Mamiya 35mm Rangefinder Informat

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Mamiya 35mm Rangefinder Information Mamiya had already established a rich 35mm rangefinder heritage before they began producing 35mm SLR's. But good technical data is hard to find, and this information is a long way from complete. New information any Gentle Reader might have about these cameras will help make this site better and you are actively encouraged to submit it! Please consider joining the Collecting Mamiya 35mm Forum where you can share any of the much-needed information!

MAMIYA 35-I (c.1949) from the R.L. Herron Collection MAMIYA 35-II, (c.1955) from the R.L. Herron collection.	Mamiya 35-I and 35-II Building on the success of the mid-size Mamiya-6 folder, which had quickly developed a reputation for reliability and unique design, Mamiya built an equally unique 35mm model. It was the first Japanese camera to automatically cock a leaf shutter as the film was wound. The Mamiya 35-I, (c.1949), with a fixed 5cm f/3.5 Hexar lens in a Copal B shutter, had speeds from 1 sec. to 1/200 and B. It featured a knob-wind film advance, and also adopted the unique backfocusing arrangement of the larger Mamiya-6, in which the lens did not move during focusing. Instead, the entire film plane itself moved within the camera, through the same ingenious mechanics that focused the Mamiya-6. There were problems, however, keeping the film flat in the 35mm format and the back-focusing 35mm was abandoned. The Mamiya 35-II, introduced in 1955, is immediately recognizable from the similar Mamiya 35-I that preceded it by the change in the distinctive round shape of the viewfinder window. The round viewfinder would not appear again on Mamiya 35mm rangefinder cameras. There were other noticeable differences, such as the squared-off top plate and the knurled film advance and rewind knobs. The 35-II was originally available with a f/3.5 lens (see picture at left), and a faster f/2.8 lens was sold in 1956. Remarkably sturdy cameras, both the Mamiya 35-I and 35-II can still occasionally be found today, although they are rare. One in serviceable or repairable mechanical condition is becoming extremely rare, with auction prices beginning to climb considerably. These are both extremely sought-after items for true Mamiya collectors. MAMIYA 35-I, showing the unique faceplate that held the film flat
Mamiya Mammy The Mamiya Mammy, a low-priced camera with a strangely-shaped bakelite body, is worth mentioning as part of Mamiya's 35mm heritage. Introduced in 1953, this "camera for the masses," featured front lens focusing and produced 24x28mm exposures on paper-backed, unperforated 35mm film stock (828 film). The picture at right is my only good image of the camera. It apparently sold very well in Japan. However, I have been unable to find records to indicate how well it was received -- or if it was even marketed -- in the rest of the world. It is a very rare item today, and is seldom seen in auction.	MAMIYA MAMMY (c.1953)
MAMIYA 35-III (c.1957) from the R.L. Herron collection.	Mamiya 35-III Another significant advance came in September 1957, on the release of the Mamiya 35-III, (left). It was a helical focus camera with a self-cocking lever and linked finder. It had a flash mount shoe (cold), manually-set dials for film type and shot counting (on the film advance). Its lens is a fixed 5cm f/2.8 Mamiya-Sekor in a Seikosha-MXL shutter (speeds from 1 sec. - 1/500 including B). Slightly more expensive, a version with an f/2.0 lens in the same Seikosha shutter was also available. Both versions are rare today. ALSO PICTURED from the R.L. Herron collection (above, left to right): MAMIYA WIDE (c.1957) Essentially a 35-III equipped with a 35mm lens MAMIYA WIDE E (c.1959) Improved Mamiya Wide with selenium meter MAMIYA PROTOTYPE (c.1957) Apparently a one-of-a-kind item, this prototype image, identified as a Mamiya 35-2 prototype, was received from Mamiya Japan
Mamiya Magazine 35 Introduced in April 1957, the fascinating Mamiya Magazine 35 is one of the truly unique commercial cameras introduced by Mamiya. Available for years in medium- and large-format cameras, a 35mm interchangeable back had been found previously only in the ultra expensive Kodak Ektra, which was introduced in 1939 and discontinued less than a year later. The Adox 300 (c.1956) also had an interchangeable 35mm back but it, too, was short-lived, and there is no evidence it was ever imported into the U.S. market. Thus, years ahead of its time, the Mamiya Magazine 35 was the first mass-produced, mass-marketed 35mm format camera with a film-back interchange system. Using a fixed 50mm f/2.8 Mamiya-Sekor lens in a Seikosha MXL shutter, it has a fast-focusing parallel-action helical mount with 90º sweep-lever throw for 3½ feet to infinity focusing. An f/2 lens was also available, but finding one is rare. The shutter boasts nine speeds, from 1/500 to 1 sec. and B, and full flash synchronization. It has a contrasty coupled rangefinder and the single window viewfinder also provides a parallax indicator. The magazine "Popular Photography," in its November 1957 edition, called it "an intelligently designed" and highly dependable camera "which combines optical and mechanical excellence." The camera was not, however, as commercially successful as Mamiya, or the early critics, had anticipated. In 1957 the Mamiya Magazine 35, with one film magazine, sold for $89.50. Check my Auction Prices tables for the current auction average prices. A remarkably sturdy camera, with good optics, it can still be found in auctions today, although finding one in good working condition is becoming increasingly rare.	MAMIYA MAGAZINE 35 (c.1957) from the R.L. Herron collection. Kodak EKTRA (left; c.1939) and Adox 300 (right; c.1956)
Mamiya Elca The Mamiya Elca (right), was introduced in April 1958, as Japan's first camera with match-needle metering. The aperture, shutter and film speeds were connected by resistors, and the needle was aligned against a fixed pointer. It had a coupled rangefinder with a selenium meter. The exposure metering, shutter cocking and rangefinder setting were operated simultaneously by the film advance lever. It was furnished with a fixed 5cm (50mm) Mamiya-Sekor f/2.8 lens in a Copal-Special-MXV shutter, with speeds from 1 - 1/500 and B. It is one of the rarer Mamiya rangefinders today.	MAMIYA ELCA (c.1958) from the R.L. Herron collection.
MAMIYA 35 CROWN (c.1958) from the R.L. Herron collection.	Mamiya 35 Crown The Mamiya 35 Crown (left), growing out of the Mamiya 35-III, related to the Mamiya 35-S and S2, and one of several sister cameras of the Mamiya Metra, was released in 1958. It featured a self-cocking lever and linked finder, but had no exposure meter. It was available with either a fixed f/1.9 or f/2.8 lens in a Seikosh-MXL shutter. Notable for its grey body covering, it was also marketed in some areas as the Mamiya Executive (some may have featured black covering). PICTURED ABOVE (left to right, beginning at top): MAMIYA METRA (c.1958) MAMIYA CROWN (c.1958) A version of the Metra without an exposure meter MAMIYA AUTO METRA (c.1959) MAMIYA AUTO METRA-2 (c.1959) MAMIYA SKETCH (c.1959) Japan's first 24x24cm format with 35mm film. A format that never became popular in either the Japanese or export markets. It had first-class optics with a linked rangefinder, and was finished in grey leather. It is EXTREMELY RARE in auction today. MAMIYA 35-S2 (c.1959); Similar to the MAMIYA 35-S, which was released about the same time, the S2 was a coupled rangefinder with a 48mm Mamiya-Sekor f/2.8 helical focus lens, in a Copal-SV 1-500 shutter
Mamiya Ruby In September 1959, Mamiya introduced another leaf shutter 35mm camera, the Mamiya Ruby. It was a front-lens focusing linked rangefinder with a point matching exposure meter, read in a dial on top of the camera, not through the lens (see picture at right). It had a 48mm f/2.8 Mamiya-Sekor lens. A more advanced version, featuring lens and aperture control, with an f/1.9 Mamiya-Sekor lens, was introduced in May 1960. The Ruby was to become the style basis for several Mamiya rangefinders. MAMIYA RUBY Meter Building on the Ruby line was the Mamiya M3, a less expensive cousin, introduced in May 1961. It featured a fully synchro flash contact, shutter speeds from 1 to 1/500, and came with a fixed 48mm Mamiya-Kominar f/2.0 lens. Yet another related camera, the Mamiya 4B, released in 1963, came with a selenium-cell meter, a fixed 40mm Mamiya-Kominar f/2.8 lens and a much more limited shutter (1/4 - 1/250). Similar Mamiya rangefinders were often rebranded as Rank Mamiya cameras when sold in the U.K.	MAMIYA RUBY (c.1960) from the R.L. Herron collection. Above (left to right): MAMIYA - M3 (c.1961); and MAMIYA - 4B (c.1963)
MAMIYA EE MERIT (c.Feb 1962) from the R.L. Herron collection. MAMIYA EE SUPER MERIT (c.Sept 1962) from the R.L. Herron collection.	Mamiya EE Merit Pictured at left is the Mamiya EE Merit, a lens shutter 35mm rangefinder first released in February 1962. An advanced version, the Mamiya EE Super Merit, was released in September of the same year. Featuring shutter priority, focus in this coupled rangefinder is identified by marks in the distance-linked viewfinder. Both the EE Merit and Super Merit had a fixed 40mm f/2.8 Mamiya-Kominar lens, an automatic shot counter and four shutter speed settings: 1/30, 1/60, 1/125 and 1/250. The Super Merit is distinguishable by a slightly wider, black-framed bezel around the front rangefinder window. Both versions were also marketed by Honeywell as the Honeywell Electric Eye 35. Yet another version was sold as the Mansfield Eye-Tronic R. Mansfield was a division of Argus, Inc. There was another name variant, known as the Vulcan, but until recently I had no information as to where this version was marketed. Thanks to reader Maurice Fisher, it is confirmed that the Mamiya Vulcan was a rebranded Mamiya EE Super Merit, sold in the UK through the retailer Dixons. MAMIYA VULCAN, shown in an advertisement for UK retailer, Dixons, September 1963. Ad image courtesy Maurice Fisher.
Mamiya Super Deluxe The Mamiya Super Deluxe was released in August 1964. This leaf shutter 35mm had a point-matching exposure control and an auto counter. It came with either a fixed Mamiya-Sekor 48mm f/1.7 or a Mamiya Kominar f/2.0 lens -- both in a Copal-SVE shutter, synched to either manual or electronic flash. In November 1964, a version featuring an even faster f/1.5 Mamiya-Sekor lens was released. Earliest versions have "Super Deluxe" on the front of the top housing, below the meter cell (see picture, right). Later versions have "Super Deluxe" in script letters, on the front left-hand side of the camera body. All versions use a single 1.3v PX-675 mercury battery (almost universally banned). Battery Note: You can find an acceptable zinc-air substitute for the 1.3v PX-675 mercury battery the Super Deluxe requires at PhotoBattery.com. A slightly more expensive adapter to convert 1.5v silver-oxide batteries to the proper 1.3v output is available. Have to check the web/Ebay.	MAMIYA SUPER DELUXE 2.0 (c. 1964) from the R.L. Herron collection. MAMIYA AUTO DELUXE (c. 1961) from the R.L. Herron collection. Another camera preceeding the Super Deluxe was the Mamiya Auto-Deluxe (above, c.1961). It had a coupled rangefinder with a match-needle selenium meter. Unlike most 35mm designs from Mamiya, the Auto-Deluxe had the meter cell at the left-hand side of the camera body. It was equipped with a 48mm Mamiya-Sekor f/1.7 1-500 lens and a Seikosha-SLV shutter. A variant of this camera was also sold branded as the Pro-Matic.
MAMIYA 135 EE (c.1977) from the R.L. Herron collection.	Mamiya 135 At left is the Mamiya 135 (c.1977), a programmed EE camera with a linked rangefinder and flash charge lamp (for dedicated flash). It has a fixed 38mm Mamiya-Sekor f/2.8 lens, a self-timer, a hot shoe and a built-in light meter, read through the viewfinder. Similar to many small 35mm rangefinders produced about this time (the small Rollei XF35, c.1974, or the Minolta Hi-Matic F come to mind), it used a 1.3v PX-675 mercury battery. Mercury batteries are now banned in most countries (see Battery Note above). MAMIYA MYRAPID (above; c.1965) An automatic half-frame 35mm with a selenium cell surrounding the 32mm Tominon f/1.7 lens in an Auto Copal 1/30 - 1/800 shutter. It produced an 18x24mm image on Rapid-cassettes, which are no longer available.