Mamiya
Twin Lens Reflex
Some owner comments
of a great, yet at times, frustrating camera system.
These are my experiences with the Mamiya TLR.
Enrico Scotece (2002) - Updated Mid 2008
Introduction
I would rather not compare the
Mamiya TLR system to others such as Hasselblad 6x6, Mamiya
7ii, RZ/RB, as I have used these cameras as part of my professional
gear, and with any system there are a few advantages and disadvantages
to mention. All cameras have their uses (rephrase: 'almost'
all cameras) and although one camera may be better than another
in one area, it may be lacking in elsewhere..
I use and own a few of the
Mamiya TLR’s –C3, C33’s, C330’s. Some
of these are in pristine condition and see no outdoor use;
other units have seen heavy use by not only myself but as
well as previous owners. Though I have never intentionally
abused my cameras in any way (although I did accidentally
destroy an RB), I have at least 3 units that are heavily used
in all weather conditions, day or night, and consistently
produce exceptional results. It
is these units which I enjoy taking outside most, at night,
on the streets, into foreign subways, semi wet weathered streets
of worn cities. The C-series TLR’s has given me the
pleasure of shooting MF in scattered neighbourhoods of local
and foreign cities and not be afraid of loss. The
Mamiya’s are strong units. You could knock out a cow
with one of these things. Honestly, the thought of using one
of these things as self defence has crossed my mind, though
ofcourse these cameras were built to be used and purchased
as a tool to create negatives that will produce outstanding
photographs. If you don’t take a chance, you ain’t
got one, and since the replacement cost of these cameras are
fairly low, it was a sense of releif to become less protective
of the unit and less afraid if someone were to rob me of my
gear.
As far as I know, Mamiya produced
the last of their TLR’s in the 80’s, though the
production of bodies had stopped prior to that of lenses.
The camera takes 120 film and is of a 6x6 square format. Interchangeable
finders are available including the standard Waist Level finder,
Porroflex / finder, 'Chimney' finder - metered, and a Prism
finder. A positive of a Twin Lens camera is that mirror vibration
is non-existent: the camera is dead quiet. Being a TLR the
field of view is never 'blacked out'. Its almost like a compact
5x4 system with no movements - and fully mechanical (no batteries!).
You have full control over its mechanism, you can expose and
re-expose, whether it be multiple exposures or successive
frames, with ease.
Comparing the C3 Series
The older C33's are a little
heavy. The C330F is possibly the most user friendly of the
range, though the last manufactured of the series, the C330S
is definately the most lightweight. I have favoured the C33
and the C330F over time, almost always using the heavier C33.
Weight is not a problem for me but maybe for others. I find
that the extra weight adds more stability when handheld. Manufactured
in the 70's the C33 is an all metal construction, whereas
the C330F/S is not. The 'F' and moreover the 'S' models of
the C330 have more plastic in them. They are not necessarily
of a lesser build quality, though I found sturdiness was an
issue with the lighter C330S when handheld.
Accessories
Accessories for these units
are wide and varied. Some accessories are easily found on
the market, though particular accessories such as the original
lens hoods are hard to come by and are slowly disappearing
over time. A very useful accessory is the parramender. The
parramender sits between the camera and the tripod and is
especially useful for correcting paralax; when the camera
is close to its subject this accessory is a must. The use
of 120 or 220 film is permitted with the TLR's. Using 220
film with the C330 simply means rotating the pressure plate
to the 220 position, though the C33 for instance requires
you to unhook the 'back' and apply a 220 back instead. Mamiya
also made available a sheet film holder for the C33, however
it should be noted that both of these two interchangeable
backs are one rarer than the other.
Lenses
The Mamiya TLR differs from
all other cameras I own, specifically the lenses. The tones
are unlike those produced by other lenses, especially in colour.
And the tones produced in the black and white negatives are
somewhat ‘film noir – ish’. The Mamiya TLR
system is the only system where interchangeable lenses are
a possibility, however this is not a quick process. Many users
will have perhaps two bodies with differing lenses mounted.
Allowing the use of a range of interchangeable lenses from
55mm through to 250mm, the user has a choice of focal lengths,
and the quality obtained with certain lenses, particularly
the 65 - black or chrome, 105D, and 180 'Super', are outstandingly
sharp. The 80mm is also a very good lens, probably the 135
slightly lesser. Never really having been a fan of telephoto
lenses, I had surprisingly purchased a 180 Super and the results
were amazing. This urged me to get my hands on the 250mm,
though my experiences with using two different 250mm lenses
over the course of a year left me disappointed. The 250 really
was a peice of crap. Clarity was at a minimum, contrast even
less so.
One should try to avoid 'ultra-used'
gear, especially lenses. The availability of lenses is still
good but coming across great condition lenses is sometimes
difficult. Now and again, with time and patience, good lenses
tend to surface. The ‘black’ lenses are the better
lenses, newer with far more reliable shutters than the older
‘chrome’ versions. Black lenses are all completely
black. Chrome lenses are the older and can be distinguished
by the chrome shutter dial ring. The earliest chrome lenses
had near circular aperture diaphragms and are a little rare.
They are also thought to be uncoated (or single coated). Black
lenses, having the better multi-coated glass, are overall
less prone to flare (the degree dependant on what you are
shooting). I had frequently used an 'old' chrome 80mm lens
for night work in subways and the quality was great, especially
around f8 with a lens hood to minimise flare from night lights.
As for the black lenses, generally
the older lenses have a yellow 'reflection' and the newer
have a somewhat purple reflection. I don’t know if this
has anything to do with multi-coating etc, or if it’s
just the type of glass used. The later mentioned 'purple cast'
(glass) are meant to be better. You may also be able to distinguish
by the shutter lever as the newer black versions have a blue
dot covering on the face of the lever. In addition, the latest
black lenses of the 1980's have apertures with click stops
whereas the previous black ones are stepless. All lenses are
of a similar make, except for one black 105mm lens. This was
the last 105mm lens made and is labeled as '105DS'. This lens
also has a "V" setting coupled to the flash synch
lever - like an inbuilt timer (say a 10-sec time), and is
also the only lens to have a depth of field (DOF) scale on
the viewing lens - basically an aperture 'set' added to the
viewing lens for DOF preview.
I haven’t yet quite figured
out how to distinguish between newer or older makes of the
chrome series lenses, simply because the chrome shutters 'give
in' after prolonged use, or prolonged lack of use, and are
not repairable, so users (including myself) just re-place
the shutters from other lenses which for instance may have
damaged glass etc. The life of any shutter can be lengthed
if it is regularly exercised and / or stored on a released
'B' setting. For the time I have owned them, all my black
lens shutters have never had a problem. I know for a fact
that the chrome shutters will one day give in. Of my chrome's
1 of 4 have let go in the space of 5 years, and without warning.
Once the chrome shutters go simply place the lens in your
‘parts’ box.
One more thing, the lenses also have an X-M selector for flash
use - Don't forget to leave it on X!! The M setting
is for flash bulbs not electronic flash. You may come across
lenses that have the selector glued in the X position - obviously
a user who had accidentally bumped it into the M position
and ended up with a blank roll of film...
Maintenance and what to look out for...
Many owners also complain about
focus problems with these cameras and some of the problems
seem severe. I suspect the units must have been dropped, or
at least the lens plates slightly bent etc. The only problems
I have experienced with focusing are when I would purchase
a lens. Some time down the road people don’t realize
that the viewing lenses especially are prone to some degree
of loosening. It’s just a matter of alignment with the
taking lens, which took a whole 2 minutes to fix.
In all, almost any
well cared for mamiya lens, be it black or chrome, old or
new, used with a decent lens hood, will produce excellent
results.
The bodies - some jam, some
don’t. Maintenance is not a big deal with these cameras.
All of my units are ‘internally’ equally healthy.
I have only had one mechanical problem with one single particular
camera, a very used C33 with a shutter cocking problem, I
realized this problem as soon as I was given the unit. This
camera looked like it had been taken apart before for a service
or to perhaps repair a tired looking external bellows. The
outer bellows was rough, the inner fine and from what I had
seen, the repair did not take place…
Two '3' series bodies (the
C33 and C330) have a built in lever that will cock the shutter
as you advance the film. Problem with my particular C33 was
that after you forward and then back-wound the film advance
lever (as is normal practice with the C33), the cocking arm
(on the body near the taking lens) would sometimes not fully
return to its ‘out of the way’ position. This
would result in a frame skipping habit - 1 skip per 3 frames
..waste of film damn it!. I
decided to investigate.
At first it was thought that
the problem was related to the winder assembly, since C33’s
are renowned to jam. Thankfully this wasn’t the case
- investigation and diagnosis was successful and without going
into too much detail, the mechanism behind the front plate
was all there however the gears of one particular contraption
were misaligned by (only) one cog. Simple, undo a few screws,
disassemble, realign, reassemble, start shooting!… yeah
right... After having to realign all the gears for the film
advance / shutter cocking mechanism I must have lost at least
5 kilos and was nearing a certain degree of diminishing patience.
I’ll take the time and patience to complete a job –
but I’ll be honest – man, this thing pissed me
off! I don’t think I have ever sworn so much in a space
of 3+ hours. I should
have known though, I had previously taken apart the focusing
screen assembly for a clean out. A little tedious? Yes. There
must have been about sixteen or so shims under the focusing
screen alone that were very uncooperative. Beware that patience
is a must if you intend to take these cameras apart. I mean
hey, it took me only 45 minutes to put the focusing
screen assembly back together…
In any repair the whole process
is just a case of trial and error. Patience proved itself
and I was able to fix it. Now the unit works beautifully,
performs well with a handful selection of lenses and has not
skipped a single frame.
As for the other TLR’s
I own (mainly C33’s / C330's), not one has had a single
problem. For me the Mamiya TLR system is not the perfect camera
though it is indeed very rewarding and one that I will never
let go.
If the unit you are looking to purchase seems like it has
been dropped out of a moving car then obviously, stay away.
Any problem, especially with second hand gear usually arises
from misuse or neglect. Any prospective buyer needs to make
a sensible decision prior to purchasing any used camera gear.
Be aware of what you are buying and what to look out for,
and have realistic expectations about implications and applications.
| Modifications
+ Notes: |
Although
one can recieve great satisfaction in using one, the Mamiya
TLR can be a real pain sometimes.
Here are some of the Modifications I have made to a C33. |
1) C33 Body
2) C33 Body, 80mm Lens Black, Screw type lens hood
|
So
as to make the camera feel as part of my left hand I
aimed at making modifications in order to make it feel
more like a press camera.
More specifically I needed to:
- be able to use the 'occasional' flash - therefore
removeable
- be able to leave the tripod base plate attached
- handhold the camera comfortably
- have the camera well balanced, with and without a
flash
One problem I always had with the C33 was its balance
/ weight. Sometimes the extra weight (compared to the
C330) was good though it wasnt always stable therefore
it is/was difficult to use handheld (quickly) for that
very reason. If I were using a Metz flash then the issue
was not so bad since the flash 'body' acted as a handle.
However the base plate of the Metz is primarily designed
for cameras with a long base - ideally a 35mm. The TLR's
tripod mount also seems to be in the wrong place too
- at least when using a Metz. To have the flash closer
to the lens meant having the base plate of the flash
protuding on the right hand side of the camera and in
line with (and in the way of!!) the focus dial...
These images show my minor modifications. This C33 body
is the more frequently used TLR body I carry with me
on the street. It's one battered looking C33 which after
all these years is still going...
From the images it can be seen that small changes and
additions have been made. I constructed a base plate
that combines the Manfrotto Hex Plate, and the Metz
Flash base plate. This peice has been constructed in
a way so that the flash sits central to the cameras
weight. The right hand side of the cameras body is freed
up so that the focus dial is not interfered with.
A strap was also added to facilitate my left hand. The
left focus dial (that I have never used) was also removed
- more room for comfort.
Shooting and focusing with the right hand, holdng and
balancing with the left is now possible. The use of
flash also becomes easier. Now the Metz just 'clips'
on and off as qucikly as I want it to.
Looking
at Image #2, you will notice the above lens is of a
yellow cast and the bottom lens is that of a purple
cast. Obviously these two lenses had belonged as a different
'pair' at another stage of their lives. Both lenses
(taking and viewing) will always have the same colour
cast if they are the original matched pair from the
factory. Perhaps either the viewing or taking lens was
damaged and therefore replaced. |
3) 65mm Lens Chrome,
Alternate Hood + Filter Adapter |
Finding
the original lens hoods for the Mamiya TLR lens is not
easy. You will always either find them in a '$2 box' or
in a glass cabinet for, well.. way more than $2...
One can always use conventional screw type lens hoods
such as that seen in image #2. These are more readily
found and are effective in any case.
The original hoods slip, not screw, onto the lens.
If using filters with lenses 80mm and above then no vignetting
should occur. However when using filters with the 65mm
or 55mm the usual screw in filters may (and most of the
time do) cause vignetting. For using filters for black
+ white, and occassionally colour, an alternative had
to be found.
For the 65mm a slip-on type hood / filter holder was put
together. The slip-ring with locking screw was taken from
a trashed factory hood. A series of step rings with adapter
ring was attached.
The filter thread is a 77mm. This seems large and from
the image (#3) one can see that at least a quarter of
the viewing lens is covered. This isn't as much of an
issue as first thought. Being a wide angle lens, not much
of the image in the viewfinder is actaully lost, the field
of view remained substantial. When shooting with a tripod
or when not in a hurry, the contraption can always be
slipped on and off between frames.
|
4) 65mm Lens Chrome, Original Slip-on Box Hood
|
Pictured
here is the same lens as above with the original box type
slip-on lens hood. These hoods have a hinged top that
can be positioned at any angle so as to make viewing easier.
Using filters whilst this hood is in place is virtually
impossible. Especially when the focal length is wide;
vignetting will occur with ordinary screw in filters.
You will also notice that the lens has chrome keeper rings.
Many times one will purchase a chrome series lens and
rarely these rings will be present. Normally the first
buyers would remove and replace them with a UV filter
or other. The keeper rings simply added stability to the
thin thread wall.
The X-M selector can also be seen. As stated above, X
is for use with electronic flash, M is for use with flash
bulbs. |
5 ) Inside of Film Door, Replaced Seals
|
The
foam light seals will most probably be deteriorated and
if not replaced will cause light leaks onto film.
A great alternative is the use of self adhesive velcro
tape (fuzzy side only ofcourse). The deteriorated foam
will have to be cleaned out completely. This is important!
It is very gummy and has to be scraped out and cleaned
with solvent for best results. The velcro can then be
cut into thin strips and applied accordingly. |
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