C220 pros/cons

I currently use a Yashicamat 124G for mostly handheld "street" shooting. I am considering a C220 or C220F due to its lighter weight and slightly smaller size(I am assuming) than the C330. I have read GA Pattersons Mamiya page, so I have an idea about the differences in the camers. Are there some major drawbacks of the C220 that I am not considering or aware of , that a first-hand user would kow about? i.e.: Is manual shutter cocking a total pain? Is knob advance on 220F easy to use? Does the 220 have a dark slide? Is it alot more plastic, and does this make it less durable? Do all the Black Lenses for the C330 fit the 220?

 

<p>

 

Thanks,

Don

www.geocities.com/soho/studios/6051

The C220/f are the same size as the 330 series. There won't be a lot of difference from the 124 in terms of weight - at least until you add lenses!

 

<p>

 

Both the 220 models have a lens change baffle, and the black series lenses fit without trouble. The 124 will be quicker for sequences of frames.

I have both a 124G and a C-220. The Mamiya is much heavier and more rugged. I find the "L" girp makes it easier to handle. To answer your questions I find the knob advance very easy to use, you do have to remember to cock the shutter, there is a baffle (not a dark slide) for changing lenses, very little plastic, yes the modern black lenses fit the 220. My only complaint is that the focusing screen is not very bright. Some posts to this group suggest that some of the 220F have interchangable screens. By all means go for it, you can always get most if not all of your money back at resale.

I've used both a C220 and a C33. The shutter cocking does slow things down a bit, but might extend the life of the shutter cocking lever if you do it gently. I did not find the manual cocking a chore. The C220 has a small crank that folds into the wind knob that speeds up the film advance a bit. The weight difference is not worth worrying about. Both are well built.

 

<p>

 

The lenses are excellent, although not quite up to the newest Japanese glass. But then they are a fraction of the cost of new Pentax, Bronica, etc.

 

<p>

 

Stay away from the chrome plated lenses and buy only the black faced lenses. The chrome lenses no longer are supported by spare parts. I just sold a broken 105 chrome to a guy in Texas that wanted the parts.

A couple more thoughts. Check the focus carefully. I have run into a couple of lenses that did not focus properly. I fixed this by glueing a shim to the top of the focusing lens mount after checking the focusing screen against the film plane focus. This pushed the focusing lens out about 1mm and then things were fine. Some where else I read that the mirror can be adjusted, but then the lenses I have would not all focus correctly.

A used C330 body in excellent condition sells for about $250 to $350 and sometimes less. A C330F body goes for about $375- $525. The newest C330S body goes for $600 - $800 in like-new condition. The main reason to consider a 220 or earlier would be if you could purchase one for considerably less than $250 -- yet most people want as much for a 220 or 220F as they do for a C330; otherwise, you are better off with one of the C330's which will hold their resale value better.<p>Why is the "F" worth $100 - $200 more than the plain C330? Besides being a younger camera, it also has a MUCH better waist level finder that forms a "chimney" without gaps, and it closes with one hand in much the same way as the best Rolleiflex finders. (On the older C330, the finder has three independent flaps that must be folded in like a box top; they also have a large gap at the top so they do not form a closed chimney.) There are other less important improvements, but the better finder and the fact that it's built like a tank make the C330F very desirable.

There seems to be a school of thought that the C220's are "older" than the C330's. I also get this from alot of the camera stores around here. From reading G A Pattersons page, I thought the cameras ran concurrent, but with fewer bells & whistles on the 220. Am I right?

As far as history of the '3' series against the '2' series is

concerned: the C33 is the best made of the Mamiya series, but it has

an awkward way of cocking the shutter (first crank forward, and then

reverse). It also is (by far) the heaviest of the lot. The C220 was

built as a much lighter economy model (no shutter cocking, no parallax

indicator etc.), but it still is RUGGED. They only use plastic where

plastic would make no difference (so not like SLR's today where they

even make the bayonet mount out of plastic!).

The C330 (and the f), apart from getting rid of the funny shutter

cocking, got rid of almost a pound of weight too. Apart from the

finder, the main difference between the f and the non-f is a focus

lock, which you'll hardly ever use.

I never understood the step from 'f' to 's': back then it meant

loosing a few more ounces and paying almost twice the price (i'm

talking back then -- i bought my C330f new for $370, but when the

C330s came out a few years later it was priced at more than $700 --

and it is in no way 'better'!).

If weight is a consideration, go for the C220 (with or without the f,

the only difference here being the focus lock and quite a few $$).

If you want to do a lot with the camera, get the C330(f): is has

auto-shutter cocking (except with the 250mm), replaceable screens (i

always use a grid), a transport handle like the Rollei and in general

it's got a better 'feel' (more rugged, even if the C220 is just as).

Get an L-grip in both cases, as i find it keeps my left hand free from

the bellows, and gives a steadier hold all over.

Greetings, Han