Original Mamiya Six Review
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ธ.ค. 2022
- In today’s episode, Greg and I review the original Mamiya Six which is a 6x6 medium format folder camera produced from 1940 until the late 1950s. The camera was designed by Mamiya Seiichi and its most interesting feature is the coupled rangefinder that doesn’t focus by moving the lens but the actual film plane via a thumb dial at the back of the camera. As a result, there is no need for a complex lens coupling system.
There were several models of the camera marked with Roman numerals. We believe ours is the Mamiya Six IV B from 1955 which comes with a 75mm f/3.5 Olympus Zuiko lens and Seikosha MX shutter and already has more square design elements and features.
In order to test the camera a bit, we took it out on a casual fall photo walk around Würzburg shooting Ilford HP5 and Kodak Gold 200. Unfortunately, we had problems with the color development and Greg was kind enough to redo some of the images. So we might sometimes not have footage for the respective images and hope this is fine by you.
Gear used:
Mamiya-6 IV B
Films used:
Ilford HP5
Kodak Gold 200
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#mamiyasix #mamiya6 #filmphotography #filmcameras
You always have such a great presentation! Haven't even watch the entire video yet, but I know we're all in for a treat!
Thanks!!!
I loved this review. I own a Mamiya 6 IV marked Made In Occupied Japan, a Mamiya 6 V, and a Mamiya 6 Automat (with a Mamiya lens). All three are fantastic. When I first got my IV, which was my first, I was very dissatisfied with the image contrast. The issue was haze, which is quite common. I discovered that cleaning this lens is dead simple. The front group just unscrews manually on the IV and V and the haze can be cleaned that way. The rear group is easily removed from inside when the camera is a collapsed by removing the retaining ring with a spanner. After cleaning the haze I was blown away by the image quality.
I have owned a couple of these cameras over about 25 years. There are a last a dozen versions, most having minor variations. These used to be quite common at swap meets, but I've left that building a long time ago, so I have no opinion on relative availability anymore. IMO, when selecting among the versions, there re two basic choices of features to sort. The first is how the shutter is charged. Most versions require the user to separately charge the shutter to make an exposure. The Automat versions, the late versions, link this process to the film advance. This is basically a matter of convenience in use, but not a major issue for most folks. The other is lens source. Mamiya used their own Sekor lens, but also bought lenses from Olympus. All of these variations are Tessar copies, four element designs, which are fine for this small medium format and basically the same optical performance. The difference is the lens coatings. While the Olympus brand name tends to make those versions more desired (and expensive), the hard fact is that the Oly lenses all had terrible coatings. These coatings fail and result in lens haze, which can make the camera unusable and not economic to repair. For a user, I'd avoid the Olympus lens versions.
I always find your videos to be clear concise and accurate. Thank you to you, Greg and Jules for the efforts. We are all left hoping for the next video. All the best.
Thank you for the kind words and feedback. Really appreciate it.
In fifty+ years of shooting film, this is one of my all time favorite cameras. Mine is the Automat II and as inikphoto says below, the automatic shutter cocking & negative advance sets this camera aside from so many similiar folders. Because the red window is not needed, I can shoot higher speed film and not be worried about light leaking from the window. The lens is impeccable. A Voigtlander light meter on the cold shoe completes the picture, so to speak.
Having owned most of the Zeiss 6x6 folders (except the 534/16), I prefer this camera over any of them. As far as I'm concerned, its superior to the Zeiss in every way except prestige (which seems to be an over-riding criterion for many Gen Z shooters).
Its a fabulous walkaround/travel camera and often starts a pleasant coversation with people.
Intrigued by how you hold the camera when shooting, I will have to try that while out shooting tomorrow.
Great review! I have this exact one and it’s such a conversation piece when I take photos with it!
I own a Mamiya Six Automat and I love it. I find the automatic film advance quite helpful because red-window-winding gets more and more difficult with a combination of age (mine) and faintly printed frame numbers (Kodak, Ilford). Close up photography is not the field of any rangefinder camera because of parallax error. I believe that 1m is close enough, if I plan to go nearer I can always take the Mamiya C33. Thanks for the review! Always a joy to watch. Have a good 2023.
Another great Video with beautiful places in Würzburg….
Another educating video on another unique camera! You certainly make it hard to decide on which camera to purchase!
Why is it that you guys always cover cameras that are dear to me 😭😂. I’ve been using my folding Mamiya 6 camera for a year or so now and I’ve been loving it as an alternative to my hefty Bronica S2 as a travel medium format camera. Mine has a Setagaya Koki Sekor 7.5cm f/3.5 and it is such a joy to use ✨ picked it up at a vintage camera store where the owner refurbished it and gave it to me for about 50-60 usd (in Yen form as I’m in Japan). I can definitely recommend using this camera wide open and close up as a portrait camera as well, giving it a distinctive background swirl effect. Great review!
I love the channel and all the various topics in your videos. I have a request please. I would love to see how you, Greg and Jules go about metering your scenes, and the philosophy behind your choices, as to the stop on the lens, and the ISO that you may choose. Thank you for helping to keep film photography alive, and Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Just wanted to let you guys know that I love your channel and Merry Christmas to you's and all the luck into the future... cheers.
Thank you for your kind words. Merry Christmas to you, too. :)
I love your thoughtful and thorough videos, the way you emphasize actual photos taken, and of course your choice of cameras is great. Thank you!
I have the Mamiya Six V which also shoots 6x4.5 - the dual frame counter is hard to describe but is absolutely brilliant and really clever in its design.
May I share one concern…
If you are a left eye shooter wearing glasses (like myself) I find the Mamiya Six ergonomics a bit fussy for two reasons: 1) it’s difficult to simultaneously rotate the focus wheel with my right thumb while my cheekbone and left eye are pressed close enough against the viewfinder to get a good view of the rangefinder patch. And 2) the lock release to the left of the viewfinder is made of knurled metal that will scratch eyeglasses with even the slightest touch. I was able to alleviate this issue though by fitting a tiny rubber cover over it, procured from Amzn.
Please continue producing these videos! Your format and presentation is a winner. You guys really stand out of the crowd on YT!!
Loved the moody light over you 😊 another great review. Merry Xmas and happy new year! Wish you, your family & viewers the very best! Keep clicking keep inspiring x be well
Thank you so much for your kind comment. Merry Christmas to you as well. Hope you guys are having a great time and enjoying the winter. :)
Another excellent video. One note, my version came with a closeup adapter. It’s a metal ring that slides over the lens barrel attached to the ring is a flexible, almost like a plamp but much thicker. At the end of this is a (I guess) refractor that you position in front of the rangefinder window and it allows for very close focusing. Mine was included in my purchase and I saw others on ebay.
Thank you for the information and nice photos as always!
I want to see some comparisons such as leica vs pentax in B&W 50mm etc. next year if possible.
Have a nice year end!
Another excellent episode. We'll done. If I might suggest another possible camera that isn't the norm, but was a unique piece of equipment is the American Universal Mercury Half-Frame cameras from the late 1940s. These cameras worked off 35mm film with a rotating shutter and a 1000 speed setting, all the while encased in a magnesium and aluminum camera body. Quite unique.
Great video, haven't had GAS in a while but you managed to give it to me. Always liked this design.
I have the Automat version. Beautiful cameras that produce great images.
Putting one of those little hotshoe mounted lightmeters on top makes it even more convenient to use IMO.
Excellent review as always from you guys.
I use a DOOMO D on mine.
I love these cameras, I think I have the same version as you, I love the image quality, as you say it has that vintage feel to it, but also cannot fault the lens either with anything. I do wish that there was an easy filter thread on it, but the small series filters work well on it.
Great review of one of my favorite cameras. I have the dual format version, which can also shoot 6x45. One thing to note for people looking to buy one, is that the Olympus lenses are frequently found with terrible haze that cannot be removed. The Mamiya Setagaya Koki lenses on the camera don't seem to have the haze issue, but they are harder to find. Another great similar camera, and more modern, is the Super Fujica Six.
The Super Fujica Six has the most unique and lovely rendering of the dozens of 6x6 folders I’ve owned. I’d love to see an AI review of that one!
Hi ! Lovely video for argentic lovers !!!
Thank you for this coverage of one of my favorite classic cameras. I own the Automat model, which looks very similar to yours except that it has fully automatic film stop (no need for the little red flag in the viewfinder) and cocks the shutter automatically when the film is advanced (via a very simple, rugged mechanism... something that Kodak, for example, never quite mastered for its Retina folding 35mm cameras, which have notoriously fragile shutter-cocking mechanisms.)
Sad point: I can see by the video at 4:05 that your camera has a deteriorated beamsplitter in the rangefinder mechanism, which probably makes the rangefinder image somewhat dim and hard to focus in poor light. Mine has exactly the same problem! The construction of the rangefinder optics is straightforward, so I would bet it is possible to cure this condition easily by replacing the beamsplitter glass, if only someone could find a suitable modern substitute...
I have the Automat II version and really love it! The auto cocking feature is great on it and the bigger viewfinder! The lens is also an upgraded Mamiya- Sekor F3.5 lens!
I'm still on the hunt for the last version of that camera, the Automat II. My preferred 6x6 folder so far is the Olympus Chrome Six RIIb with the 2.8 lens (which is the previous version of the lens used on the Mamiya). I'd love to compare the Mamiya Six Automat to this camera. However, my favorite 6x6 format camera is a TLR, and I also shoot much more pictures with my Pentacon Six cameras than with the folder. But when I want to bring a particularly small medium format camera, I'll grab such a fifties folder.
Wunderbare Aufnahmen. ❄❤
I own one, with the Zuiko lens. It's in mint condition. Looks brand new, like it just came out of the box.
It took me a long time to find a good one and they're not cheap. The real challenge in picking this camera up is finding one with good, reliable bellows and more importantly a good, clean lens. The vast majority of offers you find have lenses with fungus, sticky blades, sticky shutter, lens separation and front element scratches. Finding one with a good lens is finding the needle in the haystack.
Other than that, I agree with the review. I found the images to be perfectly sharp and usable for enlargements and crops. The camera is a joy to use and makes for a nice street setup as it allows to zone focus as well, and the shutter is silent.
I agree entirely, the bellows material is probably the most fragile of all folders in my experience. The problem with Japan-sourced models is the Japanese humidity which ruins their lenses (not to mention their dealer dishonesty).
Something similar, i love using my Zeiss Super Iconta III (531/16 coupled rangefinder version). Super sharp, great images and small to carry.
I am using a Zeiss Super Ikonta 531/2 from late 50‘s. With 6x9 and 105mm f/3,5 Tessar, it is doing very well.
Such an interesting, thorough, and helpful review as always! I had one question though: What sort of flash socket is on this camera? I have a similar model and I'm not sure how the little port on the lens assembly attaches to a flashgun.
Lovely video, I have the Model V one that can shoot 6x6 and 645. It was nice to use, but the lens apparently is in dire need of a hood since it flares very easily. In the right situation, it gives me very beautiful rendering with *that* vintage glow and sometimes swirly bokeh. I've paired it once with an apparently expired Provia 100F and it gives me some of the best images I've ever shot on film.
Do you have the Olympus or Mamiya lens on yours?
@@l10industries I have the D.Zuiko Oly lens. I heard the Sekors are worse in a lot of aspects but I can't confirm nor deny it
I would love seeing you use this camera for a portrait photo session.
I have a slightly older version (round windows) that seems to work very well. Only thing is, it likes to skip stopping on frame 7. So the little red window can come in handy at times.
Since I know that you have reviewed the perkeo with vaskar and skopar, I wouldn't mind hearing your thought on comparing these two cameras. (Maybe even mention the gw645 and other 645/66 cameras you have used :) )
I collected a bunch of medium format folders for a while, seeking the one that did the best for me. Zeiss Ikons, Balda, Voigtländer, Mamiya ... I had two Mamiya 6 models along the way and they're nice cameras. But the one 6x6 folder that has I've kept and use regularly is the Voigtländer Perkeo II with the Color Skopar lens. Despite having to learn how to focus by scale, it is without any doubt the best performer I've had.
I have a model P and I love it.
I got my hands on a mamiya 6 V because I thought the focusing concept was interesting and the camera nice and compact. I got the V because of a good price. I really don't need (and don't really like 6x4.5). I already have a Mamiya M645 and hardly use it. I like the Mamiya 6 V but the 6x6 isn't really 6x6 but smaller on the horizontal end. Not sure if this is just the copy I got or is endemic to that particular model. Also, unfortunately the model I got didn't have the Zuiko 75mm but another brand and it isn't nearly as nice as the Zuiko. Nevertheless, I am glad to have the camera and it is innovative and a lot of fun to shoot. I always appreciate your reviews as they are reviews of cameras for shooting and not analysis of resolution charts.
Thank you for an enjoyable high quality video. Do check out the Agfa Super Isolette, I would love to see you amke a video on this camera. I have been using a Super Isolette for forty years, it adresses all shortcomings of other folding 120 cameras of the 50's and its lens is....well you would need to try it.
Thanks for this very nice review, I think of buying one and have aquestion about the viewfinder, I am wearing glasses and am wondering if you can see the whole image.
Thanks in advance,
Kees
I didn’t encounter any problems when wearing glasses but I don’t remember fully whether I could easily see the entire frame. Sorry about that.
Don’t be sorry for the light. Maybe it can be a little too much, but it also looks absolutely beautiful.
Hello, nice video ! Can you tell size and weight comparing to the Voigtlander Perkeo ? Thanks
Lovely camera, owned one before. The back shifting focus makes the lens real sturdy. Main drawbacks are the relatively inaccurate and small viewfinder and these 4 elements zuiko lenses are known to fog overtime, but it's quite easy to clean it yourself.
I have a question about the winding mechanism. Is the any kinf od lock for every frame or can I move the winder freely? In other words, can I turn it just a bit and still be able to fire the shutter or is everything connected?
I've been waiting for this review for a long time now..
Mine has been collecting dust for over a year because it's filled with light leaks and I'm not bothered to change the seals 😅
Maybe now is the time to use it again, I just HATE it's focusing wheel on the back 💔
Light leaks may well be from pinholes in the bellows.
@@andrewrothman7805 Yeah unfortunately they are..
Just checked thoroughly and it had a small cut 💔
Brilliant review. I'm getting hold of a Mamiya Six V Automat. How usable is the close 1m focus at f3.5? Is it reasonable in low light & and less than good eyes? What about the 645 switching?
Thanks for your comment. The close focus works fine and even in low light, you should be fine. I haven’t tried the switch to 645 unfortunately.
@@AnalogInsights reason I’m curious as I’m giving it a go , the RB67 Pro S & it’s very fiddly to focus for me at 1st & my m8 uses the C220 $ likes it.
I notice your ASA dial is set to “S”…I saw another copy of this camera where the little ASA window had “64” in it…the copy I have has ASA set to “100”. This may seem like an ignorant question, but do we actually set ASA/ISO rating on the camera? Or just meter using the box speed and let developing sort that out? I’m a little confused!
Is there a parallax issue since the camera's image on the film and the viewfinder image are different.
Oh no, sorry to hear that.
I wonder if there are any "military" versions of the Mamiya 6? I would have thought that war time production of "consumer" cameras would have ceased to preserve valuable resources for war time production.
I have found with my copy of the Mamiya 6, IV, that the image quality is not always consistent. One image can be outstanding and another has some kind if distortion. Yet, I have fun with this camera because you never know what results you will get.
Sorry to ask, what are the red buttons "M, S, X" next to the lens used for?
Can you help? Manuals are hard to find. I just bought an Automat from Japan and find when I load the film and close the back the winder goes to frame 1 with about 1/50th of a turn. I have to hold the advance lever while winding the film to its proper location of frame one while thew counter says frame 4. What did I do wrong. Or not do?
Thank you for your comment. I believe you can just reach out to Mike Butkus to get the matching manual. www.butkus.org/chinon/mamiya/mamiya_6_folding/mamiya_6_folding.htm
In this particular case, I am honestly not sure what the issue is. Please excuse.
How and where I may get a Mamiya 6 folding camera a new or old in good condition?
see 'F' beside Zuiko. it being the sixth letter of alphabet and tells us that this lens has 6 elements. this is stated by another you tuber who services cameras. It may also the reason
that the camera is a Mamiya SIX . 6 element lens---really??
What about the Mamiya Sekor lens on some of the models?
I forgot to mention that over my excitement for the Olympus Zuiko lens. Please excuse. As others have mentioned, the Mamiya Sekor is less prone to haze but the Zuiko is considered the better option (if available).
@@AnalogInsights I've had two copies of this camera, both with the Sekor lens. I looked for quite a while in the early 1980s for a model with an Olympus lens. With the considerable coating hazing problem that one seems to have, I'm glad I never found one. I sold the first one because I never used it, but later found a mint version with a few accessories for a bargain price at a swap meet. My second one seems to have escaped the hazing issue, but I would caution anyone shopping for a user. The Sekor lenses have the same type of hazing, but apparently not as sever or common and the Olympus equipped models. I would dispute the suggestion that the hazing problem is a DIY cleaning to correct matter. There is a YT video of another owner who faced the issue and did his own cleaning job. From the results, it looks like he scrubbed off the lens coatings and destroyed the camera, although from his video commentary, it looks like he was still in denial. (My lack of use is rooted in my lack of preference for the square format and the excessive weight of the Mamiya 6 folder generally.)
Hi, how does it do with accurately framing?
Pretty good in my perception.
Is there an easy solution for intentionally creating multiple exposures?
You must give the viewers the address of Mamiya company, from where we may purchase Mamiya six.
I have this camera, unfortunately there’s not a particular reason to keep one besides the way it looks. It renders quite mediocre photos even if your lens doesn’t have fungus or haze to it. Performs quite well in indoor situations where no harsh light hits the lens. Even in these photos you can see a tiny bit of halation in the highlights.
Looks like a Zeiss Super Ikonta copy.
It does have a certain resemblance to the final-model Super Ikonta III because both have a squared-off design and combined range/viewfinders with square rangefinder windows. But the Mamiya came first - the model IVB (first of the squared-off series) was introduced in 1955, while the Super Ikonta III did not appear until 1956. Also, in terms of design, the Mamiya is anything BUT a copy! Mr. Mamiya rethought every drawback of other folding cameras, such as the Super Ikonta, and designed it to rectify their problems. The biggest example of this is the coupling of the lens to the rangefinder: Zeiss had to compromise by using front-element focusing (optically inferior) in order to keep the coupling mechanism simple enough to fold when the camera was closed. Other rangefinder-coupled folding cameras, such as those from Voigtlander, had unit-focusing lenses, but in many cases their front standards were less rigid, meaning the lens could get out of alignment with the film plane. By moving the film plane, the Mamiya could have BOTH a rigid front standard and a unit-focusing lens... because no coupling mechanism was needed at all! This design was a feature of every Six going back to the original 1940 model. Side benefit: the thumb-operated positioning of the wheel makes focusing exceptionally convenient.
Drool.
I recently found a Kodak Retina in a thrift shop, seems like its design has been inspired from the Mamiya 6. Havent tested it yet, because its shutter button is stuck. But looking forward to repair it and play around with it. I love how compact it can be and using 35mm is convenient. Thanks for the detailed review once again.
Nice, the Kodak Retinas are really interesting as well. I am actually in the process of reviewing one at the moment. Went through the same process of finding it in a thrift shop, cleaning it up and now using it again. If the shutter button is stuck, try pressing the film release button on the bottom and then trigger the film advance lever all the way. This typically does away with the problem. Sometimes it also needs to be closed and opened up again in combination with what I just mentioned.
@@AnalogInsights great news, looking forward to your review! Thanks for the tips in repairing, I will try what you suggested.
I have a V. They may be of novel interest to collectors but as a practical user I rate it as a piece of rather heavy junk.
why
Maybe as a camera collector you should leave these alone and let us poor folks shoot them without having to pay insane prices for amazing 6x6 results. Please.