This camera was my college graduation present from my parents in 1974. I have kept it all these years, and I also had the original user's manual for the longest time, but it has gone astray. When I found David's video manuals, I was really happy because they do even more than that old paper manual. I knew some of these historical details at the time (and I really appreciated the spot metering, for example). The camera went to Europe with me and my backpack and Eurailpass to visit buildings I had studied as an architecture major, and I still have slides from that period. The ISO window was used regularly for these, as I was using some slide film that had greater light sensitivity for shooting in low light (if my memory serves here, a half century later). I had a tripod and occasionally posed in front of a LeCorbusier or Aalto building, using the timer and racing to get in position. :) Then, as time marched on, my DTL 1000 went into the attic. Recently, one of my former students has discovered old SLR photography, so I am gifting it to her. Jamie: Enjoy!
Greetings, I am 66 yrs old and became a hobbyist photographer in 2014 and have really enjoyed learning photography in the digital age. With that said, I am being drawn back to my days in high school when I took a photography class in 1975. I had collected several different cameras in yard sales etc. for no reason except to just have them for décor in my office. One of the cameras is a 1000DTL and is in excellent condition. Your video is still helping folks like me in re-discovering film photography. Thank you for taking the time to explain in detail this camera! I am looking forward to seeing just how good this camera works.
I just found one of these at my local thrift shop! It came with a good strap and a handful of useful info booklets, and it already had a roll of film inside. Been fiddling with it, and it seems to work, but I won't know for sure until I get film developed. Only concerning thing (that I can see so far) is the black foam pieces disintegrating inside. I love your description of this camera in terms of getting to know its usage. Thank you for this!
Thank you! For the foam, I do have a video on how to replace light seals with black cotton yarn and it's a quick and easy fix that's probably worth your time.
The 1000-TL had a spot meter at the bottom/center and marked the sensor. I used the feature often to take successive pix metering foreground and background ski for silhouette effect. 8:34
My original manual called for a Ni-Cd cell 1.20V lifetime stable. But all the later manuals call for the envimentslly better silver oxide cell at 1.5V which drops 0.3V over discharge life. Does this affect the early 1000 TL meter calibration or overload?
Every now and then I get the urge to browse for vintage film cameras. When I come across one that I don't know much about I search for it on TH-cam to see if anyone has done a tutorial on it. It's always nice when your channel comes up because I know it's going to be an in-depth review with accurate information. Thanks David.
thank you for this video! my grandfather left behind this camera after he died about 15 years ago and I am just now finding the courage to take on the project of learning how to use it! This will be my first foray in to film photography, and I am a little intimidated, but this video will definitely help me. thank you for taking all those years to understand this camera and sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!
I just found this video. I’ve had this camera in my bed room for years and I haven’t had the time to just sit down and learn how to use it like my dad did. Thank you for this video so much!! It was very informational and I know a lot more of this camera than before
Thanks a lot, David. You are a living Camera-Pedia. Really enjoyed your talk about the history and your personal story of, and the family photos taken with this camera. You made this camera come live. Very interesting. I bought one of this camera on eBay years ago. I thought the meter was not working. Only after I watched this video, I learned the right way of checking/using it. And it is actually functioning just fine. This camera seems very anti-social and anti-establishment. It is different from all other cameras in that time in so many aspects: mounting the lens, opening the back cover, setting the self-timer, using the film advance lever to activate the meter, etc. It indeed purposely works against the user. But now I begin to like it. It looks great. It feels very solid both the body and the 1:1.4 lens. Thank you again.
thanks man this was pretty helpful. i appreciate that when you point out a feature/component you explain more than you need to about it, assuming every viewer is new to film photog.
***** Thank you. Right now, in 2015, there's a large and growing film user base who have used film for fewer than five years. My goal is to make sure that anyone of any skill level can leave my videos and have a relatively high level of certainty that their film photos will turn out.
David Hancock actually after watching this video and doing some other reading, i went out to shoot. something weird is going on or i don't understand the metering on this camera. 1. i'm supposed to keep the lens set to Automatic, right? 2. is the meter needle only supposed to move when metering is set to Spot? my meter needle doesn't move at all when it's set to Average. edit: "only when [the lever] is in will it give you meter data" - from part 2 that's... not what's happening with my camera? i get meter data (on Spot mode) as long as i have the lever pulled out (but the data is only accurate when i push the lever forward and stop down the aperture.
***** That is odd. The meter is an odd interface. When you advance the film, as you know, the lever sticks out from the body. When you press the button on it, it collapses the lever next to the body (without activating the meter.) The meter is only supposed to work when the arm is pressed in by you. And the lens should be left in auto. So it sounds like you're using it correctly. What I think is happening is that the spot meter is turned on all the time (or may be both are but the averaging meter is less susceptible to lighting changes as the camera moves.) When you have the lens in auto and push the lever toward the body, the meter turns on but also stops the lens down, giving you an accurate meter reading. So if the meter is running when the lens is wide open, the reading would be way off, and that makes sense, because it's reading the light coming in when the lens is wide open. As for why the meter is on all the time, that's a bit odd. It should turn off when the arm is popped out or you press the button on the arm to lock it into the body. Alternately, keep a lens cap on and the meter should turn off due to insufficient light to complete a current.
David Hancock Well, the meter isn't on ~all~ the time. It's off after pressing the button on top of the lever to relax it. But the meter appears to be turned on as soon as I pull the lever out. But this shouldn't make a difference as long as I only adjust when I have the lens stopped down, right? But I'm certain the meter isn't moving at all when set to Average. The needle is at a point indicating an unacceptable exposure and it just doesn't move at all no matter what I press or how much light I point the camera at. And this is kind of disappointing, because I'd prefer to use Average for casual shots. edit: I asked about the lens setting, because if I set the lens to Manual, then I have no need to press in the lever to stop down the lens, because the lens is sort of already stopped down. Adjusting the f-stop ring changes what I see in the viewfinder without me pressing on the lever... What is the point of the Automatic setting? I appear to have the same lens as you.
***** It may well be that the meter is always on. I haven't used my DTL in a longtime. The lever press function (in conjunction with the M42 lens' automatic setting) was to allow the user to focus wide open, when it's easiest, and then meter stopped-down to capture the settings. The camera would automatically stop-down the lens before the shutter opened. With manual, of course, the lens is always stopped down. It is possible that your switch or averaging meter cells are shot. Given a choice between the two, I'd rather have the spot meter work, though, as it allos more precise exposure metering (even if there are some added steps.) Have your tests been exclusively inside, or have you tested the meter's responsiveness outside?
Really excellent review David, I'm looking forward to watching part two. I repair cameras as a hobby and I just picked up two 1000DTL bodies ( both in disrepair) in the hopes of bringing one back to life. I shoot medium format with Mamiya and thought I might enjoy having a 35mm sample in my collection. Thank you for a great video, your documentation is excellent and went way beyond my expectations ! Scott
Scott Waleck Thank you very much. There are some repair books with exploded diagrams out there. But they're likely to be rare, or at best uncommon, for the Mamiya 35mm bodies.
Thanks for the refresher! This was my first SLR back in the early eighties, and now I’ve just won an auction for another and am awaiting it anxiously so I can get back into film
You can use some Takumar and Super Takumar lenses depending on the version. Pre-1971 Takumars which were on the original Spotmatic will work without issue, it is the later SP II, Spotmatic F and ES II era lenses, the ones marked SMC that will not work because of the positioning tab for the metering system not letting the lens screw all the way onto the body of the Mamiya/Sekor. My first 1000 DTL I shot mostly using an early eight element Takumar 50mm f/1.4 and it worked well as it was faster than the Mamiya/Sekor lens that came with the camera.
Bought one in 1970 ,togs at the time thought it indestructible and a worthy backup, mine tumbled down a mountain side in Greece,still works. Mine came with 55,35,135mm lenses as well as 3 closeup lenses.I added a 400mm and an ultra wide 20 mm screw mount lenses which were getting real cheap thanks to the bayonet mount. Simple,functional though admittedly lackluster, didn't give a damn ,plain Jane is gorgeous!
That's significantly tougher than I would have thought! The Mamiya lenses were great by any measure. Their M42 lenses still stand up to scrutiny today. I had the 35mm 2.8 and really liked it a lot. It's probably the best 35mm prime I've used.
Thank you for a very clear and useful introduction to this camera. There is truly an art to explaining complex ideas in plain language without overly simplifying them. It amuses me that someone else could find the metering mechanism in this camera mystifying. For me, it is nothing less than pure genius. Combining the depth-of-field preview and stop-down metering in a single lever completely avoids the complication of linkage to the aperture ring and f-stop compensation that is necessary for most open-aperture metering systems. Placing the lever at the right thumb is the most natural thing in the world for me, rather than groping around the mirror box with my supporting left hand for a piston like most other cameras. I don't say that to poke fun, but rather to observe that one person's convenience can become another's bedevilment. 8^) The other problem with some Takumar lenses is how far the rear group extends into the mirror box. Anyone considering using third-party lenses should be aware that this can also be the case with other brands, and particular care should be exercised when considering shorter focal lengths (
leonAzul42 After using it a few times, I realized that the Mamiyas had the best, most intuitive metering interface of any M42 camera. It really was some genius work. Having recently picked up an RB67, I've really come to admire the thought and care that Mamiya's engineers and designers put into their cameras. Like you said, quality to the corners, neutral(ish) lenses, and great usability on DSLRs at some settings.
Way back when I owned a total of three SLRs. I owned this camera in it's heydey and really LOVED it. Years later I left all that behind... and for many years. Recently, I obtained a digital DSLR and was highly disappointed in both it's auto-focus and the viewfinder... so I RE-purchased a very nice 1000DTL for the real quality shots I want to take. Your video was a good review on the use and features of the camera. Great job on that part. I would, however, characterize the camera differently than you did. I still view the 1000DTL camera as a good friend, however, far from being a dork or a nerd. More like a friend with unique capabilities and traits others were not wise enough to look for..
The nice thing about the Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL is when a right-hander picks one up the fingers naturally fall on all the controls without any convoluted twisting or turning. The engineers who designed it were masters of what SAAB called ergonomics. That makes it fast and easy to use when things are happening fast.
+Dennis K Mamiya did a great job with a lot of aspects of the camera, just not in ease of use. They did have exceptional engineering talent when these were being designed.
As a high school student I purchased this model for 5 U.S. Dollars and used it along with a slightly more modern Nikon film set up to do multiple word of mouth gigs around 2010. New mirrorless cameras are so tempting, but image quality is up to skill and lens.
Good video but a correction or two: DTL stands for Dual "Through" the Lens; the 1000 had a top speed of 1/1000th of a second, and the 500 had a top speed of 1/500th. There was also a 528 TL, which was a stripped down version available in the late 60's. The only medium format Mamiya had at the time was the C330/C220, a TLR. The M645 didn't come along until '75. Also the 500 models lacked a self-timer. Thanks for the video.
I have 3 of these. One is shot, kept for parts, the second one the meter actuator needs adjustments, the third works great, takes razor sharp clear photos, accurate meter. Fun fact, the Mamiya 55mm f1.4 lens is Radioactive ☢️, made with thorium dioxide a radioactive material. The emissions are harmless, alpha rays, just avoid putting the lens up to your eye - alpha rays damage the cornea, and don’t eat it.
Great video as per usual, good tip about super tak lenses! Also, I really like that this stop-down meter isn't the halfway shutter press system like my zenit 122, a separate stop-down meter lever helps me meter much faster and without wondering if it has stopped down all the way, pushing just hard enough to close it up but not too hard can be a pain! My Kiev 19 has a stop down meter lever but it sits on the front of the body, you may find the 19 an interesting camera in fact...
Well, I'm a tad late to the party! But just got TWO of them!! The 1st worked fine, but the focus screen was grungy; so picked up a 2nd, sold 'for repair' to replace screen-the shutter was locked, mirror was half up & the advance was locked.Something went pear-shaped during the firing sequence! Off with the bottom cover to discover a tang had unseated; pushed it into position & 'voila', it works!!Now for the weird bit! There was film & a battery in the camera; cranked open the lens, changed the shutter speed & the meter reacted! But the reading was cuckoo! Turned the meter off & still the meter reacted! This was followed by a volley of expletives undeleted! Pulled the battery-same deal!! Seems the CdS metering cells are also solar cells generating current!! New battery-good to go!!
Thank you! If I was able to find the frame coverage, I would state it in the first minute of the video. I don't recall, this being a very old video now, if I found that.
Any 35mm film will work. Just make sure that you leave the ASA set to your film's ISO number for the entire roll and that you use the shutter speed and aperture settings to adjust your exposure value (as shown in video 2) based on available lighting.
Hi, I know this video is old, but I've been looking into film photography more and more. I currently shoot on a Canon 5d mark iii, but want to add some analog cameras to the wheelhouse. This might be a silly question as I'm not as familiar with analog cameras, but what would be better? This 1000 DTL or a Pentax K1000? Or is a comparison even possible between these two? I have access to both, I'm just wondering where to invest more time and money.
The K1000 is a bit easier to use but the DTL has a dual-mode spot and averaging light meter that can give you a lot of exposure control. Both are good cameras for learning. If you're comfortable using a spot meter some of the time, the DTL would be a great camera. If not, the K1000 would be a better option.
Cool! I'm looking at e(vil)Bay to see if I can find a nice Mamiya/Sekor lens to pair up with my DTL. It'd be nice to have the proper combo. Would you say your 55 1.8 lens outperforms a Takumar in overall sharpness, aside from color rendition?
That's hard to say for sure. I've never tried the Mamiya on a DSLR. I would say that at the faster apertures, it's decidedly sharper. They appear about even in the mid range.
Hi David, I have a 1000DTL and have question about metering. When I switch the aperture from auto to manua on the lens it seems to meter without needing to push the adv lever forward. Does this sound correct? Thanks.
Yes. Pushing the lever forward activates the aperture to take a meter reading. The downside to using the manual switch is that the lens will always then have a stopped-down aperture, making it harder to use and focus. You can also meter using the auto-manual switch, and still focus with the lens wide-open, but that adds added difficulty. So basically, the lever is a convenient alternative to the auto-manual switch.
hey!! Really helpful video..I just bought one, the same camera, but the lens has serious scratches. Can you please tell me where would I get 35mm or 50 mm lens for this camera?
Thank you! The lenses for these are really easy to find. Check eBay. The 55mm f/1.8 lenses, which are great, typically sell for around $25. The 50mm f/2, which is also great, typically sells for around $11. The camera can take any M42 mount lens, so just search on eBay, Amazon, KEH, Adorama, or a number of other places for an M42 50mm lens or 35mm lens, the latter of which will be about 5X as expensive, and you'll find a lot of options.
Hello. I bought a 1000 DTL a few months ago and as it turns out the aperture blades are sticking at some of the higher stops. I want to get the camera and the Mamiya/Sekor 55mm lens CLA'd. Does anyone know of a good and reasonably priced place where I can send my camera and lens to get CLA'd?
You'll need a spanner wrench (about $20 on eBay) with point ends. I forget in the Mamiya battery caps have two small holes on opposite sides. If not, then you'll need to use a dremel or drill with a very small (like 1/16) bit to drill two holes near but not at the edge of the battery cap and opposite of each other. Then use the spanner wrench to unscrew the cap. If you have to drill holes, be careful not to drill to far because you don't want to drill into the battery if one is in the chamber.
Hello, I have a Mamiya / Sekor 500 tl and fixing it broke one lens viewfinder, and need to know the graduation for another one., you know that graduation is? havia two glasses, which I has broken me is the concave. Thanks!
Max Pinet Pavia This is a question way beyond my technical knowledge. Check with the guys over at Fix Old Cameras. They probably have the most repair-related knowledge on TH-cam.
Cynthia G. I haven't yet found someone who can do a significant repair to a Mamiya. I know of one guy who can do a basic CLA, but not any repairs. That may not be a repairable item any more.
My granddad has just given my his 500 dtl, I'm having an issue using the metering, I've changed the battery so that's fresh, but when i change the aperture with the advancing lever depressed forward the exposure indicator isn't moving, the only way I can get a response out of the needle is if I change the shutter speed, and at Asa 200 it only like the 1/4 of a second setting... Any explanation on whether I'm doing something wrong, or if the camera is faulty would be great!! Good video btw :)
Thank you. As for the light meter issue, is the battery fresh? If I recall correctly, this takes a standard A76 or LR44 battery. If the battery is fresh, check the lens' operation with it unmounted from the camera body. Make sure that the aperture blades aren't sticking shut. Let me know if that helps. If not, let me know and I'll see if I can think of other possibilities.
Hmm, well, if you're following the steps (it sounds like you are) and the lens functions, it may be a weak. The old Mamiyas had problems with the soldering. The mechanical components are well made, but the soldered connections are fragile. I'll ask around and see if anyone is still repairing Mamiyas (mine could, quite frankly, us a CLA, too.) The issue is that Mamiyas are super difficult to service. Many (maybe most) repairs require that the entire camera be disassembled. If you haven't heard from me as a reply to this post by September 10, shoot me an e-mail. If anyone is still repairing Mamiya SLRs, I should know by then.
Harley Widdowson So I may -- MAY -- have lines on two guys who repair Mamiyas. One is in Australia. I have a friend there getting back to me shortly about that. The other is a guy in the U.S. who I'm going to e-mail this weekend to see if he'll work on the old Mamiyas. The U.S. guy I've used before, and he's not cheap. He is exceedingly good, though.
This camera was my college graduation present from my parents in 1974. I have kept it all these years, and I also had the original user's manual for the longest time, but it has gone astray. When I found David's video manuals, I was really happy because they do even more than that old paper manual. I knew some of these historical details at the time (and I really appreciated the spot metering, for example). The camera went to Europe with me and my backpack and Eurailpass to visit buildings I had studied as an architecture major, and I still have slides from that period. The ISO window was used regularly for these, as I was using some slide film that had greater light sensitivity for shooting in low light (if my memory serves here, a half century later). I had a tripod and occasionally posed in front of a LeCorbusier or Aalto building, using the timer and racing to get in position. :) Then, as time marched on, my DTL 1000 went into the attic. Recently, one of my former students has discovered old SLR photography, so I am gifting it to her. Jamie: Enjoy!
Fantastic! This is a great gift and these still hold up today as great cameras.
Greetings, I am 66 yrs old and became a hobbyist photographer in 2014 and have really enjoyed learning photography in the digital age. With that said, I am being drawn back to my days in high school when I took a photography class in 1975. I had collected several different cameras in yard sales etc. for no reason except to just have them for décor in my office. One of the cameras is a 1000DTL and is in excellent condition. Your video is still helping folks like me in re-discovering film photography. Thank you for taking the time to explain in detail this camera! I am looking forward to seeing just how good this camera works.
Thank you!
Someone throws away this camera in the garbage and I pick it up, now I’m here learning all about it. Thank you very much.
Nice find!
I just found one of these at my local thrift shop! It came with a good strap and a handful of useful info booklets, and it already had a roll of film inside. Been fiddling with it, and it seems to work, but I won't know for sure until I get film developed. Only concerning thing (that I can see so far) is the black foam pieces disintegrating inside. I love your description of this camera in terms of getting to know its usage. Thank you for this!
Thank you! For the foam, I do have a video on how to replace light seals with black cotton yarn and it's a quick and easy fix that's probably worth your time.
@@DavidHancock thanks, I'll look into it!
The 1000-TL had a spot meter at the bottom/center and marked the sensor. I used the feature often to take successive pix metering foreground and background ski for silhouette effect. 8:34
Thank you!
My original manual called for a Ni-Cd cell 1.20V lifetime stable. But all the later manuals call for the envimentslly better silver oxide cell at 1.5V which drops 0.3V over discharge life. Does this affect the early 1000 TL meter calibration or overload?
@@davidsicking7514 good question and I don't know. The Fix Old Cameras channel likely will because he knows Mamiya better than anyone.
Every now and then I get the urge to browse for vintage film cameras. When I come across one that I don't know much about I search for it on TH-cam to see if anyone has done a tutorial on it. It's always nice when your channel comes up because I know it's going to be an in-depth review with accurate information. Thanks David.
Thank you! :D
thank you for this video! my grandfather left behind this camera after he died about 15 years ago and I am just now finding the courage to take on the project of learning how to use it! This will be my first foray in to film photography, and I am a little intimidated, but this video will definitely help me. thank you for taking all those years to understand this camera and sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!
Thank you! I'm glad to know that these are helpful. These are fun cameras to shoot with and the lenses they have available are really great.
Thank goodness you made this video and I found it. I picked one up and was thinking of trying my Takumar lenses! Thank you
Thank you!
I just inherit this camera from a dear friend who passed away. It feels robust, a great addition to my arsenal. Thanks for doing this video.
Thank you! I'm sorry for your loss, but it will be nice to have something to remember your friend with.
my dad had the same camera. I just found it! it was the camera I learned on. great memories. Good video!
+marc dolce Thank you, and those are great memories. My DTL1000 was also my dad's and he took a lot of photos of me with it when was a kid.
I just found this video. I’ve had this camera in my bed room for years and I haven’t had the time to just sit down and learn how to use it like my dad did. Thank you for this video so much!! It was very informational and I know a lot more of this camera than before
Thank you!
Thanks a lot, David. You are a living Camera-Pedia. Really enjoyed your talk about the history and your personal story of, and the family photos taken with this camera. You made this camera come live. Very interesting.
I bought one of this camera on eBay years ago. I thought the meter was not working. Only after I watched this video, I learned the right way of checking/using it. And it is actually functioning just fine.
This camera seems very anti-social and anti-establishment. It is different from all other cameras in that time in so many aspects: mounting the lens, opening the back cover, setting the self-timer, using the film advance lever to activate the meter, etc. It indeed purposely works against the user. But now I begin to like it. It looks great. It feels very solid both the body and the 1:1.4 lens. Thank you again.
Thank you! These are really nice. Heavy, but the dual-mode meter on them is really brilliant and work very well.
thanks man this was pretty helpful. i appreciate that when you point out a feature/component you explain more than you need to about it, assuming every viewer is new to film photog.
***** Thank you. Right now, in 2015, there's a large and growing film user base who have used film for fewer than five years. My goal is to make sure that anyone of any skill level can leave my videos and have a relatively high level of certainty that their film photos will turn out.
David Hancock actually after watching this video and doing some other reading, i went out to shoot. something weird is going on or i don't understand the metering on this camera.
1. i'm supposed to keep the lens set to Automatic, right?
2. is the meter needle only supposed to move when metering is set to Spot? my meter needle doesn't move at all when it's set to Average.
edit:
"only when [the lever] is in will it give you meter data" - from part 2
that's... not what's happening with my camera? i get meter data (on Spot mode) as long as i have the lever pulled out (but the data is only accurate when i push the lever forward and stop down the aperture.
***** That is odd. The meter is an odd interface. When you advance the film, as you know, the lever sticks out from the body. When you press the button on it, it collapses the lever next to the body (without activating the meter.) The meter is only supposed to work when the arm is pressed in by you. And the lens should be left in auto.
So it sounds like you're using it correctly. What I think is happening is that the spot meter is turned on all the time (or may be both are but the averaging meter is less susceptible to lighting changes as the camera moves.) When you have the lens in auto and push the lever toward the body, the meter turns on but also stops the lens down, giving you an accurate meter reading. So if the meter is running when the lens is wide open, the reading would be way off, and that makes sense, because it's reading the light coming in when the lens is wide open.
As for why the meter is on all the time, that's a bit odd. It should turn off when the arm is popped out or you press the button on the arm to lock it into the body. Alternately, keep a lens cap on and the meter should turn off due to insufficient light to complete a current.
David Hancock
Well, the meter isn't on ~all~ the time. It's off after pressing the button on top of the lever to relax it. But the meter appears to be turned on as soon as I pull the lever out. But this shouldn't make a difference as long as I only adjust when I have the lens stopped down, right?
But I'm certain the meter isn't moving at all when set to Average. The needle is at a point indicating an unacceptable exposure and it just doesn't move at all no matter what I press or how much light I point the camera at. And this is kind of disappointing, because I'd prefer to use Average for casual shots.
edit: I asked about the lens setting, because if I set the lens to Manual, then I have no need to press in the lever to stop down the lens, because the lens is sort of already stopped down. Adjusting the f-stop ring changes what I see in the viewfinder without me pressing on the lever... What is the point of the Automatic setting? I appear to have the same lens as you.
***** It may well be that the meter is always on. I haven't used my DTL in a longtime. The lever press function (in conjunction with the M42 lens' automatic setting) was to allow the user to focus wide open, when it's easiest, and then meter stopped-down to capture the settings. The camera would automatically stop-down the lens before the shutter opened. With manual, of course, the lens is always stopped down.
It is possible that your switch or averaging meter cells are shot. Given a choice between the two, I'd rather have the spot meter work, though, as it allos more precise exposure metering (even if there are some added steps.)
Have your tests been exclusively inside, or have you tested the meter's responsiveness outside?
Really excellent review David, I'm looking forward to watching part two. I repair cameras as a hobby and I just picked up two 1000DTL bodies ( both in disrepair) in the hopes of bringing one back to life. I shoot medium format with Mamiya and thought I might enjoy having a 35mm sample in my collection. Thank you for a great video, your documentation is excellent and went way beyond my expectations !
Scott
Scott Waleck Thank you very much. There are some repair books with exploded diagrams out there. But they're likely to be rare, or at best uncommon, for the Mamiya 35mm bodies.
David Hancock Thanks David, I actually found a service manual with exploded parts diagrams, should be a fun venture and hopefully not an epic fail !
Thanks for the refresher! This was my first SLR back in the early eighties, and now I’ve just won an auction for another and am awaiting it anxiously so I can get back into film
Nice! These are really great and underrated cameras.
You can use some Takumar and Super Takumar lenses depending on the version. Pre-1971 Takumars which were on the original Spotmatic will work without issue, it is the later SP II, Spotmatic F and ES II era lenses, the ones marked SMC that will not work because of the positioning tab for the metering system not letting the lens screw all the way onto the body of the Mamiya/Sekor. My first 1000 DTL I shot mostly using an early eight element Takumar 50mm f/1.4 and it worked well as it was faster than the Mamiya/Sekor lens that came with the camera.
Thank you!
Bought one in 1970 ,togs at the time thought it indestructible and a worthy backup, mine tumbled down a mountain side in Greece,still works. Mine came with 55,35,135mm lenses as well as 3 closeup lenses.I added a 400mm and an ultra wide 20 mm screw mount lenses which were getting real cheap thanks to the bayonet mount. Simple,functional though admittedly lackluster, didn't give a damn ,plain Jane is gorgeous!
That's significantly tougher than I would have thought!
The Mamiya lenses were great by any measure. Their M42 lenses still stand up to scrutiny today. I had the 35mm 2.8 and really liked it a lot. It's probably the best 35mm prime I've used.
Thank you for a very clear and useful introduction to this camera. There is truly an art to explaining complex ideas in plain language without overly simplifying them.
It amuses me that someone else could find the metering mechanism in this camera mystifying. For me, it is nothing less than pure genius. Combining the depth-of-field preview and stop-down metering in a single lever completely avoids the complication of linkage to the aperture ring and f-stop compensation that is necessary for most open-aperture metering systems. Placing the lever at the right thumb is the most natural thing in the world for me, rather than groping around the mirror box with my supporting left hand for a piston like most other cameras. I don't say that to poke fun, but rather to observe that one person's convenience can become another's bedevilment. 8^)
The other problem with some Takumar lenses is how far the rear group extends into the mirror box. Anyone considering using third-party lenses should be aware that this can also be the case with other brands, and particular care should be exercised when considering shorter focal lengths (
leonAzul42 After using it a few times, I realized that the Mamiyas had the best, most intuitive metering interface of any M42 camera. It really was some genius work. Having recently picked up an RB67, I've really come to admire the thought and care that Mamiya's engineers and designers put into their cameras. Like you said, quality to the corners, neutral(ish) lenses, and great usability on DSLRs at some settings.
Way back when I owned a total of three SLRs. I owned this camera in it's heydey and really LOVED it. Years later I left all that behind... and for many years. Recently, I obtained a digital DSLR and was highly disappointed in both it's auto-focus and the viewfinder... so I RE-purchased a very nice 1000DTL for the real quality shots I want to take. Your video was a good review on the use and features of the camera. Great job on that part. I would, however, characterize the camera differently than you did. I still view the 1000DTL camera as a good friend, however, far from being a dork or a nerd. More like a friend with unique capabilities and traits others were not wise enough to look for..
Thomas Loch :D Yeah, it's a masterpiece.
The nice thing about the Mamiya/Sekor 1000 DTL is when a right-hander picks one up the fingers naturally fall on all the controls without any convoluted twisting or turning. The engineers who designed it were masters of what SAAB called
ergonomics. That makes it fast and easy to use when things are happening fast.
+Dennis K Mamiya did a great job with a lot of aspects of the camera, just not in ease of use. They did have exceptional engineering talent when these were being designed.
As a high school student I purchased this model for 5 U.S. Dollars and used it along with a slightly more modern Nikon film set up to do multiple word of mouth gigs around 2010.
New mirrorless cameras are so tempting, but image quality is up to skill and lens.
Absolutely yes. It doesn't matter what camera you have, with some caveats, because image quality is based on photographer skill.
Good video but a correction or two: DTL stands for Dual "Through" the Lens; the 1000 had a top speed of 1/1000th of a second, and the 500 had a top speed of 1/500th. There was also a 528 TL, which was a stripped down version available in the late 60's. The only medium format Mamiya had at the time was the C330/C220, a TLR. The M645 didn't come along until '75. Also the 500 models lacked a self-timer. Thanks for the video.
Thank you!
All excellent point. THe only reason I listed the 645 in the concurrent models was because these were in production until 1976.
I have 3 of these. One is shot, kept for parts, the second one the meter actuator needs adjustments, the third works great, takes razor sharp clear photos, accurate meter. Fun fact, the Mamiya 55mm f1.4 lens is Radioactive ☢️, made with thorium dioxide a radioactive material. The emissions are harmless, alpha rays, just avoid putting the lens up to your eye - alpha rays damage the cornea, and don’t eat it.
Good tip on not holding the lens to your eye. But yeah, the radiation in them is not nearly as worrying as some people would have us believe.
Great video as per usual, good tip about super tak lenses! Also, I really like that this stop-down meter isn't the halfway shutter press system like my zenit 122, a separate stop-down meter lever helps me meter much faster and without wondering if it has stopped down all the way, pushing just hard enough to close it up but not too hard can be a pain! My Kiev 19 has a stop down meter lever but it sits on the front of the body, you may find the 19 an interesting camera in fact...
Well, I'm a tad late to the party! But just got TWO of them!! The 1st worked fine, but the focus screen was grungy; so picked up a 2nd, sold 'for repair' to replace screen-the shutter was locked, mirror was half up & the advance was locked.Something went pear-shaped during the firing sequence! Off with the bottom cover to discover a tang had unseated; pushed it into position & 'voila', it works!!Now for the weird bit! There was film & a battery in the camera; cranked open the lens, changed the shutter speed & the meter reacted! But the reading was cuckoo! Turned the meter off & still the meter reacted! This was followed by a volley of expletives undeleted! Pulled the battery-same deal!! Seems the CdS metering cells are also solar cells generating current!! New battery-good to go!!
That's crazy, and great find on an easy repair!
Very few info on this little cam, thanks for the video!
Don't you know what is the viewfinder coverage?
Thank you! If I was able to find the frame coverage, I would state it in the first minute of the video. I don't recall, this being a very old video now, if I found that.
Thank you very much, was looking for info...just bought a DTL1000
Thank you!
I just bought this camera and am wondering what the best film to use for it is. Thanks!
Any 35mm film will work. Just make sure that you leave the ASA set to your film's ISO number for the entire roll and that you use the shutter speed and aperture settings to adjust your exposure value (as shown in video 2) based on available lighting.
Hi, I know this video is old, but I've been looking into film photography more and more. I currently shoot on a Canon 5d mark iii, but want to add some analog cameras to the wheelhouse. This might be a silly question as I'm not as familiar with analog cameras, but what would be better? This 1000 DTL or a Pentax K1000? Or is a comparison even possible between these two? I have access to both, I'm just wondering where to invest more time and money.
The K1000 is a bit easier to use but the DTL has a dual-mode spot and averaging light meter that can give you a lot of exposure control. Both are good cameras for learning. If you're comfortable using a spot meter some of the time, the DTL would be a great camera. If not, the K1000 would be a better option.
@@DavidHancock thank you very much, I'll look more into it, as of now I think I'll give the dtl a go!
Cool! I'm looking at e(vil)Bay to see if I can find a nice Mamiya/Sekor lens to pair up with my DTL. It'd be nice to have the proper combo.
Would you say your 55 1.8 lens outperforms a Takumar in overall sharpness, aside from color rendition?
That's hard to say for sure. I've never tried the Mamiya on a DSLR. I would say that at the faster apertures, it's decidedly sharper. They appear about even in the mid range.
Hi David, I have a 1000DTL and have question about metering. When I switch the aperture from auto to manua on the lens it seems to meter without needing to push the adv lever forward. Does this sound correct? Thanks.
Yes. Pushing the lever forward activates the aperture to take a meter reading. The downside to using the manual switch is that the lens will always then have a stopped-down aperture, making it harder to use and focus. You can also meter using the auto-manual switch, and still focus with the lens wide-open, but that adds added difficulty. So basically, the lever is a convenient alternative to the auto-manual switch.
Thanks!
Very nice job...I was totally engrossed.
Thank you very much!
hey!! Really helpful video..I just bought one, the same camera, but the lens has serious scratches. Can you please tell me where would I get 35mm or 50 mm lens for this camera?
Thank you!
The lenses for these are really easy to find. Check eBay. The 55mm f/1.8 lenses, which are great, typically sell for around $25. The 50mm f/2, which is also great, typically sells for around $11. The camera can take any M42 mount lens, so just search on eBay, Amazon, KEH, Adorama, or a number of other places for an M42 50mm lens or 35mm lens, the latter of which will be about 5X as expensive, and you'll find a lot of options.
@@DavidHancock does this camera take regular 35 mm film!?
Hello. I bought a 1000 DTL a few months ago and as it turns out the aperture blades are sticking at some of the higher stops. I want to get the camera and the Mamiya/Sekor 55mm lens CLA'd. Does anyone know of a good and reasonably priced place where I can send my camera and lens to get CLA'd?
If you're in the U.S., check with the Fix Old Cameras channel. They may be able to recommend someone.
If the battery chamber is stripped and cant be opened what can i do? How do i open the battery chamber?
You'll need a spanner wrench (about $20 on eBay) with point ends. I forget in the Mamiya battery caps have two small holes on opposite sides. If not, then you'll need to use a dremel or drill with a very small (like 1/16) bit to drill two holes near but not at the edge of the battery cap and opposite of each other. Then use the spanner wrench to unscrew the cap. If you have to drill holes, be careful not to drill to far because you don't want to drill into the battery if one is in the chamber.
Thankyou!!
Why cant you use m42 pentax lenses? If i do will it get stuck?
I forget if I was mis-speaking about that or not. That might only be the MSX. I have used Takumars on this camera before.
Hello, I have a Mamiya / Sekor 500 tl and fixing it broke one lens viewfinder, and need to know the graduation for another one., you know that graduation is? havia two glasses, which I has broken me is the concave. Thanks!
Max Pinet Pavia This is a question way beyond my technical knowledge. Check with the guys over at Fix Old Cameras. They probably have the most repair-related knowledge on TH-cam.
Hi, someone offered me one of this but the timer seems lose or broken. Can it be fixed?? thx!!
Cynthia G. Maybe. I assume you're talking about the self timer. If so, that's probably not required for the rest of the camera to work properly.
Yeah, the self timer. Ok yeah I know it doesn´t affect the entire camera function but just wanted to know if it could get fixed.
Thx!!
Cynthia G. I haven't yet found someone who can do a significant repair to a Mamiya. I know of one guy who can do a basic CLA, but not any repairs. That may not be a repairable item any more.
Yeah I bet and also I'm not in the USA. Thank's!
Amazing video
Thank you.
i have a 500tl i cant get the meter to move is it broken?
Do you have fresh batteries in it?
yes enegizer a76
My granddad has just given my his 500 dtl, I'm having an issue using the metering, I've changed the battery so that's fresh, but when i change the aperture with the advancing lever depressed forward the exposure indicator isn't moving, the only way I can get a response out of the needle is if I change the shutter speed, and at Asa 200 it only like the 1/4 of a second setting... Any explanation on whether I'm doing something wrong, or if the camera is faulty would be great!! Good video btw :)
Thank you.
As for the light meter issue, is the battery fresh? If I recall correctly, this takes a standard A76 or LR44 battery.
If the battery is fresh, check the lens' operation with it unmounted from the camera body. Make sure that the aperture blades aren't sticking shut. Let me know if that helps. If not, let me know and I'll see if I can think of other possibilities.
Sorry for the late reply, i didn't realised you replied so quickly!! and the blades on the lens that came with it are working fine :/
Hmm, well, if you're following the steps (it sounds like you are) and the lens functions, it may be a weak. The old Mamiyas had problems with the soldering. The mechanical components are well made, but the soldered connections are fragile. I'll ask around and see if anyone is still repairing Mamiyas (mine could, quite frankly, us a CLA, too.) The issue is that Mamiyas are super difficult to service. Many (maybe most) repairs require that the entire camera be disassembled. If you haven't heard from me as a reply to this post by September 10, shoot me an e-mail. If anyone is still repairing Mamiya SLRs, I should know by then.
Thank you :)
Harley Widdowson So I may -- MAY -- have lines on two guys who repair Mamiyas. One is in Australia. I have a friend there getting back to me shortly about that. The other is a guy in the U.S. who I'm going to e-mail this weekend to see if he'll work on the old Mamiyas. The U.S. guy I've used before, and he's not cheap. He is exceedingly good, though.
How old is this camera?
hallecats Late sixties, early 70s. 3:05
I have mamiya dsx 1000 that my grandpa used but i don't know how to use it
I think those are pretty similar to these.
thanks!!
You're very welcome.
My first SLR and I still have one
Nice!
First slr i ever owned way back when
Nice!
I was at the swapmeet this past Saturday and my vendor friend sold a dtl1000 to someone
Nice! These are fun to use. A bit awkward at first with the interface and a bit heavy, but I really enjoy the metering control they provide.
Just inherited one of these from my grandma who passed away at 102 🩷
I'm sorry for your loss, but it is always nice to have a camera as a family heirloom.