Adapting Other Lenses to Mamiya Press Cameras

<p>I recently discovered Mamiya press cameras are great for the kind of photography I enjoy and I have a nice Super 23 kit. During my research, I came across an two year old post from Dr. Ray Butler where he describes adapting other camera lenses to the Mamiya press system.<br />I wrote to him asking for more information and he kindly replied to me with a very detailed response. You can't find this information anywhere! A hardy <strong>THANKS! </strong>to Dr. Butler for sharing his knowledge and experience. With his permission, I have attached a Word document that contains his reply for the benefit of others that might find this information useful now and into the future.</p>

<p>Here it is as a standard PDF file for those that don't use Word software</p>

I know this is a very old thread. Any chance you could repost the document? Im not able to see the attachment.

Thank you.

 

<p>I recently discovered Mamiya press cameras are great for the kind of photography I enjoy and I have a nice Super 23 kit. During my research, I came across an two year old post from Dr. Ray Butler where he describes adapting other camera lenses to the Mamiya press system.<br />I wrote to him asking for more information and he kindly replied to me with a very detailed response. You can't find this information anywhere! A hardy <strong>THANKS! </strong>to Dr. Butler for sharing his knowledge and experience. With his permission, I have attached a Word document that contains his reply for the benefit of others that might find this information useful now and into the future.</p>

Here's a Press Standard with a Pentax bayonet mount

 

【Attention! Rare! PENTAX MOUNT】Mamiya Press w/ 6x9 Film Holder from Japan #464 | eBay

 

The focal length is important, once that is adhered to, any lens could be mounted provided that a suitable light tight mount is fitted to accept the lens/s

 

Interestingly not all Super 23 Press lenses will lock into the Press Standard, my 50mm will fit into the Press Standard bayonet but the lens lacks the notch for the locking catch. I think some 75mm also lack the notch

The focal length is important, once that is adhered to, any lens could be mounted provided that a suitable light tight mount is fitted to accept the lens/s

<\p>

 

Thanks for that bit of information. I have parts for a Mercury Works 3D printed camera, including a mount for Mamiya Press and a helical that takes view lenses. The camera back is Graflok standard. There are a variety of spacers available.

I suppose a board could be fixed somehow to the front of the Press Standard and the Super 23, with relevant thread or lock nut, and spacers for accurate distance

 

I wouldn't do it on my cameras, I'm happy with all the lenses (Mamiya) I already have

 

I'm more concerned about the frustrating problem I now have after fitting a Graflex back on My Press Standard, which is: How do I get my eye close enough to the viewfinder ? The Graflex back is much thicker than the Mamiya back and I can't see much more of the frame than the rangefinder double image square

I know this is a very old thread. Any chance you could repost the document? Im not able to see the attachment.

In the previous incarnations of P.net, it was possible to post pdf and some other kinds of files.

In all posts where that was done, the files are no longer accessible.

I suppose a board could be fixed somehow to the front of the Press Standard and the Super 23, with relevant thread or lock nut, and spacers for accurate distance

 

I wouldn't do it on my cameras, I'm happy with all the lenses (Mamiya) I already have

 

I'm more concerned about the frustrating problem I now have after fitting a Graflex back on My Press Standard, which is: How do I get my eye close enough to the viewfinder ? The Graflex back is much thicker than the Mamiya back and I can't see much more of the frame than the rangefinder double image square

 

I was looking at a Mamiya Press manual — online PDF was linked to the camera wiki — and I saw that an eyepiece extender was mentioned. I believe they said it was for use with the Polaroid back, but would be more generally useful. I’ve never seen one of them, though.

 

Regarding the lens adaptation, I agree with you. I would be very happy with the Mamiya lenses on a Mamiya press camera. I’m adapting the lenses to a different camera. The Mamiya helical would just be an intermediate step. There are other routes. Odds are I will end up using a Mamiya press lens on my camera.

— and I saw that an eyepiece extender was mentioned. I believe they said it was for use with the Polaroid back, but would be more generally useful. I’ve never seen one of them, though.

 

Thanks for conveying that info, it's good news in one way, bad news in another. Good because it confirms what I've been thinking that an extended eyepiece must have been manufactured, and bad because they're now as rare as hens teeth

 

Yes I'm not one for deviating from original designs generally but I must confess that my next "deviant" project is to fit a 105mm Tominon lens to a Kodak Hawkeye 2A 116 size film but instead using 4x5 sheets trimmed down to 70mm and fitted to the camera in a change bag. The conversion is quite simply and the Kodak's sliding rail allows easy focus adjustment while viewing the image on an improvised matt screen. I've conducted a preliminary screen focus test with the Tominon already and the crispness and sharpness so for on the screen are outstanding. I'm looking forward to shooting some nice large negs 2 1/2" x 4 1/4" in size

...my next "deviant" project is to fit a 105mm Tominon lens to a Kodak Hawkeye 2A 116 size film but instead using 4x5 sheets trimmed down to 70mm and fitted to the camera in a change bag. The conversion is quite simply and the Kodak's sliding rail allows easy focus adjustment while viewing the image on an improvised matt screen. I've conducted a preliminary screen focus test with the Tominon already and the crispness and sharpness so for on the screen are outstanding. I'm looking forward to shooting some nice large negs 2 1/2" x 4 1/4" in size

 

That project sounds very cool. I bought some sheet film holders that fit my Horseman (mostly Graflok standard). They take “2 1/4 x 3 1/4”, as well as “2.5 x 3.5” sheet film. I’d like to try Jason Lane’s dry plates in it some day. I think “one-sixth plate” size fits. He also will make custom sizes. Challenge is that his plates are ISO 2.

Yep cool project, it should work ok, the only tools needed are half round file, pliers and an angle grinder. The file to enlarge the hole in the lens standard for the Tominon to fit in. The grinder to remove the flange on the back of the standard to allow the lens lock nut to screw on, and the pliers to bend the viewfinder bracket. The shutter release is taken care of by cable release, that's all the Tominon accommodates. The viewfinder will be the original one but it's mounting bracket, which is part of the lens standard, will be straightened to clear the lens because the Tominon lens is larger in diameter than the Kodak lens

 

I contemplated using sheet film holders on my Mamiya Press to eliminate the need for an eyepiece extension given that I can't go back to using M "S" shaped backs, the Graflex adapter with bellows is now a permanent part of the camera. But sheet or cut film holders would be a bit slow for the way I want to use the camera, so modifying an external viewfinder to slide into the flash shoe might be a way of solving the problem - one of these Rhaco finders perhaps, hoping it covers the same area of the 100mm lens. For wide angle lens, I have matching finders, and of course, all these finders are higher up where I can get my eye to them

 

Rhaco viewfinder

Yahoo auction number s595484217.

The URL I entered didn’t come out in the post.

 

I know this is a very old thread. Any chance you could repost the document? Im not able to see the attachment.

Thank you.

Sorry Tom, I no longer have that document

Thanks for the trouble you went to Tom but unfortunately the extension I need is for a Press Standard which has a "dovetail" joint for the extension to slide into. I'm beginning to think that maybe Mamiya didn't make them for the Standard after all

 

Lou, thank you. I'm sure Tom will appreciate your post as well

Sorry Tom, I no longer have that document

 

Lou,

Thank you for the response.

Tom

Thanks for the trouble you went to Tom but unfortunately the extension I need is for a Press Standard which has a "dovetail" joint for the extension to slide into. I'm beginning to think that maybe Mamiya didn't make them for the Standard after all

 

No trouble at all. Too bad they changed that interface. I have to remember that there was a “Standard,” in addition to the Super 23,” and the “Universal.”

 

Tom

Sorry Tom, I no longer have that document

 

Not to worry, Lou - I just found the original emails between myself and you, on which you based that document!

 

So I've saved our email thread as a PDF, and it can be accessed here on Dropbox.

 

Ray

:)

Not to worry, Lou - I just found the original emails between myself and you, on which you based that document!

 

So I've saved our email thread as a PDF, and it can be accessed here on Dropbox.

 

Ray

:)