I've used a recently acquired Mamiya 6 Automat (self cocking) and it's impressive. The Olympus lenses are prone to coating loss but are sharp for fifties glass. As good as a Tessar from CZ. The cameras are bigger than many 120X12 folders, and heavier as well. Mine is reliable and spaces the shots properly on film. The RF is adjustable. I wouldn't call this an urban sniper but it delivers decent images in reasonable working time. The finder is larger than most of that period, a good thing. Their build quality is middle of the road.
I'm so tempted to get an Automat. The prices are okay, although have gone up since I purchased my Mamiya-Six folder five years ago. I'd love to see your photos taken with the Automat. Do you have a place where I can see them? Thanks!
@@analogueandy8x10 Andy, I will need to think about this. I don’t have a page on flicker. I can say they will enlarge well and the negs look pretty sharp at 12X under a loupe. Good corner to corner detail and decent but not quite modern contrast. The auto shutter cocking is very convenient. As you know, check the lens closely and the RF patch. Otherwise, a bullet proof shooter.
I have owned a couple of these Mamiya 6 folders over the years. First a comment on its opening. Do not let it "pop" open as he did at first in the video. Two reasons: (1) As the lens springs out and bellows quickly erects, that creates a brief internal vacuum which tends to suck the film away from the film plane, leading to poor sharpness. (2) When the lens assembly bangs open, it slams against the stop(s) which maintain the precision alignment of lens standard to film plane, leading to alignment problems, which on this camera would be hard to repair. These cameras have a unique focus mechanism. Where others will either move the lens in the front standard to focus, or will move the whole standard and lens, here the film plane moves forward and back to focus. This makes for a very strong mechanism, but also adds some extra fussy handling to load film, which has to be clipped into the moving film plane.Made all though the 1950s, there must be ten or more models of the Mamiya 6, but they are all similar. They mount either Mamiya Sekor or Olympus Zuiko lenses, both 4-element Tessar copies. If shopping, watch out for the ones with Olympus lenses, which have a reputation of fogging due to questionable lens coatings. The focus mechanism plus the beefy front lens standard make this one of the heaviest 6x6 folders made, and one of the most robust.
If you're using panchromatic film, like HP5, be sure to remember to close the cover over the hole through which you view the numbers. At least that is necessary on some older folders--direct light will fog through the backing. (Of course, orthochromatic film is a different story.) Nice camera. Looks like fun.
Hi Lisa! That dial is not linked to the camera in any way.. It has no purpose other than to remind you what film you have in the camera. My dial has EMP in red (whatever that stands for??), and ASA in black. I don't bother with it.
That would appear to be a Mamiya 6-P, and I have one just like it! Yes, I’ve done the very same thing with passing by the first exposure! You just learn to be diligent!!! 😁
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I've used a recently acquired Mamiya 6 Automat (self cocking) and it's impressive. The Olympus lenses are prone to coating loss but are sharp for fifties glass. As good as a Tessar from CZ. The cameras are bigger than many 120X12 folders, and heavier as well. Mine is reliable and spaces the shots properly on film. The RF is adjustable. I wouldn't call this an urban sniper but it delivers decent images in reasonable working time. The finder is larger than most of that period, a good thing. Their build quality is middle of the road.
I'm so tempted to get an Automat. The prices are okay, although have gone up since I purchased my Mamiya-Six folder five years ago. I'd love to see your photos taken with the Automat. Do you have a place where I can see them? Thanks!
@@analogueandy8x10 Andy, I will need to think about this. I don’t have a page on flicker. I can say they will enlarge well and the negs look pretty sharp at 12X under a loupe. Good corner to corner detail and decent but not quite modern contrast. The auto shutter cocking is very convenient. As you know, check the lens closely and the RF patch. Otherwise, a bullet proof shooter.
I have owned a couple of these Mamiya 6 folders over the years. First a comment on its opening. Do not let it "pop" open as he did at first in the video. Two reasons: (1) As the lens springs out and bellows quickly erects, that creates a brief internal vacuum which tends to suck the film away from the film plane, leading to poor sharpness. (2) When the lens assembly bangs open, it slams against the stop(s) which maintain the precision alignment of lens standard to film plane, leading to alignment problems, which on this camera would be hard to repair. These cameras have a unique focus mechanism. Where others will either move the lens in the front standard to focus, or will move the whole standard and lens, here the film plane moves forward and back to focus. This makes for a very strong mechanism, but also adds some extra fussy handling to load film, which has to be clipped into the moving film plane.Made all though the 1950s, there must be ten or more models of the Mamiya 6, but they are all similar. They mount either Mamiya Sekor or Olympus Zuiko lenses, both 4-element Tessar copies. If shopping, watch out for the ones with Olympus lenses, which have a reputation of fogging due to questionable lens coatings. The focus mechanism plus the beefy front lens standard make this one of the heaviest 6x6 folders made, and one of the most robust.
Thank you for that information!
If you're using panchromatic film, like HP5, be sure to remember to close the cover over the hole through which you view the numbers. At least that is necessary on some older folders--direct light will fog through the backing. (Of course, orthochromatic film is a different story.) Nice camera. Looks like fun.
Thanks for the tip. I learnt the hard way with an old 6x9 folder! 😁
Just bought this camera…trying to figure out using the ISO Dial on top of the camera without advancing the film. Any thoughts?
Hi Lisa! That dial is not linked to the camera in any way.. It has no purpose other than to remind you what film you have in the camera. My dial has EMP in red (whatever that stands for??), and ASA in black. I don't bother with it.
That would appear to be a Mamiya 6-P, and I have one just like it! Yes, I’ve done the very same thing with passing by the first exposure! You just learn to be diligent!!! 😁
I enjoyed having it with me in Japan last Summer as my main camera!