konica sold a lot of them from around 1967 to 1972, when sales declined because pros were shifting to 35mm SLRs. Konica sold the manufacturing tools and dies, parts, etc., for the whole system to Mamiya, which continued to produce several rebadged versions of the camera into the mid-1970s. there seems to be an open question whether Mamiya manufactured the lenses for its run, or Konica continued to make the lenses for Mamiya to relabel as there own. When I assembled my kit, I made a point of buying Konica lenses.
@@randallstewart175 Thanks for the info! I've taken some pictures with my Simmons, very pleased with the sharpness and bokeh. It's the lightest medium format camera I've used, I'll be using it for (mostly) landscapes on long day-hikes. I think it's a lovely camera (eye of the beholder!) and never fails to get comments (all positive so far). Maybe one day I'll try a Konica...
@@justlikeswimming5988 I think a YT video describing the camera and its use, along with some illustrative results, would be a popular item,. maybe you could partner with someone who can produce that. I don't think there is anything on YT, and very little on the internet as a whole. I can understand why it would draw attention when taken out for a run.
@@randallstewart175, I know that this is an old post, but I have a Koni-Omega Rapid 200 arrived by post today, (08-29-202). I have owned many Mamiya Medium Format cameras, and I am excited to give this one a go!
To load 120 film, the film transport knob is drawn out, a green dot will appear in the frame counter. Repeat this and two dots will show, next three dots will show and the number 1 will appear in the frame counter, clear for exposure. To load 220 film, you need to draw out the film transport knob 4 times, there will show one dot, two dots, three dots, four dots. After the word Load appears in the frame counter one green dot shows when the film transport is actuated. Repeat these procedures to unload film. I don't quite see why you call this a beast. Surely this is one of the best cameras ever made with top glass. The beauty and the beast?
Photo Topics. Why do you call this very fine, excellent camera a beast? It's one of the very best medium format cameras ever manufactured, no less than 9 models with superb lenses, sharper than Hasselblad. Go figure.
![[ ออกกอง ] วัยหนุ่ม 2544 โลกหลังลูกกรง..ทัวร์กองถ่ายหนังใน "คุกของจริง" | JUSTดูIT.](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vB--aOkZCpw/mqdefault.jpg)
If you are loading a 120 roll in a 120 back, the "start" arrow on the paper leader must be aligned with a start mark on the frame of the roll holder. If you advance to the arrow positioned on the top of the take-up spool as he shows here, your frames will misalign and you will loose one or more. Not mentioned, but should be apparent, you have to pull the dark slide located behind the lens in order to expose a frame. The dark slide is normally stored in a slot in the bottom edge of the film back, used only when you change lenses or magazines mid-roll. An extremely tough camera system with outstanding lenses.
Noting the glass focusing back and spacer accessories, those are used together to step the lens further out that it would normally focus and use the ground glass to focus the resulting close-up image. This system and the Graflex XL system (very similar in concept) are the only medium format rangefinder systems which provided for this option. It's not a practical usage. Konica provided 2 ranges of close-up lenses for the 90mm lens to allow direct, rangefinder focus, They are practically identical to the same units provided for the Mamiya 6 and 7 cameras.
Thanks for the clarifications, Randall. I've not actually shot a roll with this system, so the comment about the start arrow is helpful. Yes - I forgot to mention that the dark slide can be stored in the bottom of the roll holder. It also makes sense that the spacer and ground glass are meant to be used together. The spacer did have me a bit puzzled.
Yes, nice concise review of this interesting camera….. I have one coming, and will need to practice! Thanks!
Note that the 120 and 220 backs use only the length of film designated. They operate in a materially different manner. For example, once the back is in the "load" position, and you load a new roll of film, the 220 back requires four stokes of the advance lever to reach the first frame, while the 120 back requires only three strokes. There are no backs which will take either length of film, like many more modern cameras. Because of the different, internal cams governing their operation, neither back is user convertible between 220 and 120. Since there has been no 220 film made for more than a decade, apart from infrequent, short runs of 220 B&W by a Chinese company, the 220 backs are almost worthless. When you shop for a 120 back, test drive it with a roll of film on a real camera, as they are expensive now, and they are expensive to repair. In the US where is only one or two guys who can do those repairs. If you are bold and plan to DIY, there is a YT video on "how to service" a Koni back. That should put you off the idea.
I met a person at Anthrocon with one of these this week.
I have a 58mm lens with its special viewfinder, but I’m curious as to if you have to buy the sport finder that has framing for multiple lenses in order to accurately frame a shot with the 90mm?
Used to shoot weddings. With this camera . De best
I am a crazy person with three of them!
I think you need at least one more! I have one for sale at www.ebay.ca/itm/393970114031
Is that ground glass an original product (by Konica/Mamiya)?
Sorry. I have no idea where my friend bought it from.
What's a good shutter speed for flash setting if you do not want use the mark setting. At 15 ft at 16.
I no longer have the camera, so it would be difficult for me to comment on specifics. However, in flash photography, the shutter speed becomes somewhat irrelevant (except, perhaps, when using fill flash outdoors where you might want to use a shutter speed faster than 1/30 sec. if the subject is moving). Flash intensity and aperture become the dominant parameters when shooting in a dark environment. To cover all bases, I would set it to 1/60 sec. and use the aperture to fine tune exposure.
The slap shot film advance on mine has always been problematic, so the camera does not get used often. An interesting camera that I just had to have, but i cannot recommend buying one.
Thanks for the info. I'll be using a simmon's omega (the original omega) soon. There are some similarities and differences, any info I can get about these interesting cameras is good! Did any good shots come from the omega rapid?
Actually, I have not shot any film with it. It belongs to a friend and I made the video to help him sell it on eBay. Good luck with the Simmons!
Your Simmons Omega is an earlier cousin of the Koni Omega cameras. It was designed in the early 1940s under a war production contract by Simmons Omega, the folks who made the Omega enlargers. Both are 6x7cm rangefinder cameras taking 120 roll film. Both use a similar. twist-knob on camera side for focus control and that pull-push film advance system. Your version uses a much more primitive focusing/viewing system, and it does not take interchangeable lenses. Significant parts of the body are made out of Bakelite, an early type of hard plastic, used to save weight. Simmons got a batch of cameras into the Army's hands just before the war ended, and they were used by the military for a few years. In the late 1940s and early 50s, Simmons tried to introduce the camera to civilian sales, without much success. It mounts a Wollensak shutter and Raptar lens, which is a 4-element Tessar copy - good lens, but the camera as a whole may be the ugliest MF camera ever made. About 12 years after Simmons buried the camera, it renewed its life by partnering with Konica to update the design, add its lenses, and produce one of the toughest, most "can't bust 'em" MF camera systems ever produced. The Koni Omega was quite expensive when new, and Konica sold a lot of them from around 1967 to 1972, when sales declined because pros were shifting to 35mm SLRs. Konica sold the manufacturing tools and dies, parts, etc., for the whole system to Mamiya, which continued to produce several rebadged versions of the camera into the mid-1970s. there seems to be an open question whether Mamiya manufactured the lenses for its run, or Konica continued to make the lenses for Mamiya to relabel as there own. When I assembled my kit, I made a point of buying Konica lenses.
@@randallstewart175 Thanks for the info! I've taken some pictures with my Simmons, very pleased with the sharpness and bokeh. It's the lightest medium format camera I've used, I'll be using it for (mostly) landscapes on long day-hikes. I think it's a lovely camera (eye of the beholder!) and never fails to get comments (all positive so far). Maybe one day I'll try a Konica...
@@justlikeswimming5988 I think a YT video describing the camera and its use, along with some illustrative results, would be a popular item,. maybe you could partner with someone who can produce that. I don't think there is anything on YT, and very little on the internet as a whole. I can understand why it would draw attention when taken out for a run.
@@randallstewart175, I know that this is an old post, but I have a Koni-Omega Rapid 200 arrived by post today, (08-29-202). I have owned many Mamiya Medium Format cameras, and I am excited to give this one a go!
To load 120 film, the film transport knob is drawn out, a green dot will appear in the frame counter. Repeat this and two dots will show, next three dots will show and the number 1 will appear in the frame counter, clear for exposure. To load 220 film, you need to draw out the film transport knob 4 times, there will show one dot, two dots, three dots, four dots. After the word Load appears in the frame counter one green dot shows when the film transport is actuated. Repeat these procedures to unload film.
I don't quite see why you call this a beast. Surely this is one of the best cameras ever made with top glass. The beauty and the beast?
Anyone else use one for action / street photography?
Photo Topics. Why do you call this very fine, excellent camera a beast? It's one of the very best medium format cameras ever manufactured, no less than 9 models with superb lenses, sharper than Hasselblad. Go figure.
Beast meaning big. It also can be used in the "beast of burden" context, implying it is competent at doing the work.